My Healthy Habits

I struggled with my weight for a number of years (partly due to being depressed and partly because of bad eating habits and lack of exercise) but I started working out and changed my diet and managed to get to and stay at a healthy weight and have lots of energy too. Here are some things that I live by to keep fit and healthy.

• I drink plenty of water and stay away from fizzy drinks and juices. When I go out for a meal, I have sparkling water with my food
• I don’t deep fry food, but grill, steam and roast instead. If I fry something, it’s lightly fried in some olive oil or coconut oil which are great for your health.
• I don’t eat junk food.
• I eat plenty of fish.
• I don’t eat low fat things as they are full of chemicals and rubbish. I always go for the full-fat versions as they are natural and your body knows what to do with them. Plus I feel fuller and satisfied.This has been confirmed by many top nutritionists. And the proof, I didn’t eat any low fat stuff to lose weight – only full-fat.
• I avoid chocolate, cakes and desserts but I’m not perfect! I allow myself a desert when I go out for a meal
• I eat a good breakfast. I usually make my own smoothies along with a homemade natural juice. One of my other favourites is scrambled eggs and salmon.
• I try not to eat carbs after 6pm as carbs give you energy and you don’t need this when you are sleeping. They will just sit there and turn into sugar. Instead, I will have something like chicken and salad, or tuna and salad, a light soup, some fruit, etc.
• I don’t eat white bread, white rice, white pasta, etc. These are super bad for you and full of sugar and only serve to make you bloated. Always go for the brown options. Bulgar wheat (or cracked wheat) is brilliant for your health and really fast to cook.
• I snack on things like fruit, unsalted nuts, fresh coconut and gogi berries if I feel peckish in between meals.
• I eat lots of fruit and veg.
• I work out 3 to 5 times a week for 25 minutes. I am currently doing T25, (www.beachbody.co.uk) simply because I can fit it into my busy schedule. There’s no point in setting unrealistic targets and not sticking to them. I also walk as much as I can. I have an app on my phone that counts my steps. You’re supposed to do 10,000 steps per day and having this on the phone motivates me to try to beat that target

This list may seem a bit overwhelming at first but you don’t need to change everything at once. If you want, do it gradually and I promise, you will get used to it and start to see the results. It will become natural to you but the key is perseverance and consistency.