Here's my 10 top tips to get you going. If you can't change all at once, just start with 1. Any change is good.
Water, Water, Water - ensuring you get enough can make a huge difference. Aim to drink 1.5-2 litres per day of pure mineral water, more if exercising.
Five pieces of fruit and vegetables per day - add fresh berries to your breakfast instead of dried fruit (have frozen berries in the freezer). and use a handful per morning. Take a piece of fruit such as an apple to work to snack on. Ensure you have 3 types of vegetables, ideally green leafy vegetables, with lunch or dinner such as broccoli, spinach and kale. Five is the minimum, 10 would be great.
Add nuts & seeds to your diet - choose organic, un roasted and unsalted. Eat a small handful as a snack during the day. Best options are: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts.
Reduce the caffeine (ie. tea and coffee). Caffeine is a stimulant which increases the heart rate, increases your blood pressure and unbalances your blood sugar, leading to irritability and cravings. Reduce them down slowly over a period of a week or two to just 1 cup per day and replace the rest with herbal teas or coffee alternatives such as Prewett's Instant Chicory or Teeccino. Herbal teas have added benefits: peppermint aids digestion, chamomile relaxes you, whilst nettle supports the liver. If you crave something sweet, try licorice tea.
Remove sugary drinks such as coke, lemonade, fruit juices and in particular avoid sugar free drinks. These are anti-nutrients, meaning your body needs to use up essential vitamins and minerals to process and get rid of them. They're also full of sugar so just empty calories. Dilute fresh fruit juice with water if you’re totally addicted and gradually reduce them down.
Swap white bread, pasta and rice for brown or wholemeal -all white products are devoid of nutrients and fibre and act like sugar in your system. Stick to wholegrain such as brown rice, quinoa, wholemeal pasta, rye or wholegrain bread. For digestive problems, give wheat a break for a week and see how you feel.
Always eat breakfast - this sets you up for the day. Breakfast means “breaking the fast” from the previous day. An oat based breakfast such as porridge or home made granola would be a great option.
Aim to eat by 7pm - if that’s impossible, try to eat lighter in the evening and have a bigger meal at lunch. Otherwise your body spends a lot of the night trying to digest your food when it should be doing important jobs such as repairing and resting.
Alcohol - if you have a drink, ideally combine it with food as this helps to absorb the alcohol better and stops it rushing into your bloodstream so fast. Always order water at the same time so you keep yourself hydrated and help your body breakdown and process the alcohol better. If you are going out for the evening, always have a snack before you go so you’re not drinking on an empty stomach.
Try new things and enjoy food - we are very lucky to have such a great selection of food on offer to us. Ordering an organic fruit and vegetable box is a great way to try out new foods or visit your local farmer's market.
