Keep your sweet tooth at bay

Tags

banana, cake, chopped banana, cinema, coconut flakes, cravings, cream cheese, cucumber, December, delicious, dried fruit, eat, five a day, frozen berries, fruit kebabs, goji berries, good quality dark chocolate, Greek yogurt, healthy, hummus, January, kiwi, low-fat, mango, melon, nuts, oats, organic, peanut butter, popcorn, portion sizes, Pumpkin and sunflower seeds, Pure Beauty, refreshing, seeds, sliced apple and pear, snack, spinach, sugar, time, trail mix, work

December is a time when we sit back, enjoy life and over indulge. Sugar is on pretty served on tap over the festive period and now many of us are looking to make some sensible, healthy swaps.

This said, you don’t have to live on water and dry crackers to get healthy but we have to tell you, the only way to kick a sugar habit is to cut right back.

This won’t be easy but over time your body will crave sugar less and you will feel so much better.

We have had a look at some delicious alternatives to sugary snacks and drinks that will keep your cravings for the white stuff at bay.

Porridge with sliced fruit isn’t just a brain boosting breakfast but can also be a filling snack. Keep a stash at work and you won’t be tempted to reach for that chocolate cake.

If you want a healthy snack with a naughty edge, go for rice cakes with peanut butter and chopped banana.

Popcorn can be a great, healthy treat. We aren’t talking about the mega buckets at the cinema but instead fresh popcorn made at home with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Give it a go; we think you will like it, a lot.

Organic oatcakes with hummus and slices of cucumber make a protein packed snack that will keep hunger locked up until lunchtime.

Bananas are great on cereal and smoothies but peel and chop ripe ones into bite-sized chunks and you have crunchy treats that are full of Vitamins B6 and C, potassium, and a serving of fibre too. Frozen grapes are pretty good too.

For an on the run snack that is as easy to make as it to eat, go for homemade trail mix. Throw together coconut flakes, dried fruit, goji berries, raw ruts and seeds and you have an instant, delicious snack that will keep you away from the vending machine. Just watch portion sizes.

Keep a stock of frozen berries in the freezer and add them to low-fat Greek yoghurt for an evening treat. This tastes great but it’s low in sugar and high in protein so will keep you fuller, for longer.

Chunks of melon, strawberries and grapes make tasty fruit kebabs and top up that all-important five a day quota.

Pumpkin and sunflower seeds with a handful of nuts are a cracking combination.

For a real taste bud tingle go for an ice-cold smoothie packed with mango, banana, kiwi, cucumber, spinach, a splash of coconut milk and a little lemongrass. Delicious and refreshing.

Low fat milk with a little honey can give you the sweet hit you need without blowing the plan out of the water.

For a sugar free savory winner, how about sliced apple and pear with a layer of low fat cream cheese?

If you are having a bad day and only chocolate will do, we will let you have a square or two of good quality dark chocolate, but don’t eat it all.

Got a winning combination? Let us know what healthy snacks work for you.

Team Pure-Beauty

Advertisements

The most important meal of the day

Tags

bagel, banana, berries, blueberries, breakfast, content, energy, five a day, grades, green smoothies, levels, low-fat, microwave, oats, porridge, protein-packed eggs, salmon, semi-skimmed, smoked salmon, stress, surgar, wholemeal

When you have a busy morning, it’s easy for breakfast to become low on your list of priorities. However, taking a few minutes to have something to eat can make a big difference to your day on so many levels.

Breakfast provides your body and brain with fuel after fasting overnight and that’s where the name originates, breaking the fast. If you don’t eat it you will be running on empty and it will be a bit like trying to drive car without petrol. Tricky!

It is suggested that breakfast should be eaten within two hours of waking and it should make up around 25 – 30% of you daily allowance of calories. We all have different energy needs based upon gender, activity levels and life stage and men generally require more calories than women. Men typically require around 2500 kcals a day and women 2000.

Just like any other organ, the brain needs energy to work at it’s best. Breakfast restores glucose levels, which the brain needs in order to function. Studies have shown that eating breakfast can improve memory and concentration levels, make us happier, improve our mood and lower stress levels – which is always helpful.

It is also interesting to notice that children who eat breakfast tend to have better attainment and behaviour levels and ultimately grades too. If you can, eat breakfast together. Establishing and maintaining healthy breakfast habits from childhood throughout adolescence can help develop good eating habits that last a lifetime.

Apart from providing us with the energy we need to function, well chosen breakfasts tend to offer excellent good sources calcium, iron and B vitamins plus protein and fibre. Fruit and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals so try to include a portion of your daily five at breakfast. That can be a serving of melon, a banana over cereal or a goodness packed smoothie.

Breakfast can be good for waistline too because if you eat it you’re less likely to reach for sugary snacks that pile on the pounds when the mid-morning munchies strikes.

Even if you are short on time, these ideas will ensure you are fuelled up for the day ahead:

Muesli, fresh fruit and yoghurt
Fruit added to your muesli (one with no added sugar) counts towards your five a day and a low-fat yoghurt provides calcium and protein. Do remember if you go for low-fat to watch out for the sugar content as this can be higher.

Porridge with banana and blueberries
Mix oats with semi-skimmed milk then heat in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, stirring every so often. When ready, add the banana (a great sugar substitute) and the berries and enjoy.

Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel
Halve and toast a wholemeal bagel. Spread low-fat cream cheese on one side and top with super-fresh smoked salmon. Add a squeeze of lemon and a little black pepper and you have a breakfast fit for a king.

Beans on wholemeal toast
This is not only naturally low in fat but also packed with fibre and protein making it a brilliant start to the day. If you are really hungry, or have had an early workout, add two poached eggs.

With energy-boosting porridge and protein-packed eggs, green smoothies and homemade granola bars, breakfast isn’t just the most important meal of the day but it can also be the tastiest.