A New Way of Looking at Food

I've discovered a new way of eating that I'm excited to share. I read the book, "Eat to Live," by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. While I  didn't agree with everything he wrote, I did like his take on weaning yourself off of processed foods and eating as many fresh fruits and vegetables (read: nutrient-dense foods) as you want. I LOVE eating plans that allow you to eat as much as you want, so this one fit me like a glove. 
In the past two weeks, I've cut way back on processed foods, even going as far as limiting my beloved diet sodas to one every other day. I also loaded up on frozen peas, broccoli, green beans, stir-fry vegetables (without sauce), and assorted berries. On the raw, unfrozen side, I've been buying assorted fruits and fresh greens, including red and green leaf lettuce, spinach, and kale. I also bought a pound bag of raw mixed nuts, Kashi cereal, several cans of black, pinto, and kidney beans, and a few bags of baby carrots. These foods, in various combinations represent my daily food intake. 
Breakfast: For a typical breakfast, I'll eat 1/2 to 1 cup of Kashi Heart-to-Heart cereal - dry, no milk. This is actually better than it sounds, and after about a week I didn't miss the milk at all. I'll also eat a banana, peach, or apple for this meal and a cup or two of coffee.
Mid-morning snack: Here I'll eat another piece of fruit and a few nuts, maybe a few baby carrots as well. 
Lunch: Lunch consists of broccoli and either a can of green beans or, as is more-likely the case, leftovers from the previous night's dinner.
Afternoon snack: My berry break - assorted berries that I've had thawing in the fridge since the morning.
Dinner: For dinner I'll add the following to a pot on the stove: 1 cup of water, 1 can of pinto, black, or kidney beans (rinsed off in a colander first - not sure of that viscous, mucousy-liquid these things come packed in), 3/4 bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables, a can of green beans or 1/4 bag of frozen peas (or any other frozen veggie that looks good to me), a few ounces of chicken breast or tuna, garlic powder. I'll cook this over medium heat for 15 minutes then reduce to low heat for another ten. I'll remove the pan from the heat and dish out a serving - usually a good-sized cereal bowl, add some fresh or frozen broccoli florets, a few tablespoons of salsa verde or salsa picante (still need to find some without all the ingredients my current brand has), and a couple of pinches of shredded Parmesan cheese. I'll microwave this until I'm sure the broccoli is hot enough - 1 minute or so. Whoalla! May sound like a lot of work, but this yields three servings, and, since I'm the only one eating it, this means I get dinner, lunch, and the following night's dinner out of it! 
Dessert: For dessert (my favorite meal of the day), I eat one of my new favorite desserts: Weight Watchers Ice Cream Candy Bar... OMG - 150 calories and SO very good. No, it's not 100% natural - pretty darn far from it, actually, but hey - you gotta live! By the way, this alteration in my dessert choice cut my typical dessert calories by more than 50%. 
And yes, I'm drinking water throughout the day. Interestingly enough, I'm not drinking as much water as I did when I ate high-sodium meals and snacks. Also, the high-water-content in the fruits and vegetables adds to my daily fluid intake anyway.
So, where does this radical new eating plan take me? How about losing two pounds per week for the past two weekly weigh-ins? Perhaps even more important than the weight loss though is that I'm shocked at how satisfied I am with how I feel. This eating plan certainly doesn't feel like a diet, because it isn't. I'm eating three full meals per day, just removing the junk and inserting healthy, beneficial, nutrient-dense foods. The fiber from each meal and snack keeps me full much longer than processed foods did, and, instead of being weighed-down and lethargic after each meal, I'm energized! The other night I had a meal as I described above and about a half-hour later got the sudden urge to do some kettlebell swings. I did 100 swings in a row and felt great. That NEVER happened after eating a full meal of processed foods loaded with simple carbs. Shocking. 
There's also a motivational effect from feeling better and more energized. Each time I'm faced with foods that fall outside of what I'm becoming accustomed to, I'm not nearly as tempted to indulge. I'm only on my second week of this eating plan, but am not even considering changing back to my old habits. If anything, each day brings new ideas on how I can improve upon what I'm already doing. 
There are some unavoidable questions: 
Q. What about a splurge night with burgers and fries? A. Well, right now that doesn't appeal to me, but give me another week or two and I'll let you know. Fact is, just like with an exercise routing that yields the results you're seeking, once you begin to feel better and look better from a new eating plan, your usual motivations for deviating are no longer as tempting. Q. What about the fact that so many fruits are high in natural sugars? Shouldn't I avoid sugars if I want to lose fat?A. While it's true that fruits such as apples, bananas, and oranges contain large amounts of fructose (plant sugar), the fiber within each piece of fruit helps to prolong digestion and moderates the absorption of its sugar into your bloodstream. If you're still concerned with this, try eating fruits with less sugar, such as avocados (also a terrific source of healthy fats), strawberries, blueberries, peaches, or watermelon. 
Q. Will eating all this plant matter, ya know, affect me in ways that might cause "digestive" problems?A. Yes. :)  Start out by slowly substituting processed foods for the foods I've discussed above. It only took a week or so before my body got used to the increased fiber and all the associated "side-effects." 
Let me know if you decide to give this eating plan a try. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. 
Remember - Consult your physician before making any radical changes to your diet. One of the potential side-effects of suddenly eating as I've described above is that your blood pressure can drop significantly over the course of just a few days as a result of the diminished sodium in your system. If you're currently taking hypertension medication, this could result in dizziness or other symptoms. This also applies to people who are on any medications for diabetes. Ask your doctor first - then follow their advice, please.