The Christmas parties and gatherings dates are starting to come in – are you ready for them? If not, then it’s time to start your healthy body and skin routine. You’re a month away, so there is still time to trim down a little if you are, or have been, overindulging on those not so healthy snacks and sweets and it may be showing in places you don’t want it to. It’s time to just cut down on those naughty sweet laden treats, limit it to smaller portions and to the weekend only, if you must have a little of the indulgence, like many athletes do. Avoid sugar laden cakes and bakes, check out ingredients on bags and packets of things. If you see sugar at the beginning of the list, that is what there is most of, and if it is near to, or at the end of the list, then it is what there is little of. It is how ingredients have to be labelled, in order of its content, within packaged products.
If you want to look good, then start baking some healthy cakes or foods yourself. Find alternative ways of making things. Instead of using granulated sugar, use a different type of natural sweetener, like fructose, honey or coconut sugar; these will sustain energy levels better. Switch from using butter to olive oil instead in cakes – it is surprising in taste – and from full fat milk to fat free yoghurt or low fat quark. These are far healthier for you, but they are still cakes, meaning you shouldn’t eat the whole cake by yourself in one sitting!
Greek food is of course full of taste and we don’t want to lose or miss out completely, so just adapt some of those fantastic recipes a little, and with the right switching of ingredients, you will still enjoy them. A simple switch is to use skimmed milk, fat free yoghurt, quark, some mature reduced fat cheese like cheddar, Halloumi, feta. This works well, and will be better for many who have to watch their cholesterol levels or have other dietary requirements.
Another way to cut down on the absorption of all the full fats is to part boil things first, especially those that require a lot of oil to fry when cooking, such as aubergines, courgettes and potatoes. A simple technique that makes a big difference in the outcome of how much fat is actually then used in cooking.
When eating meat and poultry, go for the leaner cuts and avoid the fatty parts as much as possible. If using minced beef, lamb or turkey, make it the lean beef or other minced cuts, they even tell you the percentage now. All are readily available at supermarket stores so there are no excuses.
Next step is to step up that exercise a little. Walk or move whenever possible, at home or out, don’t just slumber on the couch. Find things to do that keep you moving, put on some music and dance around, decorate, do some garden/manual work, get out to a park for a brisk walk, or go to a gym. Just find some form of activity that will increase your heart rate and burn off some energy.
So let’s think of some winter activities – apart from brisk walks that will get your body moving enough to make a difference, you can also try dancing, kickboxing, boxing, squash, swimming, table tennis, roller skating, ice skating, climbing, skiing, horse riding or gymnastics. These are just some ideas to get you moving, but I am sure there is something there for everyone. Going to gym you will find equipment that simulates many of the sports, so even if you can’t do the real thing, it helps to work on the movements and techniques of the original sport.
If you can’t get to the gym, then make time to do something at home. There are no excuses especially with the amount of TV and online programs available. You can work out with experienced instructors and follow their skills to get a great physique if you just dedicate yourself to doing so.
When I train people or even myself, I can see great change and results with just three weeks. Three weeks of training can be the difference between winning or losing a competition. So don’t waste time, get working on it now.
Train right and eat right for just a few weeks, and see the transformed amazing new you. You will not only look better, but you will actually feel better.
Less granulated sugar will give you much better long term sustained energy, as sugar gives a quick burst of energy and then soon after a quick drop of energy, whereas natural sugars like fructose (fruit sugar) gives a quick burst of energy and then a gradual slow decline of energy. You will feel less sluggish and more full of dynamic energy. Your teeth will also benefit from the less intake of sugar.
Get fit and feel great!
Love and Sparkles
Samsara x
