Now that you’ve Eased Your Way Into The Plan, it’s time to go all out and DETOX your kitchen of any ‘tempting’ foods and drinks that you’re now avoiding.  Let’s face it, if the ‘bad’ foods/drinks aren’t readily available, you’re much less likely to consume them. 

After all, we’re all slaves to convenience!

Part 1 to Creating  Your Fit ‘n Healthy Kitchen:

Clear Out Your Cupboards – 3 Steps

If you find you need a little help transitioning to a healthier lifestyle, this section is for you.

Here’s what to do: .Have a good look at what’s currently in your kitchen cabinets, as well as your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator. As you go through each area, read the labels and complete steps 1 to 3 (below).

Place unopened foods containing any of the “no-no” ingredients into a box and donate them to your local food bank.

Throw opened foods in the garbage. It might be best to have a friend sort through everything with you so you don’t make concessions. If you want to keep some of the less healthy choices for guests (not everyone will be as diligent about their nutrition as you!) just label it “guest food”, put it in a clear box, and store it away from your main food area.

Step 1: Remove foods containing trans fats and unstable fats

Trans fats and Unstable fats

Margarine, vegetable shortenings, corn, soybean, canola (not even supposedly organic varieties, grapeseed oil (extracted using hexane), peanut oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil, wheat germ oil, cheap or old cooking oils and anything NOT listed in Step 2: Choose your fats found in your plan.

Additionally, if you see the words “hydrogenated” or “partially-hydrogenated” in the ingredient list,

this food is not for you!

Step 2: Remove foods containing artificial sweeteners and refined sugars

Artificial Sweeteners

Aspartame, Acesulfame-K, Alitame, Cyclamate, Saccharin, Splenda, Sucralose

Refined Sugars

Corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, maltose, malt sugar, dextrose, cane sugar, corn sugar, sucanat, white, brown and raw sugar, Demerara sugar, galactose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, lactose, malt, maltodextrin, powdered or confectioner’s sugar, turbinado sugar and polydextrose.

You don’t have to be obsessed about avoiding refined sugars; just be aware that there are better alternatives. If you have a health condition, well… then it is a good idea to try to replace them altogether.

There are some excellent natural sweetener choices! Refer to Step 4: Choose your extras found in your plan. Artificial sweeteners aren’t good in any amount.

Step 3: Remove all other “unacceptable” foods

These include GMO foods, refined grains (white flour products such as white bread, white pasta or white rice), pasteurized milk and other processed foods. Refer to “Food/beverages to avoid” in your plan for a quick reminder on what to avoid.

Try your best to steer clear of preservatives and colouring, especially if you have young children in your family. Children’s developing livers and kidneys simply cannot tolerate fake ingredients. The worst culprits are red or yellow dyes and MSG. MSG, short for monosodium glutamate, is a nerve poison that destroys nerve cells.

NEXT UP: Your Fit ‘n Healthy Kitchen Part 2: Stocking your Fit ‘n Healthy Kitchen!

“I’m of the frame of mind that it‘s better to

give them to someone who doesn’t have much food than to throw them out.”

For more ‘support tools’ to get and stay on the Fit n Healthy Track, check out my book The Fit ‘n Healthy Plan – The Healthy Diet & Lifestyle Plan Made Easy!

Please be sure to share this blog with anyone else you know struggling to create their ‘Fit n Healthy’ Kitchen. Possibly even do this project together for more fun!