Eat a balanced diet
From the Paleo to the Atkins and the 5:2, there are so many diets out there that it can be hard to know what to eat for the best. The short answer is a GL (glycaemic load) diet. This balances out blood sugar levels – something which is even more important when you are over 40 as this is when it becomes harder to shift unwanted weight – and is based around proteins. These include meat and fish, eggs, pulses like beans and also lentils and other vegetarian sources of protein such as tofu. Eating plenty of vegetables, and natural fats (and fat containing foods) like oily fish, nuts and seeds, and avocados are also good for you. When it comes to carbs like bread, pasts and rice, choose wholegrain varieties instead of white – and be mindful of the quantities.
Take care of your liver
One of the biggest factors that affects whether you’re going to lose weight is what’s going on in your liver. The liver is involved in many functions and contributes to, among other things, our ability to use the fats we store as fuel and transform toxins (such as alcohol, caffeine, transfats, refined sugars, synthetic substances) in order to eliminate them. If you want to help your body lose or maintain a healthy weight, make sure your liver works as optimally as possible. Drinking at least six glasses of water a day, reducing caffeine and alcohol, and avoiding sugar and processed foods all help the liver. Also, everything you put on your body is absorbed by the skin so avoid cosmetic products (shampoos, shower gels, lotions) that contain parabens which play havoc with your hormones.
The more you look after yourself, the less you will rely on chocolate (or alcohol) to make you happy.
Get a proper night’s sleep
Sleep and weight are intimately related. If you are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, you are setting yourself up to be hungrier, eat more, weigh more, and have a harder time losing weight. Sleep deprivation (less than seven and a half hours of good slumber a night) causes hormone imbalance: ghrelin (which makes you feel hungry) and leptin (which tells you when you’ve had enough) are majorly disrupted. Lack of sleep also messes with the levels of stress hormones and your body’s sensitivity to insulin, both of which contribute to weight gain. So, after a night of bad sleep, if you feel ravenous, it’s not all in your head, but rather in your hormones. And it’s the carb-heavy, starchy foods that are going to be calling, not the healthy ones.
What are you doing to look after yourself?
Don’t worry, there is no right or wrong. Stress and anxiety not only make you miserable, they can contribute to making you put on weight too – which is why looking after yourself properly is so important for wellbeing. Research shows that people who take time to recharge are more creative, happier and successful. The more you look after yourself, the less you will rely on chocolate (or alcohol) to make you happy. These instant gratifications are short lived and, if you want lasting change, I recommend building in more robust ways of making yourself feel good, such as looking forward to non-food related treats. For instance, choose to spend five minutes relaxing in the fresh air to recharge your batteries rather than grabbing a handful of biscuits.
Ask for help
There’s no need to struggle along on your own. Sometimes even though we know what we should be doing, it’s hard to stay motivated and make changes without support. In clinic, I am used to working with the best private laboratories to provide tests that reveal which hormones are out of sync, so that we can come up with a bespoke nutrition and supplement programme to address your unique needs. My programmes combines both nutrition and lifestyle elements, to give you the best chances of reaching your health goals.
Book your COMPLIMENTARY 30-MINUTE CALL and together we can discuss ways to improve your health and vitality.
