10 Signs Your Body Is Screaming at You for a Detox

How can you tell if you need a full body detox? Your body will tell you, you just have to know what to look for when it’s trying to communicate.

Many times a list of symptoms reads like the human condition, with things that almost everyone experiences from time to time. What we’re looking for here is how often it happens. Frequently feeling fatigued, frequently getting constipated or experiencing indigestion, etc. It’s the frequency that matters.
If you’ve noticed any of the following occurs on a regular basis, you’re likely overdue for a detox. It may not be the cure-all, but in many cases it can at least improve the situation, and is the perfect starting point towards fixing it for good.

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Top 10 Essential Oils for Detoxing and Purifying the Body

 The beauty of these oils is that they can be used in many different ways, depending on what you need. If we define detoxing as anything that helps rid the body of toxic waste, negative thoughts, stress, anxiety, and harmful organisms the benefits of these oils become even more apparent. While many of the benefits that are claimed for essential oils have not be clinically tested, there is more than enough peer feedback to suggest that they really do help when used properly.

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How To Grow Your Own Herbs If You Live In A Top-Floor Apartment!

Herbs have so many different flavors and uses, from cooking and eating or drinking in tea to aromatherapy and medicinal remedies. There are literally thousands of varieties around the world, and they are so easy to grow and maintain if you follow a few basic guidelines. Growing herbs is such a hassle-free hobby, in fact, that you can grow them on your windowsill, even if you live in a tiny flat or apartment!

Benefits Of Using Fresh Herbs

Herbs have a range of uses and benefits, from aromatherapy and skincare to flavoring food and improving physical and mental health. Rosemary, basil, oregano, cilantro, sage and thyme, for example, are excellent natural anti-inflammatories. Herbs can also be used as a natural fertility enhancer, with red clover, red raspberry leaves and stinging nettle (which is wild but can be grown in the garden), being some of the best options. Certain herbs, including chamomile, lavender and Valerian root, can help reduce anxiety and stress when used in tea, essential oils, or even as bunches or potpourri around the house. Simply smelling these aromas have a calming effect on the mind.

How To Grow Herbs Indoors

As a generalization, herbs tend to be sun worshippers, so growing them inside on windowsills or next to glass doors makes a whole lot of sense. It also means you can add freshly picked herbs to your meals, even if you live in a top-floor apartment in the middle of a city, whether it’s snowing or blowing a gale outside! Not only that, but you’ll add some beautiful, natural greenery and aromas to your home. Although herbs are fairly self-reliant and easy to grow, there are some rules to follow to ensure you are protecting them and getting the most you can out of them.

Give Your Herbs Plenty Of Light

Because most herbs originate from the Mediterranean region, they need to see plenty of sunlight – for at least four hours of the day. In the northern hemisphere, they don’t really appreciate north-facing windows, because of the lack of direct sunshine, and, similarly, in the southern hemisphere, keep them away from south-facing windows.
Depending on where in the world you live and how extreme your winters are, you may need to provide your plants with extra light during those freezing months. The intensity of the light coming through the window can be as much as 10 times lower than in the summer. In this case, you can simply use grow lights to increase the length and intensity of your herbs’ light exposure.

Feed And Water Your Herbs Correctly

Probably the second most important thing, after light, for healthy indoor herb crops, is healthy soil. These plants tend to need extremely good draining (especially in winter) because during colder seasons they don’t release as much water from their leaves into the atmosphere. Because indoor herbs are kept in small pots or planters, water and air cannot move as easily, confining the plants’ roots. Adding sharp sand or perlite to a sterilized compost-based mix (which you can find at any garden center or plant nursery), will improve draining without stripping the herbs’ nutrients. As a general rule, most herbs like soils of pH 6 to 7.

Protect Your Herbs From Pests And Diseases

Just because your herbs are indoors, doesn’t mean they are not susceptible to common pests or diseases. In fact, the simplified ecosystem that indoor plants are introduced into means certain biological controls, such as predators that would keep pests under control in a more complex environment, may be lacking. It is therefore important to check relatively regularly for spots, bite marks or discoloration. You might even be able to see harmful bugs on your herbs, in which case, you can simply remove them by hand! Otherwise, alcohol-soaked cotton balls can be used to reach into areas that your fingers don’t.

