My food philosophy is pretty basic and can be summed up under a few key points.
Everything in Moderation
I don't believe in carb-free, dairy-free, baby-food diets where your 'meal' of a protein-shake can't be consumed after 4pm on a Thursday. That said, obviously there are people who sincerely have an intolerance or allergy (note: these are two different things) to certain foods or groups of foods who need to avoid said foods.
I don't believe that the occasional piece of cake, trip to the chipper (Chipper: noun, slang for Fish and Chip shop) or bottle of wine (or G&T) will kill you. That said, I'm currently a 'few' kilos overweight myself, but in my case I know that this is because I have been eating too much food rather than the wrong food and I'm currently on a mission to prove that I can lose these extra post-wedding kilos, not by resorting to a hardcore fad diet, but by being a bit more sensible about the amount of food that I consume.
Processed Foods are the Devil... most of the time
I do believe in eating fresh produce in as much of its natural state as possible. I try to cook most of our food from scratch using a wide range of fresh ingredients. Unless you're very dedicated, it's pretty hard to live in today's society and completely avoid foods that have been processed in some way, it's just a matter of limiting them. For example I use plenty of butter and while this is definitely not classed as a 'health' food, I personally would rather eat butter, made from cream and salt, than any processed spread, manufactured from synthetic products, which claims to reduce cholesterol or whatever else it does (and butter tastes sooo much better!!). However, I usually buy beans in a tin rather than taking the time to soak the dry version, usually have a jar of curry paste on hand and couldn't live without my cartons of bought stock in the pantry.
I find that by avoiding highly processed foods I have higher energy levels and my body just functions better. But, everything in moderation!
Enjoy your Food
Personally, I find that if I'm not enjoying my food I get into this bizarre space of trying to cram as much in as possible in an attempt to satisfy myself and end up eating far more than necessary. Which is quite weird and completely ridiculous but that's just me!
This is why I like to cook, so that I can make delicious meals that I enjoy and am less likely to overindulge on... well, sometimes anyway.
