When you’re crushing Camp workouts and chasing progress, you need nutrition that works as hard as you do. Here are some of your questions, with answers from the Burn experts you trust. 

Q: Does it matter if I take creatine in the morning or at night? 

A: Nope! Morning, night, during nap time, whenever it works best for you. The key is just taking it daily. Consistency beats time of day, hands down.  

Q: Can I mix creatine and collagen into my coffee? Or is that not recommended? 

A: Collagen? Absolutely, stir it in and sip away. Creatine? Not the best match. High heat might affect its absorption, but if adding it to your coffee helps you remember to take it, consistency wins again. Showing up daily is way more effective than chasing perfection. 

Q: Of course, it is important to check with your doctor, but which nutrition products are usually pregnancy safe? 

A: Your doctor always gets the final say, but protein powders, especially whey, are usually okay and are a great way to boost intake. Just watch the caffeine dose in your Ignite pre-workout (the general guideline is under 200mg/day). As for creatine, there’s not enough research on its use during pregnancy, so definitely pause and consult before continuing. 

Q: Why would I want to drink Replenish over water? 

A: While water is essential for hydration, it doesn’t replace the electrolytes and micronutrients your body loses through intense training, like fitness classes, or sweat. Replenish provides a targeted blend of electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals designed to support optimal hydration, muscle function, and recovery. It tastes delicious, which helps you stay hydrated and train harder, recover faster, and perform at your best. 

Q: What are the benefits to taking Collagen? 

A: Collagen peptide supplementation helps maintain your skin’s elasticity and firmness, supports joint flexibility, promotes muscle growth, and enhances post-workout recovery. We recommend taking 10 grams of Collagen per day, which is our serving size, to see these benefits. 

Why Use Grass-Fed Beef?

To keep this hamburger mac and cheese the healthiest it can be, you’ll want to ensure you use grass-fed ground beef. When beef is grass-fed, it contains a healthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. Conventional beef is extremely high in omega-6 fatty acids, and when you over-consume these, you promote fat storage—which is definitely not what you are looking for. Grass-fed, on the other hand, is especially high in the omega-3 fatty acid CLA, which is an extremely healthy fat that’s great for promoting fat burning. Plus, meat with the American Grassfed certification label cannot contain any antibiotics or hormones.

Swaps!

Now let’s talk about how versatile this dish is. This recipe is made dairy-free with the use of cashews for creaminess. Cashews can easily be swapped out for macadamia nuts, almonds or sunflower seeds. If you are both nut- and seed-free, you can use plain hummus or full-fat coconut milk instead. In this case, you’ll want to reduce the amount of water used in the recipe. Are you plant-based? You can easily make this by eliminating the ground beef. To keep the recipe high-protein, swap the ground beef for lentils or tempeh.

If you become hooked on this recipee and are looking for a twist, add chili powder into the mix or top off your dish with some hot sauce.

Are you looking to add more vegetables to your meals? One of my favorite things to do with this recipe is roast a big sheet pan full of cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts and mix those into the dairy-free cheese sauce. Or, if you are short on time, toss a bag of spinach into your cooking noodles a minute before removing them from heat.

I hope your reaction to this mac and cheese is the same as mine. Enjoy!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a commission. Keep in mind I linked these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases. Whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you!

Dairy-Free Hamburger Mac and Cheese Ingredients:

1 lb grass-fed ground beef

1 package chickpea pasta

Dairy-Free Cheese Sauce:

1 cup butternut squash cubes

 1 cup raw unsalted cashews

 ½ cup water

 ¼ cup nutritional yeast*

 2 tsp. garlic powder

 2 tsp. onion powder

 1 tsp. salt

 ½ tsp. smoked paprika

Juice of ½ lemon

Directions:

Soak cashews overnight or for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut butternut squash into small cubes and roast for 15 minutes on an oiled baking sheet. While the butternut squash is baking, bring water to a boil in a pot.

Once boiling, add in chickpea pasta and cook according to box directions. On a separate burner, cook ground beef in a skillet until fully cooked. Drain noodles and return to pot. Remove butternut squash from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes.

Add all the sauce ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor and process until completely smooth. Add sauce and ground beef to the pot with the noodles and stir until the noodles are well coated.

Nutrition Facts: 

Serves: 6

1 serving:

Calories: 396

Carbs: 30g

Fat: 19g

Protein: 30g

*This is an affiliate link. We only link products we personally use and trust!

When you are working out hard, you are breaking down your muscle fibers and you need protein in order to rebuild and grow your muscles.

Protein also helps boost your metabolism. Your body burns 20% to 30% of calories from protein during digestion, as opposed to roughly 5% of calories from carbs and 3% of calories from fats. Ramping up your protein intake will also ramp up your daily calorie burn without any extra effort!

Eating more protein also causes your body to release more leptin, which is your hunger-suppressing hormone. This has been shown to reduce your appetite, cut your cravings and reduce your desire for late-night snacking.

While that all sounds great, I know adding more protein into your diet isn’t that easy and eating a bunch of chicken at each meal gets boring quickly! And for me personally, eating a lot of meat tends to make me feel weighed down and causes me digestive distress. So here are my top three favorite and unexpected ways to add high-protein foods that aren’t meat into my diet!

Hemp Seeds

• – Serving size: 3 tablespoons

• – Protein per serving: 10g

There are a bunch of things I love about hemp seeds, but one of my favorite things is that it is a source of protein that doesn’t require any meal prep! On days I don’t have time cook, I never have to stress because I know I can sprinkle a few tablespoons of hemp seeds on my meal to ensure I am including protein.

Most nuts and seeds—and most plant-based protein sources, for that matter—are not considered complete proteins, as they do not contain all nine essential amino acids. These sources have to be combined with other foods to form a complete protein.

Hemp seeds, on the other hand, are special because they contain all nine essential amino acids and are considered to be a complete protein. What’s so special about having a complete essential amino acid profile? Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which is ultimately the building block of muscle. If you want to become leaner and stronger, your body requires amino acids.

Hemp seeds are also a great source of fat. For me, it’s important to always include a healthy source of fat into every meal I eat. It helps keep me satiated, my blood sugar levels in check and my cravings at bay. So with one serving of hemp seeds, I am not only getting a great source of protein but I am also getting a great source of fat.

Hemp seeds are especially a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in abundance in our diet, but omega-3s are more difficult to come across. When you consume way more omega-6s than omega-3s, you promote fat storing and not fat burning. Consuming too many omega-6-rich foods also triggers inflammation in your gut, joints and other parts of your body and can even be the cause of bloating. Incorporating more omega-3s into your diet with the help of hemp seeds can help you burn fat as fuel as well as keep your gut happy and healthy!

