In Beyond Diet, I encourage you to take charge of your health and your weight one step at a time. If you do what you can in the short term, these principles will become a permanent part of your lifestyle in the long term.

You may not be ready to completely overhaul your life just yet…and that’s fine! You don’t have to do it all right away. Instead, get started on your weight loss journey today by cutting these five foods out of your diet.

1. Orange juice – Fruit juices contain a great deal of sugar which will disrupt your body’s blood sugar and insulin levels. In general, sugar consumption causes a hormonal roller coaster of alternating high levels of insulin and blood sugar. These hormonal shifts can dramatically affect your attitude, your ability to concentrate during the day, your weight, and your overall health.

2. Artificial sweeteners – Your body sees these fake sweeteners as toxins. Your liver can only handle so many toxins before it becomes overwhelmed. This means your body is spending more time trying to get rid of these toxins and less time burning fat.

When you cut out the artificial sweeteners (and other toxins), you give your body time to focus on being a fat burning machine.

3. Whole wheat bread – Wheat products quickly turn into sugar in the body (just like orange juice), causing a spike in blood sugar levels. Your body releases insulin to return these levels to normal, and you’re back on that hormonal roller coaster.

In addition, the whole wheat bread the American public has been led to believe is healthy contains processed wheat, which is deficient in nutrients and can result in digestive distress.

4. Fake butters – Fake butters (think Smart Balance or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter) are made from unnatural, unhealthy ingredients that your body sees as toxins. Butter has been given such a bad rep over the years, but there are actually a number of health benefits that we can derive from consuming butter on a daily basis.

When purchasing butter, always look for raw first. That’s the best butter for you! If you cannot find raw, be sure that the butter is organic and has not been pasteurized!

5. Soy products – Soy has been found to have awful and long lasting effects on the thyroid. Your thyroid is responsible for releasing hormones that help regulate heart rate, maintain healthy skin, and play a critical part in metabolism (how quickly or slowly you lose weight).

People who consume high amounts of soy protein each day often complain of fatigue, low energy, depression, hair loss, poor skin, weight gain, and diminished sex drive (all symptoms of low thyroid function).

If you eliminate these five foods from your diet, you will see results! You will start losing weight, and I promise you will feel better and healthier!