How To Grow Herbs In Outdoor Pots

This option is perfect if you have a patio, deck or balcony, and again, it can add a beautiful touch to any outdoor space. It is important, however, to ensure your outdoor space gets plenty of sunlight – at least four hours a day. By growing herbs in outdoor pots or troughs (you could even use an old bathtub as a herb garden!), you save yourself the time and hassle involved with digging and mapping out a garden in the backyard.
Because pots or containers create another small, simplified ecosystem for your herbs, when compared to planting them directly into the ground, you can basically follow the same guidelines as the indoor herbs above. The main thing to remember is to check them regularly, make sure they are soaking up plenty of sunlight, and give them plenty of water and food (think of them as pets!).

It is best to include a few herbs that require the same amount of water into one large pot, rather than having several small pots with individual herbs in them. There are a number of reasons for this – for a start, it creates a larger ecosystem and soil base, and it also makes the pot stronger and heavier, which will stop it from falling over in wind. Choose pots that are at least 8 to 10 inches in diameter to begin with, and then you can transplant them into larger pots or containers as they grow. Then, just remember to use good potting soil, filling the pots right up, and fertilize – preferably with organic matter.

How To Grow A Herb Garden

This paints that idyllic picture of picking fresh herb sprigs in the sunny weather – something you perhaps imagine doing when you have that lovely dream home and plenty of outdoor space. Depending where you live, this might be far easier to achieve than you think, and if you do have any green outdoor space – even just a few square feet, you actually can plant that picturesque little vegetable garden, and herbs are a great place to start because they are so easy!

The same rules apply as with growing plants indoors or outdoors in pots in regards to sunshine, good soil drainage, water and fertilizer or compost. And if they are in the ground instead of pots, they are actually even easier to look after, because they like to spread out.
If you are planting a herb garden directly into the ground, give each plant plenty of space. As a general guide, give rosemary, mint, oregano, sage and marjoram a 4-foot-diameter section of the garden; for basil, thyme and tarragon, allow 2 feet; and for cilantro, parsley, dill and chives, allow 1 foot. Prepare the garden by loosening the soil with a large pitch fork, ensuring water can drain and creating space for the plant roots to move down into the ground. Once the soil has been dug and loosened, add some fertilizer or compost and mix it through to safeguard drainage and feed your herbs. Then you are ready to plant your herbs…

Planting Your Herbs

Whether you are growing herbs indoors or outdoors, in pots or a garden patch, the planting stage is always the same – with damp, loose soil and fertilizer. If you are planting your herbs in pots, fill them up with soil and fertilizer, add water and mix it so that the soil feels damp all the way through, and then dig holes in the soil to plant your herbs. If you are planting in the garden, turn the soil to loosen it, add water, and dampen the soil. The next stage is to dig holes, large enough for each plant (see guidelines above), turn the starter container upside down and tap the bottom. Gently pull the base of the stem and navigate the plant out, making sure you don’t lose any soil or break the roots. Place the herb plant into the hole and move soil around its edges, pressing down gently to secure it in place.
Water the plant straight away and then water again whenever the soil feels dry. Although we’ve pushed the importance of watering your herbs regularly, it is just as important not to over-water them! When in doubt, touch the soil – if it is damp, you don’t need to add water, if it is dry, add some.

Harvesting Your Herbs

Like planting and growing herbs, it is very easy to harvest them, and you can simply pick a few leaves or sprigs when you’re ready to use them in cooking or garnishing your food! There is a bit of a technique and some rules to remember when harvesting herbs, but it really is very simple…
Cut about one-third of the stem’s length (never any more than that), except for chives and lavender, which you can cut at ground level. Harvest your herbs regularly throughout the summer months to encourage new growth. It is best to harvest herbs early in the day, once the dew has dried, but before the sun is high. If you pick them after they’ve been sitting in the hot sun for hours, their essential oils will have been fried out.

