Tips

1 – Eat More (Low Gi Foods)

  1. Bread made with 50% oats or more, wholegrain bread, rye bread
  2. Porridge, unsweetened oat based muesli, most high fiber breakfast cereals
  3. Pasta- brown or white
  4. Brown rice ,wild rice and basmati rice
  5. All pulses- beans , peas and lentils
  6. Fresh fruit
  7. Nuts, seeds
  8. Rye or wholegrain crackers or crispbread

Eat Less (Higher Gi Foods)

  1. Table sugar
  2. Foods high in sugar e.g. sweets, biscuits, cakes, bakery products etc
  3. Cooked fruit
  4. Some root vegetables e.g. parsnip
  5. Refined breakfast cereals sugar coated or very processed
  6. Sliced pan breads – brown or white
  7. Sports drinks, soft fizzy drinks, juice
  8. Fast food, very processed food

2 – Eat Slower

Help your digestion

  1. Remember it takes the brain 20 minutes to register feeling full so it is important to always eat slowly.
  2. Digestion starts in the mouth. Chew your food well. The teeth and saliva help break down the foods before it gets to the stomach.
  3. Think about what you are eating and enjoy your food.
  4. Put you knife and fork down between mouthfuls just to slow things down.

3 – Never skip meals

  1. Your blood sugar levels and hunger will ultimately get the better of you.
  2. You will overcompensate with less nutritious foods later on.
  3. Always eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and try to have fruit snacks in between.
  4. Eating little and often helps to regulate your blood sugar levels.

4 – Eat more plant protein ( e.g. peas, beans and lentils)

Eat More

  1. Chickpeas in salads
  2. Hummus ( made from chickpeas)
  3. Kidney beans in chilli
  4. Butter beans in soup
  5. Cannellini beans in salad
  6. Lentils in soups and salad
  7. Soya beans

Why?

  1. Peas, beans and lentils contain lots of fiber which keep the digestive system healthy and are good for the heart.
  2. They are low Gi and very low in fat.
  3. They are a good source of protein, especially for vegetarians.

5 – Don’t add salt to your food

Eat More

  • Garlic
  • Herbs
  • Spices
  • Black Pepper
  • Lemon Juice
  • Low fat vinaigrette
  • Sauces with less that 3% fat

Why?

  1. A lot of the food we eat already contains salt.
  2. Salt increased blood pressure and can also cause water retention which will appear as weight gain.
  3. Experiment with spices and herbs instead of adding salt during the cooking or at the table. Garlic contains allicin which may affect blood clotting and help lower levels of IDL ( bad ) cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

6 – Eat oily fish at least once a week

Eat More

  1. Salmon
  2. Mackerel
  3. Herring
  4. Sardines
  5. Fresh Tuna
  6. Trout

Why?

  1. Oily fish contain the essential fatty acid omega-3, important for brain function and heart health
  2. These essential fatty acids have many anti-inflammatory effects and can lower triglycerides (bad fats) and reduce blood pressure.

7 – Avoid saturated fats

For example butter, lard, fat on meat and skin of chicken

8 – Watch protein portion sizes

Two servings of protein-rich foods will meet the daily requirements of most adults. The following are the recommended serving sizes for protein:

  1. A serving the size of
  2. 1 small chicken fillet
  3. 1 small salmon cutlet
  4. 2 small pork chops with fat removed
  5. 1 piece of steak the size of a deck of cards
  6. ½ a cup of beans or pulses
  7. 2 eggs (up to 7 in a week if your cholesterol is normal or less than 5 eggs if you have high cholesterol)

9 – Choose low fat dairy products

Why?

  1. Full fat dairy products contain mainly saturated (bad) fat.
  2. Choosing low fat milk, cheese and yoghurts can help you to reduce your saturated fat intake.
  3. Dairy products also contain protein, calcium, magnesium and zinc.
  4. They are essential for healthy bones, blood pressure and metabolism.
  5. Choose 3 servings of low fat dairy products per day e.g. 1 low fat yoghurt, a matchbox-sized piece of low fat cheese and a glass of semi-skimmed milk. The calcium in these foods can actually help you manage your weight.

10 – Eat more natural foods

Aim to eat at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day – two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables (one salad, one green, and one other).

  1. What is a serving of fruit and vegetables?
  2. 1 medium sized fresh fruit (e.g. apple, oranges, and banana)
  3. 2 small sized fresh fruit (e.g. plums, kiwi, mandarin)
  4. 3 dessertspoons of fresh fruit salad
  5. 1 small glass of fresh fruit salad
  6. 1 small bowl of vegetable soup
  7. 3-4 dessertspoons of cooked vegetables or salad

11 – Watch quality & quantity of snacks

Try to eat 3 meals each day and 3 fruit snacks. Choose low Gi foods for your snacks rather than high Gi foods. If you fancy the odd treat, have a mini dark chocolate bar or one wholegrain biscuit.

12 – Enjoy alcohol in moderation

The recommended intake of alcohol is:

  1. Men – 21 units of alcohol per week
  2. Women – 14 units of alcohol per week

However, if you are trying to lose weight you should reduce this as much as you can. A unit is:

  1. A glass of wine (125ml) OR
  2. Half a pint of beer or lager OR
  3. A measure of spirits

13 – Drink more water and watch the calories in
        other non-alcoholic drinks