I don’t believe in food rules. Food rules walk a very fine line between healthy eating and deprivation. I find that they don’t just build negative connotations around foods, but they also affect your feelings of self-worth and promote guilt associated with food.
The approach I 100% advocate for all health and weight loss goals is around moderation, self-love and enjoyment. So I have put together 10 steps that I guarantee will improve your physical and mental health in 2017:
1: Choose water. Don’t worry about how many glasses. Just choose water when you are thirsty and remember to drink throughout the day.
2: Eat breakfast. When you nourish yourself from the outset, you will be less likely to choose quick, high sugar snacks later in the day when you are feeling tired.
3: Eat plenty of fibre. It helps you feel fuller for longer, is important for digestion and protects you against a number of diseases.
4: Watch your sugar. Don’t quit it or swap it for a different one. Fruit is perfectly fine to eat, and in fact is incredibly good for you.
5: Eat more veggies. You want 5 serves of these every day. As well as giving you many vitamins and minerals, they are packed full of fibre and are low in calories.
6: Whole grains are incredibly good for you. Include a few good quality serves in your diet every day. They are full of fibre and vitamins.
7: Eat fermented foods. Whether it’s yoghurt or fermented veggies, they will keep your gut bacteria in balance which is good for your physical and mental health.
8: Move every day, but do something you enjoy.
9: Aim for 7 hours sleep every night. If you have a little one, then look for opportunities to nap!
10: Be thankful. Look for those golden moments in your day and reflect on them regularly.
