How can I lose weight and feel good too?

In my teens I was convinced I would be happy if I was skinny, happiness was wrapped up in another body that I had yet to attain. I was forever trying to eat less to the point that my blood sugars were low, and I was so hungry that I would crave high sugar foods.

I did not understand these things and was stuck in a vicious circle of not eating then eating too much. After trying numerous crash diets, well known and not so, I decided that diets just didn't work for me and that I had to work on my mindset first. However even in my twenties whilst slowly losing nearly 3 stone over a period of two years, I was still convinced that it was all about eating less, and my energy levels and moods would dip (really it was like a roller coaster!). Of course losing weight and achieving your goals is fantastic, the complements from friends are wonderful and the new clothes (such a great feeling), however achieving that weight loss is not a magic happy pill.

Embarking on a bachelor of Science degree in Food and Nutrition, I decided I wanted to learn more about nutrients and eating for wellness. It was such a fantastic journey and thinking of food as medicine was a completely new idea to me (but so true!).

There are so many diets and ways of eating and just because your friend or a celebrity eats a certain way, that does not mean that it will work for you. We are all so different and our dietary habits change as we age. I think the goals change too, reducing the risks of cancers, illness, looking younger, having energy and feeling healthy become the aims. 

Remember healthy weight and the number on the scales are just a side effect of eating for true wellness!

How do you know you are not eating the right foods for you? Do you feel well, or do you feel tired? Eating food should give you energy and make you feel well, happy and healthy. Feeling bloated and tired should not be a normal state of being.

However it is not easy to know which foods to eat. What is being marketed as healthy, is not always as good for us as it should be e.g. a low fat yoghurt generally contains high levels of sugar, also the amount of conflicting information and studies makes it difficult to know what to do for the best. 

Believe me slaving over a hot cooker is not my idea of fun. I love to prepare and cook easy quick healthy meals, and you can cook from scratch using spices in the same amount of time as you can open a jar of sauce. So please feel free to try out the recipes we post and have a look at the blog list for other recipe websites (if you haven't done so already, subscribe by adding your email on the bottom of our home page and we will send you a free food plan with recipes and a shopping list).

10 Tips to eating for wellness

1. Read food labels -  Avoid foods which contain over 5g per 100g of sugar (Opt for full fat greek yoghurt - yes full fat your body and brain need it).
2. Aim to eat naturally 90% of the time - this means avoiding processed foods (subscribe by email for the free food plan for recipe ideas).
3. Do not drink with your meals - this dilutes the digestive enzymes and causes bloating. 
4. Eat 3-5 different types of vegetables each day and no more than 2 pieces of fruit. (Also avoid fruit juices - the fructose levels are very high).
5. Eat no more than 2 slices of bread (choose wholemeal/Rye/spelt if possible) per day.
6. Swap pasta for brown rice, quinoa or amaranth - remember a portion should be the size of your fist.
7. Drink lots of water - being hydrated will show in your skin, energy levels and concentration. Every cell in your body requires water (approximately 2 litres/6 glasses per day - fruit and herbal teas can be included in this).
8. If you like coffee or tea, limit this to maximum two cups per day.
9. Give your taste buds time and try different textures, sometimes when you try foods for the first time the taste is so different you think you are unable to eat them. Especially if your typical diet includes high carbohydrate foods.
10. Use chilli, black pepper, garlic and trial different spices and herbs to flavour foods.

Remember it is a journey to find the best way of eating for you, so enjoy experimenting and be good to yourself.

Enjoy life!

Kelly x