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The Power of Eleven: Eleven Top Tips for Weight Loss
Eleven is the magic number today being 11.11.11, so here are eleven top tips to help you plug into the magic and lose weight.
1. ‘Break the Fast’ and start your day with a good meal. Porridge and wholegrains are in the news today and will give you great slow releasing carbohydrates to fuel you through the morning and help avoid that chocolate biscuit fix at elevensies.
2. Avoid sugary snacks and choose options such as a piece of fruit with a handful of nuts or an oat biscuit with hummus.
3. Cut back on your starchy carbohydrates. Meals packed with pasta, potatoes, biscuits, cake and too much bread can quickly pile on the pounds.
4. Try eating 5 portions of vegetables and two portions of fruit a day. These are packed with nutrients, will fill you up and help you avoid reaching for the more fattening snacks.
5. See if you can break those bad snacking habits. If you always reach for a biscuit or chocolate at a particular time of day, distract yourself, do something else at that time (go for a walk, tidy a drawer) and tell yourself you can have it in half an hour if you still want it. Chances are the moment will have passed!
6. Cut back on your alcohol intake to help do up your trousers! Alcohol is effectively pure sugar and empty calories so can encourage quick weight gain; particularly around the waist.
7. Don’t eat whilst watching the TV. If you are distracted when you eat, you are likely to miss your body signalling that you have had enough and will therefore eat more.
8. Watch your portion size. Try eating off two side plates rather than one large dinner plate, with vegetables/salad on one and your protein on the other.
9. Grate cinnamon on your porridge. Cinnamon can help regulate your blood sugar to moderate the peaks and troughs of energy which can send you running for a sugar hit.
10. Add ginger, spices or mustard to your meals. These are thought to increase your metabolic rate and help burn fat more quickly.
11. Drink more water. We often reach for food when we think we are hungry and are, in fact, really thirsty. Green tea is also a good alternative to black tea or coffee since it is also thought to help burn fat.
Back to school breakfasts
Summer is nearly over, and those of you with children will be preparing to send them back to school. Even more important than the uniform and new crayons is ensuring that they are well fed throughout the day.
Breakfast is the first, and undoubtedly the most important meal of the day, and should aim to combine complex carbohydrates with protein. A good breakfast can help boost your child’s energy, and sustain them through the morning to help with their concentration, learning and behaviour in class.
Porridge is one of the best options since the oats will give them slow-releasing energy though the morning, but if they prefer cereal, look for one that isn’t too sugary such as a granola, muesli or something oat based. Chop apple, pear, berries or bananas and sprinkle some nuts on porridge on cereal for maximum benefit. Natural yoghurt is also a great substitute for milk, supplying both protein and calcium.
If your child prefers toast, try and stick to brown, granary or wholemeal bread, and spread with peanut butter or Marmite, or even a mashed banana.
Try and avoid too much sugar since this can cause rapid peaks and dips in your child’s blood sugar which can affect mood and concentration and cause fatigue. If they insist on fruity jams, try and find one low in sugar or made of natural sugars, and also keep an eye on sugary fruit juice drinks. Look for low sugar fruit juices and try diluting with water to reduce their sugar intake.
If you do have time to cook breakfast, eggs are a great choice. Boil, scramble or poach an egg and serve with granary or wholemeal toast. Grilled mushrooms and tomatoes will also help contribute to their 5 a day. Beans on toast is another quick and easy options which kids love and Heinz do a low sugar variety of baked beans. As before brown, granary or wholemeal bread can help slow down the release of sugar into the bloodstream.
Send them off with a good breakfast and they are more likely to feel satisfied all morning, and far less likely to reach for a sugary snack or drink at break time!
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