7 tips to have a happy and HEALTHY Easter holiday

It really does feel like we’ve just gotten over Christmas (just me?) and yet here’s Easter already, come to tempt us with its family holiday treats and goodies! Easter food in my family was always mainly about gorgeously warm hot crossed buns (one a-penny, two a-penny) with butter sinking into them and about the hearty family roast dinner. But I do know that the Easter bunny likes to deposit loads of chocolate eggs – and the supermarket shelves seem to heave with a ridiculous number of choices – and have you seen the SIZE of some of them?!

So chances are, the Easter bunny is going to be ‘forcing’ you to eat a bit more than your fair share of chocolate and other waistline-expanding goodies this long weekend… not to mention the extra tipple or four that is mandatory for celebrating a Bank Holiday! So how can you still enjoy all these vices but still make sure that you’re not straying too far into ‘the land of chubs’? I’ve got a few little tips to help!

1. Don’t buy a heap of chocolate. I know that there are often deals that entice us into spending a small fortune on a mountain of sugary goodness. Sounds simple enough, but if you don’t buy huge amounts, it won’t be in the house and you’re less likely to be sneaking into the kitchen to raid the choc-supply at strange hours.
2. Opt for the healthier kids on the block. Dark chocolate is a tasty treat and, in small quantities, it’s even good for you! Make sure that you’re opting for the 70% plus cocoa content to reap the benefits though. You can also choose cacao chocolate bars from places like The Raw Chocolate Company – cacao is basically the raw, unprocessed version of cocoa and is often mixed with natural sweeteners to make sin-free chocolate goodies! Another one of the new healthier types of chocolate doing the rounds at the moment is the tummy-loving Oh So chocolate – it’s Belgian chocolate with probiotics which are the good bacteria that look after and nurture your gut.
3. Make your own hot cross buns. I’m definitely going to be trying out a recipe for my own healthier homemade hot cross buns… I’m not much of a baker, but I’ve been eyeing out the shop bought versions since they came out (in, like, February??). I’ve spotted this recipe which uses wholemeal spelt flour and oats to pack the buns with fibre, and cuts out refined sugar… sounds right up my street! I’ll keep you posted on progress!
4. Make sure you’re keeping active. Brave the elements and drag everyone out the house! Go for a walk or a hike, organise a football/touch rugby match with your mates, dance til dawn, or get sweaty at the gym… Make sure you EARN those extra calories. And if you have little ones, why not set up an obstacle Easter egg hunt… kind of like Tough Mudder, but with eggs involved – Tough Egger?!
5. Stock up on healthy goods. Ironically, real Easter bunnies tend to prefer carrots, lettuce and foods that are waaaay healthier than chocolate! Make sure that you have lots of fruit out on display, ready for people to snack on. And if you’re cooking a Sunday roast, make sure that you pile your plate with the healthy, colourful vegetables rather than the beige spuds and Yorkshire puds…
6. Don’t beat yourself up. This is all part of family life and you’re allowed to enjoy it! Decide in advance what ‘treat’ you’re going to have and then draw the line at that. Don’t let the guilt send you into a spiral of indulgence. Make your choices and be proud of yourself for sticking to them!
7. Book in for my 4 week Spring Clean programme. Starting just after Easter, on 13 April, I’m running a 4 week Get Lean Spring Clean programme to shed off the layers of winter and help you feel better and brighter – more energy, less sludge and a perfect way to avoid that overindulgence spiral! Find out more info and book your place HERE. Go on, get booking!!

I’d love to hear about your Easter adventures – why not share in the comments box below, or swing by my Facebook page to tell your stories!

Did you know that I’ve also just started a newsletter? You can subscribe to receive the odd healthy morsel from me here.

Making the right choices – 10 motivation-boosting tips to keep you on track

Since my post on the power of social media to motivate your healthy-eating habits, I’ve been doing a bit more reading, thinking and listening about what we really need to do to make permanent changes to our lifestyle. Consistency and staying on track is a massive challenge for most people, mainly because it means we have to change the way we think and behave.