Hemp seeds add a great nutty flavor to any dish. I often incorporate them into salads, oatmeal, yogurt and even pasta. I actually haven’t come across a dish that I haven’t enjoyed with the addition of hemp seeds!

You can find my favorite hemp seeds here.

Nutritional Yeast

•  – Serving size: 3 tablespoons

•  – Protein per serving: 9g

Nutritional yeast is another high-protein staple in my kitchen. Like hemp seeds, it’s a source of protein that requires no time to prep and is a great addition to most meals.

You’re most likely thinking, what exactly is nutritional yeast? It is a deactivated yeast that provides an amazing nutty, cheesy and savory flavor. Nutritional yeast is extremely popular among vegans, as it’s a great replacement for cheese in many recipes. It’s also a  complete protein, which as I mentioned earlier, many plant-based foods are not.

Another reason nutritional yeast is popular among vegans is because most brands fortify it with vitamin B12, which is a vitamin you miss out on when you cut animal foods out of your diet. When you become B12-deficient, serious and permanent damage can be done, such as irreversible anemia. So if you are eating a plant-based diet, nutritional yeast is not only a great source of complete protein but a great source of vitamin B12. (Side note: If you do eat a plant-based diet, I cannot stress enough how important it is to speak with your doctor about the right supplementation of B12.)

Apart from providing you with 9 grams of protein per serving, nutritional yeast also gives you a boost of fiber. Personally, I am just as aware of my fiber intake as I am of my protein, fat and carbohydrate intake. With bad gut health now being the known cause of so many health issues, I pay close attention to eating foods that fuel good gut health, and with that comes eating enough fiber each day. We can increase the good bacteria in our gut all day long through probiotics, but without providing them with anything to feed off of, that bacteria will quickly die off.

Eating enough fiber each day ensures your gut contains prebiotics for the good bacteria to live off of. Many health experts suggest a minimum of 30 grams of fiber each day, and most of us are not getting anywhere near that! Long story short, fiber is important for optimal health and nutritional yeast can help you reach your daily fiber goal.

I love getting creative with nutritional yeast in my diet. I often sprinkle a serving of it over a salad with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt to replace unhealthy salad dressings. I also love mixing one serving of nutritional yeast with ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. This creates a cheesy-like sauce that is perfect for pouring over rice, pasta, roasted veggies and salads. I would also suggest mixing it into marinara sauce, hummus and stir-fries.

It’s important to note that nutritional yeast is not for everyone. Researchers have recommended that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), glaucoma and hypertension avoid it, as it may make their symptoms worsen.

You can find my favorite brand of nutritional yeast here.

Tempeh

• – Serving size: 3 ounces

• – Protein per serving: 16g

Out of the three, tempeh is by far my favorite. It may look a little intimidating and not sound very appetizing, but let me tell you, it can be delicious! Tempeh has a very neutral flavor on its own and really takes the flavor of whatever you cook it with.

Tempeh is yet another plant-based protein that is considered to be a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids. Tempeh contains a higher amount of protein than both nutritional yeast and hemp seeds, with 16 grams per 3-ounce serving. It’s also a much better alternative if you are looking to replace meat on your plate, as it is has a similar texture to ground meat when crumbled.

Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans; unlike tofu, it is not highly processed and does not contain a long list of ingredients. Tempeh goes through a natural fermentation process, and generally soybeans are the only ingredient. It’s minimally processed and provides you with more benefits than just protein.

Since tempeh is fermented, it is a great source of prebiotics. As I mentioned before, prebiotics are essential for feeding the good bacteria in your gut and maintaining good gut health. And prebiotics provide more than just gut-healing properties—they are great for improving digestion, balancing hormones, increasing immunity, aiding in weight loss and decreasing inflammation.

Tempeh is also an amazing source of fiber, with an entire 7 grams per 3-ounce serving! If you are aiming for 30 grams of fiber a day, tempeh is a huge help for reaching that goal. Fiber is an essential part of your diet and, when included, you’ll notice you won’t need to eat as much to feel full and you’ll also feel fuller for longer between meals. Plus, if you struggle with digestive issues, incorporating more fiber into your diet can be extremely beneficial.

Tempeh doesn’t need to be cooked, and many times when I am on the go, I’ll quickly crumble it up into a salad and allow it to take the taste of my salad dressing. But there are many fun ways to cook tempeh, as it is interchangeable with ground meat and really embodies the flavor of whatever you cook it with. Take any recipe you would generally use ground meat in, toss in tempeh instead, and I promise you’ll love the flavor!

Celery juice is a hot topic in the health world right now, with health and fitness influencers claiming it is a miracle juice that we all need to be drinking first thing in the morning.

I’m not usually a fan of fad diets, but the thing I love about this trend is that it’s not some scam product that people are trying to sell you—it’s just celery! No one is trying to push a supplement that might be unsafe for your body. So I thought to myself, why not try juicing celery for 30 days to see what the fuss is about? What do I have to lose, really? Regardless of its amazing health claims, celery juice would be upping my vegetable intake each day, if nothing else.

What Makes Celery Juice So Special?

Celery juice is extremely detoxifying, as it flushes out old toxins and poisons that have built up over time. It can help kill viruses, bad bacteria, fungi and parasites in your body. This greatly helps to maintain a healthy gut, improve digestion and reduce bloating. Celery juice also increases your body’s ability to break down protein and fat.

Oftentimes, the protein and fat we eat go undigested in our stomach and just sits there to rot. This is what causes bloating and many other digestive issues, and celery works to break down that undigested food. So if you struggle with bloating, gas or constipation, celery juice just might be the cure for you. Also, juicing celery regularly may help boost energy levels, balance hormones, reduce inflammation and alleviate skin issues (like acne, psoriasis and eczema) and many other symptoms.

How Do You Gain These Amazing Benefits?

Experts say drinking 16 ounces of celery juice a day is a great starting point. (Although if you have severe or chronic issues, you may find it beneficial to drink up to 24 or 32 ounces a day.) So how much celery is that, exactly? A lot! One bunch of celery yields about 16 ounces of juice.

There are a few other considerations to keep in mind in order to gain the full benefits of celery juice. First, celery juice needs to be consumed 100% on its own, first thing in the morning. This means you need to drink it on an empty stomach—no food or coffee beforehand. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 20 to 30 minutes before consuming anything else.

You will also want to avoid mixing anything into your celery juice. Anthony William, also known as the Medical Medium, claims mixing it with anything—like lemon juice, collagen or apple cider vinegar—will take away from its health benefits.

It’s also important to make the distinction between juicing celery and blending celery. Some people are blending their celery rather than juicing it—when you blend it, the fiber from the pulp also takes away from its health benefits.

If you don’t have a juicer and only have a blender, there is a way to blend your celery and remove the pulp afterward. You will need to a cheesecloth, which you can order from Amazon. Put your celery in the blender, blend it all up and cover the top of the blender with the cheesecloth and use it as a strainer as you pour out the juice. Then wrap the pulp in the cheesecloth and squeeze out any extra juice from the pulp.

