As we hurtle towards the start of another New Year, knee-deep in festive indulgences, the words diet and detox get bandied around as we all vow with sincerity to change our ways come January. However, contrary to the common belief, taking on a new health regime doesn’t need to be about calorie restriction or hunger (cue collective sigh of relief!). Rather, it’s about making smart switches to your existing diet. So this New Year, try to forget the usual list of “can’t haves” (these sort of resolutions will always fail), and instead focus on packing your diet with some of these wonderful nutrient-packed foods.
1. Swap normal meat for grass-fed, organic meat
When it comes to meat, your mantra should be ‘quality, not quantity’. Try and visit your local butcher as often as you can, and choose organic, grass-fed meat as much as possible.
The benefits? Less saturated fat, fewer calories, higher levels of brain-boosting omega-3 fats (between 2 and 5 times more than grain-fed meat!) and more nutrients including vitamin E, beta-carotene, potassium, iron and zinc. It’s a no brainer.
2. Swap store-bought dressings for homemade
So many ready-made salads come with dressings that are packed with preservatives, sugar (yes, really) and a number of unpronounceable ingredients that give them that synthetic ‘shop-bought’ taste.
Ditch the dressing pot, and drizzle your greens with extra virgin olive oil (you can even keep a bottle in your desk drawer!). It’s absolutely loaded with skin-healthy fats.
3. Swap pasta for courgetti
A revolutionary way to lower your carb and sugar intake without feeling like you’re making a sacrifice! Quick and easy to make, all you need is a basic julienne peeler to ribbon your courgette into spaghetti strands, then pan-fry in a dash of olive oil until just tender.
They’re a delicious accompaniment to bolognese and chilli. You get to enjoy the same consistency of pasta with more nutrients! Courgettes are a wonderful source of vitamin C in particular, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant and immune booster.
4. Swap your mains with your sides
We have a tendency to think of vegetables as a side dish, but there’s no reason why they can’t be the main event. A large bowl of roasted sweet potato, red pepper, red onion, tomatoes and mushrooms drizzled in pesto and served with couscous make delicious and satisfying dinner.
Top with toasted pine nuts and crumbled feta for added protein, and you can even save the leftovers for tomorrow’s lunchbox.
5. Swap wraps for seaweed (it’s nice, trust us)
Avoid a post-lunch energy slump by ditching your white tortilla or sliced bread, and wrap your sandwich ingredients in a sheet of nori seaweed.
Seaweed is a fantastic source of hunger-busting protein and one of the best sources of natural iodine, which is vital for maintaining a healthy thyroid gland (our fat-burning regulator). If you’re a fan of sushi, you’ll love these!
6. Swap margarine for butter
Dust off your butter dish and ditch the margarine, because butter is back! Long victimised as a dietary villain that makes us fat and clogs up our arteries, numerous studies now suggest butter isn’t actually a bad guy.
In fact, experts are suggesting that it’s our switch from saturated fat to a diet high in refined carbohydrates and vegetable oils (found in processed margarines) over the last few decades that has, paradoxically, increased our risk of heart disease. Good-quality butter is a nutritional powerhouse of vitamins A, D, & K. It is also rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been shown to help lower body fat percentage.
7. Swap your snacks
Switch your bag of crisps for a generous handful of raw, unsalted nuts. Not only are they packed with good fats and a wealth of nutrients, but their combination of fibre and protein will help you feel much fuller than crisps (and they are also much harder to overeat!) Plus, studies have shown that regular consumption of nuts may actually promote weight loss, if that’s what you’re into.
