To help you clean up your diet in 2015 and reap the benefits (weight loss and possible decreased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer), we found these 9 simple, easy-to-follow rules. "Our advice," says Dr. Emily Wiebracht of Mt. Auburn OBGYN, "is to start simple and with baby steps. This not only ensures success, but also helps to create clean eating habits that will last a lifetime."
1. Toss out a few heavily processed staples -- Instead of overhauling your pantry all at once, start by eliminating corn oil & soda, both of which are highly processed. Another easy step is replacing refined breads and pasta made form white flour with ones made from whole grains.
2. Focus on cleaning up your favorite foods -- Keep it simple, determine what part of your diet supplies the most calories and clean it up. For instance, if your an omnivore, buy meat that comes from grass-fed cattle and eggs from free-range chickens, but stick to conventional produce, instead of organic.
3. Shop the perimeter -- Most whole, natural, fresh foods are on the outside aisles of the grocery store.
4. Check the labels -- Instead of eliminating all processed foods, study the labels on the packaging and chose those with fewer, simpler ingredients. Be sure to avoid hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors and colors, stabilizers, preservatives, and excessive amounts of sodium, added refined sugar & fat.
5. Think nutrients per serving -- Consider the amount of nutrients in a product rather than focusing solely on price. Use your smartphone to access GoodGuide, an app that offers health, environment, and social responsibility information, plus ratings on over 250,000 products.
6. Cook more meals at home -- This is an easy way to shift more of your resources toward whole food and potentially save money. To make home cooking easier, master a few one-pot or one-pan dishes with simple ingredients that you can whip up quickly and will feed your family for days. Check out the Mt. Auburn OBGYN Pinterest page for our favorite tasty, healthy, & simple family recipes.
7. Retrain your tastebuds -- If you're used to eating foods with lots of salt, sugar, fat, and other attitoves, you'll need to retrain your taste buds to appreciate the more subtle flavors of whole foods. For instance, mix white rice with brown rice or combine regular soups with the low sodium versions, This simple trick will help your tastebuds adjust to cleaner, healthier food options.
8. Follow the 80-20 strategy -- Eating plans go bad (and are eventually abandoned) when they turn obsessive. Clean eating is no different. To avoid that trap, take the 80-20 approach. That is, try to eat natural food 80% of the time, with a 20% buffer for when you're traveling or socializing.
For additional information, visit mtauburnobgyn.com.
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source: www.prevention.com