We’ve all been there, right? Going great guns with the healthy habits – eating all the right things (maybe being a little too strict with our eating habits), working out 5 times a week (and not allowing time for other social activities) – and then comes the blow out, you’ve talked yourself into thinking that you deserve a ‘cheat’ meal (which you probably do) but then, in a spectacular tumble off the wagon, you’ve raided the cupboards, eaten an entire box of chocolates, binged on baked goods and resigned your trainers to the fusty gym bag under the bed. Oh, the shame, the guilt! Cue a psychological self-berating, confidence-knocking dressing down. And on top of the feelings of self-hate, you also feel greasy and sludgy inside and decidedly less-sprightly than usual. Blah.
   Image source: muscle-and-brawn.tumbler.com

‘To hell with it, let’s get chubby’ versus ‘Right then, moving on…’

So how do we make sure that we choose the right path at those perilous crossroads?

1. Know where you ultimately want to end up. Set a goal, make it SMART and be realistic. Understand WHY it’s important to you and HOW you’re going to get there. That’s where real behavioural change starts to happen.
2. Track how far you’ve come. Whether that’s through apps like MyFitnessPal, the latest fit gadgets, a pair of ‘thin’ jeans, or photo records. When you’re feeling like giving up, little reminders of your progress can give you a much needed boost.
3. Be aware of potential hazards, things that might throw you off track. Think about how you’ll tackle obstacles like celebrations, social events, cravings etc in advance.
4. Along the same lines, know what your healthy substitutes are for cravings. Crisps are my downfall, so instead I’ll make homemade kale crisps or popcorn. Or I’ll take a tiny little tub of nuts and seeds with me.
5. It’s drummed into us as kids that naughty food = treats/rewards. Getting out of that mindset is tough. But you can start by thinking about healthy ways to reward yourself. So if you’ve reached a milestone on your road to reaching your goal, treat yourself to a pamper session. Or a magazine and a candlelit bath. Or a diamond necklace. Depending on your budget, of course! 😉
6. Surround yourself with positive inspiration, whether it’s following people on social media, reading inspiring stories, using a nutritional adviser or personal trainer, tapping into support groups. Whatever works for you.
7. Commit to a challenge. If you’ve signed up to a 10k run, told your friends about it and paid for it or raised money for charity, then you’re more likely to put the training in to do it. And, when you’ve done it, it’ll give you a massive confidence boost and endorphin rush to add to your positive vibe and healthy glow, man…
8. Mix things up, don’t be a dullard! If you find yourself eating the same things day in, day out and lunch is yet another yawnsville chicken salad, then try something new! And if you’re slipping into a slow plod on the treadmill, join a class, try a new sport, get involved with a running club! Life is too damn short to be mundane.
9. Give yourself time to build a routine. Whether that’s religiously sticking to a Sunday meal prep, getting used to drinking 3 litres of water (and the resulting extra toilet breaks!) or cutting way down on your sugar intake… these things take time. 6-8 weeks, if you believe the science. Stick at it.
10. Give yourself a break. The 80:20 rule is a healthy, happy medium. If you eat healthily for 80% of the time, you can afford to treat yourself for 20%… just don’t take that as an open invitation to eat an entire pack of biscuits! Have one, savour it, put the pack away. Go out for a walk to avoid going back for more. Preferably not past any bakeries. Do yourself a favour, don’t torment yourself!

Socially motivating: getting fitter through Twitter (and other channels!)

For the past week I have been following and getting involved in a little motivating moment of mindfulness via the wonders of social media. And it really got me thinking about the power of social networks in keeping people focused and on track when trying to lead healthy lifestyles.

