Tune into the healthy body you deserve. These 7 simple tips can be included in your daily routine with very little effort but will bring huge benefits to you and your family.

1. Grow Herbs

A pot or two of herbs on your kitchen windowsill is all you need to flavour an everyday meal. Herbs are a tasty, healthy, organic alternative to pasta sauces, and are much better for your wallet as well as your health. Herbs are magical plants, often having many medicinal benefits as well as culinary pzazz!

Most herbs need very little attention, just a little water now and again and they’ll provide enough taste to avoid buying pasta sauces forever more.

I found this Premium Kitchen Herb Kit on Amazon (UK)

“This kit has everything contained within it that you need to start growing your very Own Herbs, Straight away! Everything this great kit contains are packed into a lovely wooden reusable branded gift box. Contains over 50 seeds which come with +85% germination rates and great value for money!”

2. Colour it Up

Colour pleases the eye – and red fruits and vegetables are high in anti-oxidants which help eliminate free radical cells from our bodies. The redder the better. Add a few raspberries or strawberries to your breakfast cereal or morning smoothie. Or try slicing a few strawberries into a green salad. Spectacular tastes.

Growing strawberries at home couldn’t be easier with purpose designed strawberry planters. They look great on a patio or balcony.

3. Get into the ‘crunch’

There are reasons for our chewing reflexes. Shovelling in food that simply needs swallowing may seem like ‘comfort’ food but, generally, it’s not comfortable for our digestive systems. The chewing reflex stimulates digestive juices and helps break down food into digestion-friendly morsels!

An added bonus is that if you think about chewing your food properly, you will eat less, because your brain will have time to register the stomach is full.

4. Check ‘healthy eating’ labels before you buy anything

There are ‘low-fat’ products on the market which contain far too much sugar, and ‘low sugar’ products that can contain too much fat. The problem is that sugar and fat tend to be very popular tastes. This trend seems to have developed over the past couple of generations, and for many of us, reducing sugar and fat in our diets is very challenging.

Baby steps are the answer here. Check labels and look for healthier alternatives. You’ll slowly but surely train your taste buds to enjoy the lower sugar/fat food tastes. Awareness is the key. Know what you’re eating.

5. Avoid processed food

Taking the challenge one step further here; Experiment. Can you get through a week without buying processed foods? Ignore tea, coffee etc; for now. Simply concentrate on creating 3 meals a day without taking anything out of a packet – Not as easy as it sounds. Organic and ready to eat salads with no additives don’t count as ‘processing’ – they have, hopefully, simply been picked and packed. But even ‘healthy eating’ options have been processed in some way.

Are there any real vitamins or minerals left? Or is it a box of empty calories and taste enhancers? Try it just for a day. You’ll be surprised. Then look for alternatives. Is there a local market or fresh food trader you could try? Could you keep a few laying hens and grow a few veg?

6. Wholesome hobbies – stop TV munching

Taking up a hobby that requires you to use your hands really does help avoid chain-eating peanuts or chocolates. In a busy world, it’s easy to dismiss the idea of a hobby because of lack of time, resources or both. However, even if you think you’re not creative, or really haven’t got the time, you’d be wrong! Find something you like to do and go for it. Set yourself up in a comfy place, in front of the TV if necessary.

Knitting is back in fashion again – and knitting in pregnancy is a great excuse to put your feet up and very relaxing.

Create a family heirloom; whether it’s knitting a blanket or building a scale model of a Victorian doll’s house. the ideas are all out there to choose from, and many crafts are inexpensive to pursue – in fact often less than the cost of the chocolate you may have eaten if you hadn’t been crafting.

7. Tea and cakes

Yep, tea and cakes 🙂 If you’re working on a healthy diet all week, it’s a good idea to have something to look forward to. Fitness plans often include the weekends off, so why not plan a Sunday afternoon tea party? The great thing about these kind of ‘treats’ is that they’re not REALLY treats, and after a few weeks of healthy eating Monday – Friday, your taste buds will start to complain about the sugary cakes and alternatives will be found!

Challenge the family to come up with an afternoon tea that’s healthy and tastes great.

Afternoon Tea & Cakes

**This quick downloadable book has lots of recipes to make your afternoon the best ever!** Find out more on our ‘At Home’ Books page.

This banana loaf is gluten-free, sugar free and dairy-free. Use butter instead of coconut oil if you don’t need it to be dairy-free.

Bon Appetit!

Linda x