We all talk about it, but what exactly is ‘healthy eating’? As a dietitian I cringe when I hear the words ‘I’m going on a diet’ because what this normally means is that the ‘diet’ has a start and finish. This is why ‘diets’ don’t work in the long-term (unfortunately) and why people face a weight ‘yo yo-ing’ effect over the years.
Instead of putting pressure on yourself trying to stick to a ridged ‘diet’, why not try these simple steps to a healthier dietary intake and ultimately healthier you. It’s all about making small changes to your food and drink intake that you are willing to keep up all year round. After all, if we’re going to stick to the ‘80:20 rule’ then we may as well get the 80% bit right so we can enjoy the other 20%!
Simple Steps to a
Healthier You..
Healthier You..
1) Always have Breakfast
My ultimate top tip. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast ‘breaks’ the over-night ‘fast’ and kick starts your metabolism (gets the body burning calories). Evidence shows that people who eat breakfast tend to have a healthy weight, and have higher chances of not only losing weight but keeping it off too. So why not choose a bowl of wholegrain cereal, milk and sliced banana or wholemeal toast with scrambled eggs. Having breakfast will help to fuel your morning and leave you more in control of food choices later on in the day.
2) Drink Plenty of Water
The body is clever, but it’s not that clever. Unfortunately, hunger and thirst can get ‘confused’ so when we are feeling hunger it may be because we are dehydrated. Keep hydrated with 6-8 glasses of fluid a day in order to keep your hunger and thirst signals in check. A good tip it to keep a 500ml bottle of water with you and to keep sipping it throughout the day – you should be able to get through 2-3 of these a day (build up to this if possible).
3) Include Fruit or Vegetables at every Meal
Fruits and vegetables are fantastic as they are highly nutritious as well being low in calories. You can have fruit with your breakfast, salad with your lunch (eg in a sandwich) and then two portions of frozen veg with your evening meal or in a stir-fry. Snacking on fresh or dried fruit is another good way to increase intake, or having vegetable crudités with hummus/salsa. Yum.
4) Don’t be afraid of Carbs!
Your 3 meals a day should be based around starchy carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread, pasta, basmati rice, cereals, yams and regular or sweet potatoes. These foods are not only a good source of energy but contain fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins. Choosing wholegrain carbohydrates (as opposed to the white varieties) will also help you to feel fuller for longer (if you really can’t stomach wholemeal bread why not try the 50:50 or Best of Both varieties?).
5) Cut down on Saturated Fat
Eating too much saturated fat can lead to high cholesterol. The main sources are fatty meats (the white fat that you can see), full fat dairy products (including butter and cheese), pastry, cakes and biscuits. Try to eat these foods in moderation (here’s the 80:20 rule again), choosing the lower fat alternatives when possible e.g. lean meats, semi-skimmed or 1% milk, light/diet yoghurts or cottage cheese. Trim visible fat from meat and always drain the fat from beef mince once cooked. If you like to read labels, a product is high in saturated fat if it has more than 5g per 100g.
So there you have it, my top 5 tips on how to get started with healthy eating.. it’s not rocket science but it's about putting it into practice and developing healthy eating habits for the future.
A quick word on Salt & Alcohol – try to cut down on these. Salt is a leading cause of high blood-pressure. The majority of salt that we eat is found in foods such as crisps, bacon, soups and ready meals; try to eat these foods in moderation as well as cutting down on the salt added in cooking or at the table – Your taste buds will adapt I assure you! You can read more about alcohol [here], but my top tips would be to have at least two alcohol free days a week and avoid binge drinking (saving up your daily unit allowances). Alcohol is extremely high in calories.. for example a 175ml glass of wine is the equivalent to a packet of crisps, a pint of beer is the equivalent of a sausage roll and 25ml of spirit is the equivalent to a biscuit or 25ml of cream. If you do drink alcohol alternate with a non-alcohol drink to keep you hydrated (and full too!)
Nichola x
0 comments:
Post a Comment