Saturday, 8 February 2014

YOUR WEEKEND DELIGHT

HEALTHY EATING
People always think eating healthy is ridiculously expensive. So they lock that away in their memory bank and continue eating junks while they keep gaining the unwanted weight. And when you regularly eat more calories than you burn, you gain unwanted weight. This is true for any age. The truth is nobody wants to spend money on frivolities these days. Just like everyone else I try hard to stick to my budget. Also I don't like the idea of dieting; I'm a firm believer of eating everything in moderation.

Now how do I eat healthy without breaking a bank? From breakfast to lunch to dinner you can organise these different meal times by being proactive and planning your week in advance. Weekends are best times to cook different foods and stock up in the fridge or freezer! I take advantage of Weekends a lot. If you are a lover of bread and cereals just like me, you can buy your preferred choices too! They go well with fruits like in this picture.Before breakfast, I love a glass of water first thing in the morning(I prefer warm) cause it helps to vitalise my body and prepares me for a good breakfast.
For breakfast why not make your own sandwich with tomatoes, spinach and cucumber with Sardine for more yummy taste. It's cheaper, healthier and you get all the good stuff (There are way too many options on breakfast). I love jam or butter or mayonnaise, they go really well on sandwiches. Instead of fish (cause not everyone loves fish), eggs, cheese, salami etc are great choices too. Looking out on offers is also a great idea, there is nothing wrong with that. You can shop your favourite cereals in bulk. It's always cheaper that way, but always look out for the expiring dates.
For the people who can't do without tea or coffee, lots of drinking water throughout the day will keep you hydrated.
 
 For lunches everyone's got different preferences so whatever is your main meal, portion control is highly important. Try adding chopped tomatoes, banana, cucumber and green leaves to your main meal with your well-cooked choice of meat/fish. You get full up with the right stuff (that's the whole idea). Alternatively, you can go for the frozen mixed vegetables.
It's always nice to wrap the day up with a nice little combo.  I prefer a small portion of salmon or mackerel with some vegetables and  few slices of plantain or small portion of any other food I 'find' in my kitchen  with loads of vegetables (carrots and spinach are usually my favourites for dinner)You can never go wrong with Veg!  Sometimes I eat a lot more because of my great appetite for food, so in such situations, I try my best to get it right the next day which helps balance my metabolism. For people who suffer a lot from heart burn (acid reflux i.e when stomach acids go backwards into the gullet- food pipe) which is often times predominant with most fruits and vegetables,  try having your dinner two hours before bed time. It does help.
So once the habit kicks in, eating healthy will become your natural lifestyle. It's nice to snack on foods like nuts, yoghurt, chocolates, banana (too many options as usual) during those times you feel peckish.  Although you want to eat healthy, you don’t want your meal times become boring. Water is most ideal but for the not so lovers of water, there are some nice healthy juices out there too. I love cranberry juice which goes well for me with my lunch.  Apple orange and smoothies are amazing too.
Wishing you a healthy year all round. xoxoxox



13 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tips. This sure will help more.

    Http://frances-diaries.blogspot.com

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  2. Always my pleasure @francesdiaries. Xxx

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  3. Thanks laura delight for the delightful health tips.. (smiles)

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  4. Wow! Such an insight, however I would love to ask you Laura if you can recommend any weekly healthy eating time table, such that would be suitable for a family of 3 adults and a child. Thanks

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  5. Sure! for a family of three adults and a child, I would recommend either whole grain cereal, bread (different types of bread out in shops), porridge or your choice of pastries which can be alternated on different days as breakfast for both adult and child. A cup of tea or coffee(decaff), for adults only can go with your bread or sandwiches and fresh orange juice for kids as well as adults. Fish, prawns, sausage, salami, cheese, butter and jam are some great breakfast essentials for both too. Well cooked Rice, pasta, noodles, yam, plantain, Beans, spaghetti, wheat, and choice of soups are all great lunch ideas when eaten in right amount and with vegetables. These food options also depend on family's nationality and your life style pattern because some lunches get you fuller than others which may not be good idea if you are a nine to fiver. So stick to what keeps you light and nourishing, quality over quantity. For Dinner you can do smoked salmon salad, Plantain porridge mixed with spinach and fish and any food other food really which you can lay hands on with portion control in mind. Xx

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  6. I got hungry reading this lol !
    Nice piece as usual x

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  7. Thank you Cj. Always my pleasure :))x

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  8. Thanks 4 d tip hun..well done..xoxob

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  9. Thought I'd read a bit of you tonight dearie, and guess what I'm finding my dinner menu right here (having just had dinner oops!). Three stars to you dear, you certainly know what you're talking about! It's also great to spread these healthy yummies into 3 meals and 2-3 snacks, so you're basically eating every 2-3 hours (with lots of water). That enhances metabolism of fat stores, as the body recognises it's never gonna be empty, and the yoghurt bit (greek style preferred) is also great for metabolism. Warm water first thing in the morning is the best detox the body needs. Well done dearie! xxx

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  10. Thanks Mary for stopping by. Felt good reading your comment. I totally agree with you. I love the idea of 2-3 hours cause that way you don't allow your body stay without food for long making it easier to implement portion control as well. Xxx

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  11. Eating healthy is best thing/gift any one could really offers to his/her God giving body/system!!:-). You totally nailed it here beloved sister. I can't agree Less!, of course you know this is my Game and life style hun... (laughing out loud). God bless you sweethearts am certain God is blessing and motivating Many thru this blog.

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