What foods should you eat? What should you avoid? There’s so many fads and different opinions that navigating through healthy eating can be really hard. Today I’m going to break down some of the goods and bads -- and you might find there’s some “goods” you weren’t expecting.

1. SUGAR

Not all sugar is bad. Say whaaaat!? Did I just make your life? It’s alright - take a minute to soak it in. Not all sugar is bad. You don’t need to deprive yourself. You’re welcome.

In general, there are two types of sugar: natural sugar and added sugar.

Natural sugars are the kind that naturally occur in food - like fruit. All fruit has natural sugar. If you’re just starting out on your healthy eating journey - don’t worry about your natural sugar intake at all. I mean don’t go crazy or anything, but don’t worry about it. Eat that fruit! Eat those whole foods!

Added sugars are any sugars that do NOT naturally occur in foods. Basically if you look at any ingredient list and you see sugar included, that’s added sugar. Sometimes food companies use other sugar ingredients, but we’re not going to get into the nitty gritty right now cause there are literally over 50 different names for added sugar. We'd be here all day.

Summary: Natural sugar -- good; Added sugar -- bad

Buuuut… I didn’t forget I told you you didn’t have to deprive yourself. That wasn’t a trick. Just watch your added sugar intake. Women should shoot for no more than 25 grams a day and men should shoot for no more than 37 grams daily.

The real summary: Natural sugar -- good; (too much) Added sugar -- bad

2. GRAINS

When someone says "grains" or "carbs," do you get the same shivering feeling as hearing "Mufasa"? Contrary to what many fad diets would have you believe, YOUR BODY NEEDS CARBS!! It just needs healthy carbs.

Food companies do a good job of fooling innocent people into eating food they think is healthy when it really isn't. If you’ve fallen into this trap, know that it’s not your fault!

For example - although words like “enriched” and “refined” might sound positive, it’s actually a sign that nutrients have been removed and that you are eating a product which is no longer a whole food.

The BAD - highly processed grains that have a large portion of nutrients removed. Here are some examples:

• Bagels
• Crackers

• Pasta
• White Bread

The GOOD - nutrient rich grains that are conducive to your health and help you progress. Here are some examples:

• Brown Rice
• Oats

• Quinoa
• Wild Rice

3. FAT

Basically, there are good fats and bad fats and a couple inbetween. Let’s just talk about the WORST and BEST kind of fats.

Trans Fat (the bad): Just don’t.

This is the WORST kind of fat. It contains a bunch of chemicals and takes your body a long time to break down. If you’re looking to loose any weight, back away from trans fat. In fact, just run in the opposite direction.

Trans fat is found in foods like:

• Cakes
• Frozen Pizzas
• Girl Scout Cookies (sorry, I know)

• Margarine
• Ready to use dough
• Spam

MUFA’s (the good).

Mu - what? What the heck is a MUFA? It stands for mono unsaturated fatty acids. Now you know why I use the abbreviation.

We like MUFA’s. They target belly fat, lower bad cholesterol, enhance blood and heart function and help “clean out” your system so you shed excess fat faster. Pretty sweet, huh?

MUFA's are found in foods like:

• Avocados
• Nuts
• Olives

• Pesto Sauce
• Seeds
• Soybeans

3. VEGGIES

Veggies are always good! Veggies are whole foods, packed with nutrition and they make you feel full longer. Veggies make you feel amazing.

I promise, even for picky eaters, there are ways to up your veggie game. Here's a few pro tips:

• Eat multiple vegetables throughout the day. Try to include them in several meals and snacks instead of trying to eat your full day's worth at dinner. This will help you get variety, eat more veggies, and it'll empower you because you're taking control of what happens in your kitchen and in your body.
• When you're grocery shopping, start in the produce section! Everything in the produce section is in the "good" category. Plus, you know exactly what you're getting. No additives, no preservatives. Just whole, healthy foods.

Eating healthy can be difficult, especially if you're just getting started. Remember that as long as you're doing better today than you were last week, you're in good shape. You don't need to do everything at once. Replace some bad with some good and you'll be on the right path.