Forget New Years Detox Programs. Do these 7 things instead!

Forget New Years Detox Programs. Do these 7 things instead!

It’s that time of year…. The combination of the festive season aftermath and new years resolutions will drive many of us to try one “detox” or another. Whether it’s shakes, juice fasts, online programs or an combination of all three, every second health coach and “wellness guru” on the internet seems to be spruiking one program or another. Before you pay you hard-earned money to be really, REALLY hungry (and tired and headachy!) for a week or so, check out my list of 7 things to do instead!

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Get Carb Smart!

Get Carb Smart!

Carbs are one of the most contentious topics in nutrition. My position when it comes to carbs is that instead of cutting right down on carbs, we need to get smart about carbs. This means knowing how to sort the healthy from the unhealthy, and how much is the right amount for you. Read on for my top tips to help you get Carb Smart!

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What You NEED To Know About Salt!

What You NEED To Know About Salt!

My nutrition and health coaching clients know that I'm constantly looking for small, simple changes that will pay high dividends in terms of energy, vitality, health and longevity. And this one is a no-brainer: YOU NEED TO WATCH YOUR SALT INTAKE! This one simple (but not necessarily easy!) health tip could literally - LITERALLY! - save your life. Or save you from the trauma of experiencing a catastrophic health crisis in the best years of your life. And no, I'm not being unnecessarily melodramatic. Here's why:

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Eat and Enjoy Fruit!

Eat and Enjoy Fruit!

I'm climbing up on my soapbox today because far too many "wellness gurus" out there are demonising fruit due to the fructose it contains, and advising people to cut it out. Or telling you which fruits are "good" and "bad" according to how much fructose they contain.
There are legitimate concerns about the prevalence of High Fructose Corn Syrup in soft drinks and processed foods, and the stress this can place on our body as it tries to metabolise it.
But cutting out fruit - or demonising certain fruits that are higher in natural fructose - is absolute madness. 

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Forget Superfoods! Think SuperDiet and SuperLifestyle!

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What am I talking about??

Well, the fact is that adding one "super" food into an average diet is unlikely to significantly improve your wellbeing or add many years to your life. And sadly, many of the "superfoods" that consumers pay top dollar for, are not the nutritional powerhouses they are marketed as... 

The research in nutrition science is really starting to come together, and one of the most powerful messages from decades of scientific investigation is that it is the quality of our overall dietary pattern over many years that is the biggest determinant of our health. 

No single food or nutrient is a “magic bullet”. Especially if the quality of your overall diet leaves room for improvement! We need to eat a balanced varied diet to get an array of macro- and micronutrients to feed our cells and fuel all of the physiological processed going on inside our miraculous bodies!

So when it comes to nutrition, rather than individual superfoods, I like to focus on eating a "superdiet" featuring a wide range of minimally-processed, nutrient-dense foods each week, with a big emphasis on a rainbow of fresh veggies and fruits, appropriate amounts of protein, heathy fats and complex carbs for my physiological needs. 

And if you REALLY want to be a health-ninja, I highly recommend you broaden your focus to include all of the elements of a "super lifestyle": healthy movement, stress-reduction, mindfulness, sleep and cultivating good relationships. To dig into the lifestyle determinants of good health check out THIS POST.

Just sayin'!