1. Water. If you're thirsty you're already dehydrated. The majority of us don't tend to drink enough during the day. If you drink a lot of tea and coffee to keep you going then these have a diuretic effect so you should be drinking water to compensate.
Have a glass of water first thing in the morning and last thing at night ? your body loses a lot of water while you're asleep ? not only if it's warm and you sweat a lot but just going 8 hours (if you're so lucky) without food or drink it's going to be dehydrated.
Dehydration can also be mistaken for hunger ? have a glass of water first before reaching for a snack or eating a meal.
2. Fruit & Veg. Fruit and vegetables provide you with vitamins, minerals and fibre to help keep your body healthy. Eat a piece of fruit or drink fresh juice for breakfast. Fresh berries on muesli or porridge or cereal. Have fruit as a snack during the day and salad and vegetables with your main meals.
If you can, buy organic and wash fruit and vegetables before eating unless your peeling them. Pesticide residues are more likely to remain on the skin and fruits such as apples are often treated in storage.
3. Avoid processed food. With the increased reliance on ready-prepared meals, take-aways and convenience food to save time there is an increase in the amount of processed food that people eat.
Before you buy that convenience meal ? check the label. How much sugar, salt, hydrogenated fat, E preservatives, colouring does it contain? Because it's processed ? a lot of the flavour and goodness is lost and has to be added. Because it needs to survive transport, increased shelf-life and cooking fats and preservatives are added. And how much does it really cost. Cooking simple meals such as stir-fries and casseroles are just as convenient and so much better for you.
4. Fresh Juice. One great way to kick-start your day and gently wake up your digestive system is to have a fresh juice every morning. I don't mean orange juice with your breakfast but fresh vegetable juices. Invest in a good juicer, buy local organic produce and find out how good fresh juice is.
An easy recipe you can have every day is one apple, one carrot (peeled), stick of celery, cube of ginger and thick slice of lemon (remove rind).
5. Fish. Eat fish at least once a week. It contains healthy Omega 3 oils, which are good for your joints, and nerves. Flax and hemp oils offer an alternative for non-fish eaters.
6. Eat regularly. Get into the habit of eating breakfast. Your body has been without food over night ? break the fast with a glass of fresh juice (see above) and then a healthy bowl of cereal, muesli or porridge (avoid those loaded with salt and sugar). Try to eat every 2-3 hours ? little and often ? to avoid your blood sugar levels fluctuating too much. Don't eat a heavy meal late in the evening. Your body will naturally be slowing down at that time and food eaten late is more likely to be stored as fat.
7. Alcohol. There's nothing wrong with the odd glass of wine, in fact these days it's seen to be healthy for the anti-oxidants it contains. Excess alcohol causes your kidneys and liver to work overtime to rid the body of the toxins. Know your limits and drink water to help your body eliminate the toxins.
8. Sugar and Salt. These two ingredients are added to most processed food. They add flavour and act as a preservative but they can be present even in foods you don't expect or are labelled in ways that you don't recognise. Sugar is empty calories, in it's basic form it contains little nutritional value. Natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables are all you need. Avoid adding sugar to food and drinks and avoid synthetic replacements. Watch your salt limits too.
9. Know what you're eating. Be aware of the food that you're putting in your body. Read the food labels if you buy tinned, processed produce to be aware of how much salt, sugar and fat is in the food you buy. Buy organic meat whenever possible to avoid the steroids, hormones and anti-biotics that are in factory farmed meat. Know how much sugar, salt and fat you should be eating.
10. Balanced diet. One of the most important ways to improve your eating habits is to have a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, whole food, fish and meat, nuts and seeds. Everything in moderation. Keep fatty and sugary foods low but if you enjoy chocolate, cakes and curries there's nothing wrong with having one once in a while.
If you'd like help in putting some structure in place to organise your health ? contact me through my website.
Clare Evans ? Do more of what you want, less of what you don't.
http://www.clareevans.co.uk.
Clare is a Personal and Business Coach who works with individuals and small business owners to help them organise their time more effectively and create a better work life balance - enabling them to spend more time doing what they want and less time doing what they don't.
Contact me today to find out how to create balance in your life.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to my Free Monthly Newsletter with tips on managing your time more effectively, creating balance, reading and fun.
Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of... Read More
During a recent discussion with my father about low carb... Read More
Just what is the "New Biology of Health?" And who's... Read More
Many people use sugar as medicine. Sugar tends to change... Read More
You are what you eat is a simple, time tested... Read More
Post nasal drip is a sensation of mucous build up... Read More
Millions of people around the UK consume dairy products on... Read More
With the array of different diets and diet foods available... Read More
It's really hard to believe that something could be worse... Read More
I read a lot about the topics of health and... Read More
The Omega Zone Diet and specialists' opinion"Omega RX Zone -... Read More
For the executive, maintaining the much-needed balance between career, family,... Read More
ABC News has recently focused on the possible anti-aging benefits... Read More
I'm willing to bet you probably haven't heard the word... Read More
The word 'homeostasis' is made up of two Greek words:... Read More
Dr. Arthur Agatston, the cardiologist who developed South Beach Diet... Read More
As a low carb dieter, your diet is undoubtedly high... Read More
Salt is vital for our health. Right now, you have... Read More
The word herb is used to refer to any part... Read More
One must always keep in mind that copper is not... Read More
For those of us that understand nutrition and it's importance... Read More
How many times have you tried to diet/lose weight in... Read More
Flaxseeds may be the smallest seeds you will find in... Read More
Liquid vitamin mineralThe liquid vitamin mineral dietary supplement is a... Read More
Although many realize that the liver has its own cleansing... Read More
tidy up service Arlington Heights ..I'm 40-something years old, and for 40-something years breakfast has... Read More
Meal replacements have been part of the diet landscape for... Read More
Flaxseeds may be the smallest seeds you will find in... Read More
Since 1994, food manufacturers have required the Food and Drug... Read More
In large part, you're in control of your health, not... Read More
What is nutrition? We hear so many reports today on... Read More
Picture yourself in one of the following scenarios.You're cruising along... Read More
We sometimes hear about ways that we can take care... Read More
One of the biggest mistakes many new bodybuilders make is... Read More
Chances are you may have had a food product that... Read More
Archeological records indicate that man has cultivated the olive tree... Read More
The cry of "I have no willpower!" often emerges from... Read More
You say you don't know what glyconutrients are? You are... Read More
Did you know that much of our dry skin comes... Read More
Finding simple ways to reduce my waistline is always a... Read More
Whenever possible, we should try to get our antioxidants and... Read More
Spring is in the air and ? summer is around... Read More
All carbohydrates are not the same. Generally it is assumed... Read More
If you do not take time to stand back at... Read More
What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More
Niacin, also called nicotinic acid, is a member of the... Read More
Most people understand that it is wise to limit the... Read More
With the array of different diets and diet foods available... Read More
Diet nutrition physiqueToday, learning about diet nutrition physique isn't all... Read More
Aging occurs when the body's cells die at faster rates... Read More
Nutrition |