Sally Bee's healthy eating tips
Lorraine, Maxine and I are delighted to be welcoming you to start Living to the Max!We are all passionate about helping you reach your goals, whatever they may look like. Whether you want to lose weight, gain energy, enjoy a more positive mental attitude or a bit of everything, we are here to help! Maxine will be showing you the moves to get your body in tip top shape, and I'll be showing you how eating for health is not only scrumptious but also will aid your weight loss in the easiest way possible.
Eating for health will help you Live to the Max!
Consider what weight you would like to be. I am 5'8'', tall with broad shoulders, and a curvy size 12–14. For me to get into a size 10, I would have to not only starve myself for a gazillion years, but also chop away half of my bone structure. It would be foolish of me to aim to have a body like the beautiful Elle Macpherson, who is built very differently.
It's really important not to judge yourself in comparison to anyone else. This is all about you, for you and only you. When you have a quiet moment to yourself, whip your clothes off and have a look at your body in a full-length mirror. This is the time to be honest with yourself. What you see on the outside is mirrored on the inside of your body. If you have fat sitting around your tummy, waist and back, this fat isn't only layered on the outside, it is also layered on the inside of your body, affecting all your major organs.
People seem to think that when they lose weight, it comes off from the outside of their body only. This isn't true. When you lose weight and your waistline slims down, the majority of fat is lost from the inside first. With this in mind, have a good look in the mirror, jump up and down and have a wiggle about. You'll be able to see the areas where fat is sitting. These areas are likely to upset you, because you won't like the look of them. But what should worry you more is that the fat that is layered on the inside of these areas could be damaging your health. By changing the way you eat, you will not only repair the inside of your body but at the same time lose weight.
It's really important not to judge yourself in comparison to anyone else
By following the Living to the Max plan, I can promise you that you will not only achieve the best body for you, you will also be in the best physical condition possible – inside and out. You will be giving yourself the opportunity to live a longer and healthier life.
So, ask yourself a few questions. I know you'll have a vision in your mind of how you'd like to look. At the same time as visualising that, ask yourself:
Do I want to be ill or healthy?
Which is more expensive?
Which is more enjoyable?
Which looks better?
Which will make me happier?
Which will help me live longer?
Both you and I know the answers to these questions:
You want to be well
Eating for health does not cost more (my recipes prove that)
Being healthy and slim is much more enjoyable than feeling weighed down by fat
We all look better when our bodies are in better shape
Considering all of the above, being healthier has to make me happier
Being healthier and slimmer cuts the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers and diabetes, to name but a few
Taking control of your weight and your health is a liberating experience that proves you have control of your life. So, once you have shown that you can master an area that may well have been controlling you in the past, you can then take a look at other areas of your life that need attention without being daunted that they control you. It may be your finances, your career or your relationships. Whatever it is, just like your weight, you are the person that has the power to make the changes. And changing the unsatisfactory to the joyous is possible for you all.
Taking control of your weight and your health is a liberating experience that proves you have control of your life
Why should you eat for health?
Most diets focus purely on either counting calories or cutting out carbs, with weight loss as the main aim. This is the wrong way to approach losing weight. What we need to do is to focus on eating for health, then weight loss will be a very easy-to-achieve side effect. Our bodies need certain types of food to operate properly.
A bit like the engine of a high-performance car, if you put low-grade fuel into the tank, it's going to start coughing and spluttering and won't last as long, even if initially there are no problems. Similarly, there are many foods that give the impression of being good for us, but actually by eating them we are damaging our ''engine'' and potentially shortening its lifespan. On Living to the Max , we are going to be concentrating on being gluten aware.
*To find out more about the benefits of this – check out my Journey to Gluten Freedom
The basic principles on Living to the Max!
The very first thing to do is cut out all chemicals and processed food from your life. This might include items that you would assume are good for you, such as pre-prepared food that has the word ''diet'' written on the packet. Also, read carefully labels that say ''low fat'', in particular yogurts and desserts. These are often very high in sugar, which then turns into fat in the body.
Remember that even though a ready meal may say on the packet that it's low in fat, sugar and salt, the very fact that it is pre-packed will mean that it's been through a process that takes much of the goodness out of the ingredients. So, although you may not be putting any of the real nasties into your body, you are not giving your body many of the nutrients that it needs to thrive. These are the lifesaving healthy elements that are found in fresh, unprocessed food.
