5 bad food habits to break – right now

You’ve tried all the conventional ways to lose weight and stay in shape – fad diets, cleanses, starving yourself, and of course, the New Year’s resolutions that barely last through the countdown. Now it’s time to get real – and get healthy.

Here are five food habits that you need to change:

1. You eat animal products daily

You don’t need animal products in your diet; they’re not health-promoting foods. You can get enough – and not too much - protein from nuts, seeds, green vegetables and more. Dr. Fuhrman designed the Nutritarian® diet to supply abundant micronutrients and phytochemicals without excess macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat). (Plus, it tastes amazing.)

2. You’re a vegan, but . . .

It’s possible to be vegan AND eat an extremely unhealthy diet. Plenty of junk food avoids animal products – and eating processed food loaded with salt, oil, white flour, and sugar is doing you no favors. Ditch these toxic ingredients and reacquaint yourself with the subtle flavors of natural food.

3. You count calories obsessively

It’s exhausting to keep a running tab of everything you put in your mouth – and it can also lead you to make bad decisions. All calories are NOT created equal: one ounce of raw walnuts contains 185 calories and supplies health-promoting omega-3 fats, fiber, and minerals, with a low glycemic load. In contrast, the average scoop of plain vanilla ice cream delivers the a similar number of calories, but is loaded with sugar, dairy protein (which raises IGF-1), and saturated fat.

4. You drink your fruits

The classic American breakfast starts with a glass of orange juice – but beware that giant sugar bomb! Instead, eat the whole fruit. You’ll get all the important fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals of that apple, orange, pineapple, berry (or whatever), which will leave you satisfied.

5. You snack. All. The. Time.

You know how all the diet “experts” tell you to eat small meals throughout the day? It turns out, that’s very bad advice. For good health and a healthy weight, your digestive system needs to complete the anabolic phase (absorption of nutrients) and spend more time the catabolic phase (energy utilization). By eating constantly, you interrupt the cycle. Plus, you are more likely to overeat.

Looking for an easy – and FREE – way to get started on the Nutritarian diet? Sign up for Dr. Fuhrman’s FREE 5-Day Nutritarian Challenge here. You’ll get 5 days of menu plans and recipes, plus important information to increase your Nutritional knowledge.