I am on a diet ... really!

Consider the following excerpt from here:

 A satiating diet includes foods that are high in protein (such as fish),; high in fiber (whole grains, for example) and high in fruits and vegetables. It contains healthy fats, such as the polyunsaturated fats found in avocados, and includes dairy products such as yogurt. Perhaps surprisingly, it might also include capsaicin, the substance that makes jalapenos and other peppers so hot.

Guess what?  That pretty much is my diet too. Except for the fish.

Foods with protein? Check. (rarely ever animal protein though.)
High in fiber? Check.
High in fruits and vegetables? Check.
Healthy fats? Check.
Capsaicin? Check.

Of course, this is not anything new.  It is, for all purposes, a healthy Indian vegetarian feast.

I present to you the dinner from last night--home-cooked, of course:

Spinach cooked with seasoned cumin seeds and red chili flakes, and then gently boiled with coconut milk and shredded coconut, to which I added cubes of paneer that were cooked in ghee (clarified butter) ... this was served over white rice. 
The side was a salad with cucumber, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, tossed with freshly squeezed lime and then freshly and coarsely ground black pepper. 

Cheese and ghee? Yep. Healthy.  Coconut milk? Yep. Healthy.

What is so special about that combination?

What’s so special about these foods it’s that each of them possesses specific characteristics that benefit our health either by decreasing hunger, reducing body fat, lowering blood sugar, improving blood pressure or increasing metabolism. For instance, yogurt contains protein, calcium and lactic acid bacteria, which are the live and active bacteria that help with the growth of good bacteria in the gut. A healthy gut microbiome has been found to help control body weight and improve other aspects of health.

Scientists being scientists, they "don`t have the answers yet, but we are planning further studies that we hope will address these questions."

Seriously, why do scientists even bother doing these expensive studies when I could have provided them with the answer for a fraction of that cost! ;)

I have always believed that healthy eating can/should also mean eating tasty foods.  It never ever has to mean any big sacrifice.  A satisfying full meal where we don't deprive ourselves of the fat and salt and sugar.  If we deny us those, then that is exactly what we will end up dreaming about all the time, which does not contribute to good mental health, leave alone the physical part.

Oh, there was a finishing piece to the dinner.  This:

Source