As a health coach, teaching my clients to replace refined/processed foods with whole/natural foods not only rejuvenated them, reaching their optimum best and achieving their life goals but also making the small changes into their diets is what made the big difference.

I have put together some tips to help you make that change.

Bon Appetit!

Small Change #1 Fuel your body, Food is fuel

Eat breakfast

Eat Lunch

Eat every 3-5 hrs

Eat Dinner

Get at least 7 hrs of sleep

Small Change #2 Brighten your Plate Naturally

Eat 1 serving of fruit for breakfast

Add Veggies/Fruit to Lunch

Start dinner with a Salad

Add a veggie to Dinner

Snack on 1 piece of fruit a day

Small Change #3 Think before you drink

Drink 8 cups of Water a day

Sip on waters with gas or club soda in place of regular soda (add a splash of lemon/cranberry/bitters)

Switch skim or low-fat milk

to Whole Milk, add water to it or switch to almond milk/rice milk

Choose 100% Fruit Juice Drinks (no more than 8oz/day)

Ditch “fancy” coffee drinks

1 Glass of wine or beer or cocktail per day

*Note: If at a party for every other drink or every 2 drinks, drink a glass of water/club soda/coconut water

Small Change #4 Give your Carbs a Makeover

Reduce your Serving Size

Increase fibre at Breakfast

Brown your Bread

Fix your Pasta (mix with whole wheat/gluten free)

Redo your Rice (mix with veggies/brown rice/quinoa)

Slim your Potatoes

Small Change #5 Go Easy on the “Extras” and make savoury swaps for old standbys

Ask for Dressing Sauces/Gravy on the Side

Slim your Sauces

De-Fat your Spreads and Toppings

Use Extra Veggies as an Extra

Small Change #6 Skinny your Meat

Limit red meat to 2 servings per week

Eat Fish 2x a week minimum

Always remove skin from Chicken and Turkey

Never fry and be sure to trim visible fat

Aim for one meatless meal a week, example Meatless Monday!

Small Change #7 Fat the right kinds and amounts of Fat

Limit fat intake to 25% of calories

Upgrade Oils

Limit Full-Fat cheese to once per day.

Terminate Trans Fat

Small Change #8 Tame your Sweet Tooth and Saltshaker

Prepare for midday cravings

Short circuit nighttimes’ cravings

Halt cravings in their tracks

If you overindulge, get back on track right away!

Small Change #9 Share Food and Good Times with Advance Planning and Without the Guilt

Dine out don’t Pig Out

Celebrate the event, not the food

Treat “The Holidays” as one day, not one month.

Take a vacation from work, not from eating Smart!

Small Change #10 Get Moving

Make exercise time- Playtime

Start slowly, and be active 5 days a week

Step it up!

Find your Exercise WHY!!

Success does not happen not overnight

Everyday you get a little better, and it all adds up!!