It's a Balancing Act
One thing is for sure, volumes have been written on the subject of diet and nutrition and volumes will continue to be written. There is a great deal of "junk-science" out there today. It's a never ending stream of information, continually feeding sound-bite-tabloid-news.
For most people, something triggers their motivation (i.e. an upcoming reunion) and they leap into application, of the latest "quick-fix" solution, only to fail, once again, to make it permanent. Why? Two reasons; (1) they have never taken the time to educate themselves on how their body works, and (2) they fail to realize that for a nutritional change to be permanent, one must be willing to continue with the changes they've made - for the rest of their life! I cannot say it strongly enough; in order for dietary successes to be permanent, one must only make changes they are willing to live with permanently. That's the fundamental reason why most "diets" don't work.
The dramatic and many times extreme changes people make under the influence of "temporary motivation" (better described as temporary insanity) - even if they get the results they were looking for - only last as long as they continue to do those same things. Do you really want to only eat 900 calories a day, or only eat shakes and tofu, for the rest of your life?
Food is simply fuel for the body. If you put the wrong type of fuel in your car it will not run properly. It will stall and eventually wear out sooner than it should. It’s the same with the body. God has designed the human body to be a high energy fat burning machine. However, if the body is not fueled properly, or exercised regularly, it quickly becomes a low energy fat storing machine.
Most American's have insisted that their food be fast and convenient. In so doing, most food consumed today is severely lacking in nutrition. Bottom line? Poor nutrition and the lack of exercise has led to a dramatic increase in chronic disease and premature death. The fewest chronic diseases are found among those with ideal body weight. Health risks increase as weight goes up.
The following link will take you to a wonderful website where you can analyze any food (even fast food): Get info on calories, fat, vitamins, and more. You can also search any food for it's nutritional value.
Nutritional Data | 
