Nutritionist Amanda Hamilton gives her top tips for sticking to a healthy diet.
How much food?
All the meals and snacks on the plan are filling and satisfying so you shouldn't feel the need to eat more than you need. There is also no limit to how many vegetables you can consume, so you can snack on soups, raw vegetables and dips or pile that plate as high as you want! That's because kilo for kilo, vegetables are the most nutrient-rich and low-calorie foods around.To get maximum benefits, you should also choose plenty of variety, besides, eating the same ones every day would be boring!
Eat good fat to lose fat
Fat is actually a vital nutrient and is an important part of your diet, because it supplies the essential fatty acids needed for vitamin absorption, healthy skin, growth and the regulation of bodily functions. In fact, eating too little fat can actually cause a number of health problems. The right kinds of fat, in the right amounts, can also help you to feel fuller for longer, so try not to think of fat as your mortal diet enemy, but rather a useful ally in the pursuit of your healthier lifestyle!
Salt
Eating too much processed salt can make you eat more - the one pop and you just can't stop trick. Salty foods also make you feel thirsty and this is often mistaken for hunger so you could again be tempted to eat more. Excessive salt is also known to contribute towards high blood pressure. So, with this meal plan you'll be eating only natural salt found in foods and adding sea salt to cooking which has a lesser effect on the body.
Alcohol
As far as your body is concerned, alcohol is chemically similar to sugar, so drinking any form of alcohol will set off the blood sugar see-saw that promotes weight gain and that's before you even begin to consider the calorie content of the drink itself. What's more, alcohol acts as a potent appetite booster, so more alcohol equals more food consumed! Finally, because your body uses more than one source of fuel, if alcohol is consumed then this alcohol ‘energy' will be used instead of fat.