Effective Weight Loss Made Easy: Step #1

Permanent weight loss is certainly possible.
Each one of you knows someone who has
accomplished a long-term goal and
maintained significant weight loss for 5, 10,
15 years or more. You can be a success
story, too, simply by using some of these
simple techniques. Here are your top 10
power strategies for the lifestyle change to
achieve permanent weight loss:

Step 1: Change Your Color Palette
Ditch the white stuff! White foods -- white bread,
white flour, pasta, sugar, cakes, pies, muffins,
donuts -- are bound to add pounds to your
waistline and little or nothing to your nutrition.
That's because all these "white" foods have a
high-glycemic index, raising your blood sugar
rapidly, only to have it crash and burn, causing
you to crave more sweets (and fattening white
stuff) hours later.
Sugar is bad. Most of us already know that. It
adds empty calories—those that don't offer any
nutrition, but certainly add pounds.

The average
American consumes two to three pounds of sugar
a week. Even if you're not adding table sugar to
your morning coffee or other foods, look for
hidden sources of sugar in unexpected places:
bread, mayonnaise, ketchup, spaghetti sauce,
and virtually all frozen meals. Sugar plays havoc
with your blood sugar. Avoid it at all costs.

Aside from sugar, white foods are highly
processed. That means most of the nutrients (the
wheat germ and most of the vitamins and fiber
naturally present in grains used to make flours)
have been removed in the manufacturing
process. That leaves you with a light fluffy biscuit
that has almost no nutritional value. While it
might temporarily help you feel full, it gives you
virtually no nutrition. Empty calories leave your
body's native intelligence "hungry" for more real
food, but the controlling mind translates that
desire for good food into a wish for more biscuits,
sweet rolls, spaghetti, and sugary cereal.
Most commercial baked goods have 3 strikes
against them: they are made from white flours
with added sugars and lethal trans fats.
The same warning about processed flours holds
true for many other white foods, including white
rice, cereals and potatoes that can have similar
roller coaster effects on our blood sugar.
To keep your blood sugar level and your waist
trim, aim to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables
every day. Colorful foods contain high
concentrations of nutrients vital to a healthy
body. Load up on common colorful foods like
tomatoes, oranges, blueberries, spinach, beans,
squash, apples, berries and grapes and be
adventurous with more unusual ones like kale,
kiwi, eggplant, pomegranates, rutabagas,
avocadoes, apricots and more.

An exception to the "avoid white foods" rule: eat
plenty of onions and garlic. They are loaded with
powerful antioxidants that promote health and
prevent disease.
High fiber foods fill you up and colorful foods like
broccoli, red peppers, black beans and yellow
squash represent a variety of crucial nutrients. So
if your plate looks like a fiesta, you know you're
eating what's good for you!

Add to your rainbow of fruits and veggies a daily
fist-sized portion of your preferred protein. While
I'm a vegan, you may want to consume proteins
such as lean meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs, or
vegetable-based options like dried beans, soy or
nuts for a healthy diet that will definitely help
those extra pounds melt away. Eat as many leafy
greens as possible for their nutritional value,
cleansing ability, and high-level protein.