4 Easy Tricks for a Better Diet

    Your body has undergone millennia of evolution and development to achieve it’s highly tuned state of an anatomically modern human, H .s. sapiens. And as a fellow fitness freak in training, you're trying to better your mind and body even further, right?

So why then go and fill it full of junk? Why ‘feed’ your body unwholesome, highly processed, noxious ‘food’?

Instead, you should be filling up on nutrition that your body wants, needs and enjoys. But you know that right?

In this day and age, it’s hard not to be exposed to the world of health, even indirectly. I am sure you have no doubt been told, nae! preached unto, time and time again that getting the right nourishment is important.

Well, here some simple tips to help you achieve this with minimal fuss, and don't worry; I won't even mention tofu or kale!

KISS
Keep it simple, stupid!

    Why fuss over gourmet health meals, when all you need is food in its (almost) natural state? Your body doesn't care whether your veg has been sautéed, steamed, stir-fried, baked, boiled… whatever. It cares about the nutrition it can provide, and what better nutrition than food in its natural state?
We have the simple, good-to-the-core, tasty availability of numerous vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, lean meats, fish and fat-free dairy all at our fingertips in stores today, so keeping it easy and simple is a walk in the park when it comes to all of your main meals.

Have A Plan = Have Some go-to’s!

    In the morning, try some simple oats, some peanut butter (the no added sugar or salt variety, of course) and some honey – all natural sources of energy for your tough day of living! You can add in a scoop of your favourite protein or handful of berries too, for added oomph!

    Snacks include the aforementioned nuts, seeds and fruit – or why not throw in some satiating vegetables like celery, carrot, cucumber sticks? One of my favourites is celery sticks with a peanut butter layer on top (go easy here with the peanut butter, mind), then dot the PB with berries or pistachio kernels. All super portable, various, cheap and damn tasty!

    Lunch is where most people crack and go for the ‘easy’ options like fast food. Well, this is where your planning comes in most useful!
    Try taking a sandwich (with wholesome insides of course), or buy a low-fat-ingredient salad with plenty of raw vegetables and salad leaves, or if you have access to a microwave oven, try bringing a small sweet potato (or yam, to all you ‘murcans!) and  give it 4-5 minutes in there, topped with tuna/mackerel/chicken and your salad for a more filling lunch.

    Dinner, easy! Simply grilled/baked chicken breast with a large helping of veg and greens! Give google its namesake and peruse all of the healthy dinners available for us lazy/tired/broke/can’tcookwon’tcook young and fit folk.

All easy, all simple, all tasty and all nutritious!

HALT

    This tip stems from another of my abbreviations – HALT. It’s simple really, before sauntering over to the fridge, stop and think:

H – Hunger. Is it true hunger, or are you just bored? Or…
A – Anxious. Are you feeling anxious, nervous, depressed about something? It’s called ‘comfort food’   for a reason. Or are you…
L – Lonely. When we are alone, we feel no pressure to eat what we want, food is our company. Are you just lonely? Go out and socialize or recognise that it isn’t right to eat for amusement alone. Or maybe you’re just…
T – Tired. We all need energy, and when we are tired, we often look to calorie-dense foods that seem more appealing at the time than looking to wholesome foods.

    So the next time you find yourself standing in the glorious luminescence that is your fridge light, HALT.

Substitute for Sustenance

    Some easy substitutions can make the difference between a s**t body and a fit body.
It’s easy, just look at some of the more calorie laden things that you eat, like sugar, chips, fries, chocolate, soft drinks, full fat milk, among others, and you'll soon see how easily they are snuck in to your diet without thinking.

·         Unsweetened tea/coffee/cocoa – if you must have sweetener, use a stevia based one, it’s all natural with no harmful chemicals.

·         Skim milk, or 1% milk (or almond/rice/coconut milk) – good for your oats in the morning or in your tea, coffee or cocoa etc.

·         Wholemeal carbohydrates – complex carbohydrates provide longer lasting energy and are ultimately less likely to be stored at fat after metabolizing. So brown pasta, brown bread, brown rice…you get the idea.

·        What about mustard instead of mayo on your sarnie?

·         Buy, or make, your own vegetable chips, or have sweet potato fries instead of the fat laden originals.

·         If you can't resist chocolate, try swapping milk chocolate with a high cocoa content dark chocolate, and limit the amount you eat to around 30 grams – about the size of your thumb!

    So, you get the idea. Stop and think, “Is there any way I can substitute something here with another, more healthy option?”

Your Humble Hand

    Often, portion size control is to blame when it comes to overeating. Here is a trick that utilizes your humble hand as a visual aid in determining portion sizes:

One Cup = Your Fist – a portion the size of your fist is roughly one cup portion of food.
Use for: Vegetables, fruit, salads, drinks, soups etc.

Half Cup = Cupped Hand – a cupped hand of food is roughly half a cup.
Use for: Pasta, rice, cooked vegetables, beans etc.

3 Ounces = Flat Hand – roughly the size (thickness, width and length) of a 3 oz steak of meat/fish.
Use for: steak, chicken, pork, fish.

One Tablespoon = Thumb – thumb sized portion of food is a tablespoon of food.
Use for: peanut butter, dark chocolate, salad dressings etc.

One Teaspoon – Thumb tip – similarly, the tip of your thumb is roughly the size of one teaspoon of food.
Use for: oils, sweetener, chia seeds etc.

                                                                        

Use these tips and why not try find some more to pave your path to success in your fitness goals!

Have a look at the official Australian Dietary Guidelines too!

Good luck!

Dom