5 Nutrition Habits to energize, slim down, and feel great.

Let's not waste any time.  The 5 Habits are:

Each bolded habit is also a hyperlink to a more in depth discussion.

1- Eat Whole Foods, minimally processed: Why? Whole Foods can be directly traced to the earth or an animal.  Our body knows how to digest them.  Food that comes in a bag or a box has only been around for 50-60 years (during which time obesity has skyrocketed).  Our body hasn't figured out how to digest this food properly yet.
2- Eat lean protein at every meal: Why?  Your body is constantly refurbishing itself.  You have new skin and muscles every few months.  Protein is the building block to rebuild.  Make sure the newest version of you is optimal.  Also- protein is sating.  You'll feel full after you eat it and won't need a snack.
3- Eat slowly: Why?  Eating slowly not only allows you to savor your food, It keeps you from over consumption.  Eating slow allows you to realize how full your stomach is.  So eat left handed.
4- Stop at 80% full: Why?  Noticing a pattern?  Protein fills you up, eating slow lets you notice how full you are, and now you're stopping before you've over eaten.  Weight loss is all about the calorie deficit; and determining your calorie consumption is an inexact science at best.  This method is also inexact, but at least you don't need to break out a calculator.
5- Earn your carbs- Why?  Our body digests carbs more efficiently immediately after a workout.  This is called the anabolic window of opportunity.  You need carbs.  They should be around 50% of your total food intake.  Maximize their uptake by waiting until after you've worked out.
Bonus Habit
Eat like an adult- Why?  This can mean a lot of things.  What does it mean to you?
To me this means take responsibility for the state of your diet.  You do the shopping, you make the choices, you've earned the body and the energy that you have.  Now that you've accepted credit make the necessary changes.  Try any of these habits above and you'll see/feel a positive result.
Personally this meant cutting out processed sugar.  I was eating M&M's, and ice cream, and muffins... and I was always tired.  So I manned up and cut out the sh*t they sell in cartoon commercials.  Those commercials aren't aimed at me, and those foods don't make me feel good.

If you do what youve always done you'll be who you've always been.  Start by loving the person you are, and then try on some new habits to be healthier, slimmer and more energetic.