How to Eat Healthy and Transform Your Life

Transform your life with healthy eating habits:  your best resource guide

If you eat healthy you can improve you life in so many ways. Ready to make this year the best it can be? Let’s do this!

healthy colorful salad bowl with green vegetables colorful peppers and berries in white ceramic bowl

One sure-fire way is to improve your diet.

A healthy diet has the power to transform your health, your life, and your future.

It can give you vitality that you didn’t think possible.

This Isn’t a Diet

This is not a diet. This is a lifestyle. Diet’s are usually temporary fixes. We are not recommending a temporary diet adjustment. The goal is to change eating behavior for life. This is what Fred did.

To maintain results you have to maintain your eating healthy. 

Don’t worry. Take it one day at a time. The hardest part is the beginning, when you are adjusting. You have to undo unhealthy habits. You have to get used to new habits. Creating new habits is hard. Maintaining habits once they are set is the easy part.

 

Fred made the transition fairly easily. But he did miss drinking coke and a few other things. But after a little while his taste buds adjusted. He adjusted, and he completely embraced his new way of eating.

I’ve also experienced this. I haven’t had a soda in about 12 years. Last time I took a sip I had to spit it out. Yuck! I have learned throughout life that you can get used to anything.

So don’t worry too much about “the long haul.” Focus on today, and making your best choices right now. The future will take care of itself.

healthy natural bag full of groceries on a white kitchen counter

Benefits When You Eat Healthy

Benefits of healthy diet:

  • weight loss
  • improve your mental agility
  • help with memory
  • give you a face lift
  • clear skin, younger skin
  • better mood
  • lesson anxiety/depression
  • more energy
  • better sleep
  • the list is virtually endless

It can mean the difference between life and death.

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cooked vegetables in a white ceramic bowl full of nutritional value

Healthy Goals Made Possible by Eating Healthy

15 years ago, Fred had a physical that revealed to him he had a cholesterol problem. His cholesterol was 230 even though he wasn’t overweight. Turned out he inherited a predisposition for high cholesterol. His doctor said that if he didn’t change his diet and get it lowered, he would have to go on medication. Fred was adamant that he would do whatever it took to avoid medication. 

He began by researching. He came across many different diets. Each diet had differing benefits. He noticed that many foods overlapped in the variety of diets he found.

Instead of choosing between the many diets he decided to take the wealth of information and create his own.

He began creating a list of healthy foods and a rating system. This system helped him make the best choices to transform his eating and his life.

Now it can do the same for you.

Examples of Fred’s Healthy Eating for Breakfast

Here are some specific meals Fred has for breakfast:

  1. Old fashioned oatmeal with fresh berries. He adds blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and grapes.
  2. One whole avocado. He slices it in half, removes the pit, and eats each half with a spoon.
  3. Plain Greek yogurt with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and grapes.

Examples of Fred’s Healthy Eating for Lunch & Dinner

Here are a couple of Fred’s favorite options for lunches and dinners:

Fred’s Salad

  • A bed of fresh spinach
  • fresh fruit: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes
  • fresh raw vegetables: carrots, Brussels sprouts, onion (I prefer red), beets, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, zucchini, cucumber, bok choy, asparagus, red, yellow & orange bell peppers.
  • dried or fresh spices: basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, turmeric, ground pepper
  • finishing ingredients: lemon, vinegar (white wine, apple cider or balsamic), olive oil
  • optional protein: pre-grilled salmon or cod or smoked salmon

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Colorful mix of green vegetables and colorful fruits in white ceramic bowl on rattan placemat

Fred’s Cooked Vegetable-Egg Dish

  • 3-4 egg whites
  • fresh vegetables from his healthy eating list (you can choose your favorites)
  • cook eggs and vegetables covered on low heat about 10 minutes.
  • add fresh and dried spices: basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, turmeric, ground pepper.

Fred advises, “You can see from the list of vegetables we included. There are plenty of choices. Choose the widest range of vegetables you can. I keep a wide variety on hand, so every day I have a good mix. Some weeks I have a slight variation. Sometimes it depends on the vegetables available at the store. But you can’t go wrong with any of the vegetables. Choose the ones you like. Keep trying new ones. You might slowly come to like them all.”

cooked vegetables in a white ceramic bowl full of nutritional value

Healthy Eating Q & A

What are healthy beverage choices?

Keep it simple.

  • Water, water, water. Fred begins his day with a large glass and ends the day with a large glass. He accompanies each meal with a large glass.
  • In between, he drinks Tea Forte Jasmine Green Tea almost exclusively.
  • As an occasional treat he drinks Zevia soda (stevia sweetened, zero calorie).

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fresh asparagus is wonderful source of nutrition to eat healthy

Are supplements necessary/important to eat healthy?

