Michele Maroldo

As you may have already guessed, I’m not a big fan of “diets”, a diet is something you go off of. I hate counting calories and I don’t have time to measure food before it’s consumed. What you need to do is to develop a healthy eating plan that you can follow for the rest of your life. An eating plan that would allow for “cheat” days, going to restaurants, going on vacation, and hosting and attending social gatherings.

So what should you eat? Eating clean means eating foods in their purest form. Fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken and turkey breast, and whole grains to name just a few. I’m confident when I say that our bodies were not created to live off all the junk food we put in it. And by junk food I mean food that has been overly processed and full of preservatives, artificial colors, and artificial flavors. These just take over our bodies and build up toxins making it harder to function, not to mention lose weight. The problem is, these foods usually taste really good. But that doesn’t mean you can’t de-program your taste buds and develop a longing for the basics. To me there is nothing like a bowl of fresh vegetables that have been slightly steamed and seasoned with nothing, I mean absolutely nothing. You can really taste the full flavors when there is an absence of butter, salt, sauces, etc. If that doesn’t sound appealing to you, it wasn’t always appealing to me either. It takes time for your body and pallet to adjust to a healthy menu, you just have to give it the sufficient time. To give you an example, if you’re a heavy salt user and you begin to use less and less until finally you can live without salt on your food and after some time passes you have something with some salt on it, it will seem extremely salty.

How do you begin? There are two ways to attack this, you could go “cold turkey” and just do it or start slowly and make changes over time. Going cold turkey is better for those who do not like to be tempted by certain foods, sometimes just having a taste can do more damage than good. Those who prefer a slow and gradual start might have more willpower to resist food temptations and overeating. Personally, going cold turkey has always been much more successful for me.

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In a previous article, I mentioned that eating “clean” is healthy and can help you lose weight. But what foods are “clean” and how can you incorporate them in your daily eating?

Breakfast

There’s nothing like starting the day with a fresh cup of hot coffee. And while it does contain caffeine, studies indicate that in moderation coffee will do you no harm, unless of course you have a medical condition that prevents you otherwise. If caffeine is an issue for you, try decaffeinated coffee or tea but look for the ones that are decaffeinated naturally, they use a natural process instead of a chemical one.

Eggs are also a good choice but try using one yolk to two whites, this will cut down on the amount of fat and cholesterol ingested but you’ll still get the nutritional benefits of the yolk. Try them plain, scrambled, or add vegetables to create a fiber-packed omelet.

Fruit is an excellent way to start the day, it will boost your metabolism and kick start your intestinal system. Stick with fresh fruit: citrus, melons, berries, apples, pears, etc. For added calcium and protein, add a dollop of fat free yogurt to your fresh fruit. Add a banana and some ice and you have an instant smoothie that’s filling, nutritious, and delicious but won’t leave you feeling sluggish.

Most cold cereals are overly processed and high in sugar. (more…)