Hannah Mills, or @wedgesandweights as I know her on Twitter, started a week long #WWPhotoFood challenge on Instagram. The idea was that for one week, you posted pictures of what you ate on a daily basis. So you took a photo of EVERY little morsel that passed your lips. Now to a nosey foodie like myself, this was heaven. I LOVE seeing what other people actually eat. And, to really get in the spirit of things, I thought it was only fair that I shared my food diaries too. Now, I confess, I didn’t do the full week. I came to the challenge late, and had a weekend celebrating my OH’s birthday, so got swept away in the weekend (and was purposefully leaving the phone in the hotel room so we HAD TO TALK TO EACH OTHER… Scary stuff, I know!) But despite that, I found that it still had a great effect. It really made me contemplate every mouthful. Did I really want to take a photo of that… (insert random snacky item here)? And I had already submitted my photos for the day, so I didn’t really need that handful of raisins or that mini chocolate bar, did I? And, jeez, I really do mindlessly pick at bits while I’m prepping dinner or my lunch for the next day… tut, tut Bella! Being consciously more mindful was an eye opener!

Despite the fact that I’m pretty sure that some of my real life friends on Instagram started groaning out loud every time they saw ANOTHER post about the food I put in my mouth, this little experiment really made me think.

I’ve just finished the first module of my nutritional adviser course on the psychology behind motivation and weight loss. So I had a particular interest on the benefit of social media in helping maintain and sustain a healthy lifestyle. People who are trying to make the change to a healthier lifestyle will pass through different psychological stages of change. And even the healthiest of healthy souls will be at risk of relapsing back to the early stages or even failure at some point of their lives. This is where having a toolkit or coping strategy to rely on can make the difference between ‘Bye bye healthy ways’ and ‘whoops, I’ve slipped up, back on it now girl…’ And this is where I think social media, and little challenges like #WWphotofood, online ‘twitter teams’ like #FitTeam14 or #FitFam, or ‘fitspo’ (fit inspiration) accounts on Instagram or Facebook can really help. If you surround yourself with healthy and positive inspiration, it’s more likely to rub off on you, right?

Of course, just following these accounts isn’t enough… At some stage you need to actually get off your ass and do something about it. But for some reason that feels easier when you know that there is an army of other people also spending Sunday cooking up healthy delights in the the kitchen. Or that there are other people dragging their heels about heading out into the rain for a run. More often than not, these people will take time out to cheer you on, give you a virtual pat on the back and (and I’ve actually had this) a ‘COMEONGIRLGETOFFYOURASSANDDOTHIS!!!’ (It worked).

Now obviously if you’re getting this kind of support from your real life friends too, then you’re onto a winner. I have a supportive man in my life (supportive in nature, but draws the line at swapping his real chocolate mousse for one made with avocado instead…), I come from a fit and healthy family and have recently met a great group of people through my bootcamp training sessions. But given that we spend SO much time buried in social media, it’s nice to know I have my social kick up the butt and inspiration when I need it too!

Do you use social media to give you a boost when you’re flagging? As inspiration on what to cook for a healthy dinner? Or as your very own Mr Motivator to get you off the couch? I’d love to hear what your coping strategy is and how you find inspiration to get you through the moments that matter…

Simply wonderful: lessons from my simple eating resolution

So it’s been a full three weeks of my resolution-that’s-not-a-resolution of living life more simply. And while I’m feeling better for it (more in mind than in body if I’m honest – I’ve got the really gross type of snotty lurgy going on that’s unavoidable when you travel on the London Underground!), it’s actually been harder work than I anticipated.

But there have been some brilliant learning from the last few weeks which hopefully you might find useful if you’re looking to make your own simple tweaks! And I’d love for you to share your simple eating hints and tips with me..

