Changing your lifestyle, exercise routine and diet overnight to make healthier choices is not an easy feat. It requires a lot of effort and willpower. This is perhaps a bigger reason that prevents people from going for a healthier lifestyle. Thankfully, experts share constant advice on how to be healthy, and it can change your life for good.
Here are some amazing workout and diet tips shared by celebrity chef Zoe Bingley Pullin that would tempt you to change your life for better. Read on and implement as many as you can because adding them is not difficult at all.
Start Small
The first advice shared by the Aussie is that you need to start small while changing your workout and diet as overhauling everything at once won’t be feasible. Small changes like having more vegetables at dinner, drinking some vegetable juice or walking for a few minutes before dinner can go a long way.
Don’t overwhelm yourself and work against your body, instead work with it.
Plan Wisely
It is also a smart idea to plan wisely and know why you are addicted to a bad habit, such as not exercising, overeating sugar, etc. When you know the ‘why’ and succeed in motivating yourself to break a bad habit, then you will get the results you want.
Practice good things until it becomes a habit.
No Shortcuts
Never trust fad diets and juice cleanses that promote quick results because they cut food groups, damage your body and the results are not sustainable anyway.
Avoid Burnouts
Exercising in excess is not a good idea and taking rest in between exercises promotes good health. It is also a wise idea to remember that you might need to wait for a while before the results of a healthy lifestyle start showing up.
Doing so will ensure that you don’t have unrealistic expectations which may lead to losing motivation to keep at it.
Eat Season-Wise
It is also an excellent idea to eat according to the season because it will increase diversity and you will get more nutrition from food. You can easily ask the salespeople at the local supermarket about what’s in season and shop accordingly.
Begin a Food Diary
Start maintaining a food diary as it will help you to keep a record of how you do in a day. It will also guide you in identifying the food triggers like sadness or stress. It can also help you to identify which foods you are not having enough of, at the moment.
When you have a food diary, seeing unhealthy diet patterns will motivate you to improve your diet.
Stick to Veggies
Vegetables have a high number of nutrients and low in energy, so they are perfect for filling up on and helping your body to function optimally. Make sure that you eat half a plate of vegetables at each meal and begin the day with a small vegetable juice.
Have More Fiber
Depending on fiber like oats and chia seeds for breakfast, legumes for lunch and dinner will help your digestive system, make you feel full for long and support a healthy gut. If you snack a lot, then munch on fresh fruit such as pears.
Reduce Alcohol
Alcohol is packed with empty calories, and when you start avoiding it, your health will improve considerably.
Whenever you are tempted to indulge in alcohol, remember that having more than four drinks can lead to consumption of almost 1,000 calories.
Mood-Boosting Foods
Zoe also shared her opinion on mood-boosting foods that you need to add to your diet. She wants you to eat a few foods that contribute to mental health. These are listed below.
Bananas
This delicious snack has amino acid tryptophan that is used to make the chemical serotonin which promotes a feeling of well-being and happiness. It’s also filled with healthy fats, and vitamins B6, A, and C. They all help in the absorption of tryptophan.
Brown Rice
This food is filled with amino acid glutamine, a chemical which builds neurotransmitter GABA that promotes a feeling of focus and calmness. It also makes you feel more alert because it’s a complex carb.
It’s an awesome source of protein and fiber that makes you feel full for longer and helps with digestion. Have it in the morning or during the lunch with fresh fruit and yogurt.
Salmon
It’s a known fact that having foods rich in omega-3 are vital for proper brain function. But people rarely know that it also helps in fighting mood disorders like anxiety. Oily fish like salmon is a perfect source of omega-3 and protein along with being easily digestible, so you can have it anytime you want. Eat it alone or as a part of the salad and see the difference it makes.
Avocados
Avocados have levels of amino acid tyrosine, which is a precursor for dopamine, the neurotransmitter that promotes the feeling of motivation, reward, and pleasure in the body. They are also good sources of omega-3, and folate, that reduces the levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked with depression and anxiety. When levels of homocysteine are low, it may also increase short-term memory.
Spinach
Spinach has loads of magnesium, a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin that can help with calming your body and reduces the feeling of irritability and anxiety. Magnesium also helps you sleep better. It also has zinc, B vitamins, and folate, deficiencies of which may lead to depression.
Featured Image by Zoe Bingley-Pullin / Instagram
