That’s a big question. With a lot of possible answers.
There are so many factors that affect our health, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The good news is each of these factors is an opportunity to change things for the better. The trick for me is to find a balance between doing too much at once and not doing enough to see improvement.
I’ve been watching the documentary series The Real Skinny On Fat this past week, and one of the doctors interviewed gave his ideas about where to start. His step one is to eat three meals a day. No snacking. And get your last meal of the day in at least three hours before bedtime. If you get hungry between meals, drink water.
After doing that for a week or so, then his step two is to add fat to each meal. Of course, that should be healthy fat, which includes olive oil, coconut oil, butter, bacon, lard, avocados, nuts, and seeds. It does NOT include polyunsaturated vegetable oils like corn, canola, cottonseed, soy, sunflower, or safflower oils. How much? About the size of your two thumbs.
Step three is cut down on sugars and starches. That means candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, bread, pasta, crackers, and chips. You can do this gradually, but aim to stop eating any of these foods.This should be easier than you might think, because the fat you added in step two will keep you from being hungry.
What else goes on your plate along with two thumbs worth of healthy fat? A chunk of meat, fish, poultry, or beans the size of your palm or one and a half palms. And then as much vegetables as you can tolerate.