Determining what food is healthy or not healthy has been made difficult to decide, thanks to the internet. Sure, the information you can tap into is endless, but which is correct? And who are the real experts?

                                          Low Carbs are Healthy, or Maybe Not

Depending on what you are searching for, is what will decide how far you might want to look. Recently finding out that I am pre-diabetic, has got me thinking more seriously about my carbs. Diabetes runs in my family, so I do have a good knowledge of the healthy and not so healthy foods. A low carbohydrate and starch diet is essential to a diabetic’s long-term health. So began my web search of everything low carbs. It’s amazing what you find.

Diabetics have a hard time processing starches, due to the pancreas not functioning efficiently. However, carbs give you energy, and we all need them. Even us pre-diabetics need to watch our intake, but we need to focus on the healthy carbs. Bread and pasta are healthy, but only the whole wheat or whole grains variety. Oh wait, there was another article saying to not eat bread at all. Eat fruits and vegetables instead, since they are gluten-free. Not that gluten and diabetes are related, but that’s a whole different subject. So which is it?  My solution, I eat all of it. Now, I just pay more attention to the total carbs on the label. As far as fruit, well if I’m not allergic to it, I eat it. I exchange or trade-off. My mother did this for her meals, when she was following her diet correctly.

Even those who aren’t diabetics, shouldn’t give up carbs completely. They are part of that cute little pyramid, that used to exist when we were in school, to teach us about nutrition. The older folk know what I’m talking about. If you eat the right ones, not cake and ice cream, you’ll get the nutrients you need.

                                   Fat, Low Fat, or No Fat….So Which is It?

Fat will always get a bad rap. Lard, bad fat. Crisco shortening is bad fat. Regular stick butter is bad fat. So is tub margarine. However, avocado, a really good fat, just don’t eat too much or you’ll get fatter. Walnuts are a good fat, as long as you aren’t allergic to nuts, and only a handful please. Oh let’s not forget, whole milk, yogurt, certain cuts of beef and duck!

Let’s see, depending on the expert you may be reading, which are hundreds of these certified dietitians and nutritionists online, who is right?  One says don’t eat butter of any kind. Wait, then one says go ahead as long as it’s grass-fed butter. It’s the trans fats that are bad, and this butter doesn’t have that. Well how about milk? If you want to drive yourself nuts, I guarantee you that there are so many points of view, you will now do what I did today, just stop reading. Didn’t these people get the same kind of education to be a certified anything to do with food.

I’ve set my own goals on the knowledge I’ve obtained through the years of living with a diabetic and asking my doctors questions. Some things are still just that simple.

                                  So What is Healthy vs. Not Healthy

If you want an experts opinion online, I have a suggestion. Sites such as the Mayo Clinic, and yes, even Web MD, have helped me more than some of these fly by night nutritionists, whom I’ve never laid eyes on. Mayo has been around for years. Cleveland Clinic, and even Johns Hopkins, have places on their websites where you can ask questions. Go to real experts. Even organizations like the American Diabetes Association, is there to help people be proactive in their choices for their diets. And you don’t have to be diabetic to ask a question. I’ve decided that not everyone out there is an expert. I’ll stick with the old-fashioned way of doing it, everything in moderation, just a little less starch, sugar and carbs for me please!