If you’ve ever been on a diet, it’s likely that one of the first rules included a list of foods to avoid. Maybe the first day or so felt okay, but as time went on the recommended substitutes probably didn’t make up for the cravings that lingered for the foods you were used to or favored. When such diets come to an end, the most common outcome is a gradual return to old eating habits.

Deprivation, however, is not a healthy approach to diet or anything else in your life!

The concept of “crowding out” refers to the natural process that happens when you add more of the good foods to your diet first. The more healthy foods you add to your existing diet, the less room you’ll have for junk, and the more sensitive your palette will become to ultimately appreciate a greater variety of healthy ingredients. You’ll literally crowd out the unhealthy foods until you reach a balanced diet that is sustainable and makes you feel great – even if that still includes an occasional guilt-free indulgence!

While crowding out can take some time, it’s much more effective than conventional dieting, and the underlying process of focusing on adding the good can also apply to other areas of life, such as fitness, professional endeavors, relationships, and spirituality.

When you start with an open mind and an intention of true wellness, you’ll naturally crowd out anything that doesn’t fit!