We’re living longer but not necessarily better. Our lifestyles are hectic, we’re all trying to strike a work life balance and it’s our diet that can sometimes take a back seat.
We all know we need to find the time to prepare and cook our meals, and we know what we should and shouldn’t eat. But it can be emotionally draining – thinking about it all the time and planning.
With the added pressures of stories in the media, digital advances at the click of a button and social media supplying us with idyllic food photos, it can leave us overwhelmed trying to live up to high expectations -preventing us from making any positive change at all. Going ‘on a diet’ is not sustainable, and can imply that at some point you have to come ‘off’ the diet.
Yes, there are many diets that have proven moderately successful, but what happens when you stop dieting? The weight goes back on and it can be mentally and emotionally exhausting.
We sometimes validate ourselves by the number on the scales. The number on the scales isn’t an accurate perception of you. It can change daily and doesn’t take into consideration overall health. Forget the diets, scale numbers or dress size. It’s time to remove the emotional and destructive burden and start focusing on overall longer term health.
With the added pressures of stories in the media, digital advances at the click of a button and social media supplying us with idyllic food photos, it can leave us overwhelmed trying to live up to high expectations, preventing us from making any positive change at all.
To achieve this lasting health approach, we need to start incorporating a wide selection whole foods into our everyday meals, such as; fruits, vegetables, fish, grass fed meats, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes and beans and add spices for great flavour. Your body needs a wide range of nutritional foods groups to function at it’s best and when you begin to feel full, energised and happy, the added bonus is the excess weight will drop off naturally!
Stop cutting out food groups, weighing food, counting calories, timing when to eat and start actually eating a selection of good foods that your body needs! I’m a firm believer in the 80/20 rule. Being healthy is a longer-term lifestyle change.
My first tip is to start your day with a great nutritious breakfast. Try a bowl of porridge, smoothie, chia puddings, eggs or avocado on rye toast. If time is tight in the morning (or you’re not a morning person) prepare bircher muesli the night before. It’ll set you up for a great day as well as looking and feeling great!
Article featured inside Thrive Magazine Spring 2018