If your diet isn’t complete or is lacking, then supplements are essential. But if you eat a healthy diet, they are less important. Fred takes a men’s multi vitamin and fish oil every day.

I take a women’s multi vitamin with fish oil, vitamin D, and a probiotic.

Does eating healthy help skin?

Absolutely. Both Fred and I have experienced improvements in skin clarity, texture and color by eating healthy. After Fred changed his diet, the first thing I noticed was his skin. After a couple months his once dark undereye circles had vanished. As he has maintained this diet they have never returned, even as he has aged over 15 years. In many ways, he looks better and younger than he did 15 years ago.

If vanity is a priority or even a motivator for you, you’ll be happy to learn that when you eat healthy your skin will show it. Your skin is the outer example of your inner health. You can literally eat your way to fabulous skin

What is the definition of “eating healthy”?

There are many variations of a healthy diet. People have different health issues and requirements. 

Many things affect dietary needs:

  • age
  • health issues
  • body type
  • body size

But there are also characteristics that will always define a healthy diet:

  1. well balanced
  2. eat a variety of foods, a variety of colors
  3. low in saturated fats
  4. avoid processed foods

carrots with green stalks and natural leather strap of straw bag

How does a healthy diet affect physical fitness?

A healthy diet is key to physical fitness, whether your motivation is healthy living, more mobility, or you have ambitions to be a competitive athlete. If you don’t eat healthy you won’t have the energy or strength to exercise. You can’t have one without the other. Healthy eating and fitness are intrinsically linked. 

“By Improving your diet, you will enjoy increased energy levels, a stronger immune system, and generally feel well more often. A nutritious and balanced diet of lean proteins, carbs, and good fats can help you eliminate extra weight and reduce your risk of many diseases….” 

What about drinking alcohol when trying to eat healthy?

Health benefits of red wine:

When Fred started eating healthy, he added red wine to his diet. He wasn’t much of a drinker, but he read about the cholesterol-lowering benefits, so he decided to add a few glasses a week to his diet. Now neither of us drink any alcohol as a lifestyle preference, but this is something to keep in mind.

There are many potential health benefits to very moderate consumption of red wine like lowering bad cholesterol, heart benefits, rich in antioxidants, and even memory-boosting benefits. 

My grandmother was a firm believer in all things in moderation. She drank one glass of red wine about 4 days a week, which is the recommended amount. She lived a vibrant life until she passed at age 96.

What are 3 principles of a good diet?

  1. Keep track of what you eat. Keep a food journey. Especially as you begin this journey this is important.
  2. Don’t skip meals. 
  3. Eat out less often. 

vegetables cooking in cast iron skillet to eat healthy

The Benefits of Healthy Foods

Fred categorized foods by into 6 categories based on specific benefits:

  1. Artery Cleansing (AC) 
  2. Cholesterol Lowering (CL) 
  3. Keto Diet (K)
  4. Nitrate, VO2max (N)
  5. Anti-Inflammatory (AI)
  6. Cancer Fighting (CF)

Click below to receive Fred’s full alphabetized list of healthy foods (along with the benefits categories).

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Let’s Be Realistic to Eat Healthy

We can’t all be Fred! I sure am not.

When we know what to eat, it helps. When we know easy ways to put it all together helps.

Remember: The power of food to impact our health cannot be overstated.

Cheers to better eating and better health.

jodie & julie 

colorful vegetables and fruits provide healthy source of nutrition

Summary
How to Eat Healthy and Transform Your Life
Article Name
How to Eat Healthy and Transform Your Life
Description
The ultimate resource to eat healthy and improve your life. Here is a complete list of best foods to eat for the most health benefits.
Author
Publisher Name
The Design Twins
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  1. Kathy Collier says:

    Thank you so much for posting this. I have been following you and your Sis on Instagram for a few years and just love all the beautiful home decorating advise you do each day. I have already tried both of Fred’s salads and love them. Does Fred have any dinner menus that he could share. I find that dinner is the hardest meal to come up with healthy choices.

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hi Kathy,
      We are so happy you enjoyed this post. And even more, that you’ve been happily following us for years! How happy that makes us! Keep following me in my stories and I’ll continue to share more meal ideas from Fred. It will be an ongoing feature for sure. We all need continued support in our healthy journeys. God bless, Julie

      • Kathy says:

        Thank you Julie! I just love watching you and Fred together as well as you by yourself. You two are a hoot! Keep up the laughing and jokes. You are a beautiful couple. 😍

  2. Kathy Austin says:

    AWESOME!!!!! Thank you for sharing this

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Kathy, You are most welcome. We are sure happy to help you continue you journey toward healthy eating. Blessings, Julie & Jodie (& Fred)

  3. Gretchen says:

    This is a fabulous blog post ! So many good ideas and important information in one post! Kudos to Fred and you guys! Sharing on my stories today.