While drinking celery juice first thing in the morning is extremely beneficial, it’s also beneficial to drink it immediately after you juice it. Juicing a bunch at a time and then storing it in the fridge for the entire week will also cause it to lose some of its health benefits. Once you juice your celery, aim to drink it immediately or at least within 24 hours.

Also, people are trying to make celery juice simpler by buying celery juice powder and mixing it into a glass of water. This, too, simply won’t give you the same benefits as freshly juiced celery will. It won’t cause any harm, but it won’t have the same effects.

Celery Juice and Bloating

Many people start drinking celery juice to help reduce bloating, although some of these people are realizing that it’s making them more bloated. As I mentioned above, celery juice works to break down all the old, rotting, undigested food in your stomach.

What does that mean for those who are experiencing more bloating? Celery juice may cause extra bloating in someone who has a highly toxic digestive tract and has a lot of rotting, undigested food in their digestive tract. Over time, if they continue to drink celery juice, their digestive tract will become less toxic and their bloating will start to disappear. So if celery juice is causing you to bloat, this may be a sign you have a lot of built-up toxins and celery juice is exactly what you need.

I Juiced Celery for 30 Days and…

I juiced celery for 30 days straight to see if there was validity behind all these health claims. The main benefit I was looking for was to alleviate my psoriasis, which I had heard celery juice could help treat. I have psoriasis on my scalp, and it has been something I have been living with for eight years. I couldn’t find anything to help treat it because I personally try to avoid putting chemicals, or anything unnatural, into my body. This means I refused to take steroids or toxic topical creams that my doctor suggested.

I also have been struggling with gut and hormone issues and have been working with a naturopath to heal. So, I was also looking to increase my gut health and rebalance my hormones through drinking celery juice.

It’s important to note that over these 30 days, I did not change anything in my diet outside of juicing celery. I also decided to ease my way into it by beginning with 8 ounces for the first few days before committing to 16 ounces each day.

Juicing celery every other day was a lot more realistic for my life. This way, I could still ensure I was drinking it within a 24-hour period. I generally would juice two days’ worth at a time, then drink 16 ounces immediately and save the other 16 ounces for the next morning.

My first few days of drinking celery juice, I felt absolutely amazing. My digestion was great, my bloating was going down and I felt so much more energy. But once days four, five and six hit, my bloating came back (it actually worsened), and I was completely backed up. I continued to juice regardless and am so happy I did because after those few days passed, my digestion, bloating and psoriasis became better than ever before. My psoriasis didn’t completely disappear, but it has been drastically alleviated.

One question I get asked the most is, “What kind of juicer should I buy?” I personally really enjoy my Breville juicer. With all the parts being dishwasher safe, it’s extremely simple to clean. Plus, it also has an extra-wide feeder chute that allows me to juice a bunch of celery in just five seconds!

My final consensus: I now swear by celery juice and continue to drink it every morning! Yes, it’s time-consuming to prepare, but the effects it has on my health make it more than worth it. I also record a podcast episode entirely about my experince juicing celery, so you can check that out here.

My top advice? Stay consistent! As with anything in life, if you want to see results and gain optimum benefits, you have to stick with it.

By filling your cart with basic staples, you’ll be ahead of the curve in making nutritionally balanced meals that are satisfying and taste great. But if you don’t consider food shopping a hobby (like I do), wandering the aisles of your supermarket can feel overwhelming.

That’s why I’m sharing some of my top dietitian-approved grocery store staples and what to do with them. Add these items to your shopping list (and cart) to boost your nutrition and even save money at the store.

1. Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash has a long season (fall through spring), so be sure to check the produce section for this cold weather staple. It’s a great low-carb pasta alternative, so you can enjoy your favorite comfort food flavors without feeling weighed down after dinner. Spaghetti squash has just 40 calories per cup (versus over 200 in traditional pasta).

Spaghetti squash is also incredibly easy to make. If you’ve never cooked it before, read this tutorial first. Then try my Veggie Fajita Spaghetti Squash Stir Fry or Spaghetti Squash Primavera with Baked Goat Cheese.

2. Rotisserie Chicken

If the thought of cooking overwhelms you, you can still build a healthy meal around a grocery store staple: rotisserie chicken! I like to take the meat off the bones early in the week and shred it so I can use it for lunches like collard wraps and salads (like this Asian-Inspired Chicken Cobb Salad), tacos at dinner and even a quick snack in between meals.

3. Canned Beans

You’re often told to “shop the perimeter” of the grocery store, but if you exclusively follow this advice, you’re missing out on many nutritious, convenient, versatile and affordable staples in the middle aisles, like canned beans. Canned beans can be easier to digest because they soak for longer than dried beans. Plus, they’re an easy plant-based protein to add to any quick meal, like a salad, vegetarian chili, stir-fry or even (gasp!) dessert.

Try these Black Bean Sweet Potato Burgers for a meat-free burger night, or satisfy your sweet tooth with this healthy cookie dough.

4. Nut and Seed Butters

Whether you prefer peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower seed butter (my personal favorite), having a form of healthy fats in your pantry is always a good idea for quick meals. Check the ingredients list to ensure your favorite nut or seed butter is made with ingredients you can recognize and without added sugar.

I especially love to use nut or seed butter at breakfast and in snacks, but even some dinner recipes shine with this added ingredient. Aside from spreading nut or seed butter on toast or pairing it with a piece of fruit at snack time, you can make a delicious salad dressing, snack bites, sauce for veggies or dipping sauce.

5. Frozen Vegetables

Take a stroll down your frozen food aisle and stock up—but not on TV dinners. Add a variety of frozen vegetables to your cart so you can fill half of your plate with veggies every night.

Frozen vegetables are picked at their peak ripeness and frozen immediately to lock in their nutrients, so they’re just as nutritious as fresh vegetables. Check the ingredients list to make sure there are no added sauces or sugar.

Frozen produce is getting more exciting thanks to fun shapes and twists on traditional cut-up vegetables. Look out for riced cauliflower, carrot spirals and even sweet potato toast! When you’re ready to cook dinner, you can sauté your veggies straight from frozen, like in this Easy Stir Fry, or roast them straight from frozen.

6. Eggs

Have you ever heard the phrase “throw an egg on it”? Eggs are a convenient, affordable and versatile source of protein, and they’re easy to cook and add to nearly any dish. From breakfast to lunch to snacks to dinner, eggs can find a place in any part of your day. Nutritionally speaking, 1 large egg contains 6 grams of complete protein and just 70 calories.

