Diet: Think Clean & Green

    Perhaps the biggest change I have made in my lifestyle in the last couple years has been in my diet and eating habits.  As I mentioned before, healthy eating habits are actually more important and contribute more to overall health and fitness than exercise alone.  If  you really want to see a change in your body and physique (and fast), change your eating habits.  I love food, and I used to eat absolutely whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.  I would not give a second thought to anything I put in my mouth.  Fast food, soda, salty snacks, sugary and starchy treats... I would not discriminate.  I was/am a sucker for a cheeseburger and fries.  However, I am not a believer in deprivation -- just moderation!  You don't have to give up the foods you love all together -- just enjoy them in moderation and stick to clean, healthy, fresh eating habits and maintain an active lifestyle the majority of the time.  Depending on your personal fitness/weight-loss/health goals, however, you may want to be more strict in your own diet/eating habits.  I used to be much more stringent in my diet; however, I have relaxed in that area quite a bit.  When I first began transforming my diet lifestyle, though, these are a few examples of the changes I made:

• Replace all liquids with water, and coffee/tea if you require caffeinated beverages (coffee and tea contain healthy antioxidants and are virtually sugar/calorie-free in their pure form).  Even juices that are marketed to be 'healthy and organic' are typically loaded with sugar and extra calories.  Try to drink at least 64 oz. of water each day.
• Eliminate alcohol, or at least significantly decrease your intake.
• Give up fast-food all together!
• Make the grocery store your new hangout -- since you are giving up fast, convenient, and processed food, you need to have fresh, organic, and healthy ingredients on hand.
• Prepare all of your meals, even if that means you have to plan and pack meals ahead of time.  I got into the habit of waking up just a half-hour earlier every morning, so that I could make and enjoy breakfast, as well as make my lunch for the day.  Not only will you save pounds, but you'll save a ton of money, as well!
• Rather than eating three large meals a day, get into the habit of eating six times/smaller meals a day.  This keeps your metabolism going strong throughout the day, and you will find that you will have more energy to keep you going, as well.
• Buy lots of fresh and organic vegetables, wash them, cut them up, and store them in Tupperware containers in the fridge for quick, convenient, and healthy snacking (this is significantly cheaper than buying the pre-cut and prepared packs of veggies, although that works, too).
• Have a hearty, carb-filled breakfast every morning (healthy carbs and whole grains, of course -- more on that later).  Don't hesitate to load up on calories at breakfast time -- this is the time to do so!  You will burn the calories throughout the day, but a filling breakfast will keep jump start your metabolism in the morning and keep it running strong throughout the day.  Aim for 300-450 calories at breakfast, depending on how active you plan to be.  Also, don't skip this meal!  If you want to lose weight and keep it off, indulge in the morning meal. 
• Four things to be conscious of if you are trying to lose and/or maintain weight are sugar, sodium, fat, and calorie content in the foods you eat.  As you probably know, you should aim to stay under 2,000 mg of sodium per day.  No one item you eat should exceed 25 grams of processed sugar (try to stay well under that -- don't be afraid to read and study nutrition labels).
• A good rule of thumb is to try to eat foods that are low in processed sugar and in sodium, and higher in fiber and protein.  Calories aren't as important, as long as you are staying active and exercising.
• Don't be afraid of carbs.  You should not attempt to give them up; that is an urban weight-loss myth.  You need carbs to maintain energy, as they are first things to burn off.  However, make sure they are good and complex carbs, which brings me to my next point...
• Whole grains, whole grains, whole grains -- you needn't fear bread/pasta/starch products as long as they are whole grains whenever possible!  You should strive to eat about 40 grams of whole grains per day.  Almost every starchy food product has a whole grain counter-part these days... Bread, pasta, cereal, crackers/chips, tortillas, buns, and even pizza crust are a few examples of where you can easily make this switch.  No more white bread/pasta products... They are empty, excessive calories with virtually no nutritional value.
• Leafy-greens are your new best friend, especially spinach, the super-food of all super-foods.  Try to get at least one serving of green vegetables per day, ideally more.  Throw a daily spinach salad or a serving of sauteed spinach in your mix and reap the nutritional and digestive benefits.
• Finally, you don't need to give up any one food group.  Many people believe in low-carb diets, or dairy-free or meatless diets.  The most effective way to healthily eat, and the way you will produce the best results, is to incorporate all the food groups into your daily diet (unless of course you have a specific food allergy, such as lactose intolerance or an allergy to gluten).
• Try to give up candy and sugary treats all together, especially if your diet and weight-loss goals are more extreme.

     These are only a few of the numerous diet-related tips I plan to discuss and write about, but these can and should get you started in your transformation.  Follow these few, simple suggestions and you will quickly begin to feel and see a difference in your body.  It might be difficult at first, depending on the habits and lifestyle you are accustomed to, but you will quickly get used to and even probably develop a preference for these habits.