Having spoken to more than a few girlfriends who have guys in their life who kind of want to get healthy, but don’t really want to go the whole hog, I devised an easy version of my 30-day plan. Obviously, you don’t need to be a dude to do this version – you may in fact be a girl who just can’t do the full 30-day program as outlined in Gorgeous for Good.
Okay, so here’s the version – feel free to pass it onto your meat-loving guy, or reluctant girlfriend…you never know, it might inspire them to joining you to go the whole hog next time.
IT’S A LIVE-IT, NOT A DIET!
Remember, this isn’t about starving yourself, or easy silly little salad portions when all you want is a massive pizza or a warm scone. My program is about making lifestyle changes that work for you.
SET YOURSELF UP TO SUCCEED
The problem with most diets is that they set you up to fail because they insist you put unrealistic demands and expectations on yourself. The way to succeed is to look at the program/plan and KNOW that it’s doable for you – and when I say doable, I mean that it’s something that you will be able to enjoy.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE QUICK FIX
I know a few people who are nastily unhealthy by way of subsisting on rich, fatty food, too much sugar and alcohol, but they think they can mitigate the damage with a quick “Detox” fix a few times a year – the most obvious one being a juice detox. This is literally like putting a Band Aid on a something that needs to be dealt with on a deeper level. Don’t fall for the quick fix because it never works long-term
AVOID THE FOLLOWING COMPLETELY
So dudes and you “On-the-fence” girls, here’s what I’ve got for you:
All refined sugar (and YES – please start reading labels on bread, cookies, cereals, juices etc because it’s stuffed into every thing. This includes terms like: raw cane sugar, raw cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup etc).
Dairy Products: I know – you love your cheese, but I can almost guarantee that you will feel and look better in every respect if you ditch the milk, cheese, cream etc. Any digestive issues may well clear up, as will your skin, and your dark under eye circles.
Red Meat: It just doesn’t do you any favors. If you want to avoid your cholesterol levels climbing, the risk of heart disease, and a plethora of other serious diseases, probably best to cut it out entirely.
MINIMIZE THE FOLLOWING
White bread/pasta/rice: Try to choose whole grains in place of white foods, and a great choice is to choose sprouted grains. You can now find sprouted grain/high protein breads, buns, tortillas and wraps. Other good choices are Spelt and Buckwheat.
Fish that is high in pollutants such as mercury: Sorry you sushi lovers but you need to minimize the amount of tuna you eat. You also want to ditch the swordfish.
Meat: If you feel you need to eat meat, stick with organic chicken, and two portions a week should do it!
Alcohol: Alcohol is processed in your body in the same was as sugar. The odd glass of red or white wine is fine, but I’m talking a couple of glasses a week, or maximum ONE pale Ale per day. Any more than that will come back to bite you in the backside as you get older.
EAT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT
Organic fruits
Any veggie you can get your hands on. Some need to be organic and some don’t (see Dirty Dozen list). Fill your plate full of starchy veggies such as sweet potato and squash because it’s satisfying and will curb cravings for junk food and unhealthy sweets.
Dark chocolate: over 70% cacao content is best
Beans: Doesn’t matter which kind – beans are one of the healthiest foods on Earth (canned is fine).
Plant protein such as: Tempeh, organic Tofu, Pea Protein (for smoothies) is highly recommended.
Nuts: These guys contain so many cancer-fighting compounds that it’s crazy – buy them raw and roast them at home. Get creative by sprinkling them with garlic powder, cayenne and nutritional yeast.
Seeds: Please eat them every which way you can (soaking them first is best. If you’re not a big seed girl/guy, just toss them in a smoothie or sprinkle them on salads for crunch.
Healthy fats: Cold pressed olive oil, rice bran oil, coconut oil and avocado oil are all healthy kinds of fats – but remember a fat is a fat, so eat in moderation.
WHIP OUT YOUR POTS AND PANS
The fastest route to a healthy diet is to cook from scratch. This doesn’t mean you have to fiddle around with complicated recipes, it simply means that you learn to cook a few healthy version of basic dishes you love. Check out my cooking series.
BEAUTY
If you really don’t want too many moving parts in your skin care regimen, here are the few basic MUST-HAVES/MUST DOS:
- Cleanse thoroughly morning and night.
- Exfoliate your skin 3 times a week.
- Use a Vitamin C serum every morning.
- Use a SPF 30 moisturizer or sunscreen everyday.
- If you are 40 or over, start using a good retinol product every night.
FITNESS
This is a simple one: A minimum of 40 minutes exercise per day, six days a week. Take your pick on what kind you do, but make sure you include strength-training, core work, cardio, and flexibility (aka Yoga!)
SPIRIT
If you’re NOT the meditation type, you can do 5 minutes a day – come on, anyone can do five minutes a day! Sit yourself down, switch off anything that has an on/off button, and watch your breath. Mediation is simply about becoming aware of your breath, your body and your thoughts. Even if you can separate yourself from your thoughts for a millisecond, you’re doing it – you are MEDITATING!
