Introduction

Carb cycling, Paleo, Keto, Atkins, intermittent fasting, Mediterranean diet… These are just a drop in the bucket when it comes to eating plans and diets. All of them claim to help you lose weight but more importantly, they claim to be healthy nutritional solutions that instill good, lifelong eating habits.

This is not true, as anyone who has tried one of these eating plans will tell you. Diets don’t last long enough to instill lasting habits. In addition, we have negative associations with them related to deprivation, calorie cutting, and hunger. These associations will not help our brains adopt good habits.

Finally, diets don't last forever. Once we've shed the pounds and stopped dieting, we go back to our old eating habits and gradually gain back the weight. What's worse, dieting can actually create very unhealthy eating habits such as binge eating, cravings, and an obsession with dieting, where a person jumps from one diet to the next.

This is why the weight-loss and nutrition market is a booming industry that rakes in billions every year. People are jumping from one "revolutionary" eating plan to the next in search of the perfect one that will transform their lives.

Then, we have experts advising us to eat more protein, eat less protein, eat more carbs, fewer carbs, to take supplements or not to. Who's right? For those of us looking to improve our nutritional health, how do we navigate through this maze of contradicting information? Whom should we believe? How can we make healthy nutrition changes to our diet that really work and more importantly, give us lasting results?

The bottom line is this: a healthy diet starts with putting a number of basics into place that last for life. These basics involve simple changes and additions to your diet that impact long-term health and improve overall fitness. It's that simple and nothing else will work. These changes will breed lasting healthy eating habits. This is the foundation for overall health and wellbeing.

Whatever else you choose to do health-wise, it will be based on this solid nutritional foundation that in itself is transformative.

This book offers 7 simple tips that you can easily accommodate into your diet to feel and look better in a matter of weeks. Don’t be fooled by their simplicity. They are very powerful indeed. Let's jump right in.

7 SIMPLE TIPS FOR HEALTHIER DIET

Tip #1 – Curb Sugar Cravings by Eating Certain Foods

Sugar is toxic. It's one of the most harmful things we can put into our bodies. We all know that and health experts have been warning us of the health risks associated with consuming too much sugar for years.

The problem is that many people have an incurable sweet tooth. And when those sugar cravings hit us, the last thing on our minds is our health or what experts are telling us - we need that sugar fix!

Now, eliminating sugar completely from your diet is recommended but it's not a realistic option except for the super strong-willed. Let's be honest. We will continue to crave doughnuts, pastries, and other goodies. The key is to manage those cravings so that they don’t become an obsessive habit.

Therefore, the second-best option is to control sugar cravings by adding certain foods to your diet.

The following foods are known to curb sugar cravings by providing your body with healthy natural sugar. Make sure to eat them on a daily basis. Almost immediately, you will notice that your cravings for sugar become less and the intervals between them longer.

1. Vegetables

All vegetables contain natural sugars even though not all of them are sweet to the taste. If you prefer sweet-tasting vegetables, you have a wide range of options. Sweet corn, peas, yams and beetroot are just a few.

Heap your plate with an assortment of vegetables every day and watch those sugar cravings go down!

The great thing is that most veggies, especially leafy greens are very low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. The more you eat, the better you'll be able to manage that sweet tooth while filling your body with health-conscious nutrients. There's no better way to boost overall health, strengthen immunity and bust sugar cravings at the same time.

2. Berries

These diminutive fruits have a lot going for them but sadly, are often overlooked in our diets. In fact, they are so high in nutritional content that they are classified as 'superfoods'. You should be eating more of them on a daily basis anyway. Berries are loaded with healthy, natural sugar and some, like ripe cherries, blueberries and raspberries are very sweet as well. Let's not forget that berries are also one of the best sources of cancer fighting antioxidants and other essential nutrients.

Berries are so versatile that you can easily include them in your daily meals for an all-natural sugar high. Keep them on hand and have them as a healthy snack when you crave something sweet. Try Greek yogurt topped with your favorite berries and a spoonful of natural honey. This is a great snack to bust the most stubborn sugar craving.

