Cassy Joy Garcia’s 5 Healthy Eating Tips

Nutrition expert shares tips and food recomendations with
The New Potato in advance of ‘Fed & Fit,’ out July 12:
http://bit.ly/CassyJoy_TNP_5Principles

At age 24, Cassy Joy Garcia found herself at the crossroads of self-image issues and unhealthy food indulgences. Gaining pounds by the day, she decided it was time to try something she’d never want to do, and go for it, which led to exploring excercise activities and finding a nutritional template that worked for her. She didn’t weigh foods or keep herself on strict diet, yet Garcia developed a plan and little by little eliminated items deemed toxic, dropping 10 dress sizes in a year.

Now, at age 30, Cassy shares insight on how to create your own plan with the publication of her first book 'Fed & Fit: A 28-Day Food & Fitness Plan to Jumpstart Your Life With Over 175 Squeaky-Clean Paleo Recipes’, out July 12 (Victory Belt).

Garcia’s approach is to tackle the issue from all sides: sleep well, hydrate enough, eat healing foods, stay active, and avoid excess exposure to everyday toxins.Most of these strategies are relatively straightforward, but the dietary direction takes more explanation. Check out her five life-changing principles (below).

Avoid Inflammatory Foods

These common inflammatory ingredients can all sabotage your efforts towards lasting health. While they may be tolerated in small doses, it’s best to avoid them whenever possible.

Enjoy Healing Foods

Foods can be wonderfully supportive of a healthy lifestyle! While portions do still matter (see #5 below), the foods like non-starchy vegetables, healthy proteins, healthy fats, healthy beverages and fruit are all important categories to enjoy every day. I encourage you to keep things colorful and varied so that you’re taking in a variety of nutrients.

Think Critically About “Fringe Foods”

There are several Paleo-friendly foods that, although are somewhat natural, may or may not be a healthy addition to your diet. If your goal is to trim down, I recommend either avoiding entirely or enjoying dairy, alcohol and natural sweeteners in moderation for your first 4 weeks.

Stop Snacking

Though snacking can be a great way to quickly recover from a workout, it’s also an easy avenue to overeating. I highly recommend enjoying three balanced, healthy meals each day and allowing your stomach to empty between. This method will help you truly interpret hunger queues, discern when you’re thirsty (not hungry), and eventually help realign your body’s dependency on regular doses of dietary sugar for energy.

Stay Mindful of Portions

Though Paleo-friendly foods are healing, it’s important to remember that it is still possible to overeat. I recommend enjoying 4 - 6 ounces of protein, 1 cup of cooked vegetables, ½ cup of starchy vegetable, and 2 tablespoons of a healthy fat at each of your three meals in the day. Of course, adjust these numbers based on your personal constitution, hunger signals, and if you lead an active lifestyle.

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