Source: Care2.com  By Brian Syuki

Which diet is the healthiest? This is a question we can debate for hours and still not come to an agreement.

So instead of focusing on whether a Paleo or a plant-based diet is better, why don’t we look into why certain diets work. After all, there are folks who have success with both diets.

Here are 5 things all successful diet plans have in common.

1. They encourage you to eat lots vegetables and fiber.

There’s a lot of evidence showing that veggies promote weight loss and lower risk of diseases. In fact, all popular diets (low-carb, paleo, vegan, and Mediterranean) encourage you to eat lots of veggies and fiber.

Fiber helps control hunger and regulates blood sugar levels. If you want to increase fiber intake, eat plant-based foods in every meal. And start snacking on fruits instead of junk food.

2. They encourage you to avoid added sugar.

Sugar is one of the worst foods you can put in your mouth. It has lots of calories but no nutrients.

Now, it’s easy to reduce intake of table sugar but added sugar is much harder to avoid. It is in all sorts of processed foods including tomato sauces, salad dressings and cereals.

First, find out if the foods you consume regularly contain added sugar. Then substitute them with healthier alternatives. For instance, you could substitute diet soda with fresh lemon juice. Reading labels can also help avoid added sugar. But keep in mind that companies use all sorts of tricks to hide sugar.

3. They encourage you to reduce intake of refined grains.

Refined grains can make it harder for you to drop pounds. They are low in nutrients and high in calories. They also trigger blood sugar spikes, which consequently increase appetite.

Highly consumed refined grains include bread, rice, pasta and cereal. Try to avoid these foods or opt for less processed alternatives like whole-wheat bread, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and oatmeal.

4. They encourage you to control your portion sizes.

You can’t lose weight if you eat too many calories. Just consume enough calories to help fuel your body but not too much that you’ll end up gaining weight.

Don’t obsess over every single calorie, but you can have a rough estimate of your total calorie intake. Learn how to control portions without counting calories.

5. They encourage you to avoid trans fats.

Trans fats won’t just make you gain weight, they can make you sick. Research has linked them to inflammation and heart disease.

Common foods rich in trans fats include baked foods, biscuits, microwave popcorn, crackers, margarine, and cream-filled candy. Avoid these foods completely since they have no health benefits.