There is a healthy middle ground.

In modern America, we must think at each meal about how we match and balance the delicious foods that are good for us with those we love but do not love us. At each meal, we need to assemble a more balanced collection of ingredients that support our bodies’ natural ability to control the post-meal burn rather than igniting a wild blaze. The power extends beyond simply creating a healthier balance. Healthy foods can somewhat blunt the impact of harmful ones.

Different ingredients work in different ways. Fiber can slow the uptake of sugars into the blood stream. Soluble fiber and plant sterols can reduce the absorption of cholesterol. Relatively small intakes of Omega-3 can also help lessen the post-meal spikes in triglycerides. Antioxidants found in spices, green tea, wine, cocoa, and a host of other ingredients that make good food great can cool the inflammatory effect of eating.

Smart eating is fundamentally about matching foods to assure that a sufficient amount of the good nutrients are always available to minimize the impact of those that are delicious but harmful. Smart eating also looks to curtail the oversized meal that can overwhelm the body’s natural ability to control the post-meal fires.