Everyone talks about getting “healthier”. But it’s tough isn’t it? Especially when there are so many different ideas on what being “healthier” even means. If you are anything like me, none of these new health crazes understand the modern girl’s lifestyle. We don’t need a bikini body or to exercise till our eyeballs bleed. Nor do we want to beef up, bronze up or give up delicious cake. We just want to feel good and keep that muffin top at bay right? That, and truly rock a wiggle dress! Busy modern women, do not stress, here are my top 10 tips to get you healthier while keeping your sanity.
1. Get more greens! Green vegetables are the powerhouses of the food world, packed with vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll (that’s the green bit), most of which are destroyed during cooking. The solution? Go raw. Better yet, juice or smoothie your greens to get the most into you and out of your veggies. Chlorophyll is amazing for your liver; it helps it work more efficiently. And that means you can process toxins better. A better functioning liver means less weight gain, less body odour and less nasty hangovers. Try my green smoothie recipe to help you get more greens in. If a smoothie is still too hard for you, you can take a tablespoon of liquid chlorophyll supplement each day instead.
2. Avoid wheat. Modern day wheat is not what our grand
The way we modify, farm and process it robs it of any nutrients. It’s just bum glue. And it will do you no good. Right now, go to your cupboard and throw out anything with wheat in it. Get rid of store bought cakes, breads, biscuits, pasta and flour. Replace it with buckwheat (related to rhubarb not wheat), brown rice, quinoa and spelt.
3. Drink Up! Water is the cheapest, best and most under-utilised anti-aging product ever. Seriously. Drinking more water will plump up your cells and literally push those wrinkles out. But how much is enough? Well you need 1 litre per 24kg of your body weight. For an average 70kg chick, you’re looking at 2.9 litres per day. I know it sounds like a lot, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Keep working at it and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you will adapt and a high water intake will become your norm.
4. Keep bloating at bay. No one wants a pot belly food baby! Try the following:
- eat light meals, avoiding heavy carbohydrates like rice, pasta and bread
- drink warm water with a little lemon or apple cider vinegar squeezed in it
- take a high quality probiotic tablet
- drink peppermint, chamomile and/or fennel tea
5. Eat fat. It is a common misconception that eating fat makes you fat. Not true. Eating sugar and processed foods, stressing and sitting on you bum all day will make you fat. Eating fat however, will keep you trim and happy, because fat is needed to produce all your happy hormones. Include good fats like nuts, seeds, olive and coconut oils, avocados and small amounts of organic meat, fish and dairy into your diet every day.
6. Exercise. Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins are those little things that run around your body and make you happy. And when you are happy, you don’t want to staple thing to people’s heads. Planned exercise is a great thing. I find scheduling a class at least once a week keeps me accountable because there are always people who will call me out on not turning up! Things like Zumba, yoga, pilates, body balance or pole dancing classes are fun and make you feel a bit sexy too.
7. At least move your body. With a life to live, you’re a busy chick. Sometimes it’s hard to make it to the gym or a class. Don’t mean you can’t still get some exercise in. The trick is to work it into your routine. Park your car further away from the shops, take the stairs to the office, address your mail standing up. Get creative and you will find a million and one ways you can get a bit more movement in your day.
8. Stress less. Feeling stressed causes the release of a hormone called cortisol, which in small doses is good for you, but when it hangs around too long, say the amount of time it takes to plan a wedding, it can hurt rather than help. Too much cortisol:
• suppresses your immune system, making you get sick easier
• makes you crave fatty and sugary foods
• damages the brain cells responsible for long term memory formation
Make sure you take some time out for yourself to make sure you don’t become fat, sick and forgetful.