Eating a rainbow of vegetables is at the pinnacle of a healthy diet. If you have kids, then you may already be quite adept at adding vegetables into meals where they usually may not exist. However, here are some tips which will allow you to add even more on your plate to meet your recommended daily serving without sacrificing flavor or texture.

There are many reasons why you would want to reduce sugar, or even remove it from your diet altogether. The main reason, of course, is that it will help you lose weight and help you avoid those energy crashes which come from eating too much refined sugar. Don’t kid yourself! Sugar is in practically everything that is store-bought or processed. Here are some simple and practical strategies that you can put to good use today.

Enhancing the dishes which come out of your kitchen with herbs and spices is a great way to tempt those taste buds without resorting to high calories sauces and sides. As you know, it is easy to get stuck in a rut with your cooking. Try to find at least one new recipe a month to cycle into your repertoire. As you do this, you will learn new recipes and new ways to improve on your old favorites. Many herbs and spices also have excellent medicinal properties as well.

When winter comes, all you want to do is snuggle up indoors with a warm drink in your hand. Not only do they taste delicious but the warmth of the mug in your hand makes you feel good all over. They provide much comfort and relaxation despite the colder weather conditions outside. It is great to warm up your fingers and a perfect way to relax with friends. Try one - try them all - it can be difficult to pick a favorite.

Are you currently being tempted by the chocolate-lined aisles in the supermarket? They are so bright and colorful; it is almost impossible to resist. The store owners certainly don’t make it easy for dieters to stick to their weight loss goals or maintain their weight. And, of course, it is hard enough to muster up the courage to say no to the good stuff in winter as it is. But the truth is, you can have your cake or chocolate, and eat it too, providing you make the right choices.

It is so easy to feel down when it comes to the cold weather. We can all be affected by the cold weather at some time or another, and a lack of cheery sunshine doesn’t help one little bit. Winter blues, winter doldrums, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or whatever you want to call it is a real problem in the cooler months. Here are five ways you can stay happy and motivated through winter.

When we think of exercise, walking, running, yoga and Pilates springs to mind. However, gardening is one of the best forms of exercise you can get. Have you heard people comment on the fact that their muscles hurt in places they never even knew existed? Gardening is a great all-around workout for the body regardless of your age. In fact, National Gardening Exercise Day is celebrated on the 6 June to encourage everyone to get outdoors and exercise in the garden. When you think about all the things you do in the garden including raking, lifting, planting, carrying, digging, watering, pulling - then it’s not difficult to see the great things you are doing for your body, not to mention the environment.

Dieting over winter and the holiday season can be tricky, but as we enter 2018, it is time to readdress the situation and come up with a plan. There are many reasons why we struggle to stick to our diet and, sometimes the truth is, we are our own worst enemy. Think about what may be affecting your success rate.

Last week on our blog we discussed how to stick to those New Year resolutions. This week, we are going to focus on what resolutions you can make to help your diet in the long-term. Weight loss occurs due to a number of factors. You cannot increase your exercise and expect to see huge changes. Nor can you reduce the amount you eat without altering other factors as well. However, by changing the way you approach food and exercise, in general, will enable you to lose weight and get fit in the New Year.

The end of the year is coming up fast, and all too soon you will be celebrating the beginning of a new year. And with the start of the New Year comes a whole new set of New Year’s resolutions? What’s on your list? Weight loss? More exercise? Get healthy? All of the above? Here are our top tips to ensure you stick to those goals and succeed.