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Gretchen, Thank you sweet friend. We love your enthusiasm and your support. We’re getting healthier together! That’s awesome. Don’t forget to keep sharing your progress. Love, Julie, Jodie (and Fred)

  4. Patricia Lopez says:

    Thank you both for sharing this information. I am willing to try all your suggestions. Very interesting and informative. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping and encouraging me.

    Patricia

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      You’re so welcome Patricia! We are very happy you are motivated. We really hope this resource helps you on your healthy eating journey. Keep us posted. Also, stay tuned watching our Instagram stories, as we will be sharing weekly updates and motivation to stay the course. XO ~ Julie, Jodie (and Fred)

  5. Sherry. says:

    Fabulous! Such great advice. For breakfast, how much oatmeal does Fred eat? 1/2 c. Oatmeal to 1 cup of water?

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Well Sherry, Fred doesn’t have to count calories. He is an athlete with a very high metabolism. He almost can’t eat enough. So, that’s why we didn’t include amounts. You need to eat the amount of calories based on your body size, your activity level, and the status of your desire to gain or lose weight. His portions sizes are huge. Hope that makes sense. I will tell you that when I eat oatmeal I eat exactly that size you described: 1/2 cup with 1 cup of water. Cheers to your health, Julie

  6. Diane says:

    Maybe this can be made into a nice printable for shopping and easy meal prep?! Just a suggestion.
    This is great thank you for sharing. ❤️🙏🏻

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Diane,
      We are so glad you found this post helpful. If you want to print the food list just click on one of the black opt-in boxes and provide email. You’ll receive the printable via email. Blessings, Julie & Jodie (& Fred)

  7. Charity says:

    I can not click on the list of food for some reason.

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hi Charity,
      The click through only works on a computer and not on a mobile device. Enter your email and confirm it and you’ll receive.
      Cheers to healthy eating, Julie

  8. Suzie W says:

    I have been waiting for this! Thank you Fred for sharing your productive research! It saves time for me! What a way to start the New Year!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Thank you Suzie, We are so happy you found this helpful. We all need as much help, encouragement and motivation to live our healthiest lives. Blessings, Julie & Jodie

  9. Kathy deSchweinitz says:

    I too have been following you for a year and really enjoyed Fred’s input on his eating style. He talked about how he researched all the various eating plans and took the nutrition class. Great idea which I plan to do. I think you said to send my email and then you would send Fred’s heathy food list. I would appreciate it. Up here in Anchorage, Alaska my house eats salmon and moose all winter, plus warm lentil soups. I order from a hydroponic company a weekly subscription of greens and herbs which is fantastic. I am interested in gleaning Fred’s nutrition research, so thanks for adding this to your venue.😊

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Hi Kathy, Your diet already sounds like it’s on its way to being amazing. All you have to do is click on the black box inside the email saying “click here for Fred’s food list”…provide your email there and confirm, and it will automatically be forwarded to you. Cheers to your health! ~ Julie

  10. Chris says:

    Thank you so much. Will be putting this to god use and changing eating habits. Thank you for sharing.

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Chris, We love to heat that. Fred and I are so excited to be positively influencing people’s healthy choices. God bless, Julie

  11. Nancy says:

    This healthy food list is awesome!!! Thank you so much for sharing it and always being so nice and dedicated to your followers with Fred’s food recipes and your amazing decoration ideas.
    Blessings to you both and Bianca🙏

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Nancy,
      We are grateful for your support and kindness. We surely hope you continue to learn and enjoy by reading our blog and IG posts. Blessings, Julie & Jodie

  12. Ashley says:

    Thank you for sharing this. It is a blessing for sure!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Ashley,
      Thank you Ashley, We love to hear that. It’s very motivating to continue sharing when we know people are listening and being motivated to improve their lives. God bless, Julie

  13. Leisa says:

    This is so awesome! I love how he has combined so many different diets gathering the best of the best!
    You both are such beautiful and caring people thank you for sharing so much beneficial information and taking time to provide such detail!

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Leisa,
      We are so glad to hear you found this post helpful for healthy eating! You are so kind. It means so much to us.
      Lots of love,
      Jodie & Julie

  14. Trish says:

    Thanks so much for this! I love following you all and have been for a while. I am so interested In Fred’s menu tips and would love to sit down with him to pick his brain! 🤣. I look forward to many more of these posts while enjoying the design twins too😊

    • jjdesigntwins says:

      Trish,
      You are so welcome sweet friend! We are so glad you loved this healthy eating blog post. So excited that you are interested in Fred’s menu tips. Thanks for the support sweet friend.
      Lots of love,
      Jodie & Julie

  15. DSP says:

    Thank you for sharing such helpful content!

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