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Setting up for success! Plan ahead...

Small changes can make biggest difference

Feb 26,2018 - Last updated at Feb 26,2018

Photo courtesy of Family Flavours magazine

By Sonia Salfity 

When it comes to creating a healthy diet plan, small changes can make the biggest difference in the long run. Having a daily morning routine helps me stay motivated and helps me get right back on track when I falter. I still make mistakes, but the structure it gives my days means that, when my train gets off track, it is no longer doomed to crash! This morning routine keeps me on auto pilot when it comes to making my health top priority:

Starting the day with a cup of half boiling water and half cold water mixed with fresh juice of half a lemon. I drink this on an empty stomach half an hour before breakfast as a way to keep me hydrated and to get rid of unwanted toxins.

Working out in the morning, as this has lasting effects on your energy. Not everyone is a morning person, but morning exercisers are more likely to stick with their routines and achieve their goals. My 45-minute high-speed morning walks have become as routine as brushing my teeth, so even when I give into that bag of chips the night before or a cookie with my coffee, I do not dwell on my “failures” and skip the walk.

Never leaving the house without breakfast even if I’m not hungry because I do not want to be tempted by the first billboard on my drive to work showing off those juicy hamburgers or ice cream blizzards. I am also more likely to skip whatever high calorie treats my co-workers bring to the office if I have arrived with a highly nutritious breakfast in my tummy.

A balanced breakfast with two eggs cooked with approximately two cups of fresh spinach and kale leaves (if I have leftover cooked quinoa, I will add 1/4 cup to the eggs and veggies along with some sliced tomatoes) and a touch of sea salt and fresh pepper. This super breakfast powers me for hours

Another breakfast that keeps me full for hours is a slice of brown toast with a ripe slice of mashed avocado, a tiny drop of olive oil, a dash of sea salt and a fresh squeeze of half a lemon to top it off. This combination is exquisite and holds me for hours

Eating blueberries, blackberries or a banana and drinking a glass of low-fat milk for breakfast lasts me five hours. Or I pack them to go to snack on later.

Never leaving the house without my water bottle. I sometimes add fresh squeezes of lemon to it for the extra zest to help cut my cravings for sweet and salty snacking between meals. 

Sit down with a pen and paper and write down your own daily plan that fits your lifestyle. You only have one body. Take care of it. Invest in it by putting the correct plan in place today so you can save yourself many headaches down the road.

 

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

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