While those decadent holiday indulgences are decadently delicious, they have a way of sticking around long after the celebrations are over. Add those holiday calories to those pesky additional pounds that have been creeping up on you since turning 50 and you may be finding yourself wondering how you can adjust your nutrition and fitness routine to combat these concerns. Perhaps your doctor has been telling you to shed a few pounds. You may wince, but inside you know by the fit of your clothes, the doc is right. Still you wonder – will there ever be a diet that leaves you feeling satisfied and full while helping you keep the pounds in check? The answer to that question may not be found in a traditional diet but rather in the way you eat. In fact, there is now a foolproof way to eat that can make dieting a thing of the past. THE “NOT A DIET” DIET The Eat Clean Diet, popularized in the best-selling book of the same name has had appeal to millions of people thanks to its simple and logical approach to eating. The best thing about the Eat Clean Diet is that it isn’t a diet as much as it is a guide to lead you on a path towards a new and better way of eating. One of the pivotal principles is that followers must eat more food, more often. Now, least you think this means you can gorge yourself on sugary treats and coffees loaded up with high calorie syrups and creams – that ain’t gonna happen. Yes, you can eat more, along with eating more frequently, but you must make improved nutrition choices. This works because it eliminates the restrictions of conventional diets that in turn make it far more likely that you will be successful with your dieting efforts. With the Eat Clean Diet, each of the six recommended smaller daily meals must contain lean protein and complex carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains. That means a typical breakfast would include a bowl of oatmeal topped with flax seed and mixed berries, followed by at least three egg whites prepared the way you like them with the exception of cheese. You must also accompany your meal with eight-ounces of water along with your morning coffee that should be taken black. The benefits of being able to eat nutrient dense foods are numerous, not the least important of which is to boost health and immunity. Some diets leave you dead in your tracks because they require you to practice abstinence – no, not that kind of abstinence – but the kind that wags its finger at you if you even think of eating carbs, fats or fruit. Come on! How can that kind of abstinence add up to good health? We have a responsibility to ourselves, and our families, to take care of ourselves. That begins with the simple act of eating well with an eye on consuming only those foods that build us up and don’t break us down. The most important thing we should be doing to build ourselves up is to never skip a meal. Missing meals is no way to diet, and no way to achieve good health. Skipping meals only slows your metabolism to a dull grind, something no one in their 50s and beyond needs. Our metabolism has already slowed down by as much as 10% for each decade we have advanced from the age of 25. So, you must never skip a meal. Doing so is the surest way to gain weight. In fact, you should be eating more often than you probably do. THE SUGAR THREAT I know there will be some who don’t want to hear this, but I am joined by many nutrition experts in being convinced that sugar is one of the greatest threats to human health. Sugar is destructive because it is a socially acceptable drug. It can be as addicting as some controlled substances and just as destructive if you consider the increase in reported cases of diseases including pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diabetes, metabolic syndrome X, stroke, and heart disease. The Eating Clean Diet advocates the avoidance of refined sugars and other over-processed non-foods. Yes, I know all about those ice cream, candy and cake cravings you have, but once you have eliminated sugar from your diet you will notice your appetite for those things will disappear. Give up the sweets and the junk, and they will give up on you. By doing this you will be shoring up your health by moderating blood sugar levels that will ultimately lead to a restoration of other imbalances in the body including hormones and blood. The simple act of avoiding sugar can also improve sleep, which in turn helps you keep your weight in check. WATER! WATER! Other principles of the Eating Clean Diet involve drinking sufficient amounts of water. This helps to flush toxins from your skin, bowels and other organs. It encourages vigorous cellular function and helps you avoid unhealthy trans fats and certain saturated fats. And speaking of fats – I know, we all think of “fats” as a four-letter word, but the fact of the matter is that excellent health is impossible without a few good fats. Fats should not be a dirty word in your home. In fact, at least 22% of your daily diet should include a good balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. You can accomplish this by simply adding two tablespoons of ground flax seed to your morning oatmeal. You can also sprinkle the granulated flax seed into a smoothie, yogurt, or on a salad. To boost the power of your immune system you can consume one to two tablespoons of coconut oil on a daily basis. Coconut oil is endowed with potent anti-viral properties which will keep you in good stead in the fight against viral infection. It can be taken by spoon, or if you prefer, you can cook with it. You can also add it to smoothies and other blended drinks and desserts. As an added benefit, coconut oil can be used as a skin moisturizer and even as a personal lubricant for when you are not abstaining from what I know you were thinking about earlier when I mentioned abstinence. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT These nutritional measures can make a significant contribution in your overall health. Some doctors have said they believe that almost 80% of how a person looks and feels is directly linked to what they eat. I also believe that, which is why I have developed a formula which helps me prioritize my own health and fitness regimen: HEATLTH AND BEAUTY = 80% NUTRITION + 10% TRAINING + 10% GENETICS While nutrition plays a huge role in our efforts to create and maintain health and wellness regardless of age, once we have reached our 50s we tend to pay more attention to this credo. Now that you have begun this new chapter of your life, wouldn’t it make sense for you to turn your attention to making sure that the things you are putting in your mouth are not foods that are contributing to weight gain and illness, but are instead building a beautiful new you! Consider this New Year as the starting point for what you can call your “Health and Fitness Renovation Plan.” Begin by clearing your cupboards of non-foods – those loaded with chemical-laden ingredients you can’t pronounce and have no idea what they are. Hey, and don’t forget to empty that secret stash of junk you have squirreled away. Now create a shopping list that will help fill your cupboards with body-building foods. Then head to the grocery store and turn a blind eye to the assault of brightly-packaged bad stuff. Believe me, you will feel good about yourself when you return with bags full of vibrantly-colored produce, lean meats, beans, richly-grained breads and other nutrient dense foods. Now get that stuff stored in your panty and fridge and crack open the “Eat Clean Diet Cookbook” that includes over 150 recipes anyone can create. Plan a few meals to get the hang of things and feel good knowing that good health is on its way. KEEPING NOTES Seal the deal with yourself in regards to your “Health and Fitness Renovation Plan” by journaling your efforts. No detail is too small. Write what are you are thinking, how you feel, your daily weight, your goals, and what you had to eat each day. Research shows those who make a plan and record their progress are more likely to be successful. Don’t shy away from the camera either. Have someone take a shot of you and tuck it in your journal where you can review it occasionally as a reminder of your starting point. MOVE IT! We all know that to achieve and maintain health, excellent nutrition must be coupled with exercise – a word that is fraught with apprehension for many. To make the habit of exercising a bit easier to take, remember, 80% of your renovation plan should center on nutrition. Only 10% is exercise and training. If you can’t stand exercising, take a walk. Walk once around the block. Do it again tomorrow. Feel good about your accomplishment, because that’s what it is. Now do it ten days straight and it will become a habit. Then take it up to two blocks and keep the momentum going. If you ever feel your interest waning, call a friend and do it together. Build a network of like-minded people who will be there for you to support you in your renovation. Creating a circle of positive people around you is yet another affirmative habit you can master. Find an activity that appeals to you – golf, dancing, yoga, bodybuilding, resistance training, distance running, or simply walking. Make an appointment with yourself to carry out that exercise. If exercise is painful, try swimming where water will buoy you. Exercise is not punishment. It is a joy and a privilege of life that you can move. When the body moves freely, unencumbered by excess weight or illness, there is no purer joy. There is also no greater sense of satisfaction than when you have completed your workout and you can say “I have done it and I feel fantastic!” Welcome the New Year with open arms and a serious plan to eat clean and train hard. The result will be a new and improved YOU!