Healthy Eating Plan

My healthy eating plan hinged on giving up processed foods.  It is one of the best things I ever did for my health.  This article describes how I did that and how others who've followed this advice have had the same success.

One of best things I did for my health and overall fitness was to give up processed foods.

I'd like to tell you it was easy.  It wasn't.  With the amount of sugar and additives that is normally contained in most processed foods I think giving them up is almost like giving up an addiction.  But it can be done.

Does this mean I NEVER have processed foods?  No.  From time to time I will.  But I pay a price.  Usually that means anything from bloating, gas, stomach cramping, drowsiness all the way up to nausea and diarrhea.  So, when I tell you that if you start eating 'this way' you'll never want to go back. I really do mean it.  The side effects of going back to your old way of eating are enough to keep you from ever trying it.

Anyways, if I was starting over again and knew what I knew now here is how I would give up processed foods with as little trouble and anguish as possible and give you the best chances of succeeding.

My 3 Step Healthy Eating Plan

(1) Give up one vice the first week

For me that was breads.  I literally grew up thinking that unless I had at least 1 (preferably 2) pieces of bread at each meal it wasn't officially a meal.  So, my first goal was to try to give breads the heave-ho on week one and leave everything else the same.

I think this is the best way to do it still because, as I said above, giving up breads - for me at least - felt like giving up some kind of drug.  I was a little irritable the first few days and my cravings for bread were strong.

But then a strange thing happened.  I began to feel better and within a few days I noticed my pants weren't quite as snug anymore.  Granted, I didn't lose 5 pounds the first week.  I didn't expect or want that.  But - it was amazing what a difference this one step made in my outlook and body.  That one step was enough to convince me that I was on the right track.  And gave me the confidence to make the leap to step 2.

(2) Eliminate all the remaining processed foods from your life

I know this probably sounds radical. But trust me - if there has been any one thing that I can attribute to my weight loss and others I've helped it's when they put into action this step.  And, after getting through step one, step two will seem much easier than if you tried to 'cold turkey' into just giving up all processed foods at once.

So, what do I mean by 'processed'?  Basically, what the word says.  If it's man made - it's processed.  I'm talking pasta, flour, grains, chips, donuts, cereal, cereal bars and the like.

Granted, coffee is technically 'processed' because it is vacuum packed and packaged by man but I still drink it.  The same with teas and so forth.  But, for the most part, my eating style consists of raw fruits and vegetables, a variety of meats that are hopefully hormone-free, nuts, seeds and the occasional sweet (OK - sometimes it's more than occasional).

But the point is this: processed foods are not natural to your body.  When you eat them your taking in products, fillers and substances that are foreign to your body.  And that's exactly how your body reacts to them - as a foreign substance.

Look at grains for starters

I have arguments with people (usually women for some reason) about grains.  They say they are eating whole grain so that is OK.  But they have bloating, cramping and often diarrhea - classic irritable bowel symptoms.  But they refuse to give up whole grains because they consider them natural.

What I think most of these people have is a slight gluten intolerance.  Which is the main reason why once they give up the grains for a while - the symptoms vanish. Only to come back when they reintroduce the grains to their diet.

I think this is highly prevalent today because, in short, your body wasn't designed to handle a high-grain diet.  Evolutionarily-speaking - grains are foreign to our digestive tracts.

Early man didn't eat them.  And since these processed grains are the main ingredient in other processed foods - you shouldn't eat them.

(3) It's OK to cheat once and a while

If you can get through steps one and two - you've done a great thing.  You'll have lost weight.  You'll feel better.  You'll have minimized the damage to your body thru oxidation and you'll be eating fresh, filler-free foods.  And your body will thank you by shedding the pounds, making you feel better with more energy, clearer skin and the like.

But, like I said above, I still cheat.  Not a lot - but I do it.  And, I almost always pay a price.  Usually in the form of stomach discomfort, gas or drowsiness.  But, when it happens it's enough motivation in itself to keep from doing it for a long, long time.

That's one of the great things about eating this way.  Once you get there you won't ever want to go back.

BONUS HEALTHY EATING TIP:

You would think one of the toughest things about giving up processed foods would be the actual process of giving them up and the effect it will have on you.  But, if you're like me, you'll find one of the toughest hurdles to overcome is family and friends ridiculing you.

I'm not going to go into the psychology of why this happens. But it will happen.  You'll go to family functions and load up on fresh fruits, salads, lean meats and nuts.  You'll pass on the carb-laden breads, and mashed potatoes.  And despite the fact that you are eating healthy, filling, nutrients-rich, great tasting foods you'll be made fun of, and in some cases, questioned on why you would ever eat that way.

In short, YOU'LL be the weird one.  People WILL attack your views.  Of course, their doing this while they're complaining of joint problems and the fact that they are always tired and a whole host of other problems directly tied into how they eat. But they don't see that.  To them, eating their way is the only way.

As you go along it will be easier and easier to stick to your guns.  But in the beginning, their treatment will make you rethink your decision.  If you don't have the fortitude to be 'different' you probably won't stick with this eating style.

But, like I said, it's easier when you can look at the person questioning or ridiculing you and realize that you are fitter, lighter and stronger than them.  And you always will be.

Steady, But Impressive Results

You'll be amazed at the results I talk about my wife a lot.  She's an amazing women in so many ways.  But, in the beginning, she wasn't to sure about my eating style. She was one of those people always struggling a little bit to keep the weight off.  But, after seeing the results I had with it, she decided to give it a shot.  Her results might have been even more amazing.

She's 5'11" tall, has had 3 children and looks better in a swimsuit than a lot of women 10 years younger than her (she's 32).  Her weight stabalized at 140-145#.  When she walks her quad muscles ripple.  Her stomach is flat.  Her arms are toned.  Her skin is olive colored and clear.  And she'll be the first one to tell you, she doesn't work out that much. Most of it is a byproduct of how she eats.  Her GI symptoms of the past have all but disapperead.  She's 'regular' for the first time in her life.

Literally, I could go on and on with her progress.  The point is she committed to something and gave it an honest shot.  The greatest thing about this way of eating is that it isn't depriving yourself of anything.  It's not a fad or a diet.  It's simply tapping into how your body was designed to eat.  And, like my wife and myself and other who've adopted this eating style, you'll find that your body will thank you in a whole host of way.

But, your first step should be to eliminate processed foods from your life.

As always, I wish you the best and let me know of your results.