We can’t escape it can we!  It’s on news stands up and down the country, spilling from supermarket shelves and plopping onto our doormats…its relentless…..the word ‘detox’, synonymous with ‘diet’, must be firmly imprinted on everyone’s brain, steeped into our consciousness and no doubt far too many conversations since New Year’s Day.

But how many people really, truly, honestly…are committed enough to stick with the ‘plan’? After all, we are all human, and with the best intentions in the world, or certainly those made whilst nursing a hangover or wrestling with tight jeans, come day 4 or 5, the novelty of feeling your insides gnaw away because you are so hungry and far too much time indulged on keeping to the ‘plan’, will sure as sure guarantee failure.  Then there’s the guilt and beating yourself up over your weakened disposition and commitment. If this sounds familiar, consider the following tips…. I think you will find them a much more user-friendly and permanent approach to getting back to a healthy weight for YOU and nourishing your body so that you have lots of energy, feel alive and spritely and enjoy good health throughout the year… not just in January!  And for what its worth and to make you feel better….isn’t culinary indulgence a big part of Christmas?  It is in my book so I would expect to feel temporarily porky…but it doesn’t mean I have to follow the ‘plan’…i simply go back to enjoying my food along the following lines…

‏- Boycott all processed/convenient or junk food from the house – it is addictive like tobacco – it will keep you going back for more.
‏- Cram your shopping trolley with as many different varieties of fresh vegetables, some fruits, lean meat, fish, pulses, unsalted nuts & seeds, whole grains, olive/sunflower/linseed oil…..and concoct meals from these – either cooked or uncooked.  (see my pdf. of recipes for numerous ideas).
‏- Do not eat and drink walking along the road.
‏- Eating on the hoof is a no no, because the type of food you can eat like this is usually processed and held together (so you don’t drip it down your front,) with numerous chemicals to make it transportable and scoffable so you may even forget you ate it very soon after!
‏- Always sit down to eat so you acknowledge that you are eating.
‏- Treat your food with respect….it is doing you a great service by providing your body with healthy nutrients to ensure it stays fit and healthy and therefore it deserves to be placed on a china plate and eaten with a knife & fork (unless a sandwich, of course!).
‏- Aim to eat 3 balanced meals a day and only snack if your blood sugar levels really are struggling – if you don’t have hunger pangs, you are not light-headed, clammy, losing concentration, shaky then you can probably go without…..if you feel some/any of these then you probably do need a snack to raise your blood sugar levels.
‏- Take your snacks to work with you or keep to hand (oat cakes, piece of fruit, small pot of unsalted nuts & seeds).
‏- Drink approx. 2L water daily.
‏- Eat with other people as much as possible – mealtimes should be sociable – you will be more aware of what you are eating too!
‏- Exercise regularly.
‏- Don’t waste your money on the latest faddy diet….if it worked, you wouldn’t have shelves full of old ones – would you?