In order to get on board with this way of thinking, you MUST ease yourself into it. As I've stated, you need to find the right system that works for you. Customize it to your abilities and what you are trying to accomplish. I am constantly changing my routine. I thrive on change. There are, however, a handful of rules that I keep in mind every day. I promise you this gets easier with time.
Make HEALTHY fats and complex carbs a staple in your diet
These include...
(FATS) avocado, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and nuts and seeds (pistachios are my favorite!) Stay away from highly processed omega 6 oils (sunflower, safflower, canola, peanut, grapeseed, vegetable, and soybean).
(CARBS) Sweet potato, beans, lentils, and pretty much all other fruits and vegetables. Keep beans and lentils to a minimum.
There are TONS of ways to dress these up, and I have been finding just the recipes for them!
Don’t eat a ton of protein
Our bodies were not made to process large amounts of protein. As you will see, though, we have been trained to eat it with every meal in large quantities. My family and I strive for at least three to four no-meat days a week. It saves on money and gives your body a chance to focus its energy elsewhere. I have found that if you ingest an abundance of protein, your body will end up pulling the calcium from your bones in order to break it down properly. This leads to things such as weight gain, constipation, diarrhea, kidney problems, osteoporosis, heart failure, and cancer. It's fine to supplement with things like garbanzo beans, eggs, chia seeds, almonds, lentils, hemp seeds, broccoli, kale, nutritional yeast, mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, etc. Here is a great medically reviewed article with a little more insight...
Minimize dairy
Cheese is one of my favorite foods, so this is an extremely hard rule for me to follow. I have switched my family to coconut milk. I have also replaced cheese with dishes that use nutritional yeast or plant-based cheese. Most of the time, though, I make dishes that don't require any. My family does not miss it. I found some great cheddar flavor nutritional yeast at Costco. If you look into this suggestion further, you will find that dairy from animals can have many adverse effects on your health due to the natural hormones in the milk that are made to nourish baby cows specifically. These hormones disrupt your own natural hormonal systems. This in turn comes with a multitude of problems. Supplement with organic Vitamin D and Calcium. Vitamin D is actually added to dairy products. It is not naturally occurring. There are also several other types of foods you can derive these nutrients from.
Cut down on alcohol This is also a tough one for me because I love alcohol (sorry, but I do). If you are going to indulge, stick to low-calorie drinks. Wine is about 120 calories per 5 oz serving, and vodka is 64 calories per 1 oz (80 proof−these are just the two I favor….a night of beer drinking better only come once a month or less). With vodka, I recommend adding a splash of sparkling water (or just plain water) and a squeeze of fresh fruit juice. Preferably no more than 2 drinks in one night. Otherwise, your results will be slower to show themselves. The less you drink, the better (obviously). Try not to eat large quantities in one sitting I snack several times throughout the day and strive to serve myself smaller portions at dinner. Aim to never walk away from the table feeling like your stomach is going to explode. Your body has an extremely difficult time breaking down foods when overloaded. This will cause things like bloating, digestive issues, and less nutrient absorption.
Stay out of restaurants I know this is a tough one for some that may not have time to cook, but I do create recipes that take very little effort, you knooooow. Restaurants always give such large portions. The bigger chains especially have a problem with not using fresh ingredients. Restaurants are full of GMO’s and preservatives. Sometimes we’re just too tired to be in the kitchen, so it’s understandable to get the occasional takeout. Just don’t make a habit of it. Plus, everywhere is incredibly overpriced. That may make the decision a little easier. Seafood is not that great A lot of diets tell you to eat seafood. I do not recommend this as the meat can never be guaranteed as fresh. Farm-raised will have GMOs (and more). Wild caught will have all the pollutants that are in the air and water (toxic waste, metal particles). When introduced to the digestive system, these things cause cancer, among many other health conditions. Therefore, it is so vital to detox the body daily, if possible. I still ingest these terrible things, because sometimes I cannot help myself. I still give in to cravings, but I protect my body with supplements and exercise. This is the key to a long, healthy life without much worry of disease.
Same for pork Just stay away altogether. No bacon, pork chops, sausage, or pork tenderloin. The pig farming industry has been overrun by large corporations that have no interest in the health of the pigs, or the consumers. You can find more information about their practices online.
Probiotics (enough said) Let’s go over the importance of this, shall we? Probiotics are healthy bacteria that keep the bad bacteria existing in our digestive tract at bay. The amount of disease and illness that arise from not taking probiotics is staggering. I usually take a teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar (with the mother) in my water once a day. I will add either a splash of cranberry juice, lemon, or lime juice to help with the taste. Kombucha is another great option. I have a recipe to make my own. Once I try it, I will post my results for you. Dill pickles are probably my favorite option (my son's too!) Spirulina (a microalgae) is also a great choice. Admittedly, it smells like straight-up farts. What I do is buy capsules and fill them with organic Spirulina powder. I will take those along with my other daily supplements. I also like to put some in my smoothies.
Buy ALL organic Don’t write this off. There has been such a stigma placed on buying organic. It is not uppity and pretentious. It is about not wanting to constantly consume poison and genetically modified ingredients that screw with your chemical makeup. Think of it this way: if you ingest anything that is not natural (i.e. synthetic sugars, preservatives, GMO’s, pesticides), your body will not be able to process it correctly. Therefore, these things get stored in your fat deposits and seep into your blood, wreaking havoc on your entire system. Again, this is what causes cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart attacks, stroke, obesity, digestive problems, diabetes, infertility, etc., etc., etc. All the chronic diseases and disorders that have seen a major influx in our society over the last 30-40 years are a direct result of what we are consuming, breathing in, topically applying…when I say buy all organic, I mean buy ALL organic.
The question that most people do not ask themselves is “why are these damaging products allowed to be sold on the market? Why are there people in the mainstream muddying down this connection?” I was walking through the store a few months ago, came upon a product, and asked myself “What is this world coming to that we need an option to have organic cotton balls?!” This is not just about money, as you may already know, or will soon come to find out. I will show you how I am transitioning to an entirely organic kitchen and household. It’s a slow process when you don’t have all the money in the world, but it can be done. Here is my informative article on how to buy organic on a budget. It has great tips I've learned over the years on how to minimize my spending while buying the best quality food for my family.
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