1. Eat protein at every meal, including breakfast.
2. Eliminate wheat- and flour-based products for the time being. And, yes, that definitely includes bread and pasta.
3. Eat unprocessed foods. Ninety percent of what you eat should be acombination of (in this order of importance) raw vegetables, steamedvegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and maybe a few fruits, ifnecessary.
4. Reduce starch to one portion a day, and don't eat that portionduring your evening meal. Best choices are beans, sweet potatoes, andoatmeal.
5. Don't overdo fruit: one a day maximum, and only the low-sugar,high-fiber variety. Apples, pears, plums and berries all are goodchoices. For now, fruit should be eaten alone or with something light,like low fat nuts. Lose the fruit juice completely.
6. Reduce or eliminate dairy for the time being, especially cow's milk.Exceptions: reasonable amounts of low sugar, fat free yogurt.
7. Lose the booze. Despite what the "studies" say, you lose no healthbenefits by giving up alcohol (including wine). There is nothingessential in alcohol that you can't get in fruits and vegetables,without all the bad side effects that go along with it.
8. Stop using vegetable oils such as sunflower, safflower and corn. Thesupermarket kind is highly refined, and it oxidizes easily when heated,contributing to arterial plaque. Use olive oil instead, and apply it tofood after the food is cooked when possible.
9. Watch which types of fat you're eating. The amount of fat you eat isprobably less important than the kind of fat you eat. The worst arefried foods, margarine and foods that contain hydrogenized or partiallyhydrogenized oils. The best is omega-3, found in fish and flaxseed oil.
10. Obsessively drink water: At least 8 ounces for every 20 pounds ofbodyweight you're now carrying around, each day. Every day. No excuses.