3. Dark chocolate

The great thing about dark chocolate is that it contains the same richness as milk chocolate but a fraction of the sugar and calorie content. One or two squares will immediately satisfy any craving for sugar. Studies have also suggested that dark chocolate is good for both heart and brain health, so feel free to indulge, in moderation, of course!

4. Cinnamon

This deliciously sweet spice is known for curbing sugar cravings, perhaps because it's mentally associated with pastries and desserts. Sprinkling some cinnamon on a bowl of fresh fruit or Greek yogurt will give to the feeling that you've consumed a rich dessert and will keep you satisfied for hours.

5. Honey

This natural sweetener is another much-overlooked food in many diets. A spoonful on your morning oatmeal or as a topping on yogurt, peanut butter or crackers or toast will satisfy your sweet tooth for hours. Try sweetening beverages such as herbal tea with honey instead of sugar. It's an acquired taste, but some people find it delicious.

In addition to its rich, natural sweetness, honey has been known since the earliest times for it regenerative and healing properties. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!

Cut down on caffeine

In addition to eating more of the foods listed here, you need to also assess your daily caffeine intake. The excessive consumption of caffeine could actually be the culprit behind your sugar cravings.

Caffeine floods the body's cells with cortisol, the hormone that creates the familiar 'spike' we get from caffeine.

But cortisol also blocks insulin from reaching our cells. By the time the caffeine spike has worn off, our cells are starving for insulin, and hence, severe sugar cravings. Try limiting your caffeine intake to one or two cups a day and you'll quickly notice how less frequently you crave sugar. This includes coffee, tea and carbonated beverages.

In conclusion: All of these foods are typically well-liked by everybody. You should have no trouble eating more of them on a regular basis. In fact, they should be a regular part of your diet whether you have an excessive sweet tooth or not. With this first step in place, you are already on your way to better health!

Tip #2 – Go Organic and Low-fat

Today, eating organic is a popular choice among health-conscious individuals and thankfully, one that can easily be implemented thanks to its growing popularity.

Unlike a few years ago, eating organic doesn't require going to special health food shops or markets. Organic meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables are readily available at most supermarkets today at very reasonable prices.

When you weigh up the health benefits, organic foods are not that expensive. They are well worth the investment when you consider how powerfully you can benefit your health and even prolong your life. The keyword to remember is 'heavy metals'. Traces of heavy metals are found in the chemicals and pesticides used to treat most crops, including animal feeds.

The danger of heavy metals is that they’re highly toxic but worse than that, it's very difficult (in fact, almost impossible) for the body to flush them out or neutralize them. Once ingested, they’re there to stay. And they have the potential to wreak havoc on your health. That's a pretty scary thought.

The accumulation of these toxic substances in your system may have serious long-term health risks.

Eating organic ensures that you are eating naturally-grown and fed foods that do not contain chemicals or heavy metals. This is totally worth a little extra expense.

Make sure your organic diet includes:

• Grass-fed beef and mutton

• Organic chicken and turkey, which are fed with organic feeds

• Wild fish such as salmon and tuna

• Organic eggs

• Organically-grown grains

• Organic fruits and vegetables

As for low-fat foods, they are a wonderful complement to an organic eating plan. Low-fat foods are generally beneficial to heart health and for avoiding high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity. Some people mistakenly believe that full-fat products contain higher nutritional value, which is untrue. Low-fat and even no-fat products contain the same healthy nutrients and vitamins, without the fats that can cause health problems over the long-term.

Low-fat primarily applies to dairy products including milk, cheese, butter and yogurt. If you want to go the extra mile, by all means, do so. There are dozens of low-fat foods to choose from including peanut butter, bacon, sausages, jams and preserves and even ice cream.

The more you incorporate more of these healthy foods into your diet, the more your body will thank you for it. How? By boosting your immune health, improving your digestion, giving you healthier skin and hair and protecting you from a wide range of diseases.

Tip #3 – Eat a 'Rainbow' at Each Meal

Not all of us have the inclination to weigh our food portions or meticulously count calories. But healthy does not necessarily mean fewer calories or smaller portion sizes, especially if you're not struggling with a weight issue.

