How to keep healthy - Food Tips

Staying healthy involves lots of things, the main two being exercise and healthy eating, however I've got some tips and tricks to help you along the way as being healthy isn't always as easy as it sounds! I hope these tips come in handy and help you keep healthy.

Tip 1- Snacking
Whether you're a snacker or not, it's important to make sure your snacks are healthy. The occasional packet of crisps won't hurt but just make sure you aren't snacking on them all the time. To help with this you can start putting healthy alternatives on the shopping list (or buy them yourself). Always keeping fruit in sight helps as when you crave a sweet snack you can just grab a piece of fruit!

Tip 2 - Eating Meals
If you struggle with meal portions then one of my best tips is to portion your meal sizes onto smaller plates so it tricks your mind into thinking there is more food on the plate. As well as this put smaller portions on your plate and eat all of that rather than picking little bits from each dish as you will lose track of how much you've eaten.

Tip 3 - Food Labels
Pay attention the labels on your food. In the UK green labels mean that the food you're eating is relatively healthy and high in fibre, whereas red ones mean that the food is high in fat, sugar or saturates. Orange labels are medium and can be found on sauces like Ketchup or BBQ. In order to keep healthy you have to know what you are putting into your body.

Tip 4 - Food Substitutes
Making small changes to your diet are often the most effective, for example if you eat white bread change to whole meal (they taste practically the same!), you can change from white to brown pasta, go from semi-skimmed milk to 1% fat, and lots of other little changes. Often you'll find that the healthier version tastes the same if not nicer than the original. I find that Diet Coke tastes way nicer than Coca Cola, both are not healthy, but still.

Tip 5 - Mealtimes
Never ever skip breakfast. I can't stress enough how important breakfast is. Most people think that it will make them thinner, but it slows your metabolism which means your body will hang onto the fat from the next meal you eat. Breakfast also powers you for the day so without it your body will lack in crucial energy.

Tip 6 - Staying Hydrated
Keeping hydrated is crucial, for our health and skin. It helps our skin by clearing our complexion, basically it helps prevent spots. Drinking water keeps us hydrated, and alcohol can sometimes dehydrate our bodies. Limit your juice intake into no more thank 1 glass a day if not less, the sugar in the juice also damages our teeth.

Tip 7 - Grocery Shopping
Even if your parents still shop for you (like mine) you can still use this tip. When you go shopping ( for groceries) make sure you have eaten food before you go, so you wont' end up buying more than you need. You also won't crave sugary foods as you'll have eaten before hand. This tip also save money!

-Enjoy your LazyDay R xoxo