Amanda Griggs is helping to make sure we're beach ready
Now is the time to make changes to our diet if we want to realistically lose weight ready for our summer holidays. So what changes should we be making?
We spoke to Amanda Griggs, celebrity nutritionist and member of the Venus ProTeam, who told us what we should be doing to get our body beach ready.
If you could recommend one change to make to our bad diet, what would it be?
Reduce your intake of sugars and refined products. In general, a diet high in saturated fats, sugar, preservatives, convenience foods, excess alcohol and stimulants can slow down your digestion, affecting your general health and reducing absorption of essential nutrients needed for weight balance, clear and healthy skin, shiny hair and strong nails.
However if you want to focus on improving your skin, the best thing you can do is to keep hydrated. Drinking water is essential in promoting skin circulation at its base. Beyond drinking water, eat fruits and veggies that have high-water content such as melon or cucumber. Taking on board plenty of water also helps the body get rid of toxins, whilst helping to battle tiredness.
We're already thinking about our summer body, what diet tips do you have?
It’s very important to cleanse after the winter. We tend to eat more stodgy foods in winter so it’ll be time to start taking those out of your diet and replacing them with lighter foods. During the kick-off I advise that you cut out all stimulants, alcohol, meat, wheat, dairy, refined and complex carbohydrates, sugar. Eat filling fresh green soups, drink vegetable juice if you wish, fill-up on crunchy salads, vegetables and a little fruit. All these foods require little digestion and together with essential fatty acids in the oils they supply excellent energy, minerals, vitamins, live enzymes and other essential nutrients to keep your blood sugar levels balanced and help break the cycle of cravings. Essential fatty acids are especially important for people suffering from skin problems as they help promote the production of new cells.
What sort of diet should we follow before going on holiday?
Eat lots of fruit and vegetables as these contain lots of antioxidants and vitamin A. The latter is great for protecting the skin, as it helps with the repair of skin damage.
What's your ultimate diet tip?
Hydration! People think they are hungry when they are actually thirsty so water is essential. Start each day with hot water and lemon. I always say that if you can’t manage to eat an apple, you aren’t hungry at all.
To get more tips and advice on how to achieve body balance and to put your questions to the Venus ProTeam visit www.facebook.com/GilletteVenusUK