7 Ways to Clean Up Your Diet

Could it possibly be as easy as “7 Ways to Clean Up Your Diet”?

Ah, if only. But it’s a damn good place to start.

Here’s a little “Friday Fundamental” reminder of the best principles for leading a healthy lifestyle:

1. Eat whole, natural foods: cut out anything that comes in a bag, box, package or can.
2. Choose unrefined over refined foods: ditch white foods, including sugar. Opt for honey or pure maple syrup as a sweetener.
3. Include protein, complex carbohydrate and healthy fat at every meal.
4. Ditch foods that have the dreaded fat/salt/sugar combination: they’re the ones that tend to be addictive and make portion control next to impossible. (Hint, hint: they’re usually processed so you’ve hit them in #1 anyway.)
5. Eat 5-6 mini-meals per day: this prevents you from getting ravenously hungry (when we tend to make poor food choices), keeps your blood sugar levels steady, and keeps your metabolism humming along.
6. Don’t drink your calories: sweet tea, energy drinks, commercially-made smoothies, soda, and yes, even coffeehouse drinks. (Gasp!)
7. Exercise regularly: you knew I was gonna say that, didn’t you?!

Not one of those will surprise you, but they’re fundamental for a reason … they really work!