The Natural Foods Diet is the avoidance of all unnatural and refined or processed ingredients. These ingredients include refined sugars, refined flours, milled grains, hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, artificial food colors, artificial flavorings, and other similar ingredients. Unlike most other popular weight-loss programs, there is no counting required for practitioners of the Natural Foods Diet.
Note that Sucanat, Stevia, raw honey, and maple syrup are allowed as sweeteners as they are non-processed and all natural. Sea salt is also preferred over table salt.
Proponents of the natural foods diet argue that unnatural ingredients promote obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and mood problems.