New Closet or New Coffin? You Choose.

photo via creativecoffins.com

... Ultimately, which is cheaper and which would you rather have?  I know I don't want to live my last days on this Earth fighting for life due to my nutritional choices, and neither should you!  Eating healthy starts with the incorporation of good calories and fats into your diet, ridding yourself of all the junk and processed foods.

I won't lie, it is hard to start with the healthy eating.  Indulging in an ice cream sundae with whipped cream, bananas, and nuts drizzled with chocolate and caramel syrup for dessert always sounds so much more appetizing than eating a bowl of fruit.  But a small incorporation of healthy eating in your diet can lead to an even bigger diet change, and even a lifestyle change.

To start eating healthy, here are some tips you can follow:

• Eat off of smaller plates for each meal.  It will help you reduce your portion size.
• Eat a banana in the morning.  Bananas are starchy fruits that have a filling effect.  They also are high in potassium which add in your electrolyte count (giving your more energy and less muscle cramping) and  could contribute to lowering your blood pressure.
• Substitute your midday snack (i.e. candy bar, cookies, etc.) for nuts, veggies or a fruit.  They are just as filling and have less sugars and calories. Additionally, the fat from the nuts should curb your appetite and give you more energy throughout the day, unlike sugary treats which give you a sugar high, but is followed up with a sugar crash (energy slump).
• Drink more water.  Drink it in place of soda or sugary juices you may drink throughout the day.  Strive for a consumption of eight glasses a day.  I drink herbal tea without any added sugars or sweeteners when I want to change it up a little.
• Eat "whole wheat" grains instead of white grains.  Gradually add them to your diet by first mixing them with your white grains (i.e. pasta, rice, homemade bread) and eventually weening yourself off of white grains altogether.
• When eating out, order veggies (or a side of fruit) as a side to replace the fries.  If ordering a baked potato, ask for the toppings on the side and limit your intake of the additional cheese, butter, bacon, sour cream and chives most restaurants offer.
• Substitute your bag of chips for a bag of 100 calorie popcorn.  If you don't have access to a microwave at work or school, pop it before you leave the house.  And if you can score an air popper and pop your own kernels, that's even better!

As small as these changes may sound, it could help you go down a whole waist size (if not more)!  Organic or not, these substitutions can help you in the long run.  Losing weight is not as easy of a task of people have come to learn.  It takes much discipline, focus and an overall lifestyle change in order to be successful.  Starting to incorporate the correct foods (organic or not) in your diet a little at a time can help you as you embark along the weight loss journey.  Personally, I would much rather purchase a new closet full of clothes than a coffin any day!!

Don't believe a large consumption of processed foods have negative effects on your health?  Here are some good reads:
3 Ways You Will Die From Eating Processed Foods
Processed Food Facts
The Six Thousand Hidden Dangers of Processed Foods (and What to Choose Instead)

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