Here’s how you can include eggs in your diet from sunup to sundown:

• – Breakfast: High Protein Breakfast Muffins
• – Lunch: Salmon Nicoise Salad
• – Dinner: Quinoa and Lentil Power Bowl

7. A Variety of Spices

Every time I’m at the grocery store, I pick up a new spice. Spices are a shelf-stable way to add tons of flavor to your meals, without adding calories or fat. If you’re unsure of what spices to use with certain foods, just start experimenting!

I always make sure to have these spices on hand for taco night: cumin, chili powder, oregano and smoked paprika.

Try these taco recipes:

• – Simple Fish Tacos
• – 6-Ingredient Lentil Tacos
• – Easy Mushroom Tacos
• – Shrimp Tacos

8. Chia Seeds

Superfoods get a lot of hype, but they don’t all live up to their name. Chia seeds wear the superfood title loud and proud, and they have earned their place in this coveted group of foods.

With a combination of plant-based protein, healthy fats (including omega-3 fatty acids) and fiber, these tiny poppy seed lookalikes deserve a place in your shopping cart.

Chia seeds can be used as an egg substitute in some recipes, to make a breakfast or dessert pudding or even as a way to make low-sugar jam.

9. Bean- or Lentil-Based Pasta

The pasta-bilities these days are endless, which makes walking down the pasta aisle downright overwhelming. My go-to choice and recommendation for clients is bean- or lentil-based pasta.

These pasta varieties pack a much larger protein punch than traditional wheat pasta and will keep you full for longer. Just add veggies and your favorite sauce for a complete meal in minutes, or try this Vegan Pumpkin Mac n Cheese if you want to get more creative!

10. Chocolate

There’s no reason to deprive your sweet tooth when adopting healthy habits. In fact, research shows that if you overly restrict your sugar intake, it will likely backfire and you’ll then over-indulge in the sweet stuff.

I suggest stocking up on your favorite chocolate—milk or dark. Dark chocolate contains more antioxidants, but if it doesn’t satisfy your chocolate cravings the same way a piece of milk chocolate does, it’s not worth it!

In addition to a chocolate bar or chocolate chips, I suggest keeping unsweetened cocoa powder on hand to add chocolaty flavor to brownie oatmeal bowls, smoothies and more.

Of course, you can experiment with other shopping cart staples listed above to create some treats that are healthier sweets. Try these recipes:

• – Decadent Superfood Truffles (made with beans, but you’d never taste it!)
• – Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles (made with chia seeds and seed butter)
• – No Churn Salted Chocolate Chip Banana “Ice Cream”

These are just 10 items that frequently fill my shopping cart.  For even more pantry staples, be sure to sign up to receive your FREE Pantry Staples Shopping Guide.

You don’t need to deprive or restrict yourself from feeding your body certain foods. Your body is way smarter than you think. Your body knows what it needs; you just have to listen to it.

This is where intuitive eating comes in.

What is intuitive eating?

Intuitive eating is a way of eating that resets your relationship with food.

Intuitive eating is not a weight management program. It focuses on letting your body find its natural weight. We all have a set point that our body feels its best at. When you nourish your body properly, listening to what it needs, eating when you are hungry and stopping when you feel full, your weight will level out at a point that is comfortable for your body.

Intuitive eating is not anti-nutrition—you focus on eating a balance of nutrients while still including the foods you crave into your diet. You tune into what your body is telling you it needs without restricting or depriving yourself from eating at certain times or eating certain foods. Intuitive eating focuses not only on balance but also including the foods that make you feel good. When you learn to eat this way, you build a healthier relationship with food as well as see better results in the long run.

“If you are constantly thinking about food, you are not on the right diet plan.”

“I was under-eating during the week and binge eating on the weekend, constantly thinking about food and eating a meal and thinking about what my next meal was going to be. Food was always on my mind. Since becoming an intuitive eater and balanced eater, it’s barely on my mind anymore. Of course I still think about food, but I don’t have those crazy cravings for those bad foods because I don’t have that restrictive mindset. If you are constantly thinking about food, you are not on the right diet plan,” says Morgan Kline, COO of Burn Boot Camp and host of the Coffee & Kettlebells podcast.

How do you know if you are eating right for your body?

If you experience the following symptoms, you most likely are not eating right for your body and may want to consider adopting an intuitive eating style:

• – You are constantly hungry
• – You stress and obsess about food
• – You feel deprived all day
• – You experience regular bloating
• – You have digestive issues
• – You have developed new food intolerances
• – You have eliminated entire food groups from your diet
• – You lack energy and feel sluggish, fatigued and tired
• – Your skin breaks out regularly
• – You have crazy food cravings
• – You over-restrict your calorie intake
• – You struggle with binge eating
• – You regularly yo-yo diet
• – You have lost your period

So how do you begin to eat intuitively?

What works for one person may not work for you. Intuitive eating allows you to learn to eat right for your body. You can begin eating intuitively by implementing these twelve principles into your daily life.

• – Let go of dieting
• – Give yourself permission to eat all foods
• – Give yourself permission to eat when you are hungry
• – Stop eating when you are full
• – Relate what you eat to how you feel
• – Stop defining foods as either “good” or ‘bad”
• – Don’t allow the diet industry to influence your diet/food choices
• – Eat foods that actually satisfy you
• – Deal with your emotions without using food
• – Love your body regardless of what you eat
• – Exercise
• – Focus on eating foods that make you thrive

If you struggle to give yourself permission to eat certain foods or you regularly overindulge, ask yourself the following questions:

• – Am I hungry?
• – What am I in the mood to eat?
• – Am I full?
• – How does this food make me feel?

You also want to ask yourself why you are making the food choices you are making. Are you eating certain foods because of something you read somewhere, because someone else is doing it, because your emotions are taking control or because these foods make you feel your best?

Most importantly, be honest with yourself and what your body needs.

Keep track of your answers by writing them down in a food journal, or regularly go through these questions in your head throughout your day.

Let go of “cheat meals” and allow all foods to fit.

“I think they set you up for a poor relationship with food and make you feel unnecessary guilt for eating the food you love. Cheat meals can lead to dieting, restricting and a cycle of bingeing, which can do more damage to your body overtime rather than eating the food you want.” says dietician Chelsey Amer.

If you are craving pizza on Tuesday and your cheat meal isn’t until Saturday, this leaves you with four days of salivating over pizza, obsessing about it and over-analyzing what it would do to your diet. Instead, give yourself permission to eat the pizza on Tuesday. You will save yourself a lot of mental energy and stress. Over time, you won’t be so obsessed with this “off limits” foods that you are only allowed to eat one day of the week.

“When you take food off of its pedestal, either a good pedestal or bad pedestal, it’s easier to create a much healthier relationship with food.”

“When I have a craving for pizza and make myself wait until a ‘cheat meal’ to satisfy it, I overindulge way more than I would have if I would have just eaten the pizza right when I was craving it. When I wait for that ‘cheat meal,’ I eat the entire pie. But now, when I eat the pizza right when I am craving it, I am okay eating only one or two slices. That is all that it takes to satisfy me,” says Morgan.

