How to start eating healthy

[Brian E]

I am 17 years old and have a diet of a typical 17 year old. I eat fast food, but no more than twice a month. I eat meat, potato chips, animal products, and the works. I do consume a fairly balanced and healthy diet though. I eat my daily recommended amount of fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. But I am wondering how I should start to improve my diet. I don't think I am quite ready to go all raw and vegan, though it does interest me. I do want to try something relatively radical. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to start? Maybe some sort of a 7-30 day trial? I would like to feel some sort of improvement.

Also, remember I am 17 and still live my parents. This has to be feasible and won't freak them out. I can't starve myself or fast because I am already very thin (6' 2", 140lbs). I am also very athletic; I am currently playing three varsity sports. Thanks in advance for all feedback!!!!!!!

[Dimond]

The first thing I did was stop drinking soda and rarely ate red meat. Then I cut out most dairy, white flour products, sugar. It still wasn't healthy, but it was an improvement. You may have fun experimenting with the variety of non-dairy, alternative flour and sugar products. Maybe you can do an all organic trial or one doing whole grain (breads, rice, pasta), soy or nut (milks, cheese), and white sugar substitutes (fruit sweetened, honey). You can do all raw or all veggie all day until dinner. Or weekdays, but not weekends.

[Victor Vikingr]

Earlier this year, I went vegetarian. I was also 17 at the time. I did crave meat for about the two first months, but only bad cravings the two first weeks. I suggest you try vegetarian, and that shouldn't even freak out your parents. My mother actually approves of the raw food diet, even though she won't do it herself.

You could start with quitting soda, sweets, or fast food, for instance. I quit soda right after meat, and after a 30-day trial, my cravings for French fries almost disappeared, so I'm still left with vegetarian pizza for fast food, however, I'm working on that slowly, eating it less and less. I found that if I do lots of cold turkey experiments, some might stick, but after that, I get results by going gradually, it seems. Could work for you as well.

I wish you luck!

[lovelyn]

Start out slowly if you think you should. I think starting by doing a thirty day trial cutting out soda and fast food would be good. Soda and fast food are both horrible for you. When you stop consuming them, you'll notice a difference in your health. This will encourage you to continue moving in a healthier direction. Feeling great is wonder motivation.

[ciel]

Brian,

More power to you for taking control of your diet! I have a 17-year-old (also named Brian) and I wish he'd start taking responsibility for his health.

I agree that slowly but surely is the way to proceed. Whatever you decide to give up, make sure you monitor the changes in your body and mood on a daily basis, as Steve does. That way you'll have a record at the end of your trial.

Why not bring your parents on board, too? Your mother would be happy to help, I'm sure, and it might be better to forestall her anxieties if you start to have detox symptoms by discussing your experiments with her in advance .

Good luck with it!

ciel

[stormyrose]

About a year ago(I was 17 also) I went about improving my diet. First, I focused on avoiding everything artificial, preservatives, MSG, aspartame, ect. WOW, what a difference it was. It was like I'd been drugged up my entire life and now I could finally think clearly. I would definetly agree with avoiding fast food and soda to start. Fast food is just a bunch of cheap, bland, food coated with MSG to make it "tasty" and who knows what else...All I know for a fact is that it is a literal DRUG. I, unfortunately, succumbed to peer pressure last July, and had one bite of fast food from uh, Jack In The Box. Well... for the next hour or so I was laughing hysterically with my brain racing, and then I passed out. Hangover(?) the next morning...
I'm happy to say I've abstained from any sort of chemicals ever since.

Do you have a blender? Something that really helped me A LOT was adding green smoothies into my diet...They're actually quite tasty, one of my favorites is...
One Apple
One Banana
Spinach
Greens are SO good!!
OR get an organic watermelon...And make a smoothie out of it, with the green rind. Yum!
Organic fruits and veggies are MUCH higher in essential minerals we need, and plus they don't harm the earth or any of it's creatures... pesticides are straight poison

[Fullcrum]

I'm 17. Green smoothies are definitely the way to go. Cut out the processed vegan fake-food middlemen and get straight to the great tasting chase.

Here's a favorite recipe of mine. Blend for at least one minute to reduce everything to as small pieces as possible.

4 bananas
1/2 pineapple
1 pound spinach
1/2 lemon (peeled, but flesh and all)
4 oz. alfalfa sprouts (1 package)
3-4 cups water

Adjust proportions as needed. Blend. Enjoy for breakfast everyday. And lunch if you're feeling the sweetness like I do.

I basically drink this all day until dinner. Lately I've been eating more fruit by itself, too. Fruit is sweet and easy to get into. Grapes, mangoes, berries, bananas, apples, papayas, oranges, peaches, melons, etc. Some fruits are more expensive than others! Do what you can. And get organic.

That's how I started. And boy is it rewarding.