1. Substitution, substitution, substitution! You can still have the majority of your favorite foods, you just need to substitute for natural clean ingredients. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains (gluten free), natural meats (no hormones, no antibiotics), and legumes.

2. Eat five to six times a day- Have three meals and two to three small snacks. You should be eating roughly ever three hours. To keep your energy level up and your digestive system working properly, major meals should include a lean protein, fruits and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate.

3. Eat within reasonable portion sizes- You should not eat with a goal of being “full”, but instead eat to be “content.” Your body takes roughly 20 minutes to gauge it’s “fullness”, so if you stop eating at “content”, 20 minutes later you will feel like you ate the perfect amount.

4. Drink lots of water- We’ve all heard this a thousand times, but you need to drink roughly 2 liters of water a day. Not only can it help you lose weight, but it’s great for the skin and slowing the aging process.

5. Avoid processed and refined foods- Eliminate unnatural flours, sugars, meats, and grains. Your digestive system is not designed to digest these processed foods. Stick to natural foods (gluten free of course!). When you read a label, it should only list a couple of natural ingredients. If it’s a long lists of unknown ingredients, then avoid it all together.

6. Eat good fats- Not all fat is bad. Essential fatty acids are actually a very important part of your diet, they give you energy and help you burn fat. Just avoid the saturated fats, sugars, trans fats, and fried foods.

7. Don’t kill your food- When eating vegetables, try eating them raw, or quickly steaming them for only a minute or two. If you cook them too long you will dramatically reduce the nutrients. This is the same for fruits.

8. Don’t go hungry- If you’re going out to eat, or to a dinner party, try eating something clean and healthy before you leave. The last thing you want is to be hungry in a place surrounded by unhealthy foods. I can guarantee you will most likely eat something you will regret. Eating before hand will give you the option of eating small, or not at all, if the food choices are bad enough.