Don’t put your foods into a box of good or bad. Allow all foods to fit into your diet. “When you take food off of its pedestal, either a good pedestal or bad pedestal, it’s easier to create a much healthier relationship with food,” says Chelsey.

Following a meal plan and dropping a certain amount of weight in a certain amount of weeks will actually do more harm than good. When you start introducing the foods you eliminated back into your diet, you will gain the weight back. Cycling your weight, losing and gaining, causes damage to your metabolism. Intuitive eating promotes sustainable eating habits like balancing the nutrients on your plate and choosing foods that make you feel good.

How do you reach your weight loss and fitness goals while eating intuitively?

“A lot of my clients don’t know which foods will make them feel their best and which will give them the energy they want,” says Chelsey. She suggests getting educated and learning more about nutrition to find out what foods make your body feel best. It’s important to know the difference between carbs, fats and proteins, as well as the different types of each one in order to reach your health and fitness goals. Understand how each macro fits into your diet and which macros provide you with optimal energy. You may not adhere to this 100% of the time, as each day you burn more or less calories and your body’s needs will constantly be different.

If you are eating white bread every day, you may find yourself lacking energy throughout your day. When you switch to a sprouted grain bread instead, you may notice you have greater sustainable energy. With intuitive eating, you wouldn’t define sprouted grain as “good” and white bread as “bad.” You would observe your energy levels and base your choice to switch breads on how each one makes you feel.

Portion sizes have the same effect.

Eating an entire pizza most likely will make you feel sluggish the next day in your workout, but eating one piece for lunch may still provide you with the energy you need. So observe not only how each food makes you feel, but also how the portion size of each food makes you feel.

Through only eating foods that make you feel more energized and nourished, rather than sluggish and unmotivated, you will set your body up for success to reach your health and fitness goals.

If you struggle with binge eating, how can you begin to eat intuitively?

Intuitive eating may seem impossible for you if you struggle with binge eating or overindulging. Here are three steps you can take to begin eating intuitively without triggering your binge response:

1. Avoid getting overly hungry. If you are starving when you start cooking dinner, by the time you sit down to eat, it’s inevitable that you will overeat. Give yourself permission to eat when you are hungry instead of shying away from your hunger. Eat a balance of nutrients throughout your day and you will tamper down your overeating.

2. Anticipate and prepare. When you are well planned out, you are able to make the best choices for yourself. Keep snacks with you at all times so you are prepared when you get hungry. When you come prepared, you are able to choose foods that provide you with sustainable energy and reduce the chance of triggering your binge response. Keep healthy snacks in your office, your car and your bag.

3. Meal prep. “Meal prep is a great tool if that is something that works well for you,” says Chelsey. “Meal prepping doesn’t mean you have to eat the same thing every day. Cook a variety of vegetables, grains and protein and mix and match throughout the week to keep it interesting.” Keep in mind that if you are meal prepping and feel bored with what you are eating, and you are always craving more foods, meal prepping may not be working for you. That’s okay, it’s not for everyone! You don’t have to meal prep in order to eat healthy.

Is giving yourself permission to eat everything scary?

How do you you know if you are giving yourself too much permission when you start eating intuitively? You may be fearful you will allow yourself to indulge too much, leading you to gain weight.

When you first begin eating intuitively, you might find yourself eating indulgent foods more often. It’s common to overindulge in the foods you have kept “off limits” for so long, as you are now allowing these foods back into your diet, so it is normal to allow yourself to eat them more often. But when you do so, you will notice that you do not feel your best. You may feel bloated, sluggish, a foggy brain and also that you are lacking energy and nutrients.

Soon you will realize that these foods are not working for you and naturally you will begin to gravitate toward more nutrient-dense foods that provide you with optimal energy and nourishment. Chelsey says, “Over time, that shiny object syndrome for those foods you previously restricted will wear off.” The more you allow yourself to eat your previously “off limits” foods, the less power they will have over you, the less you will crave them and the less you will overindulge.

So if everyone is claiming to see amazing results from each of these diet trends, is one actually better than the others? And if you want to see better results through your diet, should you be sticking with only one?

The answer to both of these questions is no.

Many people see amazing results with a fad diet because it encourages them to become more aware of what they are eating. Either their previous diet habits included eating whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, in any amount they wanted, or they thought they were eating healthy foods but weren’t educated on what “healthy” actually means. When they began fad dieting, they were given boundaries and rules to follow, as well as better education on what healthy food really is.

Whether it’s paleo, keto, intermittent fasting or vegan, most diets have three common principles: Eat more whole foods, eat less sugar and processed foods, and either control your caloric intake or control your eating times (which helps to control caloric intake).

So if these advocates shifted their diet from eating processed carbohydrates, fats and protein to eating high-quality real food, of course they lost weight, regardless of what eating style they followed. The fad diet simply encouraged them to make better eating choices.

So is it the fad diet to thank for the amazing results or is it the healthier foods they are now consuming on a regular basis? The next time you hear that someone lost 25 pounds in two months on the ketogenic diet or by going vegan, ask what their diet was like prior to their new eating style before forming your opinion.

Another reason many people see significant results quickly through fad diets is due to losing water weight. Unfortunately, many times this weight loss isn’t real weight loss. Most processed foods are high in sugar and carbohydrates, and when you cut them out of your diet and consume more whole foods, your carbohydrate intake will drastically drop. As eating 1 gram of carbs causes you to retain 3 to 4 grams of water, reducing your intake of carbohydrates leads you to retain much less water. Therefore, the majority of the weight loss is actually water weight and if you do not stick to whatever diet you are on, you will quickly gain that weight back.

So what should you be eating?

Every person and every body is different. There is no one-diet-fits-all approach to better nutrition. Each of our bodies has different metabolisms, digestive systems, hormone levels, gut health, genetics and activity levels that all have different needs. While one person may be able to metabolize fat easily and find success eating a high-fat diet, others may not be able to digest fats as easily and fats should be limited in their diet. While someone else may have a fast metabolism and thrive on carbohydrates, someone else may have imbalanced hormones and need to control their intake.

Just because one person lost a drastic amount of weight through a certain diet trend doesn’t automatically mean you will see the same results if you jump on the bandwagon. While you might see amazing results, your body might also have the complete opposite reaction! Find what works best for you by experimenting and observing how your body feels and reacts to the foods you consume, the amounts you consume and the time of day you consume them.

Begin to observe your hunger and energy levels as well as your body composition with the foods you are eating. Take note after each meal and after a few weeks. For instance, if you regularly eat a higher carbohydrate breakfast and always feel a mid-morning hunger pang, then maybe your body is telling you it needs more fat or protein in the morning. Switch up your breakfast to eggs and notice any differences you feel mid-morning and observe if your body composition changes over a few weeks.

