There is no better time to kick start new habits and make healthier choices than the beginning of the new year and post silly season madness – when most people’s health intentions go out the window writes nutritionist Dr Joanna McMillan.
Making the first move toward a healthier lifestyle can be daunting, but eating healthy doesn’t mean you will be starved of delicious food. A balanced lifestyle is achievable with a healthy diet and regular exercise – but it doesn’t mean treats are a thing of the past.
It’s important to understand what food you’re eating and how it affects your body. This is becoming increasingly important as health complications, such as heart disease, are once again on the rise.
To implement lifestyle changes that are healthy, achievable and enjoyable, here’s my advice:
1. Don’t skip breakfast! Start the day the right way. Your first meal affects the rest of your day. Kick things off with a balanced meal that will stabilize your blood sugar and keep you going all morning. Your plate should have a balanced mix of proteins, carbs and dietary fats.
2. A healthy relationship with food affects every other aspect of your life. Food should be seen as fuel for your day. There are variations of ‘a healthy diet’ that suit different body types and outcomes, but as long as you build a lifestyle diet on organic whole foods you’re on the right track. Remember that chronic dieting is a short term fix that doesn’t provide permanent results and will lead you back to square one – sometimes worse.
3. Healthy weight = healthy life! Australians are at higher risk of obesity due to poor lifestyle choices. Eating highly processed foods with a high energy density and near to no nutrients is to blame. This may be because people aren’t educated enough to know the harm of a diet based on processed foods or laziness. We give less priority to mealtimes, we don’t move enough, get poor sleep and/or are stressed to the max. All of these factors affect our weight and our health. For help with this please check out my Get Lean Lifestyle change program at drjoanna.com.au.
4. The best way to look after your heart is through your lifestyle! A healthy cardiovascular system is key to longevity. Your heart is healthy when your blood pressure, cholesterol profile and blood glucose levels are maintainable. An imbalance in your blood can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Beta Heart can help with this. It’s a delicious healthy oats and barley drink especially high in beta-glucan, scientifically proven to reduce LDLcholesterol levels within 6 weeks. * It even helps with blood glucose control, its low GI, has no added sugar and no artificial additives. And it’s super easy to get into your day – just mix with water, milk or add to a smoothie. For a free sample, head to http://www.betaheart.com.au/
5. Alcohol contains more calories than you think. Alcohol is a diuretic and major contributor to our kilojoule intake, increasing risk of health complications. Drinking moderately can come with a wealth of benefits, warding off cognitive and brain function issues. The Mediterranean Diet is a testament to this, including red wine with dinner while excluding excessive or binge drinking at any point. It proves to reduce the risk of heart disease. Aim for a couple of alcohol free days in the week and alternate with water to keep yourself hydrated when you do drink.
6. Keep hydrated. Stay hydrated with the right beverages and be wary of the sugar content. Water is the best way to detoxify your system and make sure you cleanse toxins from the body. Most of us don’t drink enough water daily so remember to replenish water intake throughout the day.
7. Get up and active a few times a week if not every day. Exercise benefits our health tremendously. I know it’s been said before, but it’s important to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Getting active doesn’t always mean spending time in the gym, pick exercises you enjoy. A varied routine is a great way to increase activity in your life and brings tremendous benefits such as increase of life span, lowering risk of heart disease and weight loss.
See Dr Joanna McMillan’s low cholesterol smoothie recipe here
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