The best way to reassure your mind that you're eating a healthy balanced diet is to 'eat a rainbow' at every meal. This means a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables that reflect the colors of a rainbow.

Each color in a fruit or vegetable indicates the abundance of powerful nutrients and disease-fighting substances that it contains. Eating a variety of different-colored fruits and vegetables is vital to staying in optimal health. Make sure the following foods are always on your plate.

1. Red fruits and vegetables

Red foods contain potent cancer-fighting antioxidants. The more vibrant the red color, the more of these potent substances they contain. Red foods include:

• Red peppers • Tomatoes

• Watermelon

• Red onions

• Red cabbage

• Cherries

• Raspberries

• Strawberries

• Pomegranates

• Red apples

• Red beans

• Radishes

• Cranberries

2. Green fruits and vegetables

Green foods are essential for bone health and are loaded with powerful essential nutrients and minerals. Leafy greens especially are packed with antioxidants and essential vitamins. Make sure you're eating plenty of the following:

• Leafy greens, including kale, collard greens, mustard greens, lettuce and arugula

• Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage

• Broccoli

• Brussel sprouts

• Romaine lettuce

• Spinach

• Asparagus

• Green peas

• Green beans

• Shallots and green onions

• Green apples

3. Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables

These are packed with vitamin C, which boosts immunity and betacarotene, which fosters cell growth and regeneration. They also promote blood circulation which can prevent stroke and high blood pressure. Make sure your daily meals contain some of the following:

• Pumpkin

• Squash

• Carrots

• Mangoes

• Apricots

• Grapefruit

• Lemons

• Oranges and nectarines

• Orange peppers

• Sweet corn

• Potatoes

• Papaya

• Cantaloupe

4. Blue and purple foods

These potent foods protect against cell damage and contain cancerfighting properties. They include:

• Plums

• Prunes

• Purple cabbage

• Beetroot

• Eggplant

• Olives

• Purple grapes

• Dark cherries

5. White and brown foods

Complete the rainbow with these foods to make sure you're getting a wide variety of nutrients across the board. White and brown fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer and also contain potent antiinflammatory properties. These include:

• Cauliflower

• White cabbage

• Garlic and onions

• Bananas

• Artichoke hearts

• Pears

• Guava

The bottom line: forget about calories and portion sizes. The best thing you can do for your health is to think 'rainbow' when it comes to your meals. Mix and match the foods suggested here to make sure that every meal is as colorful as you can make it – the more colorful, the healthier it will be.

Tip #4- Diversify your Fruit Intake

Fruit is an essential source of natural glucose, which is a healthy alternative to refined sugar. Eating a variety of fruits on a regular basis curbs cravings for sweet foods containing processed sugar, which is toxic.

However, this is just one of the benefits of eating fruit.

Just a few decades ago, it was only possible to eat fruit that was in season and the variety of canned fruit was very limited. Gone are the days when we're stuck with apples or bananas because they're usually available year-round.

Today, there's a huge variety of canned and frozen fruit right at your local supermarket, in addition to fresh. There's no excuse! And diversifying your fruit intake follows the same principle as eating a rainbow. You need to give your body the full range of benefits that different fruits can provide.

There's a misconception that fresh fruits will give you the most nutritional benefits because canned or frozen fruits contain additives and preservatives, and the essential nutrients are lost in the canning and freezing process. This is absolutely false. Frozen and canned fruit contain the same nutritional value as fresh and is completely safe and healthy. So, set your mind at rest and take advantage of this to diversify your fruit intake dramatically.

Frozen grapes, strawberries, blueberries and cherries are great options for optimizing a rainbow diet. As for canned, the choices are almost endless. Pineapple, figs, plums, apricots and peaches are some delicious suggestions (do choose fruits canned in natural syrup). Pureed fruits like applesauce are another super healthy addition that can offer change and diversity.

Exotic options like mangoes, guava, dates and papaya are also available at most supermarkets today.

