I like the point made about whole-grain breads and more organic foods. Refined sugar and flour are not as healthy as the natural stuff "the way God intended it". Unfortunately, natural or organic food is more expensive now that the industry has discovered that society needs everything to taste better and to come in HUGE quantities. I think you can have a lot of success with portion control, but I've also tried to replace white bread with whole-grain bread and refined sugar with Splenda (ok not natural) or that unrefined sugar you can find in packets in a lot of restaurants. Granted, it takes some getting used to, but I think it makes my diet a lot healthier.
Another thing that might help is taking a fiber supplement. Pardon my frankness, but we need this stuff to go through our systems quicker! Keeping our internal organs running smooth helps you feel better all over and makes the digestive process easier. Most Americans don't get enough fiber.
My health teacher in high school used to say "chew your food ten times before swallowing and your stomach will love you forever." I think that's a good rule of thumb to follow. We're harsh on your digestive systems. Eating slow and making sure we use our teeth to properly prepare the food we're eating for our stomachs is a good rule to follow.
These are just a few of my suggestions! I count calories - but I do try to make sure I'm not getting more than 30 grams of fat per day - and I have been trying to increase my protein, but that's to build more muscle.
