I've recently made a diet and lifestyle change as part of a New Years Resolution of sorts. I'm just going to give myself some incentive to stick with it by listing it here for all on JWD to see. The reason why i've started this is that, although i'm not fat, i noticed that in the last couple of years i've lost my bottom abs. I don't want a beer belly which my grandfather had, and i don't want to exacerbate the traits of diabetes which run in my family. I've been able to keep these up for almost two weeks already and i already feel my energy levels rising, and my concentration at university improving. If anybody else has any comments or suggestions, please go ahead and post...
Diet changes:
Cutting down on refined carbohydrates like white sugar, white rice, cakes, biscuits and white bread, replacing with unrefined brown cane sugar, brown rice, brown pasta and whole wheat bread.
Limit sugar and sweets intake to one teaspoon on brown sugar per day, or one teaspoon of honey, and/or three small cubes of dark soya-milk chocolate. (Strong antioxidant, so will cause spots for a while.
Always start the day with a breakfast. Never skip it.
Eat unsweetened cereals as part of my breakfast. CornFlakes instead of Honey Nut CornFlakes, but mostly porridge and Weetabix.
Have a glass of fruit juice and a fruit such as a grapefuit for breakfast.
Have a hot green tea before i leave the house. (Another strong antioxidant, my uncle has been drinking it and came out with huge bumps; the impurities coming out)
Due to my excema-like skin problem, i've already for a while been refraining from adding milk to my morning cup of tea. I'm now cutting all dairy products out of my diet for a while, and replacing them with soya substitutes, to see if there is a difference
Increase fruit and vegetable intake to at least 5 portions a day. Keep a full vegetable section in the fridge and a full fruitbowl. Increase the size of vegetable portions.
Increase intake of oily fish such as sardines and makerel to at least two portions per week.
Reduce meat intake to one portion every two days at the most. Eat lean red meat and white meat instead of fatty red meat. Small portions.
Instead of sweets/candy/bonbons, nibble on dried apricots, dried figs, olives, grapes, raisins/saltanas and pistacio nuts.
Reduce or cut out alcohol intake. No beer, no lager. Limit to one bottle of red wine per week, with meals.
Drink at least 2 litres of water a day, sweetened with half a lime or lemon per litre.
Lifestyle changes:
Wake up at 6.30am to take a brisk half hour walk around the nearby park before eating breakfast.
Go swimming every tuesday morning at 7.30 for one hour before i go to university
Walk to the train station 2 miles away instead of taking the bus.
Buy a bike and ride to university or work. Ride or swim for an hour each day on weekeneds.
Go to bed early enough to be able to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
Give eyes a rest by limiting computer use to 2 hours of non-esential use. (Plus of course the essentials like writing an essay or researching for university coursework)