I meet a lot of people who want to clean up their diets. Maybe they know they’re unhealthy eaters, or they eat too many processed foods. Maybe they have the winter blues and want to switch things up a little. Maybe they’ve finally realized that it’s time to do something about the bloating and tummy discomfort that comes with most of their meals.

Regardless, we could all stand to freshen up our plates a little.

Well, now’s the time. If you start tomorrow, and commit to it, you’ll be feeling fabulous come Springtime. I promise!

5 Easy Ways to Clean Up Your Diet

1. Limit your sugar intake. Look for sugar listed in everything you buy that comes in a package or a jar. Tomato sauces and salsas don’t need to have sugar in them. Make your own salad dressings and use stevia or less refined sugars like maple syrup or honey.

Try this recipe for homemade salad dressing using stevia as the sweetener.

2. Eat more raw fruits and vegetables. Try a green smoothie. Dark leafy greens are ridiculously full of vitamins and minerals. I throw kale, romaine, or spinach into my smoothies, and then I try to have one big salad every couple of days. You can get loads of cancer-fighting antioxidants from raw fruits and veggies.

Try this recipe for the beginner’s green smoothie.

3. If you’re a meat-eater, consider using it as a condiment instead of letting it take up your whole plate. Talk to your local butcher about where he gets his meat. Does he know the farmer who raises the cattle? Are the animals grass-fed? Hormone-free? You want the answers to these questions to be a resounding YES!

Try this recipe for Veggie Burgers for your next Meatless Monday meal.

4. Limit your dairy intake. Processed and pasteurized dairy is inflammatory and can clog up our bodies. This makes it harder for us to heal, easier for us to get colds, and it can drag us down. Try to buy local and organic dairy whenever possible.

Try this recipe for Homemade Nut Milk.

5. Start eating more power foods NOW. Last month I talked about the incredible nutritional benefits of dark leafy greens, eating a variety of colorful fruits and veggies, using ground chia seeds or flax seeds, eating dates when you need a sugar-fix, and the all-powerful coconut oil. Find a way to fit these foods into your diet today!

Photo source via Maggie Savage