One of the most frequent questions that I get asked by my readers that are looking to pursue a healthier lifestyle is “where do I start?” After a long period of over-indulging, it can be difficult to break out of the old routine. By making some small and simple changes, slowly but surely, you will be back on track and one step closer to a healthier you.
Today I’m sharing some of my own tips that have helped me on my journey to enable me to design a happy and healthy life that I love!
1. Swap white for brown
Simply by changing the types of carbohydrates that you eat you will see a massive difference to the way that you feel and a change in your eating patterns.
White starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice and pasta tend to be highly processed and stripped of most of their nutritional benefits. They are also the culprits of causing bloating in some people and can cause spikes in your blood sugar levels when eaten in excessive amounts.
Instead, try to swap these white foods for brown wholegrains such as wholemeal pasta, rice, bread and incorporate grains such as quinoa and bulgur wheat into your diet. Wholegrain foods release their energy slower than white carbohydrates, which means that you will stay fuller for longer. They also have multiple nutritional benefits too.
2. Drink more water
More often than not, when our bellies rumble we automatically think that we are hungry. However, hunger pangs can also signify thirst.
Before reaching for a snack to quench your hunger try drinking a glass of water first to make sure that you’re not thirsty. Obviously, if the hunger persists then reach for that snack. Additionally, drinking water over fizzy drinks will cut down your sugar intake massively, keep you hydrated and keeps your skin looking radiant. You can also add a slice of lemon or lime to jazz it up a bit.
Aim to drink around 2 litres of water a day.
3. Portion control
A lot of the time we eat more than what our body needs. I’m all for giving your body what it craves but listening to your body also means knowing when you are full and eating consciously. This can be really difficult and can take a lot of practice.
Another tip about portions is getting a good balance of vegetables, carbs and protein on your plate at every meal. I tend to make the vegetables the main part of my meal with some lean protein and add the carbs when I feel like I need a heartier meal. It’s all about doing your research, experimenting and finding what works for you.
4. Meal Planning
Meal planning and making shopping lists may not be everybody’s cup of tea and maybe something for the super organised. Despite this meal planning is a great way to stay on track with your eating and deters you from diving into the fish and chip shop on the way home every night. If you already have your meals planned and already have the ingredients at home you’re all set for a healthy and balanced home cooked meal. Not only that, meal planning can work wonders for sticking to a budget too, so you can save money as an added bonus!
5. Forget the word diet
If there is one word that I hate it’s the word diet. It immediately rings associations to restrictive eating and lettuce leaves for every meal. Restricting certain foods from your diet can lead to overindulging later on. Instead, what has worked for me is focusing on being healthy and giving my body what it requires.
Life would be boring without cupcakes and pizza and I think sometimes these foods need a bit more perspective as they are readily taken out of context. If you are eating pizza 3 times a day every day, sure there is going to be a problem. The alternative is to eat a healthy and balanced diet with things like pizza and chocolate added in every now and then. Deprivation really isn’t the key to a healthier lifestyle, finding what works for you and feeding your body the right way will set you on the right path.
6. Be more active
This tip is a given and I won’t say much here as I have a future post on this topic coming up. If hitting the gym really isn’t your thing then try walking, dancing or rock climbing. Finding something that you enjoy getting your heart pumping is better than doing something that you hate. There is so much out there to choose from that you really can have fun and get healthy at the same time. If possible, adding sports supplements and smoothies like whey protein shakes can help support your body as you try to improve your fitness.
Do you have any tips to share that helped you on the path towards healthy?
Did you find it difficult to make small changes to embrace a healthier lifestyle?
*Post commissioned by Maxinutrition, but all opinions are my own.
Great tips-I’m currently trying to establish a healthier lifestyle. I have I remember to drink more water.
Thanks! Drinking more water is definitely a great place to start.
Great tips. We no longer eat white, and are starting to move more and eat less and it’s made a massive difference x
Glad your seeing a some health benefits by making such a simple lifestyle change.
Lots of sensible and easy to follow tips here Jemma. Drinking more water is always my favourite one, as it can make such a difference.
It’s such a simple one, but can make you feel instantly better.
I need to drink more water and sleep some more. Lovely post.
That’s a great place to start!
Great tips. For me it’s all about planning ahead. If I’m really hungry, away from home and I have nothing with me than the temptation is to just eat all the foods. I just try and make sure I don’t get in that situation in the first place. Also carry snacks! If anything it’s cheaper as well!
Planning ahead is a great tip and can really be beneficial during busy period where we are most likely to make poor choices for our bodies.
Thanks so it sounds like the next thing I need to do is think about meals without potatoes.
You can still have potatoes! Maybe just make your portion slightly smaller or swap them for sweet potatoes instead.
I am terrible at portion control – especially because I’m a busy mum and will sometimes sit down to eat after hours of not having eaten or drunk a thing and then will just overload on portions, it’s terrible. We always meal plan though and cook everything at home, from scratch and are making a conscious effort to swap to brown – we’ve done that with bread and some rice so we’re headed in the right direction hopefully!
Being a busy mum does make it hard to look after yourself doesn’t it! Meal planning is a great tip to help you keep track and keep costs down too.
Great tips! I also hate the word diet, in the context of weight loss. For me it’s about balance, everything in moderation and making healthy choices. Most of the time!
Such a great attitude you have Sara!
Great sensible tips here – we have been doing all of them for a while now and they are like second nature now x
That’s so great to hear!
I think I eat pretty well, normally, I seem to be eating a lot of chocolate at the moment. I have just started the couch to 5k app in a bid to get fitter x
I did C25K last year and loved it! Hope it’s going well.
I am currently being tested for gestational diabetes which is really making me think about making healthier changes in my diet and swapping from white to brown is one of the first I want to do. Great tips
It’s such a simple change, but can make all the difference to your general health and the way you feel. I hope you’re tests went well.
I always aspire to live healthier and happier, so this is a great post for me 🙂 Since i only drink water, I’ve never had to make that change but I’ve never heard about swapping white for brown before – great idea, can’t wait to make that change!
Thanks Sarah! Glad you found this post helpful.
I agree, I think planning for something is really the biggest step- if you have a snack in your bag, or dinner planned for when you get home, you are far less likely to give in to buying something more processed and less healthy.
So true! Planning ahead is a big part of it and helps you stay on track.
Healthy life is the healthy life. So, we should focus on health. This article is must read for all 🙂
Thanks John!
Great post, Im so bad a drinking enough water. I don’t use the word diet, I say ‘lifestyle change’. Once baby number 2 is here I’ll be back on the healthy eating plan x
Lifestyle change is a much better term to use instead of diet, it has a more positive message I think.
This is very sound advice. I often find that I confuse thirst for hunger. I totally agree with you on the idea of a diet, it makes me sad to see my friends do horrible restrictive joyless yo-yo diets.
I confuse thirst with hunger too, so try and drink some water before eating a snack to make sure.