Through becoming mindful of what your body needs, tuning into what it is telling you and actually giving it what it needs is the right diet for you! Rather than not eating oatmeal for breakfast because you heard someone say it spikes your insulin and causes you to store fat the rest of your day, don’t eat oatmeal because maybe it doesn’t provide you with the right energy and vibrancy you need—or continue to eat because it makes you feel like you are thriving!

What if you don’t know what to look for when observing whether or not your diet is right for you?

Here are signs your diet isn’t working:

• – You are constantly hungry
• – You have intense food cravings
• – You are regularly bloated or gassy
• – You are tired all the time
• – You have irregular digestion or are constipated often
• – You get sick a lot- 
• – Your have brain fog
• – You have a lack of motivation
• – You experience regular energy crashes
• – You lose your menstrual cycle
• – You are always cold
• – Your have regular breakouts
• – You have regular mood swings

And here are signs that your diet is working for you:

• – You are energized
• – You are happy
• – You have great digestion
• – You are at peace with food and your body
• – You sleep well
• – Your mind is sharp

More importantly, what works for your body now may not be best for your body one month or one year from now. You as a person are constantly changing, and so is your body. Continue to evolve your diet as your body evolves. Don’t be rigid with high-carb, low-carb, low-fat, high-fat or whatever it may be. What your body needs right now might be different from what your body needs in the future.

So what is the best diet?

The best diet for you includes:

• – Eating habits you can maintain long term
• – Eating foods that make you thrive
• – Eating foods that satiate you
• – Eating foods you thoroughly enjoy
• – Consuming primarily whole foods
• – Eating the proper portion sizes

The diet that is NOT for you definitely does not include:

• – Quick fixes that you cannot and should not maintain long term, such as drastic caloric restriction, deprivation or diet supplements
• – Eating habits that work for other people but may not be best for you
• – Eliminating entire food groups. Life is all about balance!
• – Not being able to be social with friends and family

I lost weight.

I think. I’m not actually sure, because I haven’t gotten the scale out!

Too much of my time, energy and emotions were being calculated by her 1-inch-by-1-inch screen, and it just had to end! But I’ll admit, I didn’t come to this decision on my own.

I had been in a long season of getting too lax in my food choices, ushered in by my birthday, extended by back-to-back vacations, garnished with the honeymoon phase of starting my first new relationship after my husband’s death (enter pizza and ice cream several times a week!) and topped off by the ending of said new relationship (order up on the pizza and ice cream!). So, to say I needed a mental and physical reset was the understatement of the year.

I had been considering trying Whole30 for months. Over a year, actually, and I had been asked again by a group of my fitness friends to do it together. Because ice cream is my boo, I didn’t really want to commit, but I had the sense to realize I was not going to break out of this junk-food rut without some serious boundaries—and Whole30 definitely offered them. Plus, if I’ve learned anything from Burn, it’s that community coupled with accountability totally equals results. My trainers always recommend macro-balanced meals, and I was pretty sure Whole30 encouraged that as well.

I decided I had to do it.

Then I read the guidelines, and they said you couldn’t weigh yourself for a FULL 30 DAYS. What?! I weighed myself EVERY day. How could I survive? I guess the same way I would survive 30 days without pizza or ice cream. Or coffee creamer. Or donuts.

I would commit to fueling my body with whole foods, and I would let that be my fitspiration. Not the output on the scale.

I’d put my confidence in doing the work, not tracking the results in digits.

I’d trust the process, not pressure myself with numbers.

After just a week, I could see results. I couldn’t quantify them, but all the same, I knew they were there. And I swelled with pride. I was proud of myself for committing to a program and following it not because I could prove it was working (by the figure displayed on a piece of plastic) but instead because I could feel it working.

I was proud of myself for choosing increased nourishment over decreased digits, knowing that how I feel and fuel is way more important than how much I weigh.

I’m almost done with my Whole30 and I’ve been thinking about how I will feel when I am “allowed” to step on the scale again.

Yes, I want to see what the program has done for me physically, but I know what it has done for me mentally and I don’t want to waste it. I want to remember that the scale doesn’t define me, and that will remain true if I put boundaries on the way I use it going forward.

I totally want a new BF, but I’m pretty sure I can stay broken up with that bathroom bestie because she was pretty fickle anyway…and now that I know I can survive without her weighing in on my value, I would be foolish to give her that power again.

So, if you’re ready to take the risk and break up with your scale, let me leave you with these three thoughts:

1. Your weight isn’t what people love about you. In fact, they couldn’t guess it if they tried. And news flash: No one is trying to guess your weight but YOU!

2. If you’re a slave to the scale, you’re ignoring all of the other great things you’ve got going for you in your health and fitness journey. Those non-scale victories are huge for mental breakthroughs, confidence boosts and non-weight-related goal crushing. When you obsess over your weight, you forget to celebrate these über-important milestones.

3. I know you know this one, but it bears repeating: Muscle weighs more than fat! This means that the number on the scale doesn’t determine your level of fitness. Your body should change, and your weight might or might not—so make the choice to focus on strength, stamina and sensible food choices more than the scale!

You’ve totally got this, just tap into your grit and grace and #beboldandjustbeyou!

You can hear more from Julie in her conversation with Morgan Kline on Coffee & Kettlebells Episode 16: How to Overcome Grief, Comparison and Life’s Obstacles with Grit & Grace.

You might also like this related article from The Grit and Grace Project: Forget About the Scale and Be Happy!

You can see more from Julie on Facebook, Instagram and her podcast!

Most often when people hear meal prep, they think it’s time-consuming and will tie them to eating the same meal every day. With these top tips from Burn Boot Camp personal trainers, you’ll learn how to successfully meal prep delicious food more efficiently!

1. Prep Ingredients, Not Meals

The top meal prepping advice from our Burn Boot Camp personal trainers? Prep ingredients rather than meals. Make large batches of your choices of protein, carbohydrates and vegetables, storing them in their own individual containers, rather than portioning them out and combining them ahead of time.

“I prep ingredients to later make into meals. I’ll make rice and quinoa in an instant pot, sauté peppers and onions, roast veggies and sweet potatoes and grill a bunch of chicken. Throughout the week I mix them together differently based on what I want and need to eat,” shares trainer KC Nolan of Burn Boot Camp Manchester, MO.

Meal prepping ingredients, rather than dishes, gives you greater flexibility with your meals throughout your week. It allows you to adjust the amount of food you add into your meal based on what your body needs that day. Maybe you did a more intense workout, or didn’t workout at all, so your body will need more or less carbohydrates, protein and fat.