Storing Your Herbs

If you are not picking herbs to use immediately in cooking or as a garnish, or if you have leftover herbs, try the traditional method of hanging a bunch of about 10 to 15 stems in a warm, dry space that gets plenty of air. To do this, wrap the stems with a rubber band or twine and hang them on a drying rack or nail. Drying can take several weeks, depending on the type of herb and amount of moisture it has to begin with, but the method will preserve your herbs for future use. Once your herbs are dried, store them in airtight glass or ceramic containers, in a cool, dark area, like your pantry. This will protect their flavor and fragrance, and will keep them good for up to a year. Alternatively, if you want to keep your herbs fresh to use over a few days instead of drying them, you can simply place them in a glass, mug or jar of water in a cool part of your kitchen.

Choosing The Right Herbs For You

As we’ve kept reiterating, herbs are extremely easy to grow and look after, and once they get their sunlight and water, they are pretty happy to grow just about anywhere! However, besides choosing your herbs depending on your taste and scent preferences, you can also take into consideration which herbs work best in your environment. If you do have a herb garden, then you can pretty much choose whatever you’d like, but if you are keeping your herbs in small pots on your windowsill, some will cope better than others. Here are seven of the easiest herbs to grow indoors…
Lemongrass – This is one of the easiest herbs to grow, because you don’t even have to plant it in soil! You simply take a stalk, trim the top of it and place it in about two inches of water to produce roots and sprout new shoots. Lemongrass is the perfect flavor and fragrance to add to any Asian dish, especially Thai.
Mint – This refreshing herb grows like a weed, (which it is in some places!), meaning it’s hard to kill! However, because of its invasive nature, it tends to choke out other herbs if it is not given enough of its own space. In an indoor setting, simply plant it in its own pot and that won’t be a problem! Mint is particularly handy to add to citrus fruit-infused water, adding a delicious refreshing taste, or chopped up in fresh summer salads.

Chives – As far as herbs go, chives need just about the least amount of light, making them a handy indoor herb to grow. The simplest way to plant your indoor chive pot is to take a plant from a starter pot and transplant it into your indoor pot. These onion-flavored herbs are ideal for garnishing just about any meal or salad there is!
Rosemary – This distinctive flavorful, fragrant herb is relatively easy to manage, and does not need much water or rich soil. It’s best to choose an upright, relatively compact variety, such as Blue Spire or Tuscan Blue, if growing it inside, because rosemary is a creeping plant, so other varieties might try to get away from you! This herb adds a seriously tasty flavor to roast dinners.
Parsley – This very mild tasting herb is one of the most commonly used garnishes, and it doesn’t require all that much light or maintenance once it starts growing. However, compared to most other herbs, it is quite slow to grow, so you’ll need to be patient.

Oregano – This is a great option if you get plenty of sunlight through your windows, or if you have a growing light to assist because it is a Mediterranean plant that likes warm, sunny weather. Once you give it six to eight hours of sunlight each day, it will pretty much take care of itself. Fresh oregano is a show stopper when making homemade Italian food or Mediterranean salads!
Basil – Another favorite, especially in Italian cooking, basil is possible to grow indoors, however, it is one of the more difficult ones (especially over winter). Go for African Blue or Spicy Globe if planting in a pot inside.

P.S. Take a look at the 5 veggies that boost female metabolism and burn off lower belly fat.

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Top 18 Everyday Detox Teas for Daily Cleansing

Drinking a daily tea is not just for the British, you can incorporate this into your routine and enjoy the detoxifying effects that come with it. Not only can this be a soothing experience, but if you rotate through the teas on this list you’ll be getting a nice detoxing effect for your efforts. This can help your body get the nutrients and antioxidants it craves, all at a very minimal expense to your pocketbook, and without a lot of time and hassle.

Burdock Root Tea– Burdock is a little-known herb that has a lot of detoxifying benefits. It can has been shown to strengthen the immune system as well, and has been known to help purify the blood. It helps both the liver and the digestive system, two of the main detox avenues the body has at its disposal. Basically if your liver is functioning better, you’ll be less toxic, and if you’re digestive system is keeping things regular, you’ll have less toxic buildup.

