What is the best diet for healthy living?

In my nutrition course at the worlds largest nutrition school I studied over 100 dietery theories, everything from low carb high fat to high carb low fat, to raw food and vegan food. The truth is we are all BIO INDIVIDUALS therefore there is no one diet that fits all, however the Integrative Nutrition 12 step plan for a healthy diet is as follows:

1. Drink more water – you should have a 2 litre bottle of water with you all the time, water literally is the life force of us humans since the body is 75% water, we need it to detoxify, rehydrate, refuel our bodies. It really is that important to our overall health!! In addition if you have cravings for sweet foods, it may actually be a signal of dehydration. Drinking water may help reduce or eliminate the cravings.
2. Practice cooking – When you cook yourself you know exactly what goes into your food, then you know it will be free from preservatives, unhealthy fats, hidden sugars. Also if you put in the love when cooking, your food will love you right back. Also when we cook ourselves we eat in accordance with our body’s actual needs and we are less likely to overeat.
3. Experiment with whole grains – Now heres the thing, many fashionable and recent diet theories teach people to avoid carbohydrates, however by looking at the delicate and thin bodies of Japanese people who consume high-carbohydrate diets composed of large amounts of rice and starchy vegetables, it is impossible to conclude all carbs lead to weight gain. I believe people are gaining weight today as food is everywhere, the unhealthy kind, fried, greasy, sugar laden.
4. Increase sweet vegetable consumption – Almost everyone craves sweets, instead of reaching out for the ‘toxic white stuff’ add more sweet flavours in the form of sweet vegetables into your diet to reduce the cravings. Vegetables like Sweet Potato, Yams, Beets, Winter Squash, Carrots have a deep sweet flavour when cooked. Lesser known vegetables that are semi sweet are Turnips, Parsnips. Other vegetables like red radishes, daikon radish, green and red cabbage have the same effect.
5. Increase leafy green vegetables – The colour green is associated with spring, a time of renewal, refreshment, vital energy. Nutritionally greens are high in calcium, vitamins A, C, E and K, they are crammed with fibre, folic acid chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Some of the benefits gained from eating dark leafy greens are: blood purification, cancer prevention, improved circulation, lifted spirit and elimination of depression. There are many greens available not just kale and broccoli, try bok choy, napa cabbage, collards, mustard greens.
6. Experiment with protein – it keeps you full and satiated- Because of our bio-individuality protein requirements vary dramatically from person to person. Experiment with reducing or increasing your protein intake and trying animal and vegetarian proteins. Some people especially O blood types and men need more protein-rich foods more often, low protein can lead to low energy and a variety of cravings. on the other hand many people feel lighter and clearer and notice a decrease in physical symptoms when they reduce animal protein in their diet. You need to find what works for you depending on physical activity, size blood types.
7. Eat Less Meat, Dairy, Sugar and Chemicalized artificial junk foods. Consume less Coffee, Alcohol and Tobacco – We all know this but still can’t help avoid these as they are everywhere. An easy way to start eating more ‘real foods’ is sticking to the outsides of a supermarket isle, eat local and seasonal foods where possible and farmers markets are a great place to start for this. Cook more, cook with your friends and/or family as it makes the whole process more enjoyable. When we add more good foods to our diets we naturally ‘crowd out’ the bad stuff.
8. Develop easy and reliable habits to nurture your body – Cleaning your tongue, a hot water bottle and hot towel scrub are 3 of our favourites, tongue cleaning also helps with cravings by cleaning the tongue with leftover food residues leading to cravings. The hot water bottle is the experience of coziness at night , it is an ancient and natural feeling we all love to experience. The hot towel scrub is a great tool for relaxation, circulation and detoxification as it rejuvenates your skin. These practices are all great examples of primary foods which i believe are more important than the nutrition you put in your body
9. Have healthy relationships that support you – It is so incredibly important to have relationships that support you, that you can communicate effectively with, that you feel loved with and by. in todays technological and modern age I really do believe we are becoming more and more depressed and isolated as humans as we have lost the ability to communicate like we used to. It’s no surprise that people who live in the blue zones (places in the world where people live the longest) in all these area s people have integrated and extended communities
10. Find Physical Activity you enjoy and can do regularly – Moving aids digestion, assimilation, circulation and respiration and is a crucial part of any healthy persons regime. Think about what you loved to do as a kid, did you dance? bike or hike? that is a good place to start when looking for a new exercise routine. Exercise can be an opportunity to reconnect with nature, perhaps going to a large park if your a city dweller. Getting out to a rural environment, somewhere you can breathe clean, fresh air. hear the birds and see the sky on a regular basis is very healing. We can live without food for weeks, without water for days, however we cannot live without air for a few minutes therefore the air quality is vital for life quality
11. Find Work you Love or a Way to Love the Work you Have – Career can be one of the most dysfunctional areas of life but as we spend the majority of our days at a work it is so important to find something that doesn’t suck the life force out of you, if you can’t find a way out as many people have overheads/expenses then try to make your office or work environment more attractive, keep away from people who you find annoying/irritating. Get an office with a nice view, make your desk personal to you, have laughter on it, get a comfortable chair to support you
12. Develop a Spiritual Practice – Spirituality is what gives depth and meaning to life, creating the feelings of divine order and harmony that exists above and beyond human limitations

My answer has been lengthy but health is not just about the food we put into our body but has to be viewed as one part of an overall system