Healthy Living

[Headless Rat]

Does anyone have any tips for incorporating lots of small changes into one's lifestyle to make it that extra bit healthier?I'm trying to take care of my insides a bit better but I find it hard to think of something healthy to eat every single lunchtime when the easiest thing to get would be a sandwich (not always the best option if laden in coleslaw and things like that!). Im not really into salads. Also, if anyone has good tips for incorporating a little more exercise into one's day?or any other helpful hints for skin care such as drinking warm awter with lemon juice in it in the morning.Thanks!

[Blue Chang]

I started eating big fruit salads for lunch... suprising how much it actually fills you up with all the juice AND it sorts out half the veg/fruit portion a day thing.

also, try walking anywhere and everywhere... I got a little walkometer with a cereal and was schocked at how little number of steps I took in a day... on average about 3-4,500 but you're supposed to do approx. 10,000! AND you'll lose weight, if you need to.

Sadly, other thing is obviously to cut down on alcohol/cigs/sugar and fats and try drinking green tea instead of normal tea... I drink that and fennel tea to sort out my digestion tract.

Good luck! ;D

[Headless Rat]

Aw, thanks!they sound like good suggestions. Although fruit tends to make me hungrier for some strange reason. The green tea is def good though.

[BigMac]

If you can't face walking everywhere, just get off the bus one stop earlier and walk to the next stop when getting on a bus.

Make your own soups - try Saint Delia's recipe for Minestrone to start with, then using the same principles just make your own with whatever veg you have or is in season. I make a batch on a Sunday night and it lasts me through the week.

Drink more water - instead of coffee/tea have a glass of water.

Drink a half-pint of water before every meal - you will get fuller a bit quicker and so want to eat less.

CHEW EVERYTHING properly - it helps break down the food to make digestion in the stomach easier and slows down the speed at which you eat; as it can take 20 minutes for the brain to register you are full, this will also cut back on the amount you eat.

Always eat breakfast - but not a sugary cereal. HAve porridge, weetabix, shredded wheat or sugar free muesli instead.

There are many little changes you can make but the most important change is a big one - if you smoke, STOP.

[natalie_1982]

Also, when you have brekkie as pointed out by BigMac (ironic name there) chop a banana or handful of strawberries or dried fruit onto cereals, and that counts towards your portion of fruit and veg too.

I crave bread, and find it hard to cut out carbs so to compromise I eat wholemeal fresh bread rolls, pitta breads and wraps.

Use fresh veg instead of frozen and stay away from anything prepacked.

[BigMac]

But fresh figs are better than divine!

[Peghead]

Try snacking on seeds and nuts in between meals - seeds can help reduce cholesterol and nuts have loads of good vitamins in them, particularly almonds. All very good for your skin, hair and nails.

If you're looking to lose weight without changing your diet drastically try not to eat later than 7pm - 7.30pm. I tried this and it does actually work. The key is to snack on fruit/veg/seeds/nuts if you get hungry later in the evening.

Also, really important and always underestimated - make sure you get a good nights sleep. It's amazing how much it affects the rest of your body if you're deprived of a few extra hours.

Well done for wanting to make a change in the first place, you may be starting with the small things but it's more than a lot of people do!

[sunflower71]

when walking up stairs, take 2 at a time rather than 1

[Champagne]

Diet:-

1. Vary your healthy lunchtime diet during the week � soup one day, salad another day, jacket potato, pasta salad etc.
2. Swap junk snacks for healthy snacks, e.g. nuts & seeds, fresh fruit or dried fruit (just make sure the dried fruit doesn�t have added sugar).
3. Limit fatty treats (chocolate, bacon, sausages, cheese etc.) to the weekend, but don�t binge.
4. And DON�T write off your entire healthy week just because you cave in, say, on a Monday!

Exercise:-<B/>

1. Don�t drive short distances if you have the time to walk it.
2. Don�t use lifts when a staircase is available.
3. Take up an exercise you know you'll enjoy (badminton, dance, belly dancing, netball/football, kick-boxing etc.) and start off with classes just once a week.

[metagirl]

stop drinking alcohol. drink more water. Take walks during your lunch break. Take a walk after dinner.

[Amara]

For great skin - drink 6-8 glasses of water every day, hot water with lemon is good, but not with a ton of sugar in it. Take a 1000 mg vit C everyday, also Zinc and evening primrose oil can help with skin care. Sandwiches are fine, wholemeal better than white, try to leave out the spread and coleslaw, although a little is fine. Try things like hummus with pitta bread and tomatoes. Tuna and sweetcorn in a flour tortilla. Jacket potato or baked sweet potato with cottage cheese and salad. Smoked mackerel and salad, wholewheat pasta salad. Try to keep fruit for snacks rather than with a meal. Other good snacks are nuts and seeds, and try to have a good breakfast like porridge oats or low sugar muesli.

[searchme]

5 stones overweight v 5 cigs a day.....?

No contest-stop eating, have the ciggies.

[wattifer]

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and evening eat like a pauper and before 6.00pm! Trot when you could walk, drink water instead of other drinks and get plenty of sleep each night. Keep off the fatty foods and have plenty of raw energy foods eg nuts and seeds. Good luck!

[Eve]

I made lots of little changes like switch to skimmed milk and sweetners, low fat spread and oil sprays and get a George forman Grill, second nature to me now.

I started walking back a bus stop
everyday as i had to get the bus to work and soon found i'd happily walk back more than that each morning.

Make sure you get a good night's sleep, try drinking fresh orange or other fruit juice to wake you up first thing and maybe do some yoga and shower before brekkie so you feel all nice and fresh and healthy rather than sluggish and reaching for the coffee and bad things.

[barniclebill]

Have to agree with Searchme! If you really want to get healthy, sell your car or better still donate it to somebody in a country with a crap transport infrastructure that has to walk miles in the scorching heat to reach a water hole. I smoke as much as I like but manage to remain healthy by not being a filthy, polluting car owner and getting to places under my own steam. It also means I can eat what I like and not worry about becoming a fat bloater. Apologies if I have caused any offence but really, some people need to wake up and stop thinking of themselves. The revolution will not be motorised!

[catlavender]

I've just started drinking Pomegranate juice, it's really nice and full of antioxidents.

[mycats]

cat sneaks in and quickly scribbles down all the tips left for Headless Rat

WOW! What a lot of helpful advice! Gonna try them all.