Make eating healthily a habit not a chore
Junk food is everywhere, especially at this time of year. Christmas has passed and the January detox is over. The carb-binge begins: from Valentine’s, Pancake Day and Easter, we are inundated with special events encouraging an opportunity to devour sugary treats. To help us enjoy the festivities without the guilt and with an eye on cost, comfort, taste and convenience, celebrity trainer and owner of Munsterfit (www.munsterfit.com) London’s most exclusive personal training gym, Fabrice “Le Physique” shares his favourite alternatives to tempting junk food.
While we all love a cheesy pizza from the local takeaway, let’s face it, not only does it burn a hole in the pocket but it feeds our love handles. Using a wholemeal ciabatta (for example), sliced in half, with strips of chicken breast, freshly chopped tomatoes and a small amount of grated cheese under the grill can be a tasty, quick and cheap alternative.
It’s a fact of life that working in an office leads to bad food habits with snacking the hardest one to kick. But snacking does not have to be all crisps and chocolate. Of course apples and oranges help, but Fabrice suggests dried fruit to provide the sweetness without the sin.
Switching in wholemeal bread is such a good way to enjoy the best of both worlds. A bagel with low-fat block cheese provides the flavour without the full-fat of cream cheese. Likewise, a pot of Greek yoghurt with strawberries can replace that craving for cheesecake, once in a while.
“Making one small substitution a day can accumulate quickly and sets you on the right path towards a healthier lifestyle,” Fabrice “Le Physique” says. “It’s not about changing your habits overnight, it’s about what you do in the long-term that counts. When people change too much too soon and cut out all the things that they like, it’s natural that they get frustrated quickly and regress. This is counter-productive. You will feel the benefits from the small changes, but what you will not realise is that after a while your habits will change subconsciously. And ideally, your bank balance will thank you too!"
Let’s be honest, we all like to have a break from the healthy eating, forget about the fruit and veg for a while and indulge in something naughty, something sweet and something most likely crammed-packed with calories! If only we could enjoy that something naughty without having to worry about the calories! Fabrice recommends this healthy alternatives:
- Sweet potatoes chips instead of French fries
- Low fat Greek yogurt with strawberries instead of cheesecake
- Homemade wholemeal pizza instead of takeaway pizza
- Almonds and dry fruits (raisins/berries) instead of sweets and chocolate
- Wholemeal bagel with block cheese instead of bagel with soft cream cheese
- Tuna salad sandwich on wholemeal bread without mayo instead of a tuna melt panini
- Baked apple with low fat yogurt instead of apple pie
- 100% fruit juice with soda water instead of cola or fizzy drinks
- Frozen low fat yogurt with honey instead of ice cream