Smart Healthy Tips
- To maintain an healthy weight or to lose weight
- Try to eat as much as different food available or that you can afford. Eating a wide range of foods is giving you a wide range of nutrients to your body making you healthier physically and mentally.
- Take your time to eat. Chew thoroughly your food will help with your digestion.
- Try to avoid distractions such as television when you eat. When we are distracted, we tend to eat more than we should because we don’t appreciate as much the food we are eating.
- Eat 3 meals per day and 2 snacks at set time. Do not skip meals.
- Exercise 20 minutes per day: walk at lunchtime, walking your dog, going for a run with your neighbour, going to an exercise class.
- Record your exercise regime and your food intake in a diary on a daily basis. This diary will help you to manage the day and will make you feel in control of your day.
2. To reduce or manage Stress and increase energy
You need the right nutrients and a stress management routine to improve functions of adrenal glands in order to reduce fatigue and your stress levels. Here are a few suggestions:
- 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables from 5 different colors per day focusing on potassium rich foods (vegetables: carrots, avocados; fruits: apples, bananas)
- Increase Vitamin B15 and vitamin E rich foods such as nuts and seeds which will help with your energy levels. You can have a handful of pumpkin seeds (soaked in water overnight) in your porridge with 2/3 nuts (Brazil, cashew, almonds) in the morning. Those foods are also rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 which will help the body to burn fat.
- Increase choline and inositol rich foods such as lecithin which can be added to your porridge (1 tablespoon) or by eating fish (size of palm of your hands), 2 to 3 times a week. It can be fresh fish or canned fish such as tuna, salmon or sardines. Prefer spring water tuna as the flavored cans contain additives and colorings. Lecithin is a lipid that is needed in all cells of the body. It helps with energy levels. It supports other fats like excess cholesterol to be evacuated from the body.
- Increase PABA rich foods such as eggs which can have twice a week (scrambled eggs on toast). Those foods will increase your energy and help with stress.
- Increase iron rich foods such as read lean meat, legumes (lentils, chickpeas, red kidney beans). Those foods should be eaten daily.
You should also reduce fizzy drinks which interfere with iron absorption.
Avoid dairy products, sweets and refined foods. Additives in those foods inhibit iron absorption.
Enhance iron absorption by eating foods high in Vitamin C such as kiwi fruits, citrus fruits, broccoli and dark green vegetables. You could include one of those foods in your daily diet. - A relaxation massage or deep tissue massage can reduce stress.
- Take “me time” such as having a bath, listening to favorite music every week and preferably 10 min per day.
- Sleep routine: go to bed early and light should be out by 10pm. The room should be in darkness. This routine will help you to fall asleep easily and stay asleep reducing the cortisol levels which are often high in on-going stress situations. Cortisol is the stress hormone that wakes us in the morning.