10 steps to better health and weight loss

1. First thing you have to do is get all the bad foods out of your house. Get rid of the: sweets, candy, cakes, chips, soda etc. If you don’t have the temptations all over the house when you’re in a good mood, bad mood or bored to eat, it will make it a lot easier. If you have children and you let them indulge, then at least put all “junk food” in one location (in the pantry or a specific cabinet), don’t have it all over the house so it’s easy to have “slip ups”. Reduce: Meat, Dairy and Sugar.

2. Reminders and Triggers: As a reminder, make a sign and tape it to your refrigerator “Salad is the main dish” and /or “Reduce Meat, Dairy and Sugar”. Let’s reiterate about “Triggers”. Triggers are what you should be very aware of, it’s when you’re in a good mood, bad mood or just bored when you start putting food in your mouth. Trigger #1: When you have the thought or urge to go for some junk food, trigger this thought and tell yourself this: “I know this is bad for me”, or “Don’t do it”, try to do the “count to 5” trick but count to 60 instead. Trigger #2: Say you’ve had a “slip up”, you didn’t listen to Trigger #1, you drank a soda, a piece of cake, some chips etc. and you’re thinking to yourself and telling yourself you messed up and shouldn’t be eating this, stop where you are and say: “Stop, throw it away” and immediately throw it in the trash or down the disposal. Or “These chips will go to my hips” or “Once this junk food passes my lips it will stop at my hips”. You are going to slip up once in awhile, but when you do just get right back on the program.

3. Let plant food (phytonutrients) be the main dish. Try to eat ¾ - 1 pound of a combination of lettuce (Romaine – has excellent nutrients), spinach, broccoli, ice berg lettuce, etc. per day. Eat as much as you want.

4. Purchase a water filter.

5. Eat as much fruit as you want. (Eat a banana and an orange daily)

6. Eat beans, lentils and/or legumes daily ( ½ cup).

7. Nuts and seeds (raw: almonds, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame) (not more than ¼ cup daily)

8. Start out slowly. If you eat meat 3 meals a day, cut it down to one meal a day, or if you’re currently one meal a day, then cut it 3 meals per week. You’ll be surprised how easy it is. On your “Shopping list”, buy a few of the items initially and work more and more of them in gradually.

9. Portion the amount of food you’ll eat for lunch (or the day) and put it in a plastic sealable container. Put in a salad (dressing on the side), some fruit, nuts/seeds and take it with you wherever you go.

10. Print the “Daily Chart/Diary” page so you can keep track of foods you’re eating daily and make sure that most of them are in the alkaline group.

What counts towards 5 to 9 fruits and vegetables a day? All varieties of fruits and vegetables – fresh, frozen, canned and 100 percent juice. A serving size is smaller than many people think. The National Cancer Institute, co-sponsor of the 5 A Day for Better Health program, defines a serving as:
• One medium-sized fruit (ex. Apple, orange, banana, pear)
• 1/2 cup of raw, cooked, canned or frozen fruits or vegetables
• 3/4 cup (6 oz.) of 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice
• 1/2 cup cut-up fruit
• 1/2 cup cooked or canned legumes (beans and peas)
• 1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables (ex. Lettuce, spinach)
• 1/4 cup dried fruit (ex. Raisins, apricots, mango)