My Top Tips For a Healthy 2017

I am sure many of you have already made your new years resolutions, many of which will be food or health related. The new year is a great time to reassess your health and make positive chance but resolutions tend to be short lived so instead focus on making some lifelong small changes which have a big impact on your health and wellbeing.

My Top Tips:

1. Start your day with a glass of warm water with freshly squeezed lemon - This helps cleanse the body as well as aid digestion and kick start metabolism.

2. Drink at least 2 litres of water a day - to stay hydrated, keep the bowels moving and flush out toxins.

3. Replace refined carbohydrates with wholegrain - Wholegrain's like brown rice, wholemeal bread and brown pasta are higher in fibre - essential for bowel health, removal of toxins and weight management; They also help keep your blood sugars balanced preventing dips in energy levels as well as containing high levels of B vitamins essential for energy production in the body.

4. Reduce alcohol intake - Not only can alcohol play havoc on your blood sugar balance causing you to gain weight it also has a negative impact on heart and brain health. Try keeping your alcohol consumption to weekends only and for every alcoholic drink you consume drink one glass of water.

5. Avoid fad diets and instead focus on healthier eating - Aim for at least 5 vegetables and 2 fruits a day. Vegetables are packed full of fibre, vitamins and minerals which will help boost immunity, reduce inflammation and provide the nutrients needed for a healthy body. If you struggle to incorporate them into your diet try vegetables smoothies sweetened with banana, apples or orange.

6. Cut back on sugar - Most people are aware that sugar is bad for you so be mindful of how much you are consuming. Cooking from scratch is the best way to avoid added sugars in the diet found in processed foods.

7. Eat healthy fats - Not all fat is bad and in fact healthy fats like nuts, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, oily fish, lean organic meat, and even organic butter (in moderation) are essential for skin, brain and cell health as well as helping us to absorb fat soluble vitamins. Make sure you incorporate these into the diet daily.

8. Don't be too hard on yourself - Be kind to your body but don't be too tough on yourself, make small changes where you can.