Inspired by u/Suzanne_by_the_River's post "Guide to Healthy Eating Habits".

I am a health and fitness freak. I have only five fields of research I indulge weekly: human society, history, philosophy, homemaking and FOOD FOOD FOOD. Probably stemming from the fact I have been at both ends of the eating disorder spectrum and am seriously controlling about my diet. As I pieced things together over the years, I reached a few conclusions about human health, diet and fitness. And it's a lot of work to write it all down, especially considering I have no credentials other than "bookworm". So, instead, here are 15 things I have distilled from my research that you can apply quickly and easily in your day to day for a fitter, healthier body.

Good diet:

1: If you are largely from one ethnic background, check out what they were eating. Chances are your gut flora and overall digestive tract are still adapted to your most recent ethnic diet! If your ethnicity is very mixed, work out where most of your family came from geographically and look for family or regional recipes from the 1900s for a vague guide. Try and make this diet the pillar everything else is based on. Sure, have a cola once or twice a week, but generally drink water, milk or tea.

2: Humans are meant to eat plenty of plants, to keep us going between kills. Focus on roots, stems and leaves, with sides of tuber and fruits. Your plate should be mostly low calorie foliage and moderate calorie plant matter, with a lump of protein and a bit of starch and fat.

3: Protein is a must for a strong body, as are fats. Consume whole foods forms of proteins and fats, minimally or slowly cooked, to digest them gently and efficiently. Raw proteins are hard to digest, but so are dry ones!

4: Try removing common allergens like dairy, grains, eggs, legumes, nuts and seafood from your diet temporarily, one at a time. If any bother you when you reintroduce them, quit eating them. Sometimes an underlying food intolerance can go undetected a whole lifetime and mess with your digestion!

5: Whatever your diet is low in: supplement it. Nothing beats nature, but if for ethical, health or financial reasons you can't afford to eat a diet suited to you, then boost yourself with supplements.

Weight loss, gain and maintenance:

1: To lose (or gain] weight, try the half a plate trick. One meal a day, serve yourself half (or one and half times] the serving you would normally have. If you get no results, repeat it on another meal. And another. If you end up eating two "half" meals a day or three "double" meals a day, then you might need to adjust your plate sizes in general! And use the same trick when you're the right weight: increase (or reduce] your plates until you are stable again. And keep them there!

2: You can rebalance your calories by making "calorie meals". Come up with a great low (or high] calorie meal that you can eat comfortably and happily and use it to replace another meal. Soups and salads a great for low calorie meals and snacks and hot chocolate make for great calorie boosters.

3: Protein is awesome. It is calorific, but not really. Ketosis, the process by which protein becomes usable energy is started when we run out of sugar. If we have enough glucose, our bodies will use little protein for energy. This makes it harder to gain fat on 500 calories of extra protein instead of 500 calories of extra fat or carbs. It also fills you up more for longer. Always add lean protein!

4: Play the insulin game. Your insulin can be the driver for your appetite, more often than not. So play with it! In the mornings before 11 we can generally still run on our overnight reserves, so have a light late lunch if you want to lose weight, or cram in the breakfast if you want to gain it. Carbs are best had at least six hours before bed, too, so have a nice carby lunch and then keep them lower for dinner if you want to lose weight. If you want to gain it, add a bowl of white rice to your dinner.

5: Learn to spot when you are full. Plugging myself a little here as it's hard to explain briefly: https://yourwifeisevolving.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/how-to-know-when-youre-full/

Beauty:

1: I reiterate: check for food intolerances. They could be messing with your skin, causing you to bloat or retain water, even creating adrenal fatigue, which looks awful on anyone.

2: If you don't eat plenty of fresh fruit and veggies, drink clean water. Drink warm water in Winter. Ever seen a Hong Kong girl's skin? Ever wondered why it was so nice and clear? They drink water all year, even warm water in Winter. You get the right amount of water from foods, but more water = more chance for your body to cleanse. Aim for 1-2l of water or tea on top of fresh plants and thick beverages.

3: Stick it to sugar. Seriously. Nobody has time for acne, sweats, bloating, bad teeth, bad breath, etc. Simple sugars need to stay low, preferably combined with fibre or fat or protein, to prevent insulin peaks.

4: Eat colourful plants. When you eat things with yellow and orange pigment your skin gains a light, healthful glow. Yes, even black and brown skin! When you eat things with blue and purple pigment you get tighter skin. When you eat things with red skins you can improve the overall appearance of blemishes and scars. It's nothing magical, but lots of colourful fruits and veggies can slightly improve your all round beauty.

5: Get your calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, selenium and zinc in extra doses. It's no secret that women's bones weaken as we age. This can result in slowly degrading posture. Although keeping your muscles strong can also improve bone density and posture can be maintained overall, don't neglect the framework! Make sure your body is receiving all the base minerals to build and rebuild your bones.

And there are LOADS more I wanted to include, but I feel like it will never stop once you get me going! Feel free to add anything or ask for references or clarification.

~SSW