What to Eat

• Limit yourself to no more than two servings of red meat per week.

• Make sure that no more than a quarter of your calories comes from fat.

• Cook your own meals at home and avoid eating at restaurants as much as possible.

• Eat six to eleven servings of complex carbohydrates (fruits and whole grain breads, pasta and cereals), but avoid white flour when possible.

• Don't go crazy on the protein. Too much doesn't add muscle, contrary to popular belief. It just turns to fat.

• Boycott mayonnaise and butter (or margarine). Get them out of your refrigerator. Learn to live without them.

• Don't be afraid to try low or reduced fat versions of your favorite foods. You may actually like them better when you don't feel guilty eating them.

• Stay away from energy bars, which imply that they will transform you into a fit person. Most of them are loaded with calories.

• Make your own smoothies. Those made commercially usually contain fattening syrups, but your home-made smoothies (without the gunk) are very healthy.

• Use all the garlic, oregano, etc. that you want. Eating healthy doesn't mean you can't pack your food with flavor.

• Pack a sandwich made with whole-grain bread for lunch. Breads with high fiber make you feel fuller than white bread.

• Get at least 25 grams of fiber every day. Not only does it ward off disease, but it actually blocks the absorption of calories.

• Don't be fooled by "fat free" labels. Many of these foods contain a lot of sugar, which eventually turns into fat anyway.

• Don't fall into the "it's okay to eat chicken" trap. The Crispy Chicken and Filet o' Fish sandwiches at McDonalds each contain more than twice the fat of a McDonald's hamburger.
  If you need whipped cream, whip up chilled evaporated skim milk - your creation will contain only half a gram of fat per cup.

• Use extra water in hot cereals to reduce the amount of milk and butter you use.

• Use seasoned rice vinegar on salads and veggies. It tastes similar to oil and vinegar, but is is fat-free and has very few calories.

• Cook rice in a mixture of half water, half fruit juice to give it subtle flavor without butter and salt.

• Use freshly ground nutmeg or another seasoning instead of salt.

• Substitute pureed tofu for two thirds of the butter in cake and cookie recipes. This will cut out 43 grams of saturated fat.