At my doctor's urging, I've cut out added sugar and switched to a high fiber diet. I eased into it. First I cut out the category of things that are mostly mad

At my doctor's urging, I've cut out added sugar and switched to a high fiber diet. I eased into it. First I cut out the category of things that are mostly made of sugar: dessert foods, ketchup and many salad dressings, most breakfast cereals. After about a month of that, I additionally cut out things that have sweeteners as an ingredient. This would have been impossible without adding lots of high fiber foods, because most American food has sugar high on its ingredient list. I eat a lot of fresh / frozen fruit and vegetables, rice, nuts, and steel-cut oats now. I use my spice cabinet a whole lot more than I used to. As a result, I feel much healthier and I lost ten pounds without trying and without feelings of hunger. I'm telling this story because I find my current diet quite delicious and fulfilling, and I want people to know that eating healthier food doesn't have to be about self-denial. This is especially true if you're willing to spend some money on good foods. Nor does it have to be all-or-nothing, ostentatious asceticism. I'll eat a slice of cake at my kids' birthday parties, and I'll eat what's offered me at a friend's house. I probably won't have seconds though, because after mostly abstaining from sugar, I can't handle eating too much of it at a go.