Well we have made it through the first week of the new year and I hope it has been an enjoyable one for you with not too many privations! We each begin the new year with high hopes and fine ideals, to change our lifestyles, but honestly, how many of us actually see these through the whole year?
As my guru Mary Poppins would say....'well begun is half done'..... so instead of launching ourselves 'cold turkey' into new regimes which are just too much of a shock to our delicate systems, why don't we try and make one small change each week, and who knows, maybe these changes can become a way of life more successfully.
First on the agenda is always addressing what we eat, and after the excesses of the season we are laden with guilt and a few extra pounds!, but this year I am not going to mention the dreaded 'D' word!
Without fail, each year beginning brings a renewed determination to change ones eating habits and frankly I'm quite bored with it all because after a few well behaved weeks in which we are totally miserable but just won't admit it, we realise that these habits are unsustainable and it's back to business as usual!
So let's try a different approach. Instead of attempting another new extreme fad why not change a few simple things about your eating style. For example...how many times a week to you have a takeaway or fast food? come on now, tell the truth!...one?...two? more than two? and if so why is that? ....If the answer is you don't have time to cook, well then maybe you can think of ways to organise yourself a bit better so you will have the time.
There are so many meals that can be made in batches and frozen, or even kept in the fridge for a few days, that there is no excuse for not cooking and eating real food at home, and really, how much time does it take to put together a healthy yet hearty salad, or a tasty stew or stir fry, especially when you can buy everything already prepared from the supermarket. Meat etc. can be bought already minced or diced, vegetables can be bought peeled and shredded or diced.....I even saw chopped onions for sale the other day...how great is that!
You will also find that home cooked meals are more satisfying, not only from the pleasure and feeling of accomplishment you get, but they do keep you fuller for longer as they contain more of those vital nutrients which the high processing of junk foods strips away.
Cooking your own food also makes you more aware of exactly what you are eating. Fast foods, pre-prepared meals, and processed foods have many hidden dangers lurking in the form of excess unhealthy fats, salts, and sugars. If you are cooking at home you know what you are adding to your food and can make conscious decisions to maybe not add more salt to your meal or to add some extra vegetables which you can easily see are missing as part of your balanced meal.
So take a look at what you eat and think about what little changes you can make to improve your eating and cooking habits, and after a while you might be surprised at the other little changes you begin to notice!