Cayenne Pepper Tea– The healing properties of cayenne pepper are just starting to make it into mainstream knowledge, and more and more people are embracing it not just for its spicy heat. When brewed as a tea you’ll find that it not only has a cleansing effect on the body, but it can also give you some energy to help you through the day. Most find that drinking it with a slice of lemon helps the palate and cuts down on some of the spicy taste.

Chicory Tea– Not only can this help you detox the body, it’s also been shown to help rev up your metabolism, so you’re getting at least two major benefits from drinking this. This can also be used to help get your digestive juices going before a meal, so that you’re better able to digest it. To make the tea it is suggested that you use dried chicory root so that you get the most of its essence, and benefit from all of its flavors and vitamins.

Cilantro Tea– Most of us are familiar with adding cilantro to a dish to give it a strong and identifiable flavor, but did you know that you can make a detox tea out of it? In recent years cilantro has been growing in popularity as an herb that does more than just flavor up our foods. By helping with the digestive system, cilantro helps the body process foods, break them down and use their nutrients, and effectively eliminate them. This process is very cleansing and curative for the body.

Dandelion Tea – Although many gardeners view dandelions as the enemy, they’ve been shown to be very purifying for the body, and science is even backing it up. What dandelion does is raises levels of an enzyme in the body known for its detoxifying functions. These have been known to help the body get rid of carcinogens, or cancer-causing toxins in the body, which is definitely worth making this one of your daily rituals. Most people find that the taste is also pleasant, so the chore is not so bad.

Fenugreek Tea– Fenugreek helps with digestive issues, and can be used whenever you’re feeling like your digestion is sluggish. For some this may become a daily drink because they’re always feeling bloated or suffering from indigestion without it. For others it might be used as a weekly refreshing beverage. The side benefits to drinking this include a reduction in blood pressure, and helping out with conditions that are attributed to high amounts of inflammation. The tea is derived from fenugreek seeds simmered in hot water.

Garlic Tea– The benefits of garlic are widely known, but when you drink it as a tea it is definitely going to work to help cleanse the body, due to the specific vitamins it contains that helps in this area. It also contains sulfur, which you may associate with the smell of rotten eggs or a processing plant, but in regards to helping your body detoxify itself, there are few other ways that are as effective. One thing that might be a little off putting is that classic garlic taste. It’s not as bad as if you eat straight garlic, but it’s still there.

Ginger Tea– Ginger is a very cleansing root, and when you brew it up as a tea it can actually be a satisfying beverage with a tart taste. The nice thing is that even though it has a sharp taste, it is gentle on the body, so you don’t have to worry about long-term use. This can easily become a daily detox tea that you can have each morning to start the day, as a midday pick-me-up, or as an warm up before dinner. You can use this as part of a detox program as well, if they recommend drinking detoxifying teas.

Green Tea– The benefits of green tea have been written about extensively, and there is plenty of scientific support behind it. This means that it isn’t just a few anecdotal recommendations to drink this, it’s basically proven that at least a cup of green tea should be consumed daily for optimal health. There are simply too many antioxidants in it that help the body combat free radicals and other toxins to pass this up. The benefit to all of this detoxing? The body naturally rids itself of excess weight. Bonus!

Guduchi Tea– Here’s an herb you might not have heard of, but you should definitely try out. It’s restorative properties have long been known in other parts of the world, and it’s just now becoming more available in the states. The list of potential benefits is rather extensive, but if you’re looking for a detox tea you’d be most interested in how it can improve the skin, and give you a more youthful appearance. This is possible because it helps your organs work to their full ability.

Gymnema Sylvestre Tea– This Chinese herb is known for its effects on sugar, and excessive amounts of sugar in the body can be very toxic. So in addition to being able to help regulate blood glucose levels, this is a great tea to have each day to help your body function fully. Over the years it has been known to help with liver issues, and digestive disorders, so it’s definitely one herb you don’t want to overlook when preparing your arsenal of detox teas.

