1) Cut out all artificial sugars (ie. the Cristal Light!) They are poison:
http://www.mercola.com/2000/dec/3/sucralose_dangers.htm


http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/aspartame.html


http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/nutraswt.htm


Use a touch of pure maple syrup/honey is tea, and lemon/lime juice in water.

2) Cut out processed (white and brown) sugars.

http://www.mercola.com/article/sugar/dangers_of_sugar.htm

Use honey and PURE maple syrup (not corn syrup) or date Sugar if needed in it's place.

3) Cut out processed grains (ie. white bread) - buy 100% whole grain bread (making your own is best because then you can substitute the sugar!) and eat whole grains like oatmeal, buckwheat, spelt and quinoa, ect. more than wheat.

4) Non-fat yogurt is basically laden with sugar/sugar substitutes because all the fat that makes it taste good has been taken out. If you're going to eat it, eat the full-fat, sugar-free kind once in a while with some fruit mixed in (frozen/fresh berries are great here). If you're going to eat dairy, then make sure it's organic and has as little Sugar as possible. However,if you can switch to rice or almond milk, that's even better. You can make your own and it's cheap too!

http://www.notmilk.com


Again, the dairy thing is up to you, just educate yourself on what to look out for in terms of Sugar and added chemicals in milk.

5)If you're going to eat eggs, eat the yolk. The yolk contains all the nutrients - if you're going to throw the nutritious part out, what's the point in eating an egg?

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Egg_Yolk.html



6) Limit/eliminate extra salt intake. Salt causes high blood pressure (leads to a heart attack) and causes bloating/water retention, which can make you fat. If you're going to use salt in cooking, use Sea Salt (not table salt ). Sea Salt is better for you.

7) Eat yams (sweet potatoes) instead of white potatoes.

8) Eat lots of raw fruits and veggies (you can lightly steam the veggies if you like - don't cook them until they're mushy though, they should still be a bit crisp). Aim for 7 servings a day. This is very important - the antioxidants prevent illnesses like cancer and can lessen aging.

9) Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Proper hydration is important for a healthy, well-functioning body. Water helps to move toxins out of your system.

10) Choose low-glycemic foods more often. Anything over 70 is only a sometimes food - the rest are okay for everyday.

http://www.lowglycemicdiet.com/gifoodlist.html

(click on the food labels to navigate the site)

11) Limit meat consumption - If you could do 1 serving of meat and 1 serving of vegetarian protein like lentils, chickpeas, beans, ect. a day, that would be great. Eggs count as a meat serving (I think 2 eggs = one portion of meat).

12) Watch your portion sizes.
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/HealthyLiving/articles/rulesofthumb.htm


Most portion sizes are HUGE. We don't need that much food :)

13) Don't eat soy, unless it's fermented (ie. fermented tofu, miso, and tempeh)

http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/index.htm



Good luck!! I hope that helped you :)


And I'd really recommend you browse this site to get some ideas on food and nutrients:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=92


It's a great site for beginners.

You got some great tips from magic glitter!

Good move ditching the soft drinks. I'd recommend you not drink crystal lite, though. How about making some different herbal teas? You can sweeten them with stevia or agave nectar.

Also, I would recommend you have one meal a day be a BIG SALAD.

The BIG SALAD would be mostly leafy greens (any mixture of romaine lettuce, spring mix, spinach, raddichio, cabbage. Don't buy the iceberg lettuce but anything else will do) and could include any combination of onions, raw green beans, cucumbers, shredded beets, peppers and tomatoes (or sun-dried tomatoes). Also you can sprinkle in a few chopped nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds. Half an avocado, if you like. And you could include a hard-boiled egg (with the yolk). Change it up for variety! Don't use tons of dressing, though - get one made with olive oil or sunflower seed oil and then put in a moderate amount and mix it really well.

For convenient healthy food - whenever you want a snack, eat an apple. (This is assuming you don't hate apples). I would recommend buying organic if you can find it, but either way, buy some apples. If you want a snack or a dessert, tell yourself you WILL eat the apple, even if you don't feel like it. Once you start eating you will say, hey, apples are pretty tasty. And when you finish you probably won't want anything else. If that means that, at first, you are eating several apples a day, that's fine!