Spring Clean Your Diet

How many articles have you seen or read over the past month that sound just like this? I thought I’d capture the whole spring fever concept…but with a twist. I’d like to challenge all of my readers to clean out their diets by committing to reducing or even eliminating diet food. No more Slim-Fast, no more Special K bars, no more I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray, no more fat-free salad dressing, and no more 40 calorie bread. If you are wondering what else might be on the list of no-no diet foods just check out the “Product No Case” tab to the right.

The reality is that these foods are “air food.” They contain little (if any nutrition) while pretending to be filling and good for you. The other problem is that they set you up to feel bad about yourself.  You buy them and eat them and feel you are “doing good” and then feel frustrated that you feel unsatisfied and starving five minutes later.

So let’s stop buying into the marketing gimmicks and eat real food together. When you eat more whole food you’ll feel better physically, which in turns supports greater emotional health and psychological clarity. So the next time you reach for an 80 calorie Special K bar, remember a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut makes for a much more nutritious and satisfying afternoon snack. Your body and brain will thank you for giving it real fuel rather than something it can never feel fully satisfied by.

Do you have a success story of dumping icky diet food? If yes, I’d love to hear about it!