By Nutrition Experts

Wednesday, June 27, 2012.

What is love? Well according to the Oxford English dictionary it is defined as “a great interest and pleasure in something” or “a strong feeling of affection”

If you take great pleasure or have an interest in something surely it is more enjoyable than just doing something for the sake it. So where does diet and exercise come in to it? Well, I have a strong belief that if you love your exercise plan and the food you are eating, you are much more likely to stick to it. Would you agree? Let’s face it if you hate doing something, will you really keep at it? Without longevity and persistence the possibility of a successful result is very slim indeed, especially when it comes to food.

Here are some easy tips to add some love to your day to day diet and activity:

Love it:

Only eat foods that you really enjoy; and by this I don’t mean a fridge load of ice-cream and cupboards full of chocolate. If there are health foods that you really love then find ways of incorporating them into your plan. The difference between loving junk food and loving healthy food is that nutritious food loves you back and junk food is simple a one-sided love affair. Likewise, create an exercise or activity plan that you will enjoy and even look forward to. Don’t live your life dreading the gym or evening walk, create a plan that includes an activity you will love, like zumba, swimming or even bowling.

Relax:

Take your time to relax while you eat and avoid grabbing food on the go. Before you know it, it’s gone and you haven’t even noticed. If you weren’t aware that you just wolfed down your lunch then neither has your brain. This will leave you with the feeling that you are still empty and need more, resulting in an excess consumption of food and calories.

Make every snack and meal time an enjoyable experience. Sit down, even if it’s on a park bench or away from your desk and focus on every delicious bite. Use this time to forget about the stresses in life and as an opportunity to nourish and replenish your body with healthy food. Even if you are grabbing a quick herbal tea, take time out and relax with every sip. Savour each bite and slurp and you start to recognise more flavours and textures. Again, make time to exercise, rather than squeezing it in here and there. Plan it out the week in advance and commit to it just like you would with a loving friendship.

Mix it up:

By introducing new foods into your diet every week, it not only keeps things fresh and exciting but they will also speed up your metabolism as it works harder to break down the new food. Have you ever had a Jerusalem artichoke or Rambutan or Kumquat? Lots of supermarkets stock exotic fruit and veg that are quite inexpensive. But it doesn’t have to be unusual. Try any new fruit, veg, piece of fish or lean cut of meat. You could also try new spices and herbs if you fancied adding some new flavours to your meals. Keeping your activity fresh is a real key to keeping your interest. Every few weeks add in new routines or even a new walking route.

Banish old beliefs:

I had an old belief that I hated mushrooms and cabbage. Where this came from I don’t know, but it was totally untrue. I don’t like the look of mushrooms but I have only recently discovered I do love the taste. Lots of us use the age old excuse of “oh no, I don’t eat that.” when in fact we probably haven’t had it since childhood. As we age our taste buds can change, so test out a few on your hate list and see if they really are all that bad. And as for the “I hate the gym” belief; have you ever tried it? As with any activity, don’t knock it until you try it.