“I love to prepare two or three different types of lean proteins. This gives me the ability to ask my kids what they would like to eat without actually having to cook during the week. To reheat, I find best results using an air fryer or toaster oven,” says trainer Lauren Badia of Burn Boot Camp Huntersville, NC. 

2. Mix It Up

Not all of us like to eat the same meal for lunch and dinner five days in a row. And how are you supposed to know on Sunday what will satisfy your hunger Thursday at 7PM? Meal prepping ingredients instead of meals also allows you to mix things up during your week.

“Prepping the same meal to eat the entire week makes it too easy to throw it in the garbage and grab some quick and easy junk food instead. I tell all my clients to find six different recipes they like that can be made from the ingredients they meal prep and then alternate what dish they eat each day,” says Cody Burns, Head Trainer at Burn Boot Camp Verona, WI.

“I tell all my clients to find six different recipes they like that can be made from the ingredients they meal prep and then alternate what dish they eat each day.”

“I love making different bowls throughout week with different flairs! I’ll have containers of black beans, chickpeas, chicken, grass-fed beef, brown rice, cauliflower rice and lots of chopped veggies stored in my refrigerator. Each night I’ll combine them differently, with different herbs and condiments, to keep my meals exciting. I might pair black beans with cauliflower rice and chicken with some salsa and taco seasoning for a delicious taco bowl. Or I’ll toss some brown rice, chickpeas and veggies together with coconut aminos (a healthier version of soy sauce), garlic and ginger powder for an exotic Asian bowl,” shares trainer Michelle Siner of Burn Boot Camp Concord, NC.

“I keep my protein prep pretty simple and mix it up as I go. For instance, I’ll throw a bunch of chicken into a crock-pot and shred it once cooked. I’ll switch up the way I eat it each day, from chicken lettuce wraps to chicken salad to buffalo chicken to teriyaki chicken stir-fry—the options are endless. I love this method because I’m saving time by meal prepping my protein but still have variety in my meals throughout the week,” says Andrea Larkins of Burn Boot Camp Collierville, TN.

Keeping different spices and condiments on hand makes it extremely simple to spice up your dish. Tahini, coconut aminos, salsa, high-quality balsamic vinegar (which is low in sugar), honey, flavored hummus, whole-grain Dijon mustard and marinara sauce are always great staples for adding a boost of flavor. Pair these with your favorite herbs and spice blends to whip up a low-calorie sauce or dressing. Some great pairings include:

• Coconut aminos, honey, garlic powder and ginger

• Hummus and balsamic vinegar

• Salsa and taco seasoning

• Tahini, whole-grain Dijon mustard and dill

• Honey and whole-grain Dijon mustard

• Plain marinara sauce and Indian seasoning

3. Take Shortcuts

Meal prepping doesn’t have to be laborious, time-consuming or complicated when you take some shortcuts.

Take advantage of pre-cut vegetables. You’ll save so much time when you cut out scrubbing, peeling and chopping vegetables or cleaning up the mess! Most grocery stores even carry pre-spiralized vegetables like zucchini, beets, sweet potatoes and squash for you to easily make fun “noodle” dishes.

Grabbing a rotisserie chicken or stocking up on clean proteins from the grocery store’s hot bar is a great fallback when you are short on time. Try to avoid deli meats, even if they are freshly sliced, as they usually contain processed oils and sugar.

Keep your shelves stocked with canned beans. Black beans, lentils, chickpeas and edamame are all amazing sources of complex carbohydrates as well as protein, and they have a long shelf life. Open the can, drain, rinse and they are good to go—zero prep time and zero cooking.

And don’t underestimate the frozen foods aisle. You can save so much time by buying frozen brown rice, quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, lean proteins and so much more. Try to stay away from frozen meals, as they often contain processed ingredients, preservatives and lots of sodium.

4. Snacks: Think Simple

Meal prepping lunch and dinner takes commitment, so don’t overthink it when it comes to your snacks. While it’s fun to have homemade protein bars and energy balls, it isn’t always doable to prepare them. When it comes to snacks, think about what you can grab and go.

An assortment of nuts is always a great go-to snack to keep on hand—they’re high in healthy fat and protein, helping curb your hunger until your next meal. Almonds aren’t the only healthy nut at the store, either. Cashews, pistachios, pecans, macadamia nuts and walnuts are all extremely nutritious. Just keep in mind that one serving of nuts is only ¼ cup.

Other great snack options that don’t require any prep are baby carrots with hummus, hard-boiled eggs, oatmeal and rice cakes with nut butter.

With all your snacks, it’s beneficial to portion them out into separate, small containers in advance.

5. Prep Twice a Week

If you meal prep all your meals on Sunday, come Friday, your five-day-old chicken may not sound (or look) appetizing. Trainer Kyle Lane of Burn Boot Camp Elizabeth, NC suggests meal prepping twice a week instead of one. Not only does this provide you with fresher food, but prepping for only three days takes less of your time.

6. Use a Crock-Pot

A crock-pot should be your best friend when it comes to meal prepping! It eliminates any wait time and allows you to cook food in large batches.

Before you go to bed, toss a few chicken breasts into your crock-pot along with a dash of chicken broth and set it on low for 8 hours. In the morning, shred the chicken and transfer to a container to store. You can do the same with with quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes, hard-boiled eggs and vegetables. Or get creative by meal prepping a healthy roast, soup or stew.

“I typically make some type of a soup in the crock-pot that makes enough for my lunch every day, plus meals for the family. Sometimes I even have enough leftover that I’ll pour it into a mason jar to store in the freezer for lunch the following week,” says Lauren Badia, a trainer at Burn Boot Camp Huntersville, NC.

Other kitchen aids to consider investing in include an air fryer, an Instant Pot, a rice cooker and a toaster oven—they’re all perfect for cooking clean and quick meals.

You may also like:

11 Kitchen Staples for Quick and Healthy Meals

3 Healthy Shredded Chicken Recipes You Need to Try

How to Cook Healthy Meals: 5 Top Cooking Tips

10 Tips and Tricks for Eating Healthy

Quick and Easy Vegan Meals

So the question remains: Does eating fat make you fat or does it fuel fat loss? The truth is, the answer is yes to both. While no studies have actually linked natural animal fats and plant-based fats to weight gain, it has been shown that regularly consuming processed, refined oils will lead your body to store excess fat. Let’s break down which fats are good and which fats are bad, so you can make the best dietary choices and reap the benefits of nourishing fats.

Good Fats

Let go of your fear of fat and start adding more good fats to your diet! These fats are essential for achieving optimal health as well as losing excess body fat. According to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, “The ‘old’ fat stored in your body, especially around your belly, thighs or butt, cannot be burned efficiently without ‘new’ fat to help the process. Dietary fat helps break down existing fat by activating fat-burning pathways through the liver.”

