Feeling stuffed after that Christmas feast?
If you seriously need to work on that belly bulge and want to get back into a healthy eating plan, then here are some simple slimming strategies to get you back on track.
1. You’ll need to eliminate all processed, packaged foods over the next four weeks to help kick-start your liver, the main channel of detoxification.
2. Make sure to eat at regular intervals. You should eat three meals plus two snacks, one mid-morning and one mid-afternoon to avoid blood sugar dips.
3. Avoid caffeinated and fizzy drinks. Swap tea and coffee for decaffeinated versions and sip on herbal teas including green tea, fennel tea and nettle. Increase your intake of water to a minimum of two litres a day. Liven up water by adding slices of cucumber or a squeeze of liver-boosting lemon.
4. Avoid eating meals in front of the computer or TV and try to concentrate on what you’re eating, taking a break in between bites.
5. Allow yourself one treat each week. Choose from a small glass of red wine, a small bar of dark or raw chocolate, lemon sorbet or a small pot of frozen yoghurt.
If you’re not already a fully paid-up member of the kale fan club, its low-calorie, high-fibre and zero-fat profile should tempt you to get on board.
As well as being a great addition to any weight-loss plan, kale is ideal for digestion and will help keep your system moving as it contains around 5g fibre per 100g.
Kale is an excellent source of iron – and, in fact, it contains more iron than beef per serve! That’s important for anyone with anaemia or heavy periods, or just looking for more energy, as it helps to form haemoglobin, the molecules that carry iron within our red blood cells.
Kale is also high in calcium, giving milk a run for its money with fewer calories. If you’re dairy intolerant or vegan, this veg will give you a good dose of bone-strengthening calcium.
Vitamin K, which helps to protect against certain cancers, is also found in high quantities in kale, along with heaps of antioxidants. This all-important, but lesser known vitamin is needed for a whole host of bodily functions, including the health of your bones, preventing blood clotting and keeping cholesterol in check.
Kale can help fight inflammation as it contains omega-3 fatty acids, so make sure you’re eating kale regularly if you have an injury, arthritis or asthma, as it will help to reduce the effects and speed recovery.
Vitamins A and C are two more vitamins found in kale. Vitamin A is important for vision and vitamin C for your immune system, but both of them are brilliant skin vitamins so dose up to help keep wrinkles at bay.
And if all of this wasn’t enough, kale is also a great way to cleanse your body, containing both fibre and sulphur, which are involved in the detoxification process.
There’s no need to reach for extra-virgin olive oil every time you cook. These six healthy alternatives have the same 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per tablespoon as the “gold” standard does.
But unlike extra-virgin olive oil, some can stand up to the high heat of stir-frying, while a mere drizzle of others can transform a dish.
And because each delivers a special set of nutritional benefits, switching things up won’t just make your meals tastier, it can give you a health boost too.
Peanut
Mildly nutty peanut oil is a great choice for healthy frying, because it can be heated to a higher temperature than many other oils, foods cook faster in it and have less time to absorb the extra calories and fat.
GREAT FOR
Safflower
This oil may help you lose weight and control your blood sugar. And because it’s almost flavorless, safflower oil lets the other ingredients in your dish shine through.
GREAT FOR
Canola
Compared with other cooking oils, canola has the lowest price and one of the lowest saturated-fat contents. Its neutral taste and medium-high smoke point means you can even use it for baking.
GREAT FOR
Flaxseed
Most of us don’t get enough omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect brain cells and may guard against cancer. Flaxseed oil is a good source of these nutrients, but their benefits are destroyed by heat, so store bottles in the fridge and add the oil only to cold or already cooked dishes.
GREAT FOR
Toasted Sesame
This fragrant oil is not only packed with the powerful antioxidant vitamin E, but it may also lower blood pressure, according to recent studies. Toasted sesame oil is pricey though, so use just a little to punch up finished dishes.
GREAT FOR
Banishing high-cal ingredients, such as cheese and nuts, seems a good idea for dieters. But fat takes longer to digest than protein and carbs, so it keeps you full longer.
It also adds flavor, which ups satisfaction. Sprinkle nuts or seeds over your salad or spread pesto on your sandwich. Besides whittling your waistline, you’ll also increase your nutrient intake.
Research has found that just three grams of monounsaturated fat – the amount in less than a teaspoon of olive oil – helps the body absorb more cancer-fighting lycopene, lutein, and beta-carotene.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are a dieter’s dream, but the pesticide residue on them can keep your calorie-burning machine from performing at its peak.
Pesticides may affect your thyroid’s ability to function and there’s evidence that they also harm the functioning of mitochondria, the parts of a cell that convert fuel into energy.
Government researchers say you need to scrub fresh produce for at least 30 seconds to remove the residue.
You can also minimize your exposure by purchasing organic produce, especially the kind with an edible peel, as well as organic beef and dairy products, because regular cattle feed can contain high concentrations of pesticides.
Each piece of skin contains 69 calories and six grams of fat, so it makes sense to separate it from the breast before popping it in the oven, right?
Not really. The skin locks in moisture, so you get tender, more flavourful chicken for not a lot of extra calories.
Don’t remove the skin until right before serving, and the chicken won’t need as much calorie-rich sauce, salad dressing, or mayo.
The exception, however, is if you’re making a soup or a casserole. The fat from the skin will drain into the dish, so peel it off beforehand.
By taking that pot off the stove a little earlier, your pasta will have a satisfying bite and keep you full for hours.
Hot water breaks down the bonds between starch molecules. The longer you boil your pasta, the quicker your body converts those carbs into fuel. This sets off a rapid rise in blood sugar that is followed by a hunger-inducing plunge.
Al dente noodles take longer to digest, delivering a steady stream of energy. Go with the shortest time in the recommended range on the back of the pack, then bite into a slightly cooled strand. There should be a tiny white circle of raw pasta in the center.
The residual heat will continue to cook the noodles, so they’ll be perfectly al dente by the time you serve them.
Biologically speaking, salt attracts water in the body, so you hold onto that extra weight instead of eliminating it.
To counteract the problem you should take two steps to keep bloat at bay:
1. Keep it fresh.
Since salt is a preservative, everything that’s packaged or processed will be high in sodium. Plan on making sure that all items you choose are fresh, such as fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean protein.
If you’re really in a bind for a snack, make sure that packaged bites are low in sodium at 140mg or less. Also, choose foods high in potassium, which is a nutritional counter-balance for sodium. Foods rich in potassium include leafy greens, most ‘orange’ foods – oranges, sweet potatoes, carrots, melon – as well as bananas, tomatoes, and cruciferous veggies like cauliflower).
2. Keep hydrated.
You should drink water all day long, but kick start your morning with coffee or tea. Caffeine is both a natural diuretic and an excellent source of antioxidants, which protect your cells from damage. Herbal teas work too, such as dandelion or fennel root for the best bloat defence.
Also keep in mind that a lot of your hydration throughout the day should come from fruits and veggies. Choose cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, asparagus, grapes, celery, artichokes, pineapple, cranberries – all of which contain natural diuretic properties that will also help you stay full due to their higher-fiber, high-water content.
Plain yogurt naturally contains about 16 grams of sugar per cup. But if you eat flavoured yogurt, you could be downing 15 or more additional grams of sugar, which is the equivalent to four extra teaspoonfuls.
Choose plain, low-fat yogurt and stir in a teaspoon of honey, maple syrup, or all-fruit spread for a hint of sweetness. Or opt for fat-free Greek yoghurt, which is lower in sugar than even regular plain yogurt but often has double the protein to keep you satisfied longer.