Eliminate the Obvious, By Richard England, OTF Head Coach CPT at The Candles

We all have been exposed to the food pyramid, or the food plate, and are pretty well aware of

the things that are bad for us. I am not a dietician, but I am a human that needs to make healthy decisions. Think about all the bad things that you consume that could be eliminated without too much inconvenience, but make a big difference in the end result. Making simple adjustments like eliminating certain types of carbohydrates, beverages, and poor decision making as a whole will help clean up your diet. For example, you can eliminate nearly 500 calories next Taco Tuesday by eliminating that flour tortilla and either eat the contents inside as is or over some salad. Help yourselves by being more cautious of the heavy hitters when it comes to your nutritional uptake. Soda has been in discussion as a poor beverage decision since before I was born. Thankfully fast food restaurants and convenience stores have digressed from the big gulp culture, but we still need to hold ourselves accountable when it comes to consuming soda. Total elimination is easier said than done, but bottomline is get rid of it and you will see a difference over time. One of my first realizations of adulthood was how crucial my choice of beverage really was. Right out of college I continued to drink my fair share of adult beverages, specifically craft beer. I was no longer running campus loops and suicides for baseball practice so the pounds were coming on quick. I don’t drink craft beers anymore and not much alcohol as it is not recommended, but whenever the opportunity rises I will alter to a seltzer or a vodka water with Mio mix. Finding alternatives can be helpful as long as the alternative is significantly healthier. Taking responsibility upon ourselves to make better decisions at the drive thru, or in a pub, doesn’t require all that much effort. A little bit of discipline to set down the soda and hydrate with something else, or dig into a taco salad instead of a burrito are just small tips that can help clean up the diet. Consider all of your unhealthy choices and either seek alternatives, or completely eliminate those bad habits and see what kind of difference it makes!