Your pre-Xmas health kick starts here!
Can you believe it’s December girls!? We’re literally three weeks out from the holidays (less for some of you!) and this is the time of year we always feel like giving our daily menu a bit of a shake up. Why? Because our nights are starting to fill up with fun things, and we know there’s a massive indulge-fest coming up soon! Here are 5 quick and easy-to-implement ways to health up your day times.
Make your mornings colourful
We know, we know, you’re busy! But that doesn’t mean crappy cereals, or toast with peanut butter has to sneak back into your morning routine, OR that you should start swapping nutrition packed foods for a large latte as soon as you wake up, which is both hormonally disruptive on an empty tum AND despite being full of calories, will make you feel super hungry before long. The best way to make sure you’re not spiking your blood sugar levels first thing (and therefore setting yourself up to crave sugary/fatty foods later) is to make your breakfasts colourful by including fruits and/or veggies, and to make an effort to include proteins and fats too. It doesn’t have to be hard - a scoop of your protein powder blended with a big handful of greens or a super greens supplement, plus half an avocado and a little frozen banana will have you buzzing, or chuck a few boiled eggs and some avocado and baby spinach leaves in some tupperware, then drizzle it all with olive oil and eat up when you get to the office. We also love making a big veggie-packed Frittata at the start of the week and just grabbing a slice every morning (even better, divide your frittata mix between muffin tins and voila! Healthy brekky muffins). Still too fancy for you? Throw a few handfuls of berries into a bowl with a small handful of nuts and a scoop of coconut or Greek yoghurt… voila!
Check those labels
A quick glance at the label of any food you’re considering purchasing is a great way to be mindful about your snacks and purchases. Remember that four grams of sugar equals one teaspoon, so if your strawberry yoghurt snack has 25g per serve, that’s already 6 teaspoons of sugar (the maximum recommended amount per day for adult women). Also be wary of gut-hating fake sugars like maltitol or sorbitol, and other chemicals you don’t recognise - chemicals aren’t your friend if you want to fire up your fat burners and increase your energy! Don’t fall for silly marketing ploys promising ‘natural, healthy ingredients’ - check for yourself! Funnily enough, that's why I created Chief Bar, which is especially great for long trips when you want to snack on real food!
Be alcohol aware
We pride ourselves on being balanced creatures, so of course we’ll enjoy a glass of something fun when we’re out, but we are also careful to choose wisely. A glass of wine (especially red) or champagne sipped slowly is a healthier option than most beers or ciders, and if you’re choosing a cocktail, look out for fruit syrups which are really just pure sugar. Our faves are margaritas (we always ask for them without added syrup or sugar) or a cheeky aperol spritz! We also use the one-two rule for alcoholic drinks… just one or two drinks, once or twice a week. This helps us be more conscious of how much we’re sipping. And on our booze-free nights? We still make them fun with sparkling water and fresh lemon or lime, or low-sugar kombucha - our fave brands are Remedy or Mojo.
Stop eating after dinner
It’s SO easy to make dessert-every-night a habit. Swapping after dinner sweets for herbal teas when eating at home can have a huge impact. Better yet, go for a little night walk after your meal!
Choose the right carbs
We are big believers in carbs, but it’s a good idea to have a focus on whole carbs and also monitor your portions. Cutting down on refined carb options like bread, pasta and baked goods is a good idea and you can swap them for wholegrain like rice, baked veggies, quinoa, or popped corn, or simply cut down your portions (one slice of bread instead of two, just a handful of pasta stirred through a veggie dish for texture). Consider this your friendly kick up the Xmas bum! ;)