A balanced diet to help you lose weight fast and stay healthy

A prescription for healthy living

If you are serious about losing weight and becoming fitter and healthier, I would recommend that you do the following:

• Eat a healthy diet (such as the Mediterranean diet) which achieves a sensible balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Make sure you consume plenty of green vegetables and fresh fruit.
  


• Avoid all foods and drinks with a high Glycemic Index, especially bread, pasta, rice, cakes and other confectionaries. All products made from wheat should be avoided, including pies and pastries.
  
  
• Take time over every meal, including snacks. Make sure that you chew every mouthful and do not overfill you mouth. Eating more slowly not only improves digestion, resulting in a lower proportion of food being converted into body fat, it also gives your brain time to register a feeling of satiety, so that you will be less inclined to overeat.
  
  
• Drink plenty of water - between two and five litres a day. This helps to speed up your metabolism and makes it less likely that food will end up being stored in the body as fat. If you get tired of drinking plain water, try a large glass of warm water containing the juice of one lemon or a cup of green tea - both have many additional health benefits. Never consume juices or sugary drinks, especially not supposedly 'healthy' sports drinks.
  
  
• Exercise regularly and make changes to your routine that ensure you burn up more calories each day. Regular physical activity is essential if you are to stay lean and fit, warding off the threat of diabetes, heart disease and other life-threatening illnesses.
  
  
• Ensure you get at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, going to bed and getting up at about the same time. This is essential for a healthy metabolism and can reduce stress and fatigue, keeping you in the right frame of mind to stick to your new healthy lifestyle.

A suggested healthy meal plan

I'm not going to be prescriptive over what you should eat but here's a suggested meal plan which you can start from and develop according to your personal preferences.

Rolled oats with low fat milk (flavoured with fresh fruit), followed by boiled eggs, black coffee and an apple or grapefruit half make a satisfying breakfast. A glass of warm water with juice freshly squeezed from one lemon will help digestion throughout the day.

For lunch, try an onion omelette or salmon with a light salad (lettuce, tomato and cucumber), with green tea and a banana and/or small handful of grapes or blueberries.

For dinner, try fish or a chicken fillet with plenty of low GI vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peas, cabbage - steam-cooked in the microwave) followed by a fruit and nut salad and, if you crave an indulgence, a small piece of dark chocolate. Wash the meal down with a cup of decaffeinated green tea.

If you are like me, you'll still be feeling peckish between meals, so help yourself to a nice healthy snack - an apple, an orange or a dozen or so nuts usually hits the spot. Drinking water and green tea throughout the day helps to reduce those cravings to eat.

If you suffer from heartburn or acid reflux, munching a few almonds after a meal often helps to banish the discomfort. Failing that, a cup of comforting ginger tea does the job. I used to spend a fortune on indigestion tablets (they probably did more harm than good) - not any more. As you switch to a healthier diet, you'll find that many of your former dietary problems and other minor ailments (migraines, hay fever, aches and pains) will magically disappear.

© James Travers 2016