10 Healthy Eating Tips!

Hello girlies! I have always had an interest in healthy eating and go through phases of eating crazy healthy and eating crazy unhealthy haha! But the majority of the time I like to watch what I eat and I do notice a positive change in the way I look and feel when I do so. I don't let it take over my life but do like to make conscious decisions when I am food shopping and deciding what to eat. Here are some of my top tips for enjoying a healthy lifestyle!

1. 5 portions of fruit/veg a day. Yes I know we've all heard it a million times before but here is how I plan it to ensure I am actually getting all 5. 1 portion with breakfast (could be a chopped up banana over your cereal), 1 portion with lunch (maybe a large salad), 2 portions with dinner (veg such as carrots, broccoli, peas etc as part of your main meal), 2 portions as snacks throughout the day. Remember, 5 portions does not necessarily equal 5 pieces, for example a small satsuma is not classed as a portion so be careful!
2. Swap white pasta, bread and rice for wholewheat! In my opinion it's yummier and makes sooo much difference to the bloat! If you want food babies to be a thing of the past bin the white carbs! Wholewheat has none of the crap the white stuff does and massively helps with your digestive system!
3. Cut down on dairy. Or ensure your milk is skimmed and swap butter for low fat spread. Personally I've noticed a difference by cutting out dairy all together - I now use non dairy spread (the Vitalite brand) and soya milk. If you choose to do this however, be sure to get the soya milk with added calcium and eat lots of green veg to compensate for the calcium you were getting from dairy before!
4. Allow yourself a cheat day (or two)! I find it sooo much easier to stay on track if I know I can eat that packet of crisps or doughnut in a few days time! I have the weekend as my cheat days where I allow myself to more or less eat whatever I like (within reason!!)
5. Diet Tracker Apps! My Fitness Pal is a good app available on the iPhone which helps you track what you're eating throughout the day. I don't recommend calorie counting but this is a good way of keeping track of what you have eaten and helps you not over-eat! There are loads of apps like this and the majority are free! If these aren't available to you, starting a food diary is another good idea.
6. Plan your meals in advance. If you work long hours or have a busy schedule it can be tempting to stick a ready meal in the microwave or order takeaway when you come home from work, knackered and pissed off! Buuut, this is when the pounds can pile on! If you plan what you're eating in advance (maybe decide Monday-Friday's meals at the weekend) and make sure all the ingredients are available to you it'll reduce the temptation to do this!
7. Get your friends on board! If you have some friends who are also trying to be more healthy and you are able to encourage and motivate each other it will make it so much easier and maybe even a bit fun! You can have nights in experimenting with new healthy foods or juicing different fruits and choosing your favourite combinations! 
8. Cut down on the booze! (Or choose it more wisely!) Alcohol is the DEMON when it comes to losing weight or just trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Not only does it land you with one hefty beer gut a sore head and an increased appetite the next day! If cutting down isn't an option for you, try to be more careful when picking your beverages. For example, a single vodka and red bull (or similar energy drink) contains a whopping 240 calories!! Mars bar anyone?! Whereas a single malibu and diet coke contains only about 52! You choose!   
9. Cut out the condiments! Ketchup, mayonnaise, brown sauce, mustard etc all add extra empty calories! They also contain a load of salt and preservatives with aren't very kind to your tummy!
10. Don't let it rule your life! If you really can't stop thinking about that Kit-Kat then eat it! Life is too short to stress yourself over the little things. Enjoy your life and don't let silly things like diet and food absorb you! It's all about finding the right balance and enjoying the things you eat! The longer you eat healthily the less you will crave the crappy foods so stick at it but don't let it piss you off!

I hope some of these tips were helpful! Please let me know any tips you have in the comments below! Thank you so much for reading! xxx

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