10 simple ways to change eating habits without too much sacrifice!
Our philosophy here at New In 90 when it comes to healthy eating is basically one of commonsense and everything in moderation. Most of us know what is “good” food and what is “bad” and micro-managing calories is difficult, time-consuming and, to a large extent, soul destroying.
In the last two months, most of us will probably have put on some weight, so it makes perfect sense to make a few changes and get back in control. Who knows, we might be able to actually go out and eat sometime!
So here’s some basic rules that will help you on your way to healthier and less fat-making diet.
Remember, it doesn’t really matter what you eat as long as you don’t eat too much of it (apart from vegetables), try and eat a wide variety of different food groups, never binge but don’t deprive yourself of treats every now and again – life’s too short!
1 Avoid processed foods if you can – by all means have a ready meal in the freezer for emergencies, but don’t have them as part of your weekly repertoire. Try to cook from natural, fresh ingredients. Remember, it takes as long to heat up a ready meal as it does to stir fry some chicken, vegetables and noodles!
2 Eat eggs – they are the original energy food, high in essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals and great way to start or end the day.
3 Always choose whole grains – brown bread, rice, pasta, cereals – they are a natural source of carbs, fibre and healthy fats.
4 Cut down on sugar – you will get all the sugar you need from the food you eat, especially fruit. If you take sugar in your tea or coffee, then cut down over a period of two or three weeks – your taste buds will adapt over that time and you’ll find you just don’t need it anymore. If you drink colas or fizzy drinks, then you must cut them out apart from the occasional glass. Drink still water or sparkling water instead.
5 Consume good fats – eat naturally occurring fats such as those that are in butter, avocado, nuts, coconut, seeds, fish and olive oil. They are a rich source of vitamins and essential fatty acids.
6 Avoid white foods – white bread, white pasta, white rice, white sugar, processed cereals – they are white because they’ve had all the goodness stripped out of them. These are the so-called “empty” carbs.
7 Avoid fruit juices – eat the whole fruit instead. Juices regularly promote the fact that a bottle contains “the juice of 10 oranges” for instance, but you would never sit down and eat 10 oranges! Juice is primarily the sugar of the fruit with all the healthy fibre stripped out. Just one of these and you can hit your daily sugar requirement in one go.
8 Reduce salt – like sugar, you’ll get all the salt you need in your daily food intake. You should never add salt to cooking or your food (apart from the fish and chip treat of course!).
9 Eat more greens – nature’s most valuable nutrient and something we should all eat more of. They help lower cholesterol, keep the gut healthy and alkalise your system.
10 Eat dark chocolate – for your treat (we all need them), have some dark chocolate. It’s low in sugar, high in anti-oxidants and can improve blood pressure – but remember a treat “portion” is maybe 3 or 4 small pieces, not the whole bar!
If you are the kind of person who hates “eating rules”, then you should abide by just one – and that’s whatever you eat, eat less of it. We all over eat, whether it be finishing everything on your plate or having 2 biscuits when 1 will do. If you do nothing else, just reducing everything you consume by 20-25% will give you greater control over your weight and fitness – and you probably won’t even notice the difference.
Go for it!
Sue – part of the New In 90 Team
If you want to go a bit further and really get control of your weight and fitness FOR THE LONG TERM, then have a look at New In 90’s Stepping Stone Program. It’s easy to follow and will set you up for life.
