Healthy Diet for Summer

Need to change eating habits-Immediately 

Since summer is getting closer and closer, i realized i have to do something for my cellulite... Yes, i suffer from it as many mediterranean women as well. I am working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and while i'm at the office i can't eat healthy AT ALL. Either because my colleagues order junk food and they drag me into this or simply because i never take homemade food, so i end up eating unhealthy snacks..

I did a small research and i decided that... NO more junk food. NO more cookies and sweets. From now on only fruits, vegetables and snacks that provide energy and not just good taste for a couple of minutes...

I made a list with what i need to buy from the Super Market. 

Blueberries

Blackberries

Grapes

Oranges

Strawberries

Rasberries

Cranberries

Apples (i like to eat them with a little honey and springle cinnamon on top)

Bell peppers

Carrots

Almonds/Nuts (Avoid salted or sugary nuts and refried beans)

Pumpkin Seeds

Cereal

Raisins

Salmon

Chicken 

At the moment i have right next to me a box of chocolate cookies. Before i started writing this post i opened it and ate the first one but i won't eat anymore because from now on ONLY healthy snacks/foods are allowed to enter my system PERIOD.

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, stabilizing your mood, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible– all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you. You can expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a tasty, healthy diet.

WATER. Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many people go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. We need to drink about 1.2 litres of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated. If you find this helpful, i like to keep next to me a plastic cup with a straw ( hard plastic cups with screw-on caps, starbucks type) and fill them with cold water and ice or homemade iced tea. Avoid sugary soft fizzy drinks. I don

EXERCISE. Find something active that you like to do (dancing, running, swimming) and add it to your day, just like you would add healthy greens, blueberries, or salmon. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.

Well. If you had this partner i bet you would do anything and not just dancing. (lol)

Some people (including me) can't exercise without motivation. This is how i motivate myself. 

• Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you.

• It motivates me to read fitness magazines. Not sure why, but it works.

• I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into running, exercising, or losing weight (even though i don't need to lose any weight). It can show the ups and downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences.

• Wanna look good in a smaller size? Work out!

• Wound up after a long day at the office? Get out and work off that stress. It makes a world of difference.

•  Have a working out buddy! 

• You often don’t realize how far you’ve come. So take pictures. It helps a lot to see the before and after!

• Set a goal for weight, or your waist measurement, or a number of days to work out, or a number of miles to run this week. Setting and tracking a goal helps motivate you to complete that goal. Make it easily achievable.

• Put pictures of bodies with abs etc that you really like on your fridge so whenever you are about to eat something unhealthy, look at the picture and get discouraged! 

I need to work out a lot to get to this result!

Amazing abs

EAT BREAKFAST, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. I never did this because in the morning i was feeling too sleepy to eat, but lately i've been eating and it makes me feel more energetic and happy! A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going. 

AVOID.

SUGAR.Sugar causes energy ups and downs and can add to health and weight problems. Large amounts of added sugar can be hidden in foods such as bread, canned soups and vegetables, pasta sauce, margarine, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, fast food, soy sauce, and ketchup. 

• Avoid sugary drinks. One 12-oz soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it, more than the daily recommended limit! Try sparkling water with lemon or a splash of fruit juice. 

• Eat naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or natural peanut butter to satisfy your sweet tooth.

SALT. Most of us consume too much salt in our diets. Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and lead to other health problems. Try to limit sodium intake to 1,500 to 2,300 mg per day, the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt. This can be very tricky as i really like eating salty snacks but i guess i'll have to work on it!

OTHER TIPS

Eat the right number of calories for how active you are, so that you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use. The average woman needs 2,000 calories.