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A few of these are totally obvious, but take a minute to really absorb the process and potential results of incorporating these into your daily lives, and it all starts to make sense.
1. Don’t skip breakfast
We’ve heard it all a thousand times before ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ – but let me remind you just why and how it could be the ticket to better health and even shedding some of those Christmas mince pies (I should caveat at this stage that eating a decent breakfast doesn’t give you magical super-powers, but there are definite, proven benefits to eating well in the mornings).
ALSO READ: 5 Brilliant breakfast hacks to ensure you start the day with a healthy spring in your step
2. Avoid processed foods and snacks
This means things with ingredient lists that you can’t read or don’t know, and this includes processed sugars in all their numerous forms. Follow this for long enough, and you’ll find that your body starts to ‘re-calibrate’, the sugar cravings become easier to manage, and you will more than likely find yourself naturally reaching for healthier options instead of junk. Think of it as putting fuel in your car – you wouldn’t put rubbish dirty petrol into the engine and then just hope for the best, would you? Eating processed foods means that our bodies have to send a whole team to take care of breaking down all of those unnatural ingredients when it should be focusing on keeping us healthy and energized.
3. Drink more water
We all know how important good hydration is, but it goes beyond that to curbing cravings and maintaining a healthy weight as well. I like to add a dash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to my drinking water throughout the day – this is good both for our gut and also for keeping the sugar monster at bay.
4. Exercise
Ok, this is ridiculously obvious, but even if it’s a 20-minute walk to reset and refresh after a long day, a little bit goes a long way to boosting your metabolism, calming your thoughts and ensuring better sleep quality.
5. Get off your phone, and prioritise sleep
Studies have shown that being on your phone up to an hour before bedtime can lead to over-stimulation and reduced sleep quality. Get a decent bedtime routine going, make it a ritual that you really prioritize – drinking a warm, soothing herbal tea; reading a real book and using calming essential oils can all go a long way to ensuring the quality of your Zs. Equally, don’t wake up and reach for your phone – scrolling through a dozen different social media feeds is similar for your brain to a dozen people walking into your room and all starting to speak at once just as you wake up. Not a pretty picture, right?
You can also add mindful eating to the list!
Sarah Graham is an award-winning South African food writer and TV cook and loves to prepare simple, honest, good-for-you food. Follow Sarah’s food journey via her blog, Instagram or Facebook.