Are you confused with all the nutritional information out there and just don't know what to believe anymore?

And do you find you have tried to lose weight be healthy and keep on track, only to be let down and go back to the same foods that let you down in the first place?

The truth is long term healthy eating isn't an overnight fix. It is not just one thing or one exercise that leads you to your goal. But, by making small changes, including changes to your mind set, eventually become habits that lead to part of your everyday life. That is a better way to reach your goals more effectively and leaves you feeling satisfied, happy and more energised.

Healthy journey.

But how, when and where to start?

My health journey started 10 years ago when I moved to the Northern Rivers. As I embraced a new way of life, changes were simple to make, such as walking everyday and cutting certain foods out of my diet. The key is to have a positive mind, establish goals and understand why you want to make a change in the first place.

So, here I have made a list for you that feature 10 healthy habits that will help inspire you to move forward in your health journey.

10 Healthy habits to explore:

1. Being snack organised.

If you prepare your snacks ahead of time, for example having fresh fruit, yoghurt and nuts on hand, it is a sure way to know that you are making a grab for these items first instead of discretionary choices, especially when you are hungry.

2. Snack healthy:

Healthy snack ideas can sometimes be tiring, especially if you tend to eat the same foods day in and day out and get bored easily. But, now is time to think of snacking outside the square. For instance, a boiled egg or a tin of tuna makes a great snack. Why? Because they are protein rich that keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Other examples include, chia seed pudding, protein balls, nuts, chopped up veggies or a salad (A bonus that add to your 5 serves of veggies a day), fruit, cheese, Ryvita crisp bread with avocado, ricotta or cottage cheese, dried fruits, plain Greek yoghurt, a small cob of corn, a small serve of chicken breast without skin and cherry tomatoes.

3: Ditch the Fad diet.

Fad diets are just that, a crazy messed up strict way of eating and a way to scam money from you. They are usually developed by celebrities or people in the media that promise their weight loss journey or secrets to staying slim, are methods of restricted eating and eliminating whole food groups. They deliver their promise with an array of benefits, such as dropping a huge amount of weight over a few weeks (which by the way is not healthy at all), getting that bikini body you have always wanted and keeping the weight off for life. These methods not only set you up for failure, as they are not sustainable, but are robbing you of important vitamins and minerals that are essential for good health. My tip is “If something sounds too good to be true, then it usually means it is.

4. Consume proteins:

Having a good source of protein at each meal of the day helps you feel fuller for longer (meaning you will snack less) and helps with various bodily functions, such as muscle growth and repair, boosting your immune function and produces and facilitates hormones.

What are proteins? They are made up of amino acids that are classified as either essential (only supplied by the diet) and non-essential (that can be made within the body). A complete protein contains all 9 essential amino acids and come from animal sources of proteins such as fish, lean meats, eggs and dairy. An in-complete protein contains only some of the essential amino acids and they are sourced from plant foods such as from whole grain and legumes. For example, grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, beans and leafy greens.

5. Swap to wholegrains:

Wholegrains are superior when compared to their white counterparts, as they are packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre. This is better for you and promotes overall good health. But, swapping grains may be hard for some, especially if you have grown up with them and love them. So, this transition needs to be taken slowly as it won’t happen overnight. For instance, setting a goal to do it gradually over a couple of weeks/ months and changing your mindset will be more sustainable. For example, making a sandwich with one slice wholemeal and one slice white. Or, mixing your white and brown rice together. Thus, you get used to new textures or flavours overtime and can progressively decrease the white grains from your diet.

6. Know your fats:

Fats are not the enemy. In fact, when consuming the right type of fat, they are healthy. So, what is the right type of fat? Unsaturated fats are what you want to be consuming. Why? They offer a protective factor regarding cell membranes (walls) found in every part of our body and protects us from every day invaders, such as from bacteria and viruses. In addition, fat builds and maintains a healthy brain. Examples of unsaturated fats include, lean cuts of meat, low fat dairy, like a lite or skim milk and cheeses like, ricotta, feta or cottage. And with yoghurt, I tend to buy Plain Greek yoghurt or one that is low in fat (not diet yoghurt) but also very low in sugar. Other examples of unsaturated fats include, nuts, seeds, avocado and oily fish like salmon and anchovies.

