You want to lose weight and increase your health and vitality. Right? Then you must eat foods in their whole, unprocessed state. Whole foods are just the things to get you closer to achieving your weight loss and wellness goals.

For instance, a banana is going to be much more nutritious and filling, than a piece of banana bread (made with processed grains, sugar, and margarine). Or choosing vegetable soup is going to be much better for you (fewer calories and tons more nutrients) than a bowl of thick, fattening chowder. It comes down to choice, your's of course-on your path toward your amazing body and amazing life, are your going to choose:

The processed, sugar, fat and pesticide-laden industrial foods of the Standard American Diet (SAD), the foods that actually chip away at your life, make you fat and unhealthy?

The foods straight from Mother Nature, organic and bursting with fresh flavors, packed with vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients, foods which make you healthy, slim and energetic?

I hope you choose the latter, and I would like to give you a little help in making those healthier choices. I want to make it easier. Plus, I am going to show you how much more you get to eat when you make the better food choices!

Yes, I said you get to eat more! If you choose correctly, of course. Below are some extremely eye-opening food comparisons. First I list the "typical, bad-for-you, you'll get fat and sick if you eat this" choice first, then the "wonderful for you, eat-a-bunch-of-this it makes you skinny and healthy" option.

Breakfast goodies:

Cereal and milk-approximately 250 calories
Vs.
1 whole apple, 1 whole orange, 1 whole banana-approximately 260 calories

Bagel with cream cheese-approximately 550 calories
Vs.
A fruit salad containing: 1 apple, 1 banana, 1 orange, 1 cup cantaloupe, 10 grapes, ¼ cup walnuts-approximately 450 calories

Sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich-approximately 500 calories
Vs.
1 cup cooked pinto beans with a huge handful of kale, chopped carrots, chopped broccoli, red/green peppers, and 1-2 tomatoes-350 calories (you'll need a big bowl for this one!)

Pancakes, eggs, and bacon-approximately 1000 calories
Vs.
½ lb. tofu scrambled with 1 cup of both broccoli and cauliflower, 1 green/red pepper, with an entire apple and orange-approximately 400 calories

Lunches:

Cheeseburger-approximately 500 calories (add 300-400 more calories for fries and a shake)
Vs.
Huge veggie salad with lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, chopped carrots, cauliflower, raisins, 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, chopped apple, shredded beets, artichoke hearts, other veggies of choice, and 1-2 tablespoons low fat dressing (or balsamic vinegar and tamari)-approximately 300 calories

Turkey and cheese sandwich-approximately 500 calories
Vs.
3 cups vegetable and bean soup containing broccoli, cauliflower, onion, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, and 1 cup beans-approximately 250 calories

2 slices cheese pizza-approximately 900 calories
Vs.
Grilled veggie sandwich on sprouted bun (grilled zucchini, eggplant, summer squash, onion, peppers, mushroom)-approximately 300 calories
(for a raw veggie sandwich, substitute fresh veggies like green/red/romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion)

Dinners:

3 cups pasta with cream sauce-approximately 920 calories
Vs.
3 cups veggie soup (see above in lunches), enormous salad with low fat dressing or balsamic vinegar, and baked sweet potato-approximately 500 calories

Meat and cheese burrito with sour cream and guacamole-approximately 1,000 calories
Vs.
Veggie, bean, and rice burrito-approximately 600 calories

8 oz. steak and baked potato-approximately 700 calories
Vs.
Baked sweet potato/potato, cucumber-tomato-tofu salad, 1 cup garbanzo beans-approximately 500 calories

1 piece fried chicken, 1 biscuit, ½ cup coleslaw-approximately 1,000 calories
Vs.
4 cups roasted veggies, ½ cup brown rice, 6 oz. tofu, medium-sized green salad-approximately 600 calories

This list could go on and on and on%u2026 I want you to notice how much more you get to eat with the second (healthier) choice than the first (unhealthy) choice. I also would like to promise you that when you eat foods similar to those listed second, you will definitely feel better, and you will lose weight-we promise, promise, promise! When eating a plant-based diet, you get to eat more, feel better, lose weight, look better, increase your life-expectancy, and feel so very alive!