Healthy Eating

At the beginning of the year everyone is concerned with healthy eating and setting new years resolutions to shift those stubborn pounds that creep on during the winter months.  However, more often that not, we are so strict with the new regime and make it so boring that it is impossible to stick with it beyond March.

I have set myself a few targets like eating less processed foods, drinking more water and sticking with my vitamins, but I always try to be practical and not put myself under too much pressure.  If you are not happy with your new style of eating, or you feel deprived, you will not stick with it.

Below I have listed a few tips that I believe are key to being able to stick with a healthy eating plan:

• Never allow yourself to get Hungry: its easy to associate dieting with a twinge of hunger, feeling full seems somehow like cheating. This is not good, it is better to have well spaced meals and healthy snacks throughout the day to avoid getting ravenous and grabbing unhealthy snacks or binging.

• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time: A good way to do this is to bring a packed lunch to work for example, which often works out as being more cost effective.  It is the same with dinner, if you plan what you will be having beforehand it should help.

• Try a variety of fruits and vegetables: It is easy to stick with the same fruit and veg and not try new ones.  This gets boring very quickly, especially if you think that every healthy meal has to revolve around salad.  Try something new each week and then have a quick look online to see how it can be incorporated into a meal that is quick to prepare.  Click on this link for some great quick and healthy meal suggestions for during the week including burgers and fajitas. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/dietandnutrition/dinners.htm

• Make your meals interesting and flavoursome: Aside from the fact that you will get bored from having the same meals each day, especially breakfasts, our bodies also get bored.  You body burns food more efficiently when it is given a variety rather than the same things day in and day out.

• Another good tip is using fry light in place of ordinary oils.  Fry light is an excellent alternative to conventional oils and it is only 1 calorie per spray.  It is worth trying out as it can be found in most supermarkets.

          

Whatever you new years resolutions or goals may be, try to make sure that they are attainable, be practical, and do not be too hard on yourself.