Healthy diet

So you’re ready to get on the healthy eating wagon but don’t know whether there is a healthy diet for you. With so many diet buzzwords like 5:2, Paleo and Maple Syrup flying around, we don’t blame you.

If long-term health is your main priority, then there really is no need to follow a specific ‘diet.’ Instead, it’s as easy as tweaking a few of your eating habits to change your overall approach to food for the better. This way, you can train yourself to make wiser, healthier choices in general, rather than depriving yourself or forcing yourself to eat foods that just don’t excite you – this can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food.

Protein
Protein is essential to anyone’s diet, but especially important if you exercise regularly. From an exercise point of view, it helps your muscles to recover and repair so that you can actually benefit from the hard work you’ve just done. From a healthy eating perspective, it works wonders for keeping you full. A study from the University of Missouri found that a high-protein breakfast strongly supports appetite control throughout the day, curbing your snack cravings.

Leafy greens
You can’t go wrong if your dinner plate is loaded with green veg like kale, spinach and broccoli. Not only are these some of the most nutrient-dense foods out there, but they’re also low in calories yet surprisingly filling. Try to make the bulk of your meals leafy greens, and vary the vegetables you’re eating to get a nutrient hit from across the whole spectrum.

Water
Staying hydrated is one of the most important aspects of a healthy diet, yet often one of the most overlooked. Not only does dehydration make you feel hungry and crave sweet foods thanks to their instant hit of energy (although quickly followed by an energy crash), it’s also needed to keep your metabolism healthy. Remember: the more you exercise, the more you need.

Carbs after training
One of the best exercise nutrition tips out there is to save your higher carb intake for the meal you eat directly after exercise. This helps your body to tap into fat stores for energy during your workout, then replenish any lost glycogen from the muscles with the carbs you eat after training. Avoid any high-GI, refined carbs and sugars totally – like white pasta, potatoes and white rice – and stick to their healthier counterparts. We love quinoa, sweet potatoes  and brown rice.

No booze
We know it might be the last thing you want to hear, but cutting back on alcohol could really make the difference you’ve been looking for. Not only is it packed full of sugars and empty calories, but it also places a ridiculously unnecessary strain on your liver. Aim to keep it as a weekend treat.

Spices
Lay off the ready-made sauces – which tend to be high in salt and sugar – and start using spices to flavour your food. Cayenne pepper is a well-known metabolism booster, while cinnamon is praised for its ability to help stabilise blood sugar levels. Go on, get spicy!