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.

How to work out what a ‘healthy diet’ means for you

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If you’re anything like me and you have a slight interest in keeping healthy, you would have done your fair share of reading things about how to adopt a healthy lifestyle. You may even have made some changes to your diet as a result of this… Carbs are the devil sound familiar to anyone?

I’ve spent a lot of time (and in some cases money) following trends, fads, lifestyles in the past… and yes, I’ve seen results. Me and my inner cave girl loved the lean feeling from the Paleo diet for example – you cut out all grains, dairy, starches and legumes, and basically live off the natural protein and vegetables that cavemen would have (the argument being that this type of nutritional approach appeals to our natural genetic makeup). It’s fairly similar to the Harcombe diet which says that sugar is the absolute spawn of Satan and that (good) fat is the way forward (so again, basically, just eat meat and veg). And there are hundreds of other ‘ways of life’ (as in ‘oh hell no, this ain’t another diet, this is a way of life man!’) that undoubtedly have the right kind of reactions and suit an awful lot of people. But not me.

My problem with these different lifestyles is that I just couldn’t make them stick – the extremist in me just couldn’t make it work. So I’d follow the rules religiously for a few months, lose weight and feel good…. but then it would all come crashing down around my feet (my arse that is), as I couldn’t sustain it. There are a number of reasons why, and they all sound like excuses:

• I didn’t have the time or desire to bake my own healthy paleo snacks that didn’t really taste like the things I was actually longing for
• I was doing it on my own with little support except for the online community I’d found
• There were RULES man, RULES. And lots of them. Who wants to follow rules?!
• PMS vs paleo…. PMS wins. Hands down.

I could go on, but you get my drift. And for everyone of my friends who have had some amazing success with other ways of life, man like WeightWatchers, Slimming World and all that jazz, there are other friends who have given up all hope in a point-counting whirlpool of frustration. So I’m guessing I’m not alone.

When I started this nutrition course, I was faced with the Eatwell Plate. The actual nemesis of someone like Dr Zoe Harcombe. It says we should EAT CARBS *GASP*! And, not only that, it makes allowances for foods high in FAT and SUGAR *DOUBLE GASP*!!!! I can’t tell you how this screwed with my mind… I was genuinely torn. I’d just committed to doing a course that went against everything I’ve spent the last few years of my life believing.

But then as I carried on with the course, I think I got it. You only need to watch programmes on TV like Secret Eaters to realise that the majority of the population are incredibly naive when it comes to understanding the basics of healthy eating. And who can blame them, with there being 1,001 uber confusing messages out there. To me, the Eatwell Plate is a classic representation of everything in moderation… it’s a guide. Something to help people understand what moderation looks like, to get people thinking about what ‘healthy’ might mean for them. It’s not asking you to give up entire chunks of your diet. It’s letting you know how much of those chunks is a good/bad thing. For people who can and are able to commit to a more intensive way of life, then that’s great – if it’s working for you and you can stick to it, that’s awesome. But for others who find it difficult to wade through the sea of conflicting messages, moderation is healthier than doing nothing.

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!

Quinoa Peanut Butter Pancakes with Cinnamon and Pear – Best Grain-free Pancakes Ever

I’ve been on the hunt for recipes to trick my body into thinking it’s still in the throes of jolly-holiday overindulgence, whilst actually slowly but surely easing it into a more healthy routine! So these sound awesome to me – I’ll be trying these with coconut milk and rice flour since that’s what I have in the cupboard, and will top them with frozen berries and greek yoghurt. Yum. Thanks Food to Glow!

food to glow

I said on Monday that I wouldn’t be back unless I had some kind of brainwave. I don’t know if this qualifies as a brainwave, but we have just demolished a stack of the best pancakes we have had in ages. And it all started from a pack of something that the health and safety brigade would have chucked in the bin.

Here is how it happened that our near-trash turned into bona fide treasure.

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