'The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet' author and celebrity vegan Alicia Silverstone wrote: "Strangest of all, we've convinced ourselves that our health has nothing to do with what we eat. People who will spend that extra 20 cents on a gallon of premium gasoline because they realize their car performs better on it will drive straight to McDonald's for a Big Mac. We create a mental separation between food and illness in our culture, and our modern Western medical system-for the most part-supports this denial."
Luckily, that ultimate change towards better health can begin with a one-month diet cleanse plan put together by Joy Bauer - 'Today Show' nutrition expert and Joy Bauer Nutrition Centers founder. In this plan, the change begins with cutting out foods that fall under four main food categories. Ms. Bauer also give the reminder that one of the aims of the plan is to clean the palate and to create an enjoyment of food without needing excessive salt and sugar content.
#1 Eliminate white starch
Switching from food items and ingredients that use refined carbohydrates to those that use whole grain allows consumption of food that have retained the most amount of fibre and nutrients possible. This also applies to consuming packed and packaged food items. Whole grain is the key ingredient to look for.
White starch in such bread, breakfast cereal, cakes and pastries, cookies and biscuits, desserts, muffins, pasta, couscous, rice, wraps and flour is a good place to begin the elimination.
#2 Eliminate meat that are fatty or have high fat content.
Saturated fat and extra calories are the culprits being eliminated by cutting out fatty meat. These are often found chicken and turkey wings, deli meats, ground meat or poultry, fat-laden cuts of beef and pork, hot dogs and sausages, poultry skin.
#3 Eliminate sugar-filled drinks.
Of the 90g recommended daily intake of total sugars for adults, 7% for Americans come from consumption of sugar-rich drinks and beverages. This elimination includes all beverages with sugar and both natural or artificial non-caloric sweeteners.
These drinks are usually energy drinks, fruit juice drinks, soda, coffee, milk, milk alternatives, tea and tonic water.
#4 Eliminate salt-laden food.
In consideration for the practical difficulties of singling out, identifying and eliminating salt completely from food and food ingredients, Ms. Bauer's recommendation is 200 mg or less per serving for bread, canned vegetables, cereal, cheese, condiments, nuts, pasta sauce, pre-readied sides, pre-seasoned grain as well as pasta mixes, salad dressings, snacks and vegetable juices.
As much as, or less than, 300 mg per serving is recommended for canned soups and deli turkey or chicken. Frozen entrées are recommended to have no more than 600 mg per serving.
Ms. Bauer recommends removal of all things fried, candies, flavoured yogurt and milk chocolates during the one month of cleanse.
