FOOD for THOUGHT: Five by Five Fall Plan (+Summer Summarized)

(Dietary changes should be discussed with a health care provider.)

CONGRATULATIONS!  Those of you who have been following along since the beginning of the summer are 25% of the way to a healthier new you.  For some I’m sure that it seems we have done very little, and for some it seems quite the opposite, but either way it is a big achievement.

Since the idea is that the changes we make as part of the weekly goals become permanent, I have compiled all of Summer’s aims along with a preview of the autumn ambitions into a handy one page reference sheet for quick and easy review.

CHALLENGE #14 of 50:

Print out the chart below and post it on your fridge, food cupboard and pantry doors.  Print extra half sizes, & use the backs to write shopping lists.  Keep up the good work & healthy eating!

QUOTE of the WEEK:

For changes to be of any true value, they’ve got to be lasting and consistent.

Tony Robbins

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You Can Do This! -- Easy to understand 5 x 5 plan:

5 THINGS of which to CONSUME MORE

1. Vegetables                             (Especially Dark Green Leafys
2. Water                                     & Different Colored Veggies)
3. Fiber                                       (Unprocessed Whole Foods)
4. Beans & Lentils                      (& Other Plant Proteins)
5. 100% Whole Grains             (Variety in this & All Foods)

5 THINGS of which to CONSUME LESS

1. ADDED Sugar                                    (& Fake Sugar for that Matter)
2. Saturated Fat                         (but Don’t Vilify Nuts)
3. Dairy Protein                          (Especially Outside of Dairy Products)
4. Sugar in Liquid Form            (Many Non-Water Beverages)
5. Processed Pre-made Foods…

…with ingredients you don’t recognize, …which you could not make yourself if you had the time, …which are no longer recognizable as the plant/animal from which they came          (Especially Low Fiber Food with Added Sugar)

5 THINGS to ELIMINATE

1. Partially Hydrogenated & Trans Fats
2. Most FRUCTOSE that is NOT still in a piece of FRUIT
3. The Snacks & Breakfasts that are Really Desserts at a Masquerade
4. “Yogurt” Products WITHOUT Live Active Cultures (+ any that’ve been heated)
5. Excuses or a Bad Attitude

5 SUGGESTED SUBSTITUTIONS

0.  Organic (OR non-hormone, non-GMO, non-antibiotic, pasture) meat replacing factory meat

1. Fish/Seafood (low mercury, sustainable) one day a week for your protein
2. Beans or Lentils two day a week for your protein
3. Seeds, Nuts, High Protein Grains two days a week for your protein
4. Unsweetened Almond Milk (or Rice Milk) replacing cow’s milk
5. Larger Library of Spices & Herbs replacing salt & sugar

5 BONUS CHALLENGES

1. Increase, Decrease, Eliminate & Substitute as per Above
2. Keep Educating Yourself Regarding Nutritious Foods & Healthy Eating Habits
3. Get a Referral to a Nutritionist & Discuss what you Learned in Challenges 1-13
4. Move Most Cheese to the Dessert Menu and/or Special Treat Category
5. 1 Week per Month Read Every Ingredient of Everything You Purchase or Eat

It’s All About  -- Balance, Moderation, Variety & Variety

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PS  Go back and take a look at the FIRST item on the FIRST list…

…VEGETABLES!  If you are not eating a lot of them (a lot meaning both quantity & variety) return to post #2 FOOD for THOUGHT: Find the Rainbow Connections (http://westford.patch.com/blog_posts/food-for-thought-find-the-rainbow-c...), do not pass go, do not collect anything unless you are in the produce section.  I am serious; your life may depend on it.