Do you want to change your life and finally lose the weight you have been holding onto for decades? It might be as simple as eliminating a few things from your diet, claims one expert. Ruth Soukup is a midlife health and mindset coach who personally lost almost 50 pounds. She regularly shares her tips and tricks with her hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers. “I struggled with my weight for years before I finally stopped dieting and just focused on balancing my hormones by eating mostly whole foods that are high in protein and healthy fat. Ultimately, it’s what helped me lose 49 pounds and keep it off,” she writes in the post.
Start by Approaching Diet as a Lifestyle
First, she approaches diet as a lifestyle, and “because this is a lifestyle, not a diet, I don’t typically think about any foods as being ‘off limits.’ That said, there are things I just don’t buy anymore because I know they’re not what I want to put in my body. So here are seven things you won’t find,” she writes in her post.
Eliminate Vegetable Oil
The first thing she eliminated from her diet? “Vegetable oil or any other highly processed seed oils, as well as Crisco and margarine,” she writes. “These are all so toxic and highly inflammatory! I also tend to avoid any processed foods that contain these oils. Instead, I cook with butter, avocado oil, and olive oil.”
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Sugar
The next diet no-no, according to Ruth? Sugar. If you are a baker, simply do a little swapping, she suggests. “If I do need to use a sweetener for a recipe, I typically stick to monkfruit or allulose or a blend of those two,” she says.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
The next type of sweetener to get rid of? High fructose corn syrup. “Another highly toxic and inflammatory ingredient I try to avoid that is sadly way too common in so many processed foods,” she writes. Again, seek healthier swaps.
Packaged Side Dishes
Need to make a side dish? Avoid packaged side dishes, “such as mac & cheese, stuffing, rice pilaf blends, scalloped potatoes, hamburger helper, etc., recommends Ruth. These are highly processed foods.
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Breakfast Cereal
While it may be an easy choice for breakfast, Ruth strongly suggests staying away from breakfast cereal. Why? Most of them are highly processed and contain lots of additives and sugar. If you do want to eat cereal, make sure to opt for a higher fiber, lower sugar option.
Brownie and Cake Mix
Another sweet treat, no-no? Brownie and cake mix says Ruth. If you do enjoy baking, try to cook from scratch using healthier flours and sweeteners, resulting in a less processed and more nutritious product.
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Fruit Juice
Fruit juice may sound nutritious, but you should stay away, according to Ruth. ”Except for Clamato, which we use for Bloody Mary’s on the weekend! The rest of it is just pure sugar,” she says.
Removing These Foods Was a Game Changer
Ruth maintains that removing these foods will help control your hormones. “It’s funny when I look at old pictures of what my pantry used to look like, and I see how these foods I used to eat are. It’s no wonder I struggled with my weight and hormones for so long!” she concludes. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.
She Even Eats at McDonald’sShutterstock
