2016 is almost over! How did this happen? I need to pay attention more.
Since the year is coming to a close, I wanted to give you a Cliff's Notes version of almost all of my advice. Do they still make Cliff's Notes by the way? If I had to boil it down to the 10 things you need the most, it would be this list.
Here is my suggestion for this list. Take a look at what you are doing now and add in one thing from this list. Start with the one that would be easiest for you to make a habit, then go from there. The New Year is coming, don't get caught up in the rush to change EVERYTHING about yourself in one week.
Here are the first 5 items on the list:
1. Just Eat Real Food
If you did nothing else on this list, you could cure a lot of problems if you just followed this one thing. Cutting processed and fast food out of your diet and eating things that come from the Earth is exactly what your body needs.
Crazy stat from Dr. Mark Hyman- There 600,000 processed food items in our environment. 80% of them contain added sugar.
More on sugar below.
2. Don't fear fat
Fat has a bad reputation because it is high in calories, but it is also very beneficial too. Food like fish, nuts, avocado, and coconut oil are all excellent examples of beneficial fats to have in your food plan.
Trans fats (man made fats) should be avoided at all opportunities. Shortening, fried foods, canned biscuits, margarine are all chock full of trans fats that will lower your good cholesterol and raise your bad cholesterol.
3. Shake the sugar habit
Sugar is absolutely killing America, especially our children. It is extremely addictive and has a vicious cycle that is very destructive to our bodies.
The end result? Your hormones get out of wack, you gain weight (among other side effects), and then you crave even more sugar!
Because of this threat, I even wrote a book about how to kick the the sugar habit. There was even research and stuff involved, it was like being back in school. I was proud of the end result though.
Fun fact- Having 1 soda per day increases a child's chances of becoming obese by 60%. And 90% of kids have at least 1 soda per day. That is a big reason experts are predicting that be 2050 obesity rates will sky rocket from 36% where we are now, to 50%.
4. Read the articles
If you read nothing else today, start reading your food labels. The package on the outside, is 100% marketing. The true story is told in the food label.
If nothing else, look at the first 3 ingredients (they are listed from the largest amount to the smallest). And if it has a bunch of stuff you don't recognize or can't pronounce, don't eat it.
5. Upgrade your carbs
Carbs have been demonized over the past few years. Carbs are not the devil. The simple starches (chips, fries, aka junk food) are the real problem and should be avoided for sure.
Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are all excellent sources of carbohydrates. It all gets back to the first step we discussed. Eat carbs that are not processed.
