Part I: Foods to Encourage or Discourage:

1. Eat more fruits, vegetables and nuts in place of processed carbohydrates.
2. Choose healthier proteins, like lean meat, chicken without skin, fish, egg white and limit red meat, organ meat.
3. A combination of vegetable oils like sunflower oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil, groundnut oil, canola oil, mustard oil, soyabean oil is preferable.
4. Reduce animal-based saturated fats and replace them with healthier, plant-based fats and oils. Avoid highly processed foods and desserts.
5. Method of cooking should be modified (Grill, Stewed, Boiled, Steaming and Poaching). The diet should be rich in fiber by starting meal with raw vegetables salad.
6. Imagine your “ideal plate” – ¼ healthy proteins, ¼ whole grains, ½ fruits and vegetables.
7. Consider the “dessert flip” with more fruit and smaller portions of indulgent favorites or try building a healthier dessert using the “Three Pleasures” – dark chocolate, fruit and nuts.
8. Portion control is key. Find opportunities to reduce salt. Season with herbs and spices first. Replace sugar-sweetened beverages, emphasizing water and unsweetened tea and coffee.

Part II: Intentions, Behaviors and Perceptions:

1. Exercise matters. Do the math. 30-60 minutes a day! Cardio + resistance.
2. Never skip meals but having less quantity and splitting meals timing will reduce the consumption of calories.
3. Mindfulness and intention affect all behaviors – including what/how we eat. View healthy eating as an enjoyable way of life – a habit, not a “diet.”
4. Set attainable goals. Establish new habits. Leveraging motivations is key.