Apples and bananas are great and it's important to eat plenty of them but it's also important to diversify so that you give your body a full range of essential vitamins and minerals. Bananas are known for their high potassium content, whereas avocadoes contain vitamins D and E. Grapes are packed with healthy natural glucose and citrus fruits are the superfood for vitamin C.

Diversifying your fruit intake allows you to get the recommended intake of all the essential minerals and vitamins on a regular basis to avoid deficiencies. Do eat fresh fruits when they're in season but remember that canned or frozen are just as healthy and nutritious.

Tip #5 – Switch to Whole Grain

Pasta, tortillas, rice, bread, muffins, crackers, and even bagels… if you think making the switch to whole grain means deprivation from many of your favorite foods, think again. These are just some of the products that are widely available nowadays in whole grain. We've come a long way.

Making the switch to whole grain has never been easier.

Grains are essential to our diet but that's when we’re eating the healthy kinds. Refined grains are those that have had most of the natural nutrients and healthy fiber stripped out of them so that you're essentially filling your body with calories, starch and zero nutrition.

Even products labeled 'enriched' are very weak nutritionally compared to whole-grain versions. So, don’t be fooled when the label on the pasta box reads 'enriched'. Nothing beats natural. Some other artificially enriched foods may include white bread, white rice, pasta and white flour.

Making the switch to whole grains that are packed with all-natural nutrients and fiber is easy. Whole grains should therefore be your mainstay for a healthier diet. Simply consider making the following replacements:

• Make your own baked goods – it's worth the effort. Enjoy your favorite foods such as waffles, pancakes and cookies using whole grain flour instead of white, or at least a mixture of half and half.

• Buy ready-made cake, cookie and pancake mixes labeled 'whole grain'.

• Buy whole-grain breakfast cereal or opt for oatmeal.

• Replace white rice with brown rice.

• Replace regular pasta with whole grain.

• Replace white bread with whole-grain bread.

• Replace regular tortillas, bagels, muffins and pita bread with those labeled 'whole grain'.

It's that simple - and so much healthier! Thanks to our health-conscious modern culture, we're seeing a massive switch to whole grains, and the market is rushing to keep up. We're now able to eat more nutritious versions of our favorite foods.

Switching to whole grains is now a way of life for many people and the best thing you can do for your health is to join the club!

Check out your local supermarket or online stores and you'll be amazed at the wide range of whole-grain foods available. The taste is not that much different, either. In fact, many people claim whole grain is tastier.

Tip #6 – Bake, Roast and Grill Instead of Frying

Some of our most favorite foods are those that we think require frying. Think crispy bacon and sausages, pan-fried steak and potatoes, onion rings, fried chicken and French fries. These are the types of food we also tend to associate with health risks such as high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes. But we just love them too much to give them up.

The fact is that all foods, including meat protein, starches and carbohydrates are essential for a well-balanced diet. The key is moderation and opting for lean meats.

But more importantly, it's how you cook your food that makes the difference between healthy and unhealthy. And frying, especially deep frying, is extremely unhealthy.

Baking, grilling or roasting, particularly meat and fish, is super easy and in fact, is the traditional way used to cook many dishes. The classic steak and potatoes is a healthy dish as long as the meat is lean and if the dish is baked or roasted. Hamburgers are healthy if the meat is lean and if they're grilled or even roasted in the oven, with the French fries drizzled with a few drops of oil on the same tray.

As for classic fried foods, baking, grilling or roasting should also be the rule. Bacon and sausages, for example, can be baked and will come out just as crispy and tasty as fried. In fact, if you think of it, almost anything you fry can be grilled, roasted or baked - even fried chicken!

Check out YouTube for some delicious baked fried chicken recipes that are just as tasty but massively healthier and lower in calories.

The bottom line is this: avoid frying as much as you possibly can. Frying saturates the food with unhealthy fats. This is what makes them a health risk and not the type of food. Always grill, bake or roast meats on low to medium heat so that they cook in their own juices and are less fat saturated.

A great suggestion is to invest in a big wok, which can be a great replacement for the frying pan. All it takes is some creativity, a good oven and a grill and a wok. The result? Super healthy versions of your favorite meals that you can enjoy guilt-free!

