How making better food choices can change your whole life
It really is no secret: you are what you eat. Health begins in the kitchen and extends to the gym, so it is crucial that you get a handle on your diet if you want to work towards a healthy lifestyle.
Our biggest mistake is we concern ourselves with getting to a desired dress size, or we aspire to have muscles as big as our favourite leading man, without considering whether our bodies are conditioned to handle it.
Often, we crash-diet and juice-fast ourselves silly, not understanding that certain habits are hurting us instead of helping. I've met with nutritionists, worked with dietitians and consulted homeopathic practitioners to come up with The Seven Habits of Highly Healthy People:
1. Drink Water
It can't be that simple - surely?
Oh, but it is. Drinking the recommended two litres a day improves your vitality. Water is a great antioxidant that aids in digestion, it improves your metabolism and helps your brain work at a better pace.
Do you ever get peckish in between meals? That's your body craving water. Instead of reaching for the box of Jelly Tots, fill up with glass with water and your craving will go away.If drinking water seems like a chore, there are some delicious fruit and herb water-infusions that will make getting through your daily dose of H2O easy.
2. Get Familiar With Your Kitchen
Once you see what's actually going into your body, you'll think twice about eating it. Most, if not all, of us have seen the sobering video of McDonald's chicken nuggets being made. You might not have written off the bite-sized snacks completely but I'm sure you've cut down on how many times you're pulling into the 24-hour fast food joint.
If you're making your own food as opposed to ordering in every second day you consume a belly-busting 800 calories less, a week. Preparing your own food is a great way to become more proactive about your health. Wellness fanatics tend to go so far as to prep their meals for the entire week to ensure that food is taken care of. By doing this, it leaves no room for the "I'm too tired to cook" excuse we often resort to after a long day.
3. Eat Sitting Down.
The world is split into groups of those who eat to live and those who live to eat. The former are the ones I'm appealing to here.
Eating shouldn't be considered a chore. Feeding an nourishing your body should be something that excites you, so take it a little more seriously.
People who eat on the go tend to make unhealthier choices. You'll grab a pie or a packet of crisps as opposed to slowing down to savour a hearty salad or a portion of seafoood paella. Because you're rushed, you'll inhale your food and forget to chew - which is vital in breaking the food down enough for your digestive system to take care of the rest.
Sitting for a meal prevents overeating too. When you eat slower your stomach can tell your brain that it's full within time. Wolfing down a double cheeseburger + fries + milkshake, in 5 minutes, will leave you feeling hungry for another 10 minutes. Chances are you'll grab a chocolate before the full-feeling hits you like a freight train.
Take a break, enjoy your meal.
4. Quality Over Quantity
Fresh, organic vegetables might be more expensive than the mass produced garbage national food distributors are selling but are you really going to go for the cheaper stuff at the cost of your health? In recent years, there's been a collective demand for quality produce, and farmers markets are gaining popularity so buying from your local farmers is worth considering.
Buy food packed with the nutrition your body needs to keep going. You wouldn't put B-grade fuel in your car, why do that to your body?
5. Treat Yo'self
Any dietitian or nutritionist worth their salt will tell you that cutting out foods that you enjoy is a terrible idea. Just don't do it. If you have a sweet tooth, eliminating sugar from your diet will discourage you. In extreme cases, people who make a drastic change as opposed to slowly weening themselves off the dependency end up compromising their health.
All you need to do is practice self-control. Instead of drinking a 2 litre bottle of Coca Cola everyday, see if you can cut down to just one glass a day.
Wellness fanatics swear by 'cheat days.' It's the one day you get to indulge in the cravings you've built up all week. The beauty of the 'cheat day' is that it's a full day of decadence -but make sure it's just the one day. You are allowed to eat 'til you hearts content (within reason) and not feel guilty. Having a full chicken for breakfast, 1kg steak with all the trimming for lunch, and a gallon of ice cream for dinner is a little over the top. The 'cheat day' is meant as a reward for all your hard work and a motivation to keep going, so don't blow all your progress in one go. It's also a great way to give your metabolism the kick in the butt it needs to keep going.
6. Exercise
Get up, get active! Whether you're swimming, cycling, running or dancing, exercise is a great way to kick-start your health routine. Not only does exercise aid in weight loss (or weight gain, if you consult a personal trainer), it also strengthens your muscles and bones. Working out is a great way to improve self-confidence as it releases a healthy dose of endorphins -the happy hormone. Exercise can promote a better sex life and it aids in brain activity and mental health.
Ladies, period cramps getting you down? Lace up your sneakers and go for a run! Physical activity has been shown to raise pain tolerance and decrease pain perception.
7. Get a good night's sleep
Nothing feels better than getting eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Equally, nothing feels worse than having to survive a day on little to no sleep. Getting some shut-eye improves memory and curbs inflammation - which is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging. Sleep spurs creativity, regulates your weight, lowers stress, fights depression; the list goes on.
Set a bedtime, just like you do for your kids; turn the lights off, switch your phone to silent mode and count some sheep until you go sleepy-bye.
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I've got easy-to-follow recipes for everything from low calorie Honey Granola to decadent Death By Chocolate Muffins. Take control of your boy and your health by knowing what's in your food.
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