Whether your goal is weight loss or just eating healthier, you need to eliminate a few things and add a few things to your diet. If your regular meals comprise of processed foods high in trans fats, then you are likely to gain weight.
There is no magic pill for weight loss; it is hard work and endurance. Start eating a whole foods diet along with regular exercise to lose the excess body weight. Consider eliminating refined sugar, grains, and oils from your diet. Let’s go into details on why you should be eliminating from your diet:
1. Commercial Baked Items
You don’t want to eat anything from the supermarket bakeries as their items are loaded with refined sugar and refined flour. The doughnuts, cookies, etc., are often laced with artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives.
What to have instead?
Start baking at home with wholesome ingredients and natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, dates, prunes, monk fruit, etc. Check out the Lakanto India website to check out their range of sweeteners. To enjoy baking at home, use a zero-calorie Lakanto monk fruit sweetener.
2. Refined Grains
Refined grains can cause a blood sugar spike and cause weight gain. Avoid refined flour bread, pizza, pasta, bagels, etc.
What to have instead?
Buy whole grains like whole wheat, quinoa, brown rice, etc. If you like bread, buy whole wheat sourdough bread, rye bread, and multigrain bread. For healthier pasta, choose lentil or chickpea pasta. If you want to bake bread at home, use Einkorn flour or sprouted whole wheat flour.
3. Chips fried in refined oils
Next time you are hungry, don’t grab that bag of potato chips that are often fried in low-quality vegetable oils and loaded with sodium.
What to have instead?
Enjoy baked vegetable chips or air fryer chips without any added preservatives. Try baking sweet potato chips and enjoy with some hummus at home.
4. Soda, Energy Drinks, Sweetened Beverages
For a boost of energy, it can be of convenience to grab that soda or energy drink, but it is not a healthy drink. Start eliminating all sugary drinks from your diet that includes sweetened fruit juices.
What to have instead?
Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. You can add healthy beverages like coconut water, pure fruit juices, vegetable juices, green tea. You can add a zero-calorie Lakanto classic monk fruit sweetener to your tea or coffee.
5. Fruit Juices
Yes, fruit juices are loaded with sugar, especially if you get the sweetened ones. If you have to buy fruit juice, buy a cold-pressed, unsweetened fruit juice pack.
What to have instead?
Start juicing at home with a 7:3 ratio of Vegetables: Fruit for the best health benefits. For weight loss, enjoy eating the whole fruit instead of just the juice.
6. Alcohol
If you are drinking alcohol regularly, you will gain weight. If you have any addiction issues, it is best to stay away from alcohol altogether.
What to have instead?
Green tea, red grape juice, unsweetened apple juice, etc.
7. Ice Cream
Most ice cream brands make ice cream using refined sugar. You will want to avoid the commercial ice cream brands if your goal is weight loss.
What to have instead?
Greek yogurt, granola, & berries parfait. Make ice cream at home using Lakanto Products. A monk fruit-based sweetener is the best choice for making ice cream at home. You can also make fruit popsicles using the Lakanto monk fruit sweetener.
8. Pizza
The pizza that you eat at the restaurant or order takeaways is generally made with refined flour. It is often topped with processed meat, canned items, processed cheese, and a sugary tomato sauce.
What to eat instead?
Bake a whole wheat pizza at home. Use fresh cheese, make the marinara sauce, and top with fresh basil leaves.
9. Chocolate & Coffee Drinks
It might be quite tempting to grab that can of cold coffee or chocolate drink, but more so than often, they are loaded with sugar, cream, and preservatives.
What to eat instead?
Enjoy making freshly brewed coffee at home. Use your choice of creamer and a natural sweetener like Lakanto monk fruit sweetener to sweeten your coffee.
10. Ready to Eat Cereals & Snacks
You might be surprised that a lot of breakfast cereals, granola, muesli contain refined sugar, among other ingredients. It is better to avoid nut butter, energy bars, protein bars that contain added sugar.
What to eat instead?
Bake granola at home using honey or maple syrup. If you have to buy energy bars, check the ingredients always.
Making healthier choices is a thing of habit, which you can start today. Start by eliminating items and replacing those with wholesome food items. Eat nutritious and wholesome food, and it will be easier for you to avoid that it is not good for your body.