Top Tips:
Shop the perimeter of the store. Most processed foods are always in the middle of the store. Most whole foods are on the perimeters.
Learn a few easy recipes. Look up some of your favorite dishes and pick two that have easy recipes to follow. Use these dishes as staples for your weeks and expand on them one recipe at a time.
Buy a crock pot. Crock pots are amazing tools for people who just want to throw a few things in a pot and not think about it until dinner time. Try to make more than necessary so you have leftovers for lunch.
Plan your lunches. Lunch is the easiest way to stray from a healthy path. Try planning out your lunch for the week on Sunday so you can just take it with you to work. It will save you time and headspace for important things, it will also transform your health.
Don't be afraid of fat, even saturated fat. Fat is essential to every cell in our body. More importantly in the context of losing weight, fat helps keep us full. Choose quality fats like nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, olive oil, hard cheeses, fish, beef and eggs.
Don't get mad at yourself for eating something you know isn't good for you. Everyone makes mistakes on their health journey and nothing is ruined in one sitting. Just acknowledge that wasn't the best choice and do better the next meal.
Shop only for necessities. When we have snacks around the office and house, we are much more likely to eat them. Choose smart snacks like dark chocolate, berries and nuts.
One Meal at a Time: Plan one meal a day where you eat all whole foods. For example, instead of having pasta, enjoy roasted veggies or sweet potatoes. Slowly increase the meals where no processed foods are present.
Benefits:
Keeps hunger at bay- won't need to snack as often when we get the full spectrum of fiber and fat that whole foods offer, which are proven to stop the hunger response.
Better absorption of nutrients- we obtain the nutrient combinations that we have evolved to use together.
Less expensive than eating out- when you use whole foods you don't get the high markups that happen when others are preparing foods for you. Yes, it may take a little more time for you but the health benefits are more than worth it.
Utilizes essential nutrients- fiber from whole foods keeps us regular and is made into essential nutrients by our gut bacteria.
Lowers systemic inflammation- essential for warding off disease, feeling energized and slowing down the aging process.