Want to lead a healthier lifestyle & clean up your diet, but overwhelmed & don’t know where to start? I was in the unfortunate position where, due to ill health, I had no option but to clean up my diet! I think it would have been much harder if I was just doing it to lose weight etc. Luckily, I feel so much better health wise having a gluten, sugar, & dairy free diet! Have a read of my easy tips below & see which would be manageable for you! Start slow & small!
1. Reduce sugar – this is a biggie. Sugar is a major contributor to inflammation in the body as well as weight gain, diabetes etc. As well as the obvious sweets, cakes & chocolate, many ready made meals & soups etc also have a lot of added sugar. Be prepared & have lots of alternative healthy snacks to replace the sugary ones! And also be aware you may experience a “sugar detox” & have symptoms such as headaches, nausea, tiredness etc. Try to persevere, it’s just a sign that your body has been overloaded & needs a break from the sugar! I found the I Quit Sugar books & resources & recipes really helpful when I did my first sugar cleanse but there are loads of resources out there.
2. Eat more fruits & veggies – Load up your plate & bulk out your meals with extra veggies & fruit. It will leave you feeling fuller & less likely to snack after meals plus you’ll be getting all those health benefits! Aldi & Lidl are great places to get low prices on a weekly selection of fruit & veg. Why not experiment & try something new!
3. Reduce gluten – even if you’re not coeliac – I promise you will experience a whole host of benefits from reducing your gluten intake – less bloating for one! These days there are a whole host of gluten free alternatives to pasta, bread etc which are really nice (albeit more expensive!). Remember rice is a good naturally gluten free option, so use it when you can to add to meals.
4. Drink more water – & less fizzy, sugary drinks (even diet sodas are full of chemicals & not a good option). You can flavour water with lemon, lime, watermelon, fresh herbs if you don’t like it plain. Even warm water with lemon is a refreshing drink & there is a huge variety of caffeine free herbal teas on the market. Experiment & see if you can find a few new flavours that you really enjoy!
5. Reduce dairy intake – a lot of people don’t actually tolerate dairy products very well but don’t realise it! Excess dairy can cause mucus in our bodies & inflammation. There are tons of healthier plant based alternatives, even for cheese! My favourite milk alternatives are oat, coconut & almond. You can even try making them yourself at home!
