Mark Bittman: 'Only Two Rules For A Good Diet'

American food journalist and New York Times columnist Mark Bittman has two simple steps for following a proper diet, and they have nothing to do with your carbohydrate intake, how paleo your food can be in 2014, or how many "points" each of your food items is worth.

Rather, writes Bittman, you (and all of us) should take control of the food system back from "Big Food" industries  and their associates — food and beverage corporations, restaurant chains, and the federal government — and improve your eating habits at the same time, by following two big and simple guidelines:

1. Stop eating junk and hyper-processed food. This eliminates probably 80 percent of the stuff that is being sold as "food."

2. Eat more plants than you did yesterday, or last year.

Bittman writes, "If you add 'Cook your own food' to this list, it's even more powerful, but these two steps alone allow you to reduce the amount of antibiotics you're consuming; pretty much eliminate GMOs from your diet, lighten your carbon footprint; reduce your chances of becoming ill as a result of your diet; save money; cut way back on sugar, other junk and unnecessary and potentially harmful nonfood additives; and so on."

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Karen Lo is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @appleplexy.