Manjistha Tea– It’s interesting to note that the skin is the largest organ of the body, and one of the ways that the body helps to eliminate toxins. Therefore if your skin is missing out on the nutrients and support it needs, you won’t be as toxin-free as you could be. Manjistha is a plant that is used for its medicinal properties, and you’d best be served by drinking it. Women especially, since it can help with menstruation due to its blood purifying effect. This is one additional way women have of getting rid of toxins.

Milk Thistle Tea– The benefits to the liver make milk thistle tea worth drinking. The liver is the focal point of your organs, and when it isn’t operating at its best, there is a virtual domino effect on your other organs. So any detox plan you undergo should have the liver as the main organ worth treating. In addition to that, milk thistle also has digestive benefits, so you’ll not only be helping the organ that filters the toxins, but helps the system that flushes those toxins out of the body.

Neem Tea– Here is another herb you might not have heard of before, as it’s popular in India but not so much in America. This is typically consumed as a daily tea to help ward off a myriad of conditions and diseases. The tea is thought to help the liver do its job, and therefore there are many trickle-down benefits from there. It has a unique makeup of different vitamins and minerals that are essential to the body, and it also has a pleasing taste so it’s not hard to drink it every day.

Red Clover Tea– The major detoxing that goes on with red clover is due to its antioxidant value. This means the body will get some backup when it comes time to do battle with the free radicals that are introduced in the foods we eat, and the environment we live in. Getting a daily boost is vital, because an accumulation of free radicals with no defense can lead to a host of conditions that nobody wants. It’s simple enough to make a tea from it, and buying organic red clover is recommended.

Triphala Tea– The main benefit of triphala is to help stimulate a bowel movement, which is why it’s often used to help treat constipation. But if you’re on a detox program those toxins need a place to go. If you’re not helping the bowels and colon purge them from your system, they could end up being reintroduced into the body. That’s why so many programs rely on an herb like triphala because it is also working to expunge toxins, in addition to helping to keep you regular.

Turmeric Tea– Perhaps you only used turmeric to help spice up a recipe, but you can also make a tea from it rather quickly and easily. The good news is that it can help kickstart your liver and gallbladder into creating more bile, which helps to break down toxins and flush them from the liver and out of the body. Most American’s don’t produce nearly enough bile, and so this is a great way to try and get things to their correct levels and have your digestive system functioning normally.

Wormwood Tea– Here is an herb that helps the bile out of the liver, and out of the body. This is helpful because if you have too much toxic build up it can sometimes stagnate within the body unless acted upon by another force. In this case wormwood has a purging effect, and the bile is whisked from the liver and down through the body. This is a tea that you can drink daily to make sure that you are producing enough bile, and that it is finding its way through your system.

Yellow Dock Tea– Any time you combine detoxifying effects on the liver, as well as help with cases of constipation, you are going to help your body get rid of plenty of toxic build up. If you stick to this regimen daily you should find that many symptoms that you previously had gradually go away. It can be so subtle that you don’t even realize that you don’t have them anymore. This is a great way to improve your digestion, while at the same time it makes a great-tasting tea.

Drinking a daily detox tea is a nice way to keep your body well-maintained. You should also consider doing major whole-body cleanses throughout the year as needed. But these can provide you with good maintenance so things don’t build up and get out of hand. You can also target different detox cleanses for different systems and organs of the body, such as the digestive system, or the liver. But for daily use, the above teas all have their own unique properties that can be of great help.

P.S. Take a look at the 5 veggies that boost female metabolism and burn off lower belly fat.

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How Did 42 Detox Diets for Weight Loss & Liver C's Become the Best? Find Out

Detoxing is a great way to help your body rid itself of toxins, and a natural byproduct is that you slim down due to the release of stored body waste. If you’ve ever attempted a regular diet before and had limited success with it, it could be that your body wasn’t able to absorb the nutrients, and the cravings for junk food became too intense. If you start with a detox program you should find that other diet programs are now more effective and you can stay on them more easily.

