5 Ways to Clean Up Your Diet

People often feel overwhelmed when it comes to their diet and making healthy choices. It may feel like there are a million things to do better and you have to do them all at once. As a personal trainer and Nutritionist at Pro Push Fitness, clients frequently approach me with these concerns. Where do I get started? What should I focus on? How can I begin clean eating to improve my health? We decided it would be beneficial to outline five easy ways you can improve your eating pattern today. These are five simple steps you can start doing immediately. As you read, decide which steps you can add to your routine now. I recommend picking one or two steps and focusing on them until you have it mastered.

Step #1: Cut sugary drinks out

The very first thing anyone should prioritize is cutting out any sugary drinks. Sugary drinks, refers to any drink with an excessive amount of added sugars or even artificial sweeteners. We recommend referring to the nutritional facts on the package. If the daily percent value (or DV%) is higher than 10-15%, it is considered an excessive amount of sugar and should be avoided. Many people don't realize just how much sugar these types of drinks really do contribute to the average American diet. According to Harvard Medical, sugary drinks are defined as, "soda, pop, cola, tonic, fruit punch, lemonade (and other “ades”), sweetened powdered drinks, as well as sports and energy drinks," and that these beverages, "are the single largest source of calories and added sugar in the U.S. diet." (see citation 1).

Step #2: Eat more vegetables!

Okay, I know you're probably rolling your eyes at how obvious this step is. But the truth is that it is highlighted so much by doctors and health professionals because of how important it is. This is a step that we feel strongly about and cannot emphasize enough. Most people approaching healthy eating only focus on cutting out the bad food, and do not focus enough on including the right food! Vegetables are one of the richest natural sources of vitamins and minerals, which our bodies so desperately need. Additional benefits are: increased fiber which regulates GI health, increased immunity, and increased antioxidants and phytochemicals which can help prevent cancer (see citation 2).