You know the scenario: after only a few days of overindulging in the wrong kind of foods, you can't fit into those fabulous slacks that looked so great on you before. You feel bloated and discontent. Take heart! You can avoid gaining weight and feeling depressed - and you don't have to eat like a rabbit to stay trim!

What are your best food choices for maintaining your weight and feeling great? First, we must acknowledge that there are a variety of healthy diets, one of which may be better for you than others. You may feel best with less protein and fats from meat or dairy, and plenty of fresh, raw vegetables, fruits, with a little fish. A friend or family member may only feel good on a diet that includes an abundance of red meat and eggs. Yet others do well on a Mediterranean or South Beach style nutritional program. All of these choices are good for different people.

No matter what kind of healthy diet you prefer, you will feel better and succeed in looking fabulous when you follow the tips provided here.

Revelation on a New York to Los Angeles Flight

Six hours on a transcontinental flight demands a creative approach to keep boredom and restlessness at bay. One of the most memorable moments was during lunchtime, when I decided to do a little research. There were three choices of entrees; fish, steak, or pasta.

I thought, 'This is interesting. Let's see whether there are any significant differences in the physiques of the people who chose the various entrees.'

The stewardess slowly made her way toward me, calling out the entree selection (either fish, steak, or pasta) as she handed them out. I carefully noted the physique of each person receiving each entree.

By the time the stewardess had handed out all the meals, I was in a state of amazement. Every single person who had asked for the pasta was notably overweight. Every person who received the fish or steak was of normal weight and looked healthier than their carbohydrate-loving counterparts. I never forgot that scenario!

A Secret About Processed Food

Many nutrients, such as vitamin C, enzymes, and B vitamins are rendered useless by temperatures over 150 degrees. Processed foods such as chips and canned foods are often heated to temperatures exceeding 500 degrees. Anything canned or bottled has been pasteurized. Even if the label says vitamins were added, you don't know if they were added and then destroyed in the pasteurization process.

All processed foods are, to a greater or lesser extent, a nutritional wasteland. In fact, foods lacking enzymes, vitamins and other nutrients needed for digestion and absorption usually deplete nutrients from your body during the digestive process. This can leave you feeling tired and depleted if you ingest a significant quantity of 'empty calorie' foods.

You may not know this secret about processed foods: When you eat 'empty calorie' foods, your body is starved for real nutrition. This will keep you hungry, and can contribute to compulsive eating. By following the suggestions below, you will not only find it easier to lose weight and stay trim, you will be significantly healthier.

1 - As much as possible, avoid or minimize refined carbohydrates such as confectioner's sugar, corn syrup and white flour. Candy canes, ribbon candy, cakes and soft drinks contain copious amounts of sugar.

Also, remember that all alcoholic beverages are, in essence, 'super carbohydrates.' You will minimize the glycemic effect (blood sugar high and subsequent crash) if you eat some protein and fat, such as some cheese or fish, before consuming alcohol or sweets. However, you are much better off avoiding alcohol and sugary foods altogether.

2 - Avoid potato chips, corn chips, and all other highly processed junk food snacks. Yes, they may taste good, and it's satisfying to eat something crunchy. Also, if your body is lacking enough minerals such as calcium and magnesium, that can contribute to cravings for the salt these snacks contain. In addition, the high temperatures that are used to process many crunchy grain-based snacks, distorts the molecular structure of the fats and carbohydrates so that they become toxic substances.

Potato chips, for example, have been found to contain a substance called acrylamide. Acrylamide is formed when foods containing starch are fried or baked at high temperatures. High heat alters the molecular structure of starches (as well as protein and fats), turning them from beneficial nutrients into toxins. These toxins have been found to be cancer-causing.

Interestingly, Reuters news agency reported that The Environmental Law Foundation in California has filed notices with the state attorney general against the following potato chip manufacturers of the following brands: Lay's, Pringles, Cape Cod, and Kettle Chips. This is just one example of why it is good to avoid processed foods.

Here are examples of a few other chemicals commonly found in commercial foods:

1) Monosodium glutamate is known as an excititoxin. It literally overstimulates brain neurons to the point where they self-destruct. Loss of memory and hyperactivity are two common results.

2) Coloring agents have been shown to be cancer-causing.

3) Most preservatives are hazardous to health. Nitrate, for example is directly linked to the development of cancer.

For meals, choose salads, lightly cooked vegetables, chicken, fish, lamb, or beef. You are far better off reaching for celery and carrot sticks, apples, cheese, nuts and other whole food snacks, and totally avoiding processed junk food. Avoid starchy dishes such as mashed potatoes, white rice, and pasta!

Gloriously Delicious Foods for Weight Loss

OK, I promised you that you don't have to eat like a rabbit to lose weight. You can richly and joyously satisfy your palatte while reducing your cravings for fattening foods.

Fat (the right kind) does not make you fat! While I don't advocate extremes of diet, there is some validity to the clinical findings of Dr. Robert Atkins. When people could not lose weight even on the diet he usually recommended, he would put them on a short-term very high-fat diet with great success. In one study, a group of people were put on a water fast, and another group were put on a 99% fat diet. Guess which group lost the most weight? The people eating fat!

As Dr. William Campbell Douglass points out, when the farmer wants to fatten livestock, what does he feed them? Grains! Lots and lots of grains! While some people do alright eating a moderate amount of whole grain products, for someone trying to lose weight, grain foods are the first that should be eliminated (after alcohol, refined sugar, and processed foods).

Here is a list of tasty foods that can help with losing weight and looking fabulous.

- Wild salmon and other fish

- Grass fed beef and lamb

- Organic or naturally raised poultry

- Eggs from naturally raised, free-range chickens or ducks

- Raw dairy products:

Cheeses from Switzerland (where it is required that aged cheese is raw) - Emmenthaler, Gruyere, or Swiss cheese

Raw whole milk or cream (if you can get it from a local farmer). A few states allow the sale of raw milk and cream.

Feta cheese

Yogurt (without sugar and fruit ingredients)

- Dark green leafy vegetables

Romaine, butterhead, and other lettuce varieties

Chicory and endive

Parsley, cilantro, and other fresh herbs

- Low glycemic (high fiber with carbs that are slowly absorbed) fruits (try to buy low-spray or organic)

Apples

Blueberries

Raspberries

Strawberries

Blackberries

- Brassica vegetables

Broccoli

Brussel sprouts

Red and green cabbage

Cauliflower

- Olive oil

- Fresh lemons and limes

- Fresh raw nuts (Avoid nuts roasted in oil, covered with salt, sugar, and flavorings, and nuts that are old and rancid. Also, limit intake of nuts as they can be difficult to digest in more than small amounts. Nuts contain more carbohydrates than most of the foods on this list, so can cause weight gain when too many are eaten).

Walnuts

Almonds

Pecans

- Herb teas (flavored with stevia if you're like me and like sweet taste but don't want the glycemic effect. Stevia has NO effect on blood sugar).

With such a wide variety of tasty, healthy foods to choose from, you can lose weight and always look fit and healthy.

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