Eat Healthy - Advice from our Specialist

So you think you eat healthy? Most of my clients do. But when they bring their food diaries for the first time the truth comes out... We all make similar mistakes - why not learn from each other?

Eat Healthy Lesson number 1: "Let’s talk about snacking"

When we try to eat healthy, we feel like we don’t eat that much. We avoid carbs: quit pasta, bread, potatoes. Sometimes we even starve ourselves. That is one of the reasons why we start snacking during the day. „It’s just yoghurt and grapes so I eat healthy“, „It’s just a cereal bar.” “It says here: less than 100 calories“, – I hear that every day. But we all need to realise that those innocent yoghurts are packed with sugar and sweeteners and high GI fruits like pineapple, watermelon, banana, which raise glucose level in the blood. That makes us produce more insulin, which slows down the process of burning off fat.  How to eat healthy for real and stay beautiful and slim? Here are some rules that will help you:

1. Eat more protein. Try to include it in each of your meals to eat healthy. Protein aids fat burning and makes you feel full. Start your day with an egg omelette and a cup of green tea. Pick two egg yolks and three whites, add some vegetables: tomatoes, mushrooms, sweet corn. Three hours later have a chicken salad: grilled chicken breast with spinach or other greens, like broccoli. Have some fish for lunch with tomatoes and avocado. Salmon or Parma ham for dinner sounds like a good idea to finish the day. Everything should be served with a portion of vegetables.

2. To eat healthy you need to cut off all sugars. Not only do they make you fat but they also make you feel tired. We get a quick energy shot from the glucose but when insulin starts working we feel tired again. We all know to stray from carbs like potatoes or bread but you should bear in mind that fruit and oats are also high in sugar. If you must have some sugar foods, it’s always better to have them in the morning or you can have an apple just before the training.

3. Be active. Are you worried that physical activity will make you want to eat more? You should always have a full lunch or dinner within 2 hours after your training. This is the best time for your body to recover and burn fat.

4. Detox your body. We feel like eating salty crisps, sweets, cookies because we have high levels of toxins in our bodies. To eat healthy, try a short detox (for example 3 days grapefruit and lemon detox). It will help you to get rid of the toxins in your body and bring back the natural glow to your skin. Detox diet is the best option for people who suffer from really strong food cravings.

5. If you really have to snack, snack healthily. And we don’t mean cereal bars… Have a handful of almonds, spinach leaves with homemade sauce: teaspoon of olive oil, teaspoon of almond butter – nice and light salad rich in vitamins and microelements. Or try some rocket salad with tomatoes, half of avocado and an egg.

And most importantly: Enjoy your food!

Ania is an experienced personal trainer, working in GymBox in London. She will be sharing her knowledge with our readers interested in fitness, weight loss and dieting. You can submit your questions to Ania here or on our facebook page:

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