Your Guide to Eating Healthy

Eating healthy can feel like a complete overhaul, and needless to say, it can be very overwhelming. On Instagram, I’m frequently asked about where to start when it comes to healthy eating, so consider this your step-by-step game plan for eating healthy. If you’re new to this healthy eating lifestyle, I hope this post provides answers your most burning questions. 

Before diving in, I want to make one thing crystal clear: change takes time and patience. Eating one salad won’t gift you complete health, just as enjoying one ice cream sundae won’t destroy your health. Have patience with yourself throughout this journey and trust the process. If you stay consistent, I’m confident you’ll succeed!

Step 1: Elimination

Elimination is a great first step. The goal is to eliminate all inflammatory foods, including gluten, soy, vegetables oils, pasteurized dairy, refined sugars, and any known food sensitivities/allergies from your diet. These foods, in particular, cause inflammation in the body, resulting in gut damage and metabolic dysfunction. They can disrupt your hormones and interrupt hunger signals, causing overeating or binging. After all, they were likely produced in a factory.

Intead, it’s important to opt for real, whole foods. Real food is considered any food that was grown in the ground or has a mother. 

Step 2: Quality Protein 

After processed, inflammatory foods are removed from your diet, it’s time to add in high quality proteins. High quality protein sources include grass-fed meats (beef, lamb, or goat) and pasture-raised poultry (chicken, pork, eggs). These protein sources increase satiety and protect against nutrient deficiencies.

It’s important to mention that I don’t recommend a vegan or vegetarian diet, as eliminating all animal foods puts you at a high risk for nutritional deficiencies and protein malnutrition. I firmly believe meat plays a role in every healthy diet.

Step 3: Essential Fatty Acids

Okay, so we’ve eliminated inflammatory foods and introduced high quality meats. Next up: incorporating essential fatty acids as a part of a balanced diet. Otherwise known as, healthy fats. 

For years, we have been told that fat is the enemy. However, research is finally showing that these foods not only do not cause heart disease, but they’re actually beneficial to our health! Healthy fats increase satiety, reduce cravings, improve taste, boost mental function, and increase good cholesterol. Clearly they play an important role, which I highly recommend consuming healthy fats at every meal. These foods include pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed meat, grass-fed butter, full-fat raw dairy, avocados, olives, coconut oil, cacao butter, and even pastured lard.

Step 4: Carbohydrates

Last, but not least: carbohydrates.We’ve been trained to believe that carbs are inherently bad. However, I want to debunk that myth right now. Processed, refined carbs, like grains, breads, pasta, cereal, chips, and fries, will wreak havoc on your health. These foods can drive up blood sugar and hunger, while interfering with your ability to lose weight. On the other hand, there are many carbs that do just the opposite. 

When adopting a healthy eating lifestyle, you want to make sure you’re incorporating  healthy sources of carbohydrates. These healthy carbs include foods, like organic vegetables (including root vegetables), fruits, and properly prepared grains, like white rice or buckwheat.

If you’re struggling to uncover the best diet for your health goals and lifestyle, I encourage you to book a call with yours truly! I’ve worked with countless women, who have spent years going it alone on their fat loss journey. With a little support, education, and instruction, you can be on your way to your goal health and physique. 

If you’re not quite ready, you can download my e-book, “4 Fat Loss Mistakes You’re Probably Making,” where I discuss the four fat loss mistakes you’re probably making.

xo.

amanda carneiro