Different diets and fads are abundant. But the one thing they almost all have in common is that they are no more than a temporary break from bad habits. Going back to eating overly sugary and processed "food" after a health kick is a sure fire way to undo all the health you've pumped into your body during 3 miserable weeks of detox.
Diets will lock you into a perpetual, unhealthy cycle that feeds off of itself until permanent healthy changes are made.
So where do you start when you're starting a healthy lifestyle?
- Start slow. If your body is used to high quantities of sugar, fat, and highly processed foods, switching to a healthy meal plan of lean meat, vegetables and low glucose fruits will trigger a natural detox. You may feel worse at the start than you felt before. When making a slow and gradual transition, all the toxins leaving your body won't hit your system at once. This way, you won't overload your liver.
- (Almost) Everything in moderation.A large reason why people relapse after starting a rigorous diet or health kick is because they find the changes too drastic and limited. Being on an extremely restricted and mandatory meal plan myself, I completely understand this mentality. Sometimes you just want out. But with an "everything in moderation" lifestyle, you don't have to miss out all the time. My rule is generally 80% healthy, 20% indulgent. It really keeps me in check and balance. There are certainly things you never want to eat though, such as trans fats.
- Play with taste. Eating more vegetables more often doesn't mean it has to taste healthy and boring. Learn to use spices and food combinations to your advantage. Not only will adding things like fresh herbs, cayenne pepper, curry powder, turmeric, and parsley add to your arsenal in the kitchen and make your cooking more versatile, these things blast away bland taste with just a pinch. Try making a creamy curried cauliflower soup (shown below) by boiling a chopped head of cauliflower and one diced onion with curry powder, garlic, turmeric, cayenne, black pepper and salt until the vegetables are softened. Add a cup of coconut milk and reduce the heat. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then blend the mixture with a high speed blender. You won't even know you're eating vegetables. I promise.
- Avoid Processed Sugar. We are stuck on the dopamine effect. Meaning, our bodies crave sugar and fats when they are consumed frequently. They directly tap into our dopamine release, which is associated with rewards and satisfaction. It can sometimes take a lot to break this "addiction", but it's worth it knowing that many researchers and scientists are now calling excess sugar consumption toxic. Below is a great video with Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN on the question of sugar being recognized as a toxin.
- Reap the Benefits.It's amazing what the power of good food does. Let food be your medicine and erase the root cause of many avoidable illnesses and disease. For instance, want to avoid high cholesterol? Instead of popping a pill after it's already too late, load up on heart healthy foods like monounsaturated fats found in almonds, olive oils, and avocado before it becomes a problem. You'll thrive with abundant energy by eating more raw vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, and natural protein rich foods. You'll probably find that you don't actually need to drink even one cup of coffee to stay energized throughout the day. Nutrients are necessary. And you simply can't get them from a processed bag of junk foods.
When you change your eating habits for good, it changes your mindset and your lifestyle with little extra effort. An equilibrium is achieved and balance comes more naturally as a result. The ups and downs of sugar highs and crashes subside, weight management becomes attainable, and you still feel like you're not missing out on any awesome food.
Remember: Diets don't work. Life changes do. You only have so long.
(I am not a medical professional or dietician. This should not be taken as medical advice, so please consult with your physician with any questions regarding diet and health changes).
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