Even more, in 2015, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory committee removed any recommendation of limiting dietary fat and cholesterol in its guidelines. Consuming dietary fat not only boosts your metabolism and increases fat burning, it also ensures you feel fuller longer, stabilizes your blood sugar levels, promotes better brain function, balances your hormones, increases your nutrient absorption from the food you eat and supports a healthy digestive system, among many other benefits.

Adopting a ketogenic diet is not mandatory to reap the many benefits of consuming dietary fat. Knowing the types of fat that fuel fat loss, as well as eating a balanced diet, will provide you with amazing health and fitness results. So which fats are considered “good”?

Good fats include organic extra-virgin olive oil, organic virgin coconut oil, flaxseed oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, avocados, olives, coconut butter, full-fat coconut milk, nuts and seeds (dry roasted or raw), nut and seed butters (no added sugar or processed oils), salmon, grass-fed meat, pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed ghee and grass-fed butter.

Bad Fats

The claim that “eating fat makes you fat” holds some truth. On one hand, good fats are required in the process of breaking down excess body fat, while on the other, bad fats promote fat storage.

The main sources of bad fat in our diet come from processed, refined oils, also known as hydrogenated oils, as well as trans fats. Hydrogenated oils and trans fats have been shown to damage your metabolism by putting a coating on your cells. This coating damages your cell receptors and stops you from burning calories like you normally would. These fats and oils also cause inflammation, leading to signs of aging, as well as greatly increasing LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

Hydrogenated oils and trans fats have been scientifically engineered to be solid at room temperature and are found in most packaged foods, baked goods and fried foods. Unfortunately, that means they are found in your favorite coffee creamers, salad dressings, cereals, crackers, pretzels, chips and frozen dinners. Hydrogenated oils and trans fats come from margarine, canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil and cottonseed oil, to name a few.

Another way eating fat can lead to excess body fat is through eating too many fats high in omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6s are required by your body in only small amounts. For optimal health, you must maintain a proper ratio between omega-6s and omega-3s. When you disrupt the ratio, you will cause your body to store excess body fat. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the average American eats a omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of anywhere from 12:1 to 25:1, while many health experts recommend a ratio between 4:1 and 1:1. That’s a big difference!

Not only does an improper ratio promote weight gain, it causes inflammation in your body that leads to signs of aging, such as wrinkles and cellulite. The bad fats you should try to reduce in your diet include hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, oil-roasted nuts, cooked olive oil, non-grass-fed meats and dairy products.

6 Tips for Eating Good Fats

1. Limit Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Processed Oils

Limit your omega-6 intake is by avoiding grain-fed meats and dairy products. Always look for grass-fed meats and, even better, the American Grassfed Association (AGA) seal on the package.

To avoid processed oils, which are also high in omega-6s, cook your own meals more often, as restaurants usually cook their food in canola, vegetable, soybean or peanut oil. What may look like a healthy grilled chicken salad most likely is smothered in one of these health-damaging oils. Limiting the amount of packaged foods you consume and focusing on cooking whole foods will also help reduce the omega-6s and processed oils in your diet.

When purchasing packaged foods, avoid these bad fats by looking at the list of ingredients before studying the nutritional facts. If something contains a bad fat, looking at the amount it contains is irrelevant. Just don’t buy it!

2. Cook with the Right Fats

Depending on the oils you cook with and the heat at which you cook them, you may be damaging your health. When oils exceed their smoke point, they become oxidized and rancid and release free radicals. Exposure to these free radicals greatly accelerates signs of aging, such as wrinkles, gray hair and loss of hair and skin elasticity.

The safest oils and fats for cooking include coconut oil, avocado oil and organic, grass-fed butter and ghee. They have a higher smoke point and are less likely to go rancid when cooking.

While olive oil provides countless health benefits, many health experts recommend not using it as your go-to cooking oil. Olive oil has a lower smoke point than the fats and oils listed above, and when cooked with, it will likely expose you to free radicals. Continue to include olive oil in your diet by adding it to your meal after it’s fully cooked.

Canola oil and vegetable oil are other common household cooking oils. Not only do these oils have a very low smoke point and are not suitable for cooking, they should be avoided in general.

3. Eat Your Vegetables with Fat

Depriving yourself of the right fats in your diet also deprives you of absorbing vitamins and minerals from your foods. Fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K need the presence of fat in order to be absorbed by our bodies.

While eating a giant salad is extremely healthy, if eaten with a low-fat salad dressing or a salad dressing made from processed oils, your body will not absorb all of the essential nutrients it contains. Low-fat salad dressings can be packed with sugar or toxic chemicals and additives that increase fat storage. Dressings made from canola oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil or any similar processed oil with also slow your metabolism.

Pair your greens with a healthy oil and you will increase your nutrient absorption, stay much fuller longer and increase your fat burning.

4. Don’t Be Scared of Egg Yolks and Red Meat

Egg whites sound healthier, right? Actually, when you toss out the yolk, you are throwing out the most nutritious part of the egg. Just how eating fat doesn’t make you fat, cholesterol in eggs is not correlated to the cholesterol levels in your bloodstream. Eggs have the perfect balance of protein and fat, which will stabilize your hunger hormones and keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours. Don’t be scared—eat the whole egg!

Similarly, it has been disproven that there is a correlation between the saturated fat content in red meat and the risk of heart disease.

If you include red meat and eggs in your diet, buying the highest quality is worth the extra money if you want to reap the health benefits. When a cow or chicken is fed a grain-based diet, their meat or eggs contain a higher amount of omega-6 fatty acids and a lower amount of vitamins than grass-fed meat and pasture-raised eggs.

5. Increase Your Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake

Try to include more omega-3s in your diet. Not only will it help you balance your omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio, it also helps regulate your blood sugar, decrease your stress hormone levels, promote lean muscle mass and fat loss, and reduce anxiety, inflammation and muscle soreness.

Flaxseed, chia seeds, fish (especially wild Alaskan salmon), walnuts, organic tofu, tempeh, navy beans, grass-fed beef, red lentils, wild rice and omega-3-enriched eggs and dairy products are a few omega-3-rich foods you can easily add to your meals in order to reach the proper ratio.

Most health experts recommend taking a daily high-quality omega-3 supplement to help keep your ratios in check.

6. Buy Real Olive Oil

An estimated 70% of olive oils found on store shelves are fake. These products have been mixed with lower-quality oils—usually canola, vegetable or soybean oil—making them cheaper to produce and sell. And as we already know, those hydrogenated oils should be avoided!

How do you know if an olive oil is fake? Generally, if the price is low, the quality is most likely low (although that is not always the case). Always look for cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oils, which have a darker color—if not, it’s most likely an oil blend. High-quality olive oils are often found in a darker-colored glass bottle, which prevents it from going rancid. Also, if you do a taste test, a real olive oil should create a weird feeling in the back of your throat or even make you cough.