Last night I went to the store to stock up for a new commitment; I'm living a week adhering to healthy, phase 1 dieting, revolving mostly around fruits, veggies and nuts. (Don't get me wrong - I love meat. It is just hard to come by clean sources of grass-fed animal protein these days, and when you do, it can get expensive...) I loaded up on berries, nuts, spinach, tomatoes, avocados, and a variety of other fruits and veggies, selecting each for their nutritional benefits.
I've done phase 1 before. I've committed to other diets and health programs. I've forced myself to swallow some of the most disgusting things in the name of good health, often against my gag reflex's wishes. Today is no exception; I made myself a tomato and avocado smoothie. Now, I love avocados. I even love smoothies. I HATE tomatoes. I have for as long as my memory stretches. I love hot sauce and tomato sauce, but the taste of raw tomato makes me sick. But, in the name of phase 1 dieting, I decided that I could choke down some raw tomato for the health benefits. I was wrong. Fortunately, I had some carrots and almond butter to hold me over.
Here is the best advice I can give someone choosing to eat Phase 1; choose foods that are on the diet that you also EJOY eating. Phase 1 dieting is not like any other diet, it is a lifestyle. If you try to create a lifestyle around foods you find revolting, chances are you are going to revert back to foods you find delicious. There is definitely a transition period for your taste buds to acclimate to eating different foods. But you have to crawl before you walk, so make it easy on yourself!