If you want to lose weight, tone up or perhaps unlock more energy, real change comes about from the small (and consistent) steps you make with each day! By all means, have your long-term goal clearly outlined and then ask yourself, “What can I do now to help all my ‘tomorrows’?” For a fresh dose of nutrition inspiration here are five tips you can start this week, or perhaps – today!
1. Eat in Slow-Mo
No, we don’t want you to look silly… this simply means to eat without urgency. Too often we gobble down our food, while juggling a number of other tasks and don’t actually give any thought to what passes our lips.
So, instead of scoffing down toast as you get dressed for the day, prioritise your time to sit down and mindfully eat your food. By doing so, you’ll stop eating when you’re full and won’t be bothered by pesky indigestion!
2. Downsize Your Latte
If 10am has rolled around and you’re sipping away at your second (or, third!) milky coffee for the day, then this could be the real reason why the scales aren’t budging. Even if you’re putting in the hard yards with what you eat, milky coffees are energy dense and can quickly blow your calorie budget.
Coffee in moderation certainly has its health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes, so we wouldn’t dare take away this simple life pleasure. But, if your standard coffee is grande-sized, it’s best to rethink your order. Instead, try ordering a smaller sized coffee and pass on the sugary syrups.
This simple tweak can be one of the easiest changes you make this week and to boot, you’ll still get the same caffeine buzz without the extra calories.
Also read: Fast Food You Can Make In a Flash
3. Makeover Your Salad
If you’re eating salad for lunch, plain leafy greens aren’t going to cut it. You’ll be left feeling hungry, deprived and prone to serious food envy. Salad can certainly be a terrific meal option if it also includes a combo of smart carbs and protein, e.g. quinoa and shredded chicken. Be sure to also add some healthy fat such as avocado or olive oil to provide a hit of antioxidants, enhance satiety and boost nutrient absorption.
4. Don’t Be So Refined
‘Fast-burning’ carbs found in white rice, white bread…basically anything white, will result in a quick sugar-rush that quickly fizzles out long before your next meal. What does this mean? You’ll be looking, perhaps craving, for more carbs to give you another energy boost!
Mish and the 12WBT Team love to eat ‘smart carbs’ – those that are less refined and closest to their natural state. Smart carbs like sweet potato, chickpeas and quinoa will provide you with a sustained release of energy so you can power through your day and not succumb to sugar cravings.
Also read: The Skinny on Low-Carb Diets
5. Switch Up TV Snacks for Herbal Tea
Come the end of the day many of us are longing to relax (or is it crash?) on the lounge to watch a favourite TV program and perhaps indulge in a little choccie – am I right?
What’s so fascinating about this kind of snacking is that is often stems from habit rather than hunger. So as you settle down for the evening do a quick body scan to see if your desire to eat lies in your ‘belly’ or in your ’head’. If it’s the latter, close up the kitchen for the day and instead sip on a cup of relaxing herbal tea.