1. By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail: Benjamin Franklin once again doles out some super ‘mazing genius advice. And it’s the truest truth I’ve found! Simplifying things take preparation. For the last couple of years, me and my OCD have made a bit of a tradition out of spending Sunday afternoons planning and prepping a week of lunches. But to keep life and meals as simple as possible, I’ve had to do a whole heap more forward thinking. So, Sunday roast becomes carefully orchestrated chilli beef stirfry, salad fillings, sandwiches for my other half. The freezer is stacked with soups for an easy lunch. And frozen berries are a brilliant with Greek yoghurt, made the night before for a breakfast at my desk that makes my colleagues INSANELY jealous. Oh yes!

2. All of this preparation would be ridiculously futile if it wasn’t for the right kind of storage. And I’m not ashamed to admit, I am a Tuppaware geek. My little drawer of plastic pots has blossomed and grown into a cupboard full of brightly coloured wonder. The Sistema range is my current fave, particularly their microwaveable beauties. I have teeny pots for small snacks of nuts, salad pots, the soup and noodle pots for warm lunches on winter days. And my all time favourite, the banana guard… although I will warn you, it has the potential to be a conversation starter and the subject of a few embarrassing questions in the office.

3. Life isn’t simple. Unless you’re super human, it’s almost impossible to be prepared every single day. I’ve found that some of the things that I’ve decided are important to me in my quest for simplification can sometimes conflict… which then leads to complications in my tiny brain! For example, keeping my diet clean and simple is one of my top priorities because it makes me feel good. But another simple priority is to spend time with the people I value most. So when that involves going to a pub for a Sunday less-than-clean lunch that will be oh-so-yummy, with awesome company and a few glasses of wine… then you know what, it’s okay to compromise on one ‘simple’ for another. And interestingly, I’ve just been learning about this in my nutritional diploma; about the psychology behind why some people find it’s impossible to maintain and sustain a healthier way of life. We need to learn to accept the relapses and move on. Hell yeah.

So, it’s Sunday. I’ve had an awesomely simple weekend with the food and friends I love. And I’ve just spent the last hour prepping some bits for the week. As the meerkats would say… SIMPLES.

Have you found a way to make 2014 the year you ass-kick those resolutions?

I think I may have done… I might have just opened a can of whoop-ass this year. Not all by myself, you  understand – there are wiser folk than me out there in the interweb.

The secret…. is to not make resolutions. Ta da!

Come on, you have to admit – how many times have you made a promise to yourself at the start of the new year that you will do something along these lines:
a) give up fatty foods
b) stop drinking alcohol
c) only eat salad for the rest of the year
d) stop sitting on the sofa with your hand down your pants (that one’s for the boys… )

Notice anything in particular that stands out? How ‘resolutions’ have turned into ‘ways to deprive myself and make myself feel like I don’t deserve the things I love’? We turn into those rebellious teenagers all over again and start sneaking things back into our lives whilst giving ourselves a hefty dose of the guilts at the same time for failing to keep true to the thing we SWORE we’d do.

If you’re in that place already, how about a change of tack?

The awesomely inspiring Queen of Free Range Humans, Marianne Cantwell, has a different technique. She suggest that we find one word that sums up what your focus will be for the year. And then remember that word. Etch in your brain. Stick it on your fridge. Doodle it. So whenever you reach a moment over the next year when you might ordinarily make a decision that will lead to you plodding down the path of broken resolutions, you think of the word and what it stands for. And you make a better informed decision.

So this is mine:

SIMPLICITY: Across all areas of my life. 2013 felt like a year of unnecessary complexity at times. Like a whole heap of tangled weeds winding themselves around the things that matter – them bastard weeds got in the way of my relationships, my passion for my career, my feeling of general health and the way I ate. This year, I’m keeping it simple. I know I’m only 3 days into the new year… but I have a good feeling about this. I’m not ‘dieting’ or stopping anything in a restrictive way. I’m just asking myself a question – is this going to make my life simpler and cleaner? Because I know that I crave a simpler existence. So it should hopefully motivate me in a way that resonates.