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How to Start Eating Healthy in 9 Easy Steps

Whether you need to shed a few pounds, lower your blood pressure, or simply increase your energy levels, the best way to start is by eating healthier. Nutrition plays pretty much the biggest role in your overall health, and by improving your diet with a few basic changes, everything else, from exercising and focusing at work, to sleeping peacefully and relaxing, will be much easier. Here are some changes you can make and advice you can start following today to start eating healthier…

Stock Your Fridge With Healthy Foods

The first thing you should do on your journey to healthy eating is to reduce unhealthy temptations within easy reach in your home, while also ensuring you have plenty of healthy foods available. This will help you avoid a hungry shop run, which almost always ends with regrettable impulse purchases!
Start with your fridge, by stocking it with a variety of healthy, colorful natural whole foods with a variety of nutrients. Think protein, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber and healthy fats. A good example of a healthily stocked fridge might include…

• Unsweetened natural yogurt (healthy fat, protein, probiotic)
• Unsweetened almond milk (healthy fat)
• Green leafy vegetables, like spinach, kale and collard greens (vitamins, minerals, fiber, calcium)
• Colored vegetables of your choice. For example, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower (vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants)
• Eggs, which can be kept in the fridge or on the bench, depending on personal preference (protein, vitamins)
• Colorful range of fruits of your choice (depending on what’s in season). Examples might include oranges, apples, kiwifruit, grapefruit, berries, watermelon, cantaloupe – the list goes on! (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber). Again, some of these can be kept in a fruit bowl instead of the fridge if you don’t like them to be too cold.
• Maple syrup to have on hand and use instead of sugar (vitamins, minerals)
• Healthy (preferably homemade) dressings and sauces. Think of blends using different bases, like apple cider vinegar, balsamic, olive oil, garlic and chili.
• Natural, lean meats if you are not vegetarian. For example, poached chicken breast, grilled turkey breast or roast beef – definitely avoid processed meats (protein, iron)

This is just an example guide – everyone stocking their fridge will have different tastes, but remember to fill it with whole foods, or foods with very few ingredients, keep it colorful, and keep it varied.

Stock Your Pantry With Healthy Ingredients

This is a continuation of the last tip, extending into the dry and canned foods section. The pantry is arguably just as important as the fridge, because this is where you can keep non-perishables, like canned beans and dry baking ingredients. Here is an example of a healthily stocked pantry…

• Ground almonds or ground hazelnuts, to use instead of flours in gluten-free and healthy desserts (healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber)
• Oats for baking or breakfast (complex carbohydrates, fiber, minerals)
• Spices, such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, fennel and fenugreek. This gives you plenty of flavor options to make an enormous array of dishes, including Ayurvedic-inspired and homemade Chinese food (calcium, minerals, vitamins, fiber)
• Dried herbs like basil, oregano, bay leaves, rosemary, sage, thyme and tarragon. These are great for Italian cooking, roasting vegetables, or adding to salads (vitamins, minerals)
• Whole grains, like brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, quinoa, barley, bulgur, millet and freekeh (complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals)
• Seeds, like chia seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, linseeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. You can use these to sprinkle on salads, fruit and yogurt, or as an ingredient in smoothies and baked goods (fiber, vitamins, minerals)
• Stevia, to use as a replacement for sugar and in baking
• Canned beans stored in water (fiber, protein, minerals, antioxidants)
• Raw cacao powder or 100% cocoa powder for baking and smoothies (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals)
• Matcha powder to use in smoothies (antioxidants)
• Nuts (protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals)
• Protein powder for baking and smoothies or protein shakes (protein, unsurprisingly!)
• Dates, for baking and smoothies. They make a great sugar and butter replacement.
• Onions, garlic and ginger (vitamins, anti-inflammatory properties, minerals)
• Nut butter, like almond or hazelnut. Make sure it’s 100%. These are great for snacking with vegetable sticks, adding to smoothies, or using as an ingredient in raw desserts (fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals)

Again, your pantry might look very different, depending on the types of foods you like and the types of desserts and smoothies you make. The main thing to remember again is to choose whole foods, and make sure your pantry is stocked well enough to give you a few complete recipe and meal options.

