My thoughts on diets? They rarely work long term and are often detrimental to your physical and mental wellbeing. My primary advice to clients who are wanting to lose weight is never think of eating as a ‘diet’. As a foodie I can’t think of a more miserable way to spend your time on earth – believe me I’ve been there, sat in my lunch-break faced with 1 slice of cheese and ham followed by a low fat yoghurt (some low carb/fat/high protein diet which, of course, didn’t even work!). I may have been a bit slimmer but looked the opposite of good health and food brought me absolutely no joy!
Calories
I know talking about weight can be hugely triggering for some and therefore I find the government’s obesity strategy in introducing calorie counts on menus hugely misguided. Not only does this make eating out less enjoyable but counting calories religiously as a form of managing ones weight can become obsessive. Everyone metabolises calories differently and often the calorie count isn’t accurate so it is far better to focus on nutrients and balance of macros (i.e. your carbs, fat and protein which the body uses for energy).
So how to eat well without dieting/counting calories and still lose or maintain your weight in a healthy way? Here are 5 of my favourite super simple health hacks with weight loss or management in mind.
Move every day
I would firstly look at your lifestyle and decide what kind of exercise you enjoy that you could incorporate into your weekly routine. I’m a naturally active (restless?) person and find it hard to sit still for too long so I love running, boxing and lower impact classes like pilates and yoga (I’ve hyped up Georgie Spurling’s method many times – cleverly this low impact pilates/barre hybrid garners results with minimal sweat). However if you’re just not an exercise type of person or want to gently ease in, walking is extremely underrating, although I would say power walk with purpose to raise your heartbeat and with music, a podcast, or a buddy to make it fun!
Eat more to eat less
Obviously my favourite motto. I absolutely love fruit and vegetables, primarily because treated lovingly they taste AMAZING but also eating a variety everyday (aim for 10) gives you a range of vits and mins, is gold for your gut microbiota and only scratches the surface of your calorific intake p.d. (not that i’m counting but it’s important to remember that we need to consume only the energy that we expend per day to stay at a stable weight). Therefore fill your plate with them – I recommend 50% at least. There are literally dozens of ways to serve vegetables so get creative by roasting, stir-frying and shaving/grating/massaging to serve raw. I love a poke bowl for packing in raw, pickled and cooked veg (see my version with a basil cashew cream here, recipe below). For children and fussy eaters, chopping or grating finely and adding into bologneses and pasta sauces is one the easiest ways to hide them and smoothies as a snack or breakfast are an excellent way of incorporating a few in one burst if short on time.
Never deprive yourself!
Sorry, this doesn’t mean eating chocolate bars all day but finding healthy alternatives for when you’ve got a craving and NEVER going hungry (sad times and when you’re ravenous you’re more likely to eat the first thing you see). For example if I want something sweet mid-afternoon I might have a date with almond butter or a smoothie or for something savoury then small piece of rye toast with hummus and veges or a little bowl of last night’s leftovers. That being said have the chocolate bar occasionally but really relish it instead of wolfing it down! Mindful eating really does help.
Manage your plate-pectations
To avoid overeating over a day, roughly know where you’ll be and what you’ll be eating. For example if I’m going out for dinner I’d have a normal breakfast and a light, balanced lunch so that I can relax and eat to my heart’s content in the evening. Or if you get a big meal sprung on you, just have a lighter day the next day.
Mindful Drinking
I love to drink, good wine makes me happy and much as I envy people who can abstain entirely I think my life would be a little less fun without the odd rosé-filled afternoon in the garden or red wine in a cosy country pub in the winter. But wine sadly does count and it’s frustrating when you’ve been eating well and exercised frequently for this to be sabotaged by a few too many nights out. Therefore, practice ‘mindful drinking’…
1. Hydrate before, hydrate during and hydrate after. Alcohol is a diuretic so always sidecar your drink with a glass of water: this will likely mean you drink less alcohol as often we reach for our wine glass as a reflex or when we’re thirsty.
2. Never drink instead of a meal, making sure to eat a balanced meal during or beforehand (carbs are your friend in this case).
3. Get out of the habit. Aim for 4 days a week (min) alcohol-free.
My Salmon ‘poke’ bowl with brown rice, quick ginger pickled carrot
and a basil, lime cashew cream
If you want to pack more servings of vegetables into your meals then This recipe is like a hug in a bowl for you wellbeing containing over 8 varieties. And Salmon is rich in omega-3 important for cognitive health with the added bonus of being excellent for your skin. Based on a Hawaian poke bowl, i switch the white rice for brown and kept it dairy free with a basil cream made with cashews.
For the salmon
2 ultra fresh salmon fillets, skinned and chopped into bitesize cubes
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp tamari/soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
Mix the last 4 ingredients, stir in the salmon and chill in the fridge for up to an hour.
Kale
In a large pan melt 1 tbsp coconut oil over a low heat. Add in 2 sliced garlic cloves, cook for 30 seconds then add in 2 handfuls of kale. Stir fry for 5 minutes until wilted, adding in 1 tbsp tamari sauce half way. Finish with a squeeze of lime.
Carrot
In a bowl mix 1 tsp honey, pinch of salt, juice of 1 lime and 1 tsp freshly grated ginger.
Add in 2 carrots, finely peeled into ribbons and massage into the liquid. Leave for 15 minutes.
Basil, lime cashew cream
Soak 50g cashew nuts in boiling water for 15 minutes.
Add to a blender with a little of the soaking water and add 1 small bunch of basil, 1 peeled garlic clove, juice of 1 lime, pinch of salt, 1 cm peeled ginger. Blend until smooth, adding a little more water if needed.