1. Change gradually. Sudden, drastic changes never work. How many people do you know who have decided to dive headfirst into a new diet or exercise regime only to quit a short time later? If you want to make sustainable, long term changes to better your health, you have to slowly and gradually adopt better healthier lifestyle choices. You have to start eating better; getting the good food in to your kitchen and replacing the bad can be tough if you're breaking a lifetime of bad habits. You have to adopt an ongoing, enjoyable exercise regime; working out for a few weeks to lose a few pounds doesn't do any good, you'll just gain it back. And having your weight fluctuate too much can play havoc with your blood sugar and hormones (there are a lot of people out there who have unfortunately done themselves a lot of harm by repeatedly taking off and putting weight back on again and again). You have to take care of your mind; mental illnesses are on the rise due to diets of unhealthy foods and stress levels are soaring in our chaotic, modern world. Incorporating healthy stress reduction techniques is required for good health. Again, you don't have to incorporate all of this immediately...these are some very ingrained aspects of your life. It will take time, and that's good. Just think...I will eat better, I will exercise, I will relax, I will be healthier and happier.
2. Be very aware of your food and drink choices. Remember...properly prepared, nutritionally dense, whole foods. Stick mostly to small portions of animal proteins (preferably free range, chemical and hormone free), plenty of organic vegetables, some organic fruit (not juices), soaked nuts and seeds, generous amounts of healthy fats and lots of water. Grains and starchy vegetables should be kept to a minimum, if eaten at all.
3. Take bad fats out of your diet. Eliminate all commercial vegetable oils (including canola), margarine and shortenings immediately. Use only coconut oil or rendered, organic lard (higher heat), organic, cultured butter (medium heat) or extra virgin olive oil (low heat or cold) for cooking.
4. Cut out the sugar! Read ingredient labels, sugar is hiding in a lot of things these days (yet another reason to avoid processed foods). Also, keep in mind that a piece or two of fruit a day is fine, but fruit juice is a very concentrated source of sugar and should be diluted with water if consumed.
5. Drink more water. The rule of thumb is to divide your body weight in pounds by two, and drink that many ounces of water a day minimum. For every 8 ounces of diuretic consumed (coffee, tea, soda, juice, alcohol) drink an additional 12 to 16 ounces.
6. Set goals for yourself to reach. It is often easier to succeed when we have clearly defined goals. Set yourself up with both short and long term goals for diet and exercise.
