I would like to start by stressing that each of us is a masterpiece in our own right as there is no single person on earth exactly like us, physically or mentally. Therefore, there can never be a one-size-fits-all weight loss plan.  That said, there are fundamental steps that everyone can take to lose weight naturally - the body knows its ideal weight, you just have to provide it with quality foods.The Greek root of the word diet, “diatia”, means “manner of living”.  Your diet and the foods you consume on a daily basis are inseparable from your lifestyle.  Eating is a way of life.  Food affects health, health affects quality of life, and quality of life determines your choice of lifestyle.  Weight loss is simply a result of a healthy lifestyle. 

While calorie counting plays a part, it is not the only measurement that we should be using.  Measuring calories focuses on the quantity of daily food intake, but not necessarily the quality of the food you are consuming.    You can train yourself to define the quality of every food and beverage you put in your body by asking this key question:         

•  How far is the food or beverage from its natural state?  The more processed a food is, the more difficult it is to digest.  Simply, if a food takes longer to digest, it stores more readily as fat.  Raw corn on the cob is in its natural state, while fried corn oil in a corn tortilla chip has been so processed that the body can’t even recognize it as food and has a hard time digesting it.  Look for foods that are fresh and don’t come already packaged, in a box, bag or frozen with preservatives and unwanted additives.  The key to health is through the stomach.  The foods you eat are broken down in the digestive tract and the nutrients, along with toxins and fats, are then absorbed into the blood stream and dispersed throughout the body.  The key is to choose natural, easily digested foods that aren’t bloating and congesting to the body. 

The method of discovering the quality in your daily diet is really about simplification.Decrease the foods with processed and refined ingredients, and substitute them with foods and ingredients that are closer to their natural state.You will realize that foods that are healthier for you can absolutely taste better than foods that are causing you to both gain weight, and put your body in a state of toxicity.The more foreign a food or ingredient is to your body, the more toxic it becomes. 

Simplifying your diet requires an ongoing transition of decreasing, substituting and eventually replacing the bad choice foods and beverages with good choices.  You will reach goals along the way with each healthy change, but this new way of eating is and must become part of your lifestyle in order to reach your ideal weight, and maintain it for life.  It is important to always remember that your weight or body fat percentage is just a number, and doesn’t necessarily reflect your overall health.   

Below are fundamental tips for jump-starting this new lifestyle that will help you reach your weight loss goals for this summer:  

1. Consider activating any weight loss effort with a three-day juice cleanse per month.
2. Consume a minimum of 50% of your daily intake from fresh, plant-based foods.
3. Avoid all fast fried foods, and too many processed foods, which are typically high in added sugars and hydrogenated oils.
4. Decrease soda, sugary drinks and pasteurized fruit juice; Substitute with water , Young Coconut Water, Kombucha Tea and herbal tea (64 oz. daily)
5. Decrease white flour (white bread, white rice, pasta); Substitute with the “anti mucus and congesting grains”, including sprouted grains, quinoa, buckwheat, barley, brown rice, and other whole grains.
6. Decrease saturated animal fat, which includes red meat, butter, and cheese; Substitute with lean white meat and fish.
7. Substitute cheese, butter, and margarine with nut butter, avocado, humus, flaxseed, olive oil, coconut oil, or grapeseed oil. 
8. Substitute chips, cookies, and other processed snacks, with raw fruits, vegetables, raw nuts.  Focus on products that are made with whole grains.
9. Don’t starve yourself or skip meals; eat four to six small meals per day instead of three arge meals.  Eat a little something (about the size of your palm) every 2-4 hours to keep your metabolism running and to prevent that hungry feeling.
10. Don’t leave home without a healthy snack (plan your food ahead of time).

Keep in mind…You can’t lose weight without having energy.  Energy creates motivation. Without a motive, actions don’t take place.  Low calorie foods are not the main answer, especially when they leave you with little energy – good energy, natural foods are the answer for long term health and weight maintenance.

Related posts:

1. With Weight Loss, Timing is Everything
2. Weight Loss starts with an Alkaline Morning
3. Why You Should Eat More Raw Foods
4. 15 Guidelines to an Ideal Weight through a Natural Transition
5. The Carbohydrate Dilemma