YOU ARE what you eat and what you cook in the kitchen and how much effort you put into making the right meals dedicates how you look and feel.
It’s difficult and often time-consuming to get the food right and to avoid the all the nice things that’s so easily accessed.
It’s always hard to resist that biscuit or piece of chocolate in the evenings or whatever your enjoyable treat is.
As small and innocent as these ‘treats’ may seem, they make a big difference to how it affects your well-being and adds significantly to your calorie intake.
Make a decision not to give into temptation and resist that treat, and as hard as it is, you will feel a lot better for it and it will surprise you how easy it is over time that you can give it up for good or have it only on a rare occasion.
There are a lot of healthy alternatives you could have and while it takes effort the rewards and results is worth it.
To reap the benefits of eating well you have to understand what and when to eat. Eating every three hours is very important as it helps keep your metabolism up.
But what you choose to eat will be the decider of how you look.
Some of the basic food rules states that you should eat three balanced meals a day along with two snacks – breakfast at 7am, snack at 10am, lunch at 1pm, snack at 4pm and dinner at 7pm.
That’s generally how my day looks and I always try not to eat after 7pm unless I am out running or exercising later in the evening.
One of the best ways to ensure you stick to this way of living is to prepare ahead.
Don’t do everything in the morning as you just won’t have the time and you will end up comprising on a meal or snack for something else that is quick and easy.
You should cook a few times during the week and prepare ahead – this includes chicken, soups and other meats.
By cooking on a Sunday and Tuesday/Thursday you are saving yourself plenty of time.
Also experiment with your cooking skills and try out different foods like buckwheat and quinoa which are great sources of fibre and protein.
I still like to cook my foods – particularly my vegetables – in coconut oil which can be bought in health food stores and supermarkets.
Always remember to drink two to three litres of water a day, this might be difficult on colder days but it helps keep you hydrated during the wintry weather.
In the mornings I have either porridge with half a banana and scoop of peanut butter or scrambled eggs with wholegrain toast and asparagus.
For lunch I like salad with meat or fish and feta and in the evenings I enjoy chicken, sweet potato, vegetables, steak and fish.
Choose your food wisely.