With all of the specific diets out there right now, it can be tough to know for sure what we should be eating. The focus on these strict programs is not necessarily helpful, according to Dr. Green.
"Always being on one diet or another is a major part of the problem," Dr. Green said. "A healthy approach to weight loss involves changing the way we address eating to focus more on a healthy feeding plan that is sustainable, where we're eating healthy foods we like and allowing for some treats in moderation."
So what are these healthier choices? The basics include lean protein, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. We should be consuming less of high sugar, salty, and processed foods, she said.
Dr. Green said she tells her clients to "eat the rainbow." What she means by this is incorporating lots of different foods from different colour groups.
"When you eat orange foods like carrots and sweet potatoes, you're getting beta-Carotene," Dr. Green said. "And when you eat leafy greens, like kale and spinach, or berries, you're getting phytochemicals, which help support the immune system."
Varying your diet in this easy to remember way will help ensure we're taking in lots of different vitamins and nutrients, which help make our bodies more efficiently process what we take in.
Along those same lines, drinking six to eight glasses of water each day is also an easy way to keep things functioning well, Dr. Green said. "But, don't drink too much water," she said, "because our bodies need salt-water balance."