10 small steps to improve your health

We are far more likely to succeed in improving our health when we set ourselves small goals rather than doing things like joining the gym and never going. Believe or not, 90% of people who join the gym at New Year leave after three months.

"Small steps are achievable and are easier to fit into your daily routine," says James O. Hill, Ph.D., Director of the Centre for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Centre. "They are less overwhelming than a big, sudden change."

Watch your Weight

Keep an eye on the bathroom scales. Many people put on weight so slowly they don’t notice it until they suddenly realise their clothes are becoming rather tight. If you put an extra few pounds, then make the effort to lose them before your weight becomes an issue.

Fitness Tracker

Buy a fitness tracker to keep track of your walking or running each day. There are many cheap trackers available on the market now. If you’re not particularly fit and healthy start slowly and gradually work your way up to a minimum of 10,000 steps per day.

Remember to replace the fluids and electrolytes you’ve lost through exercise with water and a good source of plant derived minerals.

Don’t Forget to Eat Breakfast

Get your metabolism going in the morning by starting the day with a good, healthy breakfast. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast are more likely to be slimmer and have healthy eating habits. Try soaked teff with fruit or a free range scrambled egg with vegetables.

Food to Avoid

Avoid – (gluten) – wheat, barley, rye and oats
Bottled oils, ( use grass fed cow’s butter instead
Fat free milk, use organic whole cream milk)
Fried foods
Deli meats that contain nitrates/nitrites

A Salad a Day

Have one organic green salad every day with an oil free dressing. This not only fills you up, leaving less room for unhealthy foods it’s also forms part of your five portions of fruit and veg per day.

Trim the Fat off Meat and Poultry

Fat on meat is high in calories and has few beneficial health effects, so buy lean meat or trim the fat off either before you cook the meat or before you eat it. Avoid foods which are labelled low fat as these are often loaded with sugar and other unhealthy ingredients.

Supplements

Consider supplementing with good quality plant derived supplements for optimal health. Our soils are so depleted of the nutrients they once contained, mainly thanks to modern day farming methods, so no amount of eating vegetables will suffice as vegetables get their minerals from the soil. Supplementing with good quality plant derived minerals and vitamins also means you eat less food…remember your body needs quality nutrition and not quantities of food.

Smaller Plates, Bowls and Dishes

If you have a large plate and fill it with food, you’ll probably eat everything that on it. Buy smaller plates to prevent overeating. Your body and mind will probably not notice the difference.

Lose a Little Weight

If you know you are overweight, then plan to lose a little at a time by eating healthily. Set yourself a small realistic goal based on how much weight you want to lose and stick to it.

Keep Track

Keep a food diary so you can keep track of what you’re eating. It’s amazing how we forget the half bar of chocolate we ate on the way the office!