7. Know your legumes:

What are legumes? I hear you say. Legumes (also known as pulses) are a group of plant foods that contain various nutrients that are beneficial to health. In addition, they are very economical being cheap to buy especially if you are watching your budget. Legumes are high in fibre which keeps our bowels healthy and are also a good source of soluble fibre which can help lower blood cholesterol. Furthermore, they are Low GI, meaning they are broken down slowly, so you feel fuller for longer. This makes them a particularly good food for preventing and or managing diabetes. Legumes are also made up of proteins which is why they are ideal to vegetarian and vegan dishes.

An example of legumes are chickpeas, lentils, beans like butter, kidney, red, black and cannellini, split peas and yellow peas (the list is endless).

8.Practice mindful eating

Mindful eating is engaging and paying full attention to the experience of eating and drinking. For example, the colours, smells, textures, flavours, sounds “crunch” and the temperature of food. Moreover, you are aware of how food makes you feel and the experience of how it feels in your mouth and in your stomach. But how do you do this? First you have to eliminate the distractions in your environment, such as turning off the TV, closing the computer or book and putting your phone somewhere where it is not easily reached. This gives you more of a chance to be in the moment whilst eating. It also gives you the opportunity to listen to your internal messages, ask yourself how the food is making you feel? Are you feeling full? Almost full? satisfied, contentment, not really enjoying the food or unsatisfied? When you answer these questions, you will have the green, amber or red light to direct you in how you want to finish the journey. Will you continue eating? Or will you stop?

Being mindful helps our brain and our gut connect and talk to each other. But when you brain is distracted, like when you’re looking at the phone, you may miss the message when you are almost full. So, it’s a good idea to always be attentive whilst eating. As this is the key to stop us from overeating.

9. Watching portion sizes.

With servings sizes in cafes, takeaways and restaurants increasing it can be hard to distinguish what a healthy portion of food looks like. In addition, it has become normal to order the super or jumbo size and or grab the biggest plate to load up your food. However, simple solutions to help manage portion sizes is to swap back to a side plate, small bowls and use smaller utensils. In addition, dividing your plate into segments of ¼ protein, ¼ carbohydrate and ½ plate free vegetables (meaning free of carbohydrates) and watching out for hidden dressings and sauces that contain high amount of sugars and fats that can contribute to your overall calorie intake. You are looking for low fat sauces or dressing but no more than a tablespoon.

10. Exercise

All kinds of physical activity are of benefit to your general health and wellbeing. This can be as simple as taking a power walk, cleaning the house, washing the car or taking the stairs at work. Just as long as you can get your heart rate up. Exercise is beneficial for helping you lose some weight, but regular physical activity increases your chances of maintaining weight loss.

If you are new to exercise or you need to do is start off small, with just a few minutes of exercise at a time. As any exercise is better than none, and this slowly gets you used to being active. In addition, if it's more convenient for you, you can do short spurts of activity like 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there, such as during your lunch hour, before work or in the afternoons. Every action by itself may not seem like much, but they all add up. Your mission is to work up to at least 30 minutes on most days of the week to get the full benefits from exercise.

If you are wanting to improve your health and well-being you can send me an email or give me a call. I am only too happy to help by offering simple suggestions on food and giving simple swap ideas.

If you are wanting a nutritional consult or meal plan written up or would like to do a workshop on MACROS do not hesitate to send me a message and I can arrange this for you today. I can also do Skype calls and am mobile to come and see you.

My eating philosophy is all about balance and creating long term healthy habits focusing on practical strategies for modern, busy people that encompasses variety and moderation.

10 healthy eating tips from a nutritionist.