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   Surely DG you have some clues to a heathy diet backed up by science, beyond the obvious.

I want salt on that, but should I trust my taste buds?    

Start with a high fiber cereal and skim milk, along with some fruit for potassium, and then drink an entire liquified human placenta over the course of the day (remember, lots of small meals is best).  Treat yourself to some organic oatmeal cookies or a handful of berries to catch up on fiber and try and get in another tall glass of skim milk at some point.  Obviously sub out skim for soy if you're lactose intolerant.

Oh, and try and get the placenta from a white baby if at all possible.

Well, I'm not a RD, but I can give you some broad answers.  I am a foodie and a science geek, and that goes a long way.

First, there is no "best diet."  The reason RD's spend so long getting their training is that diets need to be specifically tailored to an individual.  Each metabolism works a little differently.  Also, some people want the "best diet for me to lose weight" while others want "the best diet for me to put on muscle mass," and others want to control their Type II diabetes.

With all that said, there are simple rules that you can follow that, for most people, will keep them pretty damn healthy and will also taste really good.  (Remember, you may not actually want "the best diet."  It might be a pain in the ass to prepare, expensive, and generally unpalatable.)

1.  Fresh is pretty much always better.  Prepare fresh vegetables.  Eat fresh fruit.  Go to a butcher to get freshly killed meat.  Make your own fruit juice with a juicer, and drink it within 24 hours.  Even better, drink it within an hour.

2. Steam vegetables instead of boiling.  Not only do they taste better, but for the average cook, it's easier to cook them such that they have more usable nutrients when you eat them.  (There's a lot of hoo-ha out there about veggies and maximum nutrient absorption.  You have to have a freaking science lab to maximize it.  Steaming is good.)

3. Avoid processed food.  This is another way of saying "Eat fresh food" but it's worth mentioning.  Again, with lots of research, you can find out what kinds of processing do what, and where you're getting harmful addatives, but the fact is, if you're cooking with fresh food, you are avoiding the whole issue.  Local farmers markets are the best, especially when you can develop a relationship with the farmers, and maybe even see firsthand how they raise their wares.

4. It's true.  A glass of red wine is good for you.

5.  Yes, there's mercury in seafood, but there's shit in everything now, and fish is really good for you.  If you like sushi, eat as much as you want, but avoid the stupid Philadelphia rolls with all the cream cheese.  Go for raw rolls over fried or otherwise Americanized.  If you're cooking fish for yourself, don't overcook it and either bake it or pan fry it in a little bit of good olive oil.  (Oh... remember, fresh fish from the ocean can be eaten raw or undercooked.  Always thoroughly cook freshwater fish.  Me, I just eat stuff from the sea, and it settles the whole issue.)

6. Salt is good for you in the right doses.  If you're not eating processed foods, it's ok to add some salt.  Salt should be added while you're cooking, not at the table.  A pinch of salt brings out lots of the natural flavor in food.  Typically, if you're cooking on the stovetop, wait until you're almost done and check for taste.  If it's a little bland, add salt, a pinch at a time, stir in for 30 seconds, and check for taste again.  You can always add more salt, but you can't take it away.  (I haven't had a salt shaker on the table in ten years.  Never need it.)

7.  Tea is good for you.  Coffee isn't particularly good for you.  Drink both without sugar.

8.  Completely cut out all sodas.  They're poison.  (Ok... you can have ginger with your Jack or coke with your rum.  I wouldn't do that to a man...)

9.  Drink about three times as much water as you think you ought to drink.

10.  Learn to sweeten dishes without adding sugar.  There's sugar in damn near everything.  With proper cooking techniques, you can bring sweetness out in almost anything.

11. The "Three meals a day" thing is a crock.  Eat small amounts when you're hungry.  Remember that humans are evolutionarily designed to eat more than they need at a sitting.  Don't give in to that urge.  Eat until you're just comfortable, drink lots of water after you eat.  (If you're too full to drink lots of water, you ate too much.)

12.  And finally, the twelfth in Hambydammit's "12 Steps to a Reasonably Healthy Diet":  Moderation, moderation, moderation.  You don't have to go vegan or cut out red meat or never eat sugar, salt, or potato chips.  Just use some common sense.  The shit that's really bad for you like potato chips?  Once a month.  Cheesecake?  Get a pretty girl to go with you to dinner and split one piece with her, then work off the calories later.  You get the drift, right?  Moderation!

Other things you ought to know:  Deep frying is never the most healthy option, but if you learn to do it right, you can minimize the amount of added fat while maximizing flavor.  If your temperature is too low, it's going to absorb more fat.  If you want to deep fry, invest in a small deepfryer and a thermometer.  It makes a big difference.

A lot of the love-handles and muffin tops you see on Americans is the result of filler food -- food with lots of bulk and not much nutritional value.  What you want to do is maximize your nutrient absorption while keeping your caloric intake the same (or reducing it).  Rather than eating a sandwich, put a piece of fish or meat on top of a salad.  Fresh Greens > Bread.

You don't have to represent all the food groups at every meal.  Just get a healthy serving of the big ones -- protein, vegetables, and fruit -- each day, and you'll be fine.  Dairy doesn't need to be a food group.  You can get your calcium elsewhere.  Rice and potatoes are not particularly nutritious, and they're bulky.

Hmmm... I hadn't considered this.  On reflection, I think I will amend my advice thusly:

9. On the first day, drink about three times as much water as you think you ought.  Each successive day, begin with a baseline amount equal to the first day, adjusted for relative differences in ambient temperature, amount of physical activity, and other variables that seem relevant, and multiply by three.  Drink that much.