Welcome back to this 8 week series on how to start your health journey and become a better version of yourself!
We are saying NO to fitness fads, quick fixes and 'detox' products and YES to long term sustainable and cheap solutions to improve the quality of your LIFE!!
Last week we implemented the habits of drinking a minimum of 2 Litres of water a day and eating breakfast before 9am, plus I uploaded a 15 minute beginner's workout on YouTube for you to follow everyday.
This week we are adding a couple of extra healthy habits on top of these in order to feel even better!!!
WEEK 2
REGULAR MEALS AND MEAL TIMES
As mentioned last week, the body craves consistency with food and to feel 'safe' in the knowledge that you will deliver food consistently, so we need to eat enough food. I advise eating 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. Choose these snacks carefully - snacks are where most people come apart.
For meals we want to divide the plate in 3 - veggies / salad take up one third, carbs (potatoes, rice, pasta) take up one third and protein (chicken, meat, fish, eggs etc) take up the last third.
If you are vegetarian or vegan its really crucial to find a plant based protein which will deliver you a high number grams of protein without matching it with an even higher number of grams of carbs. This is where a lot of vegans / vegetarians make a mistake - eating far too many carbs that have some protein but not enough protein minus the carbs.
Salad and vegetables are important to have with at least 2 meals a day - you can load your plate up with fibrous greens such as broccoli, green beans, sugar snap pees, asparagus, mange tout etc. This will help your digestion and keeping your bowel movements regular and also help you feel fuller for longer.
Snacks we can have fruit, individually wrapped small choc bars, rice cakes with peanut butter of low sugar jam, a protein shake, snack a jacks.Try to steer clear of crisps and packets of biscuits.
WALKING
I recommend getting outside (preferably) for a walk for at least 30-45 minutes everyday. This Is a form of LISS (low intensity stead state cardio) which burns fat, helps improve your cardiovascular health and is not stressful on your joints, like a high impact activity like running can be. Walks are a very good addition to your daily routine!!
WORKOUT
I have uploaded a second, slightly more challenging workout for you this week here: https://youtu.be/wbYk94bSBdQ. Again you can do this workout every day or at least every other day.
So, in summary, so far we are drinking 2 litres water a day, eating 3 meals and 2 heathy snacks a day starting with breakfast before 9am, and walking 30-45 mins a day! You should be feeling better by now, and remember, focus on building these basic habits first, and lets carry on making progress together!!
Join me next week for Week 3 in the series where we will be talking more about what foods to have / not have in your kitchen cupboards and snack hacks!