Plan Your Meals In Advance

This falls under the same category as stocking your kitchen. By planning your meals in advance, you will avoid hungry impulse buys or too many takeout nights, and you will know what to stock your fridge and pantry with. This will also give you the opportunity to cook meals in bulk and store them in individual portions to eat throughout the week. You can also use leftovers to make something different for another meal. For example, if you cook a Sunday roast, you can use leftover meat slices in a salad the next day at work. You could also use the leftover meat in a homemade curry or stir fry. If you make guacamole for a bean salad or Mexican dinner, you can use the leftover as a snack to dip vegetable sticks in. If you do work a full-time job, there’s nothing more tempting than an easy takeout order if you get home and have to come up with something to eat, potentially meaning a run to the supermarket if you don’t already have your ingredients.

Eat Homemade Food

Again, this all falls together nicely. By planning your meals ahead and stocking your fridge and pantry, you will be able to plan to cook at home. By cooking at home, you can decide how healthy you want to make your food, and you’re going to know exactly what you are eating. Meals don’t have to be super tricky or time-consuming to be healthy. There are hundreds of quick, easy recipes available on websites and blogs all over the internet.

One thing you should keep in mind though is to limit the use of pre-made sauces and marinades. These tend to pack a lot of sugar, salt and other preservatives, and tend to be as bad as some takeout options. Again, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to slave away for hours in the kitchen. A simple tomato pasta sauce can be whipped up and cooked in 20 minutes using blitzed tomatoes, whatever dried herbs you have in the pantry, garlic, onions and pepper. You can make large batches and freeze them to use in the future instead of going for a pre-made jar. Similarly, homemade salad dressings are extremely quick and easy, and you don’t even need to make them in advance. You can simply drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the salad, garnish with herbs, and add a little bit of sea salt and cracked pepper to taste.

As well as cooking your meals at home, you should avoid buying supermarket cakes and candies. If you do have a sweet tooth and think that by restricting yourself from eating sweets would ultimately lead to a breakdown binge, you can certainly enjoy a little something sweet with your coffee or after dinner. The main thing is to limit the amount of sugar you consume and also don’t go overboard with your dessert portion sizes. To do this, you can make your own extremely healthy and sugar-free desserts at home, from chocolate protein balls, raw ‘cheeseless’ cake, and peanut butter cookies to vegetable-based brownies and dairy-free ice-cream. Again, there are so many healthy dessert bloggers out there, offering free whole food sweet recipes to choose from.

Take Advantage Of Your Freezer

A freezer is an incredibly handy tool for your new healthy lifestyle, but instead of stocking it with shop-bought ice-cream, cookie dough and frozen ready meals, use it to store your own homemade food and some handy ingredients. If you try cooking a few meals in bulk on weekends or days off, you can simply freeze them in portion-sized containers to later defrost when you need a quick, rushed meal.

You can also make your own homemade ice-cream with bananas, almond butter, almond milk, cacao powder, vanilla extract and maple syrup as an emergency go-to sweet. You can also simply freeze pieces of peeled bananas in a container in the freezer to pop into smoothies. This will add thickness, texture and a nice cool temperature to the smoothie, eliminating the need for ice, sorbets or ice-cream. Freezers are great places to store other ingredients for cooking, such as fresh herbs all-year-round, which can be done quickly and simply, either dry in a bag, or using water or olive oil.

Think Of Food As A Whole

When deciding what to eat throughout the day, try to consider it as a whole, not as individual meals and snacks. Vegetables, for example, are incredibly healthy, but if you have vegetables only for breakfast, lunch and dinner, that is not a balanced diet, and will not supply you with the nutrients you need in a 24-hour period. So, for example, if you are having a vegetable soup for lunch, then you need to make sure you get plenty of protein, healthy fats, iron and calcium with breakfast and dinner. Always be aware of what you are consuming in a 24-hour period and ask yourself if you’ve included plenty of fiber, protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Your daily intake of food should involve lots of different colors and textures from all of the five food groups. An example of one day might include eggs, avocado and seeds for breakfast, root vegetable soup for lunch, and spinach and other vegetables for dinner, either with a vegetarian protein option, fish or meat and freekeh or brown rice. Of course, you also need to make sure you are not over-consuming these healthy foods. Eat slowly and mindfully when you do sit down to eat and serve yourself a healthy sized portion. Vegetables should be the main feature on the plate, followed by protein and grains.

