How do I know what to eat?!

I'm so confused. I can't stick to anything because everything is a contradiction..

I've read so many different studies / opinions / theories / diets

Some say whole grains are healthy and provide beneficial nutrients. some say Grains are unnatural, we've only eaten them in the last 10,000 years and are hard to digest and provide too many carbs and can trigger craving and the nutrients are not properly digested anyway...

some say fake sugar is ok in moderation and is a viable alternative to real sugar. Some say real sugar is healthy in moderation, avoid fake sugar. Some say one kind of fake sugar is ok and others are not. Some say use natural sugars like honey. Some say even natural sugars are disruptive to the body because they are too powerful...

Some say salt is bad and should be avoided, some say salt is ok in moderation but count your intake...

Some say raw is better, some say lightly cooked is better than raw.

Some say you should make time to always use fresh food, some say its ok too use food that is pre prepared and convinient..

some say organic is better for health, some say it doesnt matter, some say only certain things matter...

some say meat is good for you, some say its bad...

some say soy is good for you, some say its bad...

some chemicals are good, some are bad, all are bad...

HOW IN THE WORLD CAN I FIGURE OUT WHAT TO EAT?

Um...everything in moderation?

Seriously, I think that the best diet is one that consists of a large variety of things. We can't live our lives everyday wondering about what foods are best for us, what brands, what cooking methods, etc. Obviously,  a person would have a heck of a time tying to eat perfectly all the time. Especially with all the things that are being added to ours foods nowadays. 

There are different studies out there on different subjects, coming to different conclusions. Different people can interpret the data in different ways, and use their different opinions to form different theories.

One approach is to do as much research as you can, compare the different ideas and the facts they are based on, and come to your own conclusion. If you're looking for one easy source of answers, you might just want to go to a doctor and ask their advice.

The best shorthand I read recently was by Michael Pollan in his book 'In Defense of Food'.  Went as follows.... 'Eat food... not too much... mostly plants'.

If you base your meals around fresh vegetables and salads you can't go wrong, basically.  Add in some wholegrains and/or starchy vegetables to give it a little bulk.  Throw in a little meat/fish/beans or other protein to make it satisfying.  Add a little fat to give it mouthfeel.  That's about a complicated as it needs to be.  Doesn't pay to over-think it.   Human beings have been surviving and thriving for centuries on all kinds of diets ...

If 80-90% of your diet is from a wide variety of fresh, natural wholefoods, prepared and cooked from scratch and 10-20% is from processed or 'fun' foods like chocolate or french-fries then you're getting a good balance. 

In addition to the advise given above: stop worrying about what such and such study says and focus on what you enjoy eating. You only live once so you might as well enjoy what you're putting in your mouth.

If you don't like soy, don't eat it. If you like something lightly cooked, eat it that way. If you prefer real sugar, use it sparingly.

Take in what you read or find with a grain of salt. Look at the source and see if it's reputable and reliable or if it may be a bit biased. You don't have to believe and listen to everything you see :p

definately agree with above, look at the source of these studies that provides this info. You know the biggest opponent of the Atkins diet? the Grain industry. They 'researched' the diet and what did they find? Its bad to cut out grain products...what a coincidence! These 'studies' are often funded by biased stakeholders.

Diets are a product that people buy, and to sell them they need us to beleive that we are fat and are not eating right in the first place. They do this by telling us certain foods are bad, join our club etc and we'll tell you which ones are good...confused people compensate by buying products that they think will help. Us women bear the brunt of this attack because they target our most vulnerable point, our appearance, and they have gotten REALLY good at it :( 

my advice is, natural is best, keep artificial foods to a minimum, don't beleive anything you read.

Try to eat as many fruits and veggies as possible.  I lost weight as a veggie and felt great but went back to eating meat (and my waist line shows it).

Basically just count the calories of everything you eat (a scale really helps).  I find that when I count calories I naturally gravitate towards healthier foods because they fill me up more and are less calories.  I have turtles in my condo right now but I can't justify 75 calories for one little tiny treat.  It works for me.