But, having said all of that, I get that this might not suit everyone. That for some, the first month of a new year is about punishing themselves and, in a semi-50 Shades kind of way, some people like that. So, if you’re looking for ways to boost your motivation to stick to your resolutions, here are the top three tips:

• Make your goals personal or specific to YOU. They’re your resolutions after all. So don’t just say ‘I’m going to eat more healthy food’ – work out the HOW. You’re going to eat more healthy food by spending Sunday afternoons prepping for the week ahead. You’re going to take a 1 litre bottle of water into work and empty it (preferably in your mouth, not down the sink!) before lunch. Choose things that fit with your life.
• Keep track of the good stuff you’re doing to keep your resolution. You’ll need it to motivate yourself as you start to wane. Stuart Amory, legend and founder of #FitTeam on Twitter suggests writing your future self a letter and opening it later in the year to remind you of what you’ve achieved and why you started. Another tip from Mark Raynsford from Look Good Feel Great is to stick memoirs, photos, reminders on a cork board. I’m a girl who loves a bit of stationery, so I’m inclined to write a little note in my oh-so-pretty new diary. (Yes, I still have a paper diary. No, I’m not going to give it up in favour of technology.)
• Treat the hiccups as learning curves and let them happen occasionally! So you caved in and devoured an entire bar of chocolate in one sitting as though your life depended on it. Repeat after me… ‘Sshhhh, it’s okay.’ If you’ve been working hard to stay off the processed food, and you slip up, don’t waste all your effort by shrugging your shoulders and throwing in the towel. GET BACK IN THE GAME. Or, if you know that you have one vice that is going to be a killer, why not allow it to pay a scheduled visit that you plan for by doing a bit more exercise, or cutting out one of your healthy snacks?

I’d love to find out more about your resolutions and the ways you’re planning to keep them. And I’m very excited to be starting my diploma in nutrition later this month, where one of my first courses will be looking at motivation and psychology, so hopefully I’ll be able to share some more inspiration in the coming months to keep us all on track!

HAPPY ASS-KICKING!

Farewell to Zest

Obviously my boyfriend thinks I’m practically perfect in every way (*ahem*) … but if he did have one complaint about me, it would probably be my obsession with health, fitness and food magazines. And I have to admit, it is verging on ridiculous. In drawers, under the bed… there are PILES of them and despite having just had a massive clear out, I’ve still managed to cling on to at least 100 of them.

This week marked the end of an era in health and fitness magazines. Zest magazine announced that it’s January issue would be it’s last. Apparently Hearst Magazines UK has decided that to be strong enough to survive going forward, it needs to shed some excess weight. And given that it has some other pretty successful and notable publications (Women’s Health being their new baby), they’ve made the hard and brave decision to shut down Zest.

To me, this is a massive sign of the times. I’m a die-hard-mag-fan, so it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to wean myself off my habit of flicking pages with a cuppa at the weekend. But now I get to feed (pardon the pun) my food and fitness obsession with tonnes of Twitter tell-alls, billions of foodie bloggers, platefuls of instagram pics, YouTube vids, foodie facts from Facebook, millions of nutritionists and a plethora of PTs (is that the proper collective noun for them? If not, it should be!) sharing their wisdom. So, like newspapers, my beloved magazines need to work harder, both on and offline, to avoid going the way of the dodo.

The thing I love about the social media side of this is that it suddenly makes it a whole lot more personal. Sure, you read someone’s story in a magazine, and that’s fine. But on social media, you’re hearing it from THE ACTUAL PERSON. And you can become a part of it in a way that hasn’t been possible before. I fell in love with Twitter when I discovered #FitTeam11 (as it was then, now it’s #FitTeam13) led by the awesome PT, Stuart Amory. Stu made the brilliant connection between on and offline by starting a #FitTeam roadshow where people from Twitter could get together to workout, share experiences and learn first hand from the PTs they’d been following.

And right now, I’m off to a bootcamp that I found out about on Facebook, before coming home to cook up some bonfire treats that I’ve been collecting from twitter and instagram! Enjoy your Saturday!