Get back into a healthier lifestyle - by Annette Sym
The weather is getting warmer so we can now start thinking about salads, exercise and swimming. During winter most people tend to hibernate, jumping out of bed at 6am when it is dark and cold can stop even the most health conscious person. Longer daylight hours and warmer weather lifts the spirits and so now is the perfect time to get your health and exercise routines back into full swing. Let’s get ready for summer, here are some tips:
1. Try on your favourite summer outfit from last year and see how it fits now. If it is a bit snug or the buttons don’t do up then take this as a sign that you need to shed a few kilos before summer kicks in. Another good idea is to put on your swimmers and take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror. Do you like what you see? If not then do something about it, now!
2. Dust off the barbie and get back to cooking your meat on the grill and serve with interesting salads. Making tasty sauces to pour over steak will give meat a lift and make it much more tempting. Barbequing your meat allows the fats to escape through the grill, a great way to reduce the fat count. If you find it is still too cool for salads then sauté some vegetables on the flat side of the barbeque with some garlic and spices.
3. Spring means crisp apples, tasty oranges, mandarins and strawberries are at their best. Vegetables such as artichokes, snow peas, bokchoy, asparagus and avocados are also in season. Why not make up some homemade dips to take to picnics and barbeques or fruit salads for a healthy snack for the kids.
4. Spring means it is time to stop having the heavy stodgy winter foods, spring means lighter healthier meals, more fresh fruit and time to get back outside and exercise. This is such a beautiful time of the year so enjoy what spring has to offer and get healthy at the same time.
5. Instead of doing a spring clean at home do a spring clean of your eating habits. Throw out any bad habits that have caused you problems over winter and look for new ways to shed those unwanted kilos. Your attitude determines your actions, so act now and reap the rewards.
Annette’s cookbooks SYMPLY TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE 1-7 are sold in all good newsagencies. Visit Annette’s website www.symplytoogood.com.au for more tips and recipes. You can also join Annette’s Facebook page.
