Lifestyler with Josie McKenlay - Top tips for better general health

Josie McKenlay 07:54 09/06/2016
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Stay in shape: lifestyle tips.

    Even if you surrounded yourself with an army of experts – dieticians, nutritionists, personal trainers – you will still fall short of long-term health and fitness goals.

    It’s not a lack of knowledge that hampers people, but rather a life-long lifestyle plan, motivation and self-discipline.

    You need look no further that what you learned in science at school to know what a healthy diet is. An annoying digestive problem can often be remedied by taking some serious exercise and cleaning up your diet rather than the cause being a food allergy/intolerance.

    Here are my top tips to have a better relationship with your health:

    1. Plan a menu:

    Spend half an hour each week planning a menu for the following seven days. This will avoid ordering takeaways. Even if you don’t buy all the food in one go or can’t prepare meals in advance, you will have a properly ordered shopping list so that you know which meals you will be eating and what ingredients you will require. It avoids wasting food too.

    2. Clear out your kitchen cupboards:

    Simply don’t keep high calorie, low nutrition foods in the house. There’s not one family member who needs them and it teaches children bad habits as well apart from being a temptation.

    3. Smoothie ingredients:

    Keep plain yoghurt and small cartons of soya/almond milk in the fridge and fruits and greens in the freezer so that if you do want a snack, it’s a healthy one. This is a great way to ensure that you have a nutritious, filling breakfast too.

    4. Schedule workouts:

    I’ve always insisted that clients book a month or a set number of sessions in advance. Firstly, they are less likely to miss because they have paid for them. Secondly, they will have spent some time ensuring that the times they have picked are available and in the diary just like any other appointment. It makes the workouts more meaningful and you can put together a plan so that you achieve goals rather than simply turning up randomly when you have time which is often sporadic and provides few meaningful results.

    5. Get on your mat:

    Even if you don’t feel like a workout, you will be surprised at how just putting on your workout gear, getting on your mat and doing a few stretches can turn into a very effective workout. The same goes for a run/cycle. Just put your shoes on and start slow – once you’ve warmed up you will soon get into it.

    6. Avoid snacking:

    I know it’s popular advice, but snacking is a bad idea for a number of reasons: firstly, unless you read labels you will be surprised at how many so-called “healthy” snacks are full of sugar and calories.

    Secondly, even healthy snacks can add up in calories – a banana and a handful of nuts is around 250 calories, almost as many as in a meal consisting of a fillet of fish, portion of steamed vegetables and a small baked potato.

    Thirdly, you forget what it feels like to be hungry, which is the signal to eat. Ensure that you have time in the morning for a decent breakfast, plan a sufficient lunch and dinner, all meals spaced out in a balanced way and you will find that you actually won’t get hungry between meals unless you have been very physically active.

    Recommended