DETROIT – Now that Thanksgiving and Christmas are over, you may be turning your attention to burning off all the extra calories. But if getting healthy is part of your New Year's plan, one way to start is by cleaning out your refrigerator and pantry.
Dr. Michael Roizen of the Cleveland Clinic says people need to remove any item that contains the "5 food felons."
They are: Added sugars, syrups, grain that isn't 100 percent whole grain, saturated fat and trans fat.
These ingredients age you inside and out.
Product labels will help you determine what stays and what goes.
"Read the label. If in the first five ingredients it has anything that's an added sugar, an added syrup, or a non 100% whole grain, kick it out," Roizen said.
Eliminate all of the "food felons" at once. Some of them have an addictive quality that may tempt you if you know it's there.
Once you've cleaned the cupboards, fill them with healthy alternatives.
"I like an apple corer. You can cut an apple and have it as a snack any time. Another thing that goes with apples is walnuts. The third thing that I love to have because it gives such great flavor is a little curry powder because it activates your APOE gene and it keeps your brain functioning well," Roizen said.