You are going to start ''clean eating'', in other words eating fresh, largely unprocessed food in its most natural form. That's not to say this is an eating plan filled with mung beans and spinach; when you look at the recipes you'll see they are all recognisable family favourites that will feed your soul as well as your body. And although I encourage you to avoid processed foods that have the words ''low fat'' or ''diet'', there are a few exceptions. I do use ''low-fat'' dairy products in my recipes, such as fat natural Greek yoghurt, but I never use anything that has added sugar or chemicals. Don't worry, it's all really easy to follow!
Start a diary
Have you ever suffered from food amnesia? You weigh yourself at the end of the week and wonder why you have piled on another few pounds when you've been so good?
Well, this isn't down to heavy bones or slow metabolism; this is simply down to eating more than your body needs. It's all too easy to have the odd biscuit, packet of crisps or cake and then conveniently forget that you ate them. When you are fully in the zone and Living to the Max this shouldn't happen. But just in case you have some naughty habits that need addressing, I want you to keep an honest food diary for a week. Write down EVERYTHING that passes your lips. Every drink, every sweetie, every meal, EVERYTHING! Keeping a diary will help you stop and think before you eat something, and gives you time to think back over your six steps.
Looking back at your diary you will be able to see any empty calories that are sitting there just waiting to dive onto your hips! If you write down the times you eat, you will also be able to see when you crave sweet things, which will help you to prepare for and beat ''greed'' hunger. So, if every afternoon at 3pm you have written down that you ate a couple of biscuits, this should tell you that your sugar levels drop at this time. The way to avoid that is either to have a more substantial lunch that will see you through to dinner, or to make sure that at 2.30pm you pre-empt that sugar drop by having a small handful of nuts and raisins. These will offer a heath benefit and lift your sugar levels sufficiently to take away your cravings. Bingo!
Keeping a diary will help you stop and think before you eat something
Still enjoy treats!
Writing a food diary inevitably leads to thoughts about the treats that you love and are going to miss. This is a really important point that shouldn't be ignored. As a surviving heart patient, I know what is important in life: Love. Family. Friends. Chocolate! The point is, we all love treats; they are part of life, and that's okay. What is not okay is to have them every day, or to have them in place of a healthy meal. So if you are out with friends, celebrating a birthday or whatever it may be, don't feel that you have to say no to everything.
You have my absolute blessing to enjoy special treats every now and then. But just remember that having one slice/piece doesn't mean you have fallen off the wagon and that you may as well eat the whole plate/ box! All it means is that you need to take it easy on the food front the following day and cut your portion size accordingly. An extra walk or a little more exercise the next day will also alleviate any guilt. Life is short, and treats are essential, just be sensible and keep your healthy eating in mind!
You have my absolute blessing to enjoy special treats every now and then
Starting the day the right way
A good breakfast is a really important part of Living to the Max. You will have come to the end of your 12-hour fast and you are about to have a maxed out day, so what you eat for breakfast will determine how you feel all day! Take a good look at the Living to the Max breakfast plan.
SnacksYou can have up to three snacks a day, but remember to listen to your body to work out what it needs. Need or greed? Snacks should be small bundles of nutrition, so help yourself to any of the following:
One piece of fruit or a palmful of small fruit (such as grapes or strawberries)
Nuts and raisins (an egg-cup full is plenty)
Blanched whole almonds (an egg-cup full)
Soft figs (an egg-cup full)
Brazil nuts (an egg-cup full)
Sunflower and pumpkin seeds (an egg-cup full)
Dried cranberries (an egg-cup full)
Soft dried fruit (an egg-cup full)
Soft dried dates (an egg-cup full)
5 dried apricots
Pomegranate seeds (an egg-cup full)
Remember, if it has no health benefit don't eat it!
I have a few simple rules when eating a healthy diet. The food has to taste good, look good and do us good. It also has to be affordable and simple to make. I love to get into a good complicated recipe book every now and then but quite frankly, what really matters when sustaining a healthy lifestyle through healthy food is simplicity, speed and of course, great health benefits. You'll see that many of my savoury dishes begin with onion, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. This is because this little, tasty combination is a great health giver.
It is proven that when heated together these three ingredients help to lower blood cholesterol. There are plenty of recipes to choose from on Living to the Max. I have included recipes that include red meat, but not too many. Try to keep red meat to once or twice a week as this gives you the protein the need but won't overload you with the wrong kinds of fat. Always cut off all visible fat from any meat and try to buy quality. If you can't afford good quality meat, that can have its source traced, miss it out all together and add more pulses, beans or rice. I always get lots of requests for vegetarian food and there are plenty of vegetarian options for you to choose from.
Although I have done a plan of lunch and dinner recipes, please feel free to swap them around. Eat what suits you at the time that suits you.
Enjoy!
Sally Bee's four-week meal plan
Living to the Max: Six steps to stay on track