Tip #7- Avoid toxic trans fats

First off, it's crucial to really digest the following fact, which has been conclusively confirmed by a wealth of research: trans fats are a recipe for a health disaster. Translate that into heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, out-of-control cholesterol levels, diabetes, and severe obesity. These are some but by no means all of the health risks associated with these toxic fats.

What are trans fats?

Trans fats are a by-product of hydrogenation, a process that transforms healthy fats into solids to prevent them from going bad. Trans fats have become extremely popular in the food industry because they're easy to produce, the process is cheap and they last longer without going rancid.

Trans fats also add flavor to foods and make them tastier.

Why trans fats are dangerous

The scary thing is that trans fats have absolutely no health benefits whatsoever so you are virtually consuming nothing more than empty calories. But worse than that, there's no safe level for the consumption of trans fats, meaning that even the smallest amount is unhealthy. The bottom line is that trans fats are totally toxic, even in the smallest amounts. Unfortunately, our intake of trans fats is not even limited to small amounts. We consume them extensively in a wide variety of foods, and we do so unknowingly.

Consuming trans fats raises LDL (harmful cholesterol) levels dramatically while inhibiting HDL (healthy cholesterol) levels. Trans fats have been directly linked to chronic inflammation, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. Research has indicated that excessive consumption is also linked with obesity issues and some types of cancer.

These toxic fats are now banned in the United States and many other countries are following suit. However, some unscrupulous manufacturers continue to use traces of trans fats in their products while putting 'zero trans fat' on their labels. Hopefully, this will be addressed in the future.

Beware of the following foods which are known to contain trans fats and make sure to read food labels carefully:

• Commercially-produced frosting

• Frozen pizza

• Some brands of margarine

• Commercially-produced cakes and pies

• Vegetable shortening

• Some vegetable oils not labeled natural

• Fried fast food

• Some brands of microwave popcorn

• Cookies

• Non-dairy coffee creamers

• Creamy filling in baked goods

• Muffins and doughnuts

• Fatty processed meats and most deli meats

Here are some much healthier options:

• Bake your own cakes, pies and cookies using natural vegetable oils or butter.

• Use natural hydrogenated oils for cooking such as sunflower, canola, coconut, and olive oil

• Read labels carefully and look for the word 'natural' hydrogenated oils

Conclusion

A healthy diet means creating a solid foundation that promotes lasting health habits. Nothing else will work. It's not about calories or more or fewer proteins, carbs, fats or sugar. It's about the healthier versions of these foods and about moderation. Our bodies need the nutrients offered by all of the food groups to keep us in peak health.

These 7 tips are the ways to put that foundation in place and to enjoy better health right now and for the rest of your life. Go through them again and notice how simple they are. Amazingly, these simple changes will soon become habits that you bring with you to every meal.

What can you expect? The short answer is that you will look and feel great. You'll have more energy, sleep better, have lower stress levels, become more productive and get ill much less than before – your health will skyrocket.

There are no set rules for how you implement these tips. You can start with one at a time and give yourself time to adapt to the new healthier habits. You can start with several at a time or implement all 7 in one go. Just go with whatever feels more comfortable for you.

Another way is to implement each tip gradually. For example, incorporating several new fruits and vegetables or whole grain varieties into your diet each week. You may also want to experiment with different foods and incorporate those you have more of a liking for. Again, it’s whatever works best for you.

A key piece of advice is to be as creative as you can and explore as many options as possible. Play around with different food combinations, experiment with spices and find healthier ways to prepare meals. The internet can be a great resource in this regard.

Once you have the 7 tips in place, you can turn to other areas to further complement the new, healthier you. This includes exercise, regular detoxing with juice fasting or intermittent fasting, or meditation. Once you start eating healthier and feeling healthier, you'll be motivated to make more tweaks to your lifestyle and habits.

A healthy diet doesn't mean deprivation, hunger or calorie cutting. Dieting is okay for losing a few extra pounds but the real transformation involves staying healthy and fit and mentally sharp well into old age. It's never too late to turn your health around. Our bodies are super resilient and respond quickly to positive change. And there's no better time to start than right now!

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