5 Easy Tips For a Balanced Diet by Fitin20 Caloundra

While EMS is fast and effective for body shaping and weight loss, as with any fitness regime a considerable part of claiming your goals lies within nutrition.
With regular training it would be 80% of the work, with EMS an estimated 60%.

Here are some tips that might help you form some new healthy habits in your weekly diet. Small changes can lead to big things over time!

1. If you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it!Before you go into a supermarket, remember your nutritional goals and make yourself a deal not to buy that ice-cream bucket! Make sure you buy plenty of healthy choices, including sweet fruits, for when you do get a snack-attack at home.
   Bonus tips: NEVER go shopping hungry! And try to have a cut-off point in the evening where you stop eating. Dieticians recommend 7 or 8 pm, but pick a sensible time that works for you.
2. Pack super easy and healthy snacks!To prevent buying unhealthy pies, iced coffees and mars bars at the servo, pack yourself a healthy back-up plan for unexpected (or expected) hunger.
   Here a couple of suggestions that are super healthy, filling and most important, easy to pack! (no one wants to bake vegetable muffins early morning ;-)).
   – Big chunk of cucumber in aluminium foil
   – Punnet of cherry tomatoes
   – Punnet of strawberries
   – Bag of unsalted nuts
   – Apple or banana (comes in nature’s wrapper!)
   – Washed carrots
   – Homemade popcorn (low sugar and low salt). Did you know 15 calories of popcorn are as filling as 150 calories of potato chips? It is a huge help in losing weight!
3. No more fruit juice!Did you know a glass of orange juice contains 100 calories? That is the equivalent of 2 chocolate chip cookies. While it does contain vitamin C, due to the lack of fibre the body will convert the sugar/calories straight to fat!
   Instead opt for flavoured water. Use a zero calorie vitamin or electrolyte additive or add some fresh fruit, cucumber or mint to your water bottle. Delicious!
4. The 80/20 and 5/2 rules– Commit to 80% healthy/balanced food choices and a maximum of 20% discretionary /unhealthy choices. Make sure to divide these discretionary choices over the week, instead of saving them up for the weekend,
   – Compile a list of everyday (balanced) lunch/dinner recipes, and another list with low calorie super healthy lunch/dinner recipes.
   For 2 consecutive days commit to eating the super healthy meals only. There are plenty of recipes to be found online. Things to look out for is that the total amount of calories should be between 1200 and 1500 for an average woman and between 1700 and 2000 calories for the average man. You can also amend your known recipes by cutting most carbs and oils/sauces, and replacing those by veggies and legumes. This is an enormous help in cutting a huge amount of calories.
5. Limit your alcohol intakeMy doctor explained to me that men and women should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. This is the equivalent of 7 glasses of wine, or 6 glasses of beer. It is also recommended that you respect at least 2 consecutive alcohol free days every week.
   A glass of wine contains 90 calories, and a glass of beer 50 calories. 50 calories is the equivalent of 10 maltesers!
   Bonus tips: set yourself a limit of alcohol units for the weekend and social events, and drinking a glass of water in between alcohol consumptions limits your intake!