Choose Whole Foods And Ditch Processed Foods

One way to seriously minimize the risk of taking in unhealthy foods or additives is to go back to basics, choosing whole foods instead of processed or fast food. Besides buying and cooking your own fresh vegetables, meats, grains, spices, nuts and beans, make sure you read the ingredient list of any cupboard item you purchase. Opt for foods that don’t have artificial additives, refined sugar and vegetable oils, and when it comes to tasty treats, like cakes and cookies, always try to bake your own at home instead of buying pre-made goodies. Whole foods always contain the highest amounts of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and water, which the body knows how to use when it’s fed them in their natural form. Ultimately, these are the ingredients to keep your energized and healthy, and make you feel good after a meal, not guilty or bloated.

Eat Quick, Easy Breakfasts

For some people, especially people who perhaps don’t have the healthiest lifestyle or diet, mornings can be difficult and breakfast can be a hassle. If you had a late night takeout the evening before, chances are you will wake up feeling pretty rotten, tired and down. A great way to set yourself up for a healthy day is by starting from minute one. Have healthy options ready and waiting for you when you wake up, and ensure they are not going to be too difficult or time-consuming to prepare. Overnight oats or chia puddings that have fruit and fiber in them are a great grab-and-go option. Eggs with spinach or avocado create a super protein-packed breakfast, and a smoothie can be a delicious option to hide all sorts of nutrient-rich ingredients in. One example might include frozen banana, frozen berries, avocado, raw baby spinach leaves, oats, matcha powder, chia seeds, natural yogurt and coconut water, which will have you feeling like you can take on the world! It’s always a good idea to try and add at least one serving of vegetables into your breakfast. Starting the day healthy is the best way to motivate yourself to continue eating healthy for the rest of the day. You will have more energy to put into preparing your meals later, and you’ll feel happy and inspired.

Cut Sugar, Cream And Milk Out Of Your Coffee And Tea

This is a definite when it comes to sugar, but cream or milk can technically be added, depending on how much fat you’ve already eating, or are going to eat, that day. Modern diets contain far too much sugar, and it can be extremely difficult to cut out, or even be aware of how much you are actually eating. Perhaps during a busy day at work, you run to the vending machine for a chocolate fix, or a soda to wake you up. Sometimes you simply forget all the things you’ve actually eaten in a day, which is why it’s important to cut out sugar wherever possible to minimize your overall intake.
A great place to start is with your coffee or tea, especially if you have several cups throughout the day. Coffee and tea on their own are actually very healthy, but what you add into them can turn them into unhealthy indulgences. You may be thinking, ‘there’s no way I’d like coffee without sugar’, but if you ask anyone who has forced themselves to stop taking sweetener in theirs, they’d almost always say it actually tastes better now (myself included!). If you take sugar and cream in your coffee, you can start by dropping the sugar and replacing it with a little bit of cinnamon, but keep the cream to begin with. Once you get used to that, you can ditch the cream, unless you don’t eat much fat on a daily basis, in which case, it might actually be good for you. If you drink milk-based coffees, like cappuccinos or lattes, then you are taking in a lot of extra calories each day. Start with a black coffee with warm milk on the side and add as much milk as you need, reducing it every day, until you only need a drop of cold milk, or you are converted to black coffee!

It’s important, however, not to become obsessed with food, or introduce any food restrictions into your diet. Like fad diets, this is not sustainable, and can lead to binge eating, guilt and unhappiness. If you eat a chocolate bar, or treat yourself to a cappuccino, don’t beat yourself up over it! Enjoy it, and just make sure it’s not a daily occurrence.

P.S. Take a look at the 5 veggies that boost female metabolism and burn off lower belly fat.

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