Some tips (these are simple, and kind of obvious, but sometimes we need refreshers)
1. Cut out carbs, seriously, give them the finger. Pasta, bread, potatoes, rice... be gone.
This leads me to my second point...
2. Things that are white... are generally not good for you: white bread, white pasta, white sugar, white rice, cocaine etc. Just kidding. But really. If you must, rather have the brown version of the white stuff, choose whole wheat stuff, it's just as tasty, but in moderation (fatty boom-sticks). And lentils really are a WHOLE lot nicer than you think they are and there are so many things you can do with them.
3. Green tea, I won't even go into the health benefits, cause I'll be here all day, but the main ones for me: it speeds up your metabolism (making you skinny!) and clears your skin (making you pretty), and lets be real; who doesn't need a little more skinnyness and prettiness in their lives? Try have 2 or 3 cups a day. Or make it in a bottle, mix in some lemon and put it in the freezer, ice tea... voila.
4. Ginger and lemon tea. I have this in the morning, chop up some ginger and put it in the mug, squeeze some lemon in (and if you need a little sweetness in your life then add a bit of honey) and pour hot water over it all. Consume. Bam. Live an extra 500 years. (It's really delicious actually, helps with digestion, clears skin etc etc).
5. Skin. Seriously, at the age of 26, you would think that skin problems would have taken the hint and LEFT. Your skin is a direct reflection of what you eat and what's going on inside your body. Lots of water, lots of herbal teas... and TEA TREE OIl, that stuff is amazing, just put a little on in the morning and at night and drink all the STUFF I've told you about and you'll see such difference.
6. Coconut oil. There are a million uses for this stuff. It basically just makes you really soft and pretty. Your hair, your skin, your nails, your lips. Mix it with sugar and make an exfoliating scrub, leave it in your hair as a treatment, put some in before you go swimming in the sea, it has a natural SPF5, put some on after you shower, you can even cook with it. Coconuts are the bomb. You should go to the Philippines, they have a gazillion of them there (and lots of other incredible things).
7. Green smoothies/juices: try have one a day. Just throw some spinach, kale, carrots, apples and oranges and blend. There are a gazillion other recipes.
8. Cinnamon. I only discovered this recently, but it's really good for stabilizing blood sugar levels, which in turn, makes you lose weight (basically), add it to your oats, in smoothies, in tea. Here's a nice treat: a slice of toasted rye bread, put some peanut butter (without salt or sugar) on top and a bit of honey, top with chopped bananas and sprinkle some cinnamon on top (so treaty)
And basically, sugar is the enemy, remeber this, it's like a DRUG. As delicious as it is, say NO to it. I have the most ridiculously sweet tooth there ever was, so this was (and is) a really hard one for me. There are lots of healthy alternatives and whilst a flax seed and dark chocolate bar is not QUITE the same as a slab of dairy milk, you just have to do it. And although it seems impossible, when you stop eating really sweet things and you do have a healthy treat with a bit of natural sweetness and goodness... it tastes like the most amazing thing there ever was.
Okay, enough preaching. And don't be thinking this means you're not allowed to treat me with chocolates or force a sangria funnel into my mouth, on occassion (because really, don't be ridiculous, of COURSE you are). Moderation, people, that's what it's all about. If, like me, you were born LACKING this gene, you have to work at it.
Now, go forth and be sexy, I mean healthy. Be both.
Amen.
