There is no single perfect diet that is going to work for everyone.

It can be so confusing for people. Do I go low carb, low fat, Paleo, Mediterranean, Keto, vegetarian or vegan?

The general principles to adhere to are:

• Real Food first and always.
• Avoid processed food.
• Cut out or significantly limit sugar. Denormalise sugar.
• Eat a rainbow of vegetables and some fruit.
• Cut out or cut down on refined processed carbs like bread, pasta, rice and cereal.
• Include some starchy tubers in your diet like potatoes, sweet potatoes – but be mindful that if you are diabetic, they may push up your blood sugars so always good idea to check your blood sugar response to these foods.
• Be cautious with hyperpalatable (more-ish) real foods like nuts, cream and cheese especially if you are trying to lose weight.
• Low carb and Paleo baking fall into the hyperpalatable (more-ish) foods so these are for treats not regular daily consumption.
• Fish is a great source of protein and the oily fish are a great source of omega 3 fats which are vital for health.
• Good quality (ideally pasture-raised) meat can also be consumed in moderation if you are an omnivore (human beings were designed to be omnivores)
• Do not fear healthy fats – saturated fats like butter, lard, ghee and coconut oil are very stable for cooking at high temperatures. Monounsaturated fats like olive oil and avocado oil are also a great alternative. But avoid the seed oils.

With the above principles in mind, does it really matter which camp you fall into? Embrace real food and pick and choose from the wealth of recipes available out there.

Low Carb Meal Planners

Dr Kim Andrews at Freshwell Surgery has created several wonderful low carb meal planners that are free to download – regular, low budget and vegetarian versions. Click here.

https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/resources/meal-planners/

Low Carb websites

https://www.dietdoctor.com/new-member/keto-intro/3c/r

https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/

https://sugarfreelondoner.com/

https://www.ketofitnessclub.com/pages/free-recipe-library

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/sweeteners

https://www.tarladalal.com/recipes-for-low-carb-veg-indian-recipes-757

 https://www.indianveggiedelight.com/keto-indian-food-recipes/

Paleo websites

https://paleoleap.com/paleo-diet-recipes/#treats

https://paleogrubs.com/paleo-diet-recipes

Mediterranean websites

https://www.themediterraneandish.com/best-mediterranean-diet-recipes/