5 Things by BradshawsCloset on Polyvore.com

It’s fair to say that most if not all women suffer from a weight complex at some point in their lives and although cabbage soup diets and gruelling gym routines do shift the pounds the success is never sustainable over the long-term. Rather than subscribing to yet another fad diet to get into your bikini this summer, try following these five simple steps to improve the tone and shape of your body. On their own they may seem small changes, but together they could radically alter your approach to healthy living.

Step 1. Drink 2 litres or more of water per day. Most of the time when we think we’re hungry we’re actually just thirsty so drink at regular intervals to improve the quality of your skin, keep hunger pangs at bay and keep your whole system free of impurities.

Step 2. Replace all snack food you would normally eat with fruit or vegetables. Strawberries are my personal recommendation because they have very few calories and the natural sugars will stop any cravings for something sweet.

Step 3. Try a natural slimming aid such as Silver Slimming Patches. Made from completely natural ingredients these patches help to improve your metabolic rate which means your body can break down fat quicker and easier.

Step 4. Walk every day. Get off the bus one stop early, take the stairs instead of the lift, walk the dog or simply set aside 30 minutes a day for a stroll around your street/park. You don’t have to take part in a gruelling gym routine to improve your health, you just have to make a little bit of effort every day and you will see a difference.

Step 5. Keep a food diary. Jot down everything you eat. If it’s on paper you’ll be much less likely to just eat anything whenever you feel like it. Once you’ve done this for a few days decide if you are eating more than you really need. Could you go without desert? Do you have to eat biscuits with your tea? Probably not!

With the change of season, many of us get into a ‘spring cleaning’ mood. We clean the house, clean the garage, get rid of the junk, throw the winter clothes into the wash and put on fresh, lighter clothes. It feels so good! Spring eating can feel good too.

Spring cleaning your diet is a suggestion I put to my pt clients each spring and it really has some great affects…

Following these simple steps will have us all feeling fresher, lighter and with more energy to enjoy the longer days ahead.

Five Ways to Tailor Your Diet to Spring

• Clean it up

Now’s the time to change over from sticky soda drinks or sugar and caffeine-laden coffee and head for something lighter. Plain water or soda water are best. Water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice is delicious and refreshing. Herbal teas make great iced tea for hot days.

• Clean your plate and your palate

Ditch the heavy meals and cheese-topped casseroles. Look for simpler, lighter meals using lots of vegetables, quality protein such as fish or steak and grains like brown rice, couscous, quinoa and millet. Remember the Mediterranean diet – it’s light, healthy and delicious. Maybe you can try some new seasonal vegetables you’ve never eaten before.

• Clean it out

You’ve cleaned out the garage and tossed out all the junk (or maybe that’s still on your to-do list!). Now it’s time to clean out the fridge, freezer and pantry. Toss anything that’s old or unhealthy, that’s passed its ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date. Don’t keep frozen meat any longer than six months. Chances are, if you haven’t used it by then, you didn’t really want it. Label and date any of yesterday’s leftovers before you freeze them for later use.

• Plan it out

Planning your meals helps you create more variety, organize your shopping, and means you’re less likely to go for fast food. Sit down with your recipe book or browse recipe websites for ideas for fresher, lighter meals. Involve the kids in meal planning – they are more likely to eat food they’ve helped to plan. They might come up with some clever ideas, too!

• Cut it down

Everyone goes out for meals once in a while, and eating out should always be fun. But fun doesn’t have to equal fat. Remember that restaurant meals are generally bigger portions than you’d serve at home, and are often high in fat and sodium. Try to split a main course with someone else at your table, or order a smaller entrée. If the restaurant offers a half portion, that’s a great option.

Everthing in moderation = a balanced lifstyle!

Diets don’t work. Popular diets have come and gone over the past few years, even decades, and these diets have focused on cutting down or even eliminating entire groups of food. People lost some weight initially, but, of course, gained the weight right back. A growing trend today, however, is the lifestyle diet.

Lifestyle diets focus not on specific foods, but on the way in which one lives, and then suggest changes that will help people lose weight and keep the weight from returning. Constantly losing and regaining the same 5-10 pounds is dangerous and, over time, can cause serious health conditions. Dr. Ulrich, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, found that women who diet in that kind of cycle have a lower number of natural killer cells, which are the vital cells in your immune system that target viruses.

This doesn’t mean that you should not try to lose weight. Obesity is a major factor in diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and other conditions. However, the healthiest way to lose weight is to make minor changes in your lifestyle that can realistically become a long-term way of life. Here are some ideas to keep in mind:

1. Plan your eating ahead of time.

2. Eat more portions, but make them smaller

3. Fibre

4. Breathe Deeply and Hydrate

5. Make Balanced Food Choices

6. Splurge

1. Eating without a plan in mind is like driving without a map. You need to have eating strategies for home, work, traveling, or dining out. Fill your refrigerator with fresh produce so they are within reach each time you open the door. Put the foods with high fat and sugar up on the top shelf of the pantry (or in the trash!) so you can’t get to them easily. Buy lean protein, low-fat, high-fibre cereals, or frozen dinners that are low in sodium and fat so that you always have a healthy choice.

2. This area is crucial to any lifestyle diet. Many people easily tire of “rabbit food” and eat socially in situations where most of the food is not conducive for weight loss. For these people, reducing portions significantly, by leaving a third of what you would normally eat on your uplate, is a good way to make a lifestyle change.

3. Fibre will help you lose weight because it makes you feel full and helps you with getting the food out. Always look for fiber per serving of 5 grams or more when purchasing cereals. This will be found in the carbohydrate section. Fruits and vegetables will also give you lots of great fibre.

4. Binge eating comes from emotion rather than hunger a good deal of the time. If you feel this temptation coming, stop and take 3 long and slow deep breaths, exhaling as slowly as possible. Drink a big glass of water and wait 10 minutes before you give into the impulse to binge. The impulse may go away!

5. Have some protein and carbohydrates with every meal. This will keep blood sugar levels under control and make sure that you get the nutrients you need.

6. Every now and then, you need a break. If you never eat the foods you enjoy, your eating habits will make you rebel, and you will binge. Give yourself free meal passes one day a week, so you won’t get the impulse to binge and undo days of hard work.

Lifestyle diets are exactly that: changes to your lifestyle. If you want to permanently change your body, you need to permanently change your life. These steps will help.

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