Clean Up Your Diet

Clean Up Your Diet

1. Stay hydrated. Drinking water throughout the day stems hunger and keeps energy levels up.

2. Go green. “Add lots of fruits and veggies to the mix,” says Ryah Yoga and Health’s Maura Manzo. “The added fiber will keep hunger at bay, nutrients from leafy greens will clean out toxins, and essential nutrients will keep hair, nails and skin glowing.”

3. Kick the sugar habit. “Read food labels, and try to minimize or eliminate processed sugars,” says Manzo. Sugar is chock-full of empty calories, and also causes spikes in insulin, a hormone that causes the body to store excess energy as fat.

4. Eat real food. “Always pick whole foods that are as close to their natural state as possible,” says Manzo. In general, they are better for you and have less calories than processed foods.

5. Fill up on protein and healthy fats. “Even when cutting calories, the body still needs base levels of fats and proteins for proper function and muscle rebuilding,” says Gavin McKay, owner of Fusion Cross-Training in Center City. “Focus on eating mostly vegetables and lean proteins, with a base level of good fats, like the ones found in olive oil and avocados.”