January has crept up on us again, and no doubt many people have resolutions to eat healthier and to improve our bodies – but it’s not always as easy as it feels when you decide to do it.

Food
You can kick off a nice healthy start to your day with a healthy breakfast, instead of having high sugar cereals; try a high fibre cereal, or a whole grain equivalent – if you are still craving a bit of sugar add some fruit to your cereal it will bring some natural sugars into your diet which your body will appreciate more than the sugar added to cereal. For lunches instead of the pre-packed sandwiches you can buy, try a salad with a low fat dressing instead – or even make your own at home so you can make sure you’ve got exactly the right foods in there, as it is all too easy to come to your lunch and not fancy it. For the evening meals try steaming vegetables instead of boiling them as you will keep in vitamins that will benefit you. The recommendations for a healthy diet, on the NHS Eatwell plate, are that you should have a plate that is two thirds fruit and vegetables, and starchy foods such as potatoes, bread and rice. The rest of the plate should be divided up between the rest of the food groups, meats, fatty foods and dairy – with the smallest chunk being the fatty foods. This doesn’t mean deserts must be totally avoided, just try smaller portions or deserts like yoghurts, and low fat ice creams and don’t forget the all-important fruits. All a vital part of the recommended five-a-day!

Exercise
Simply walking to work or cycling can give you that kick-start to a healthy body. A walk at the weekends instead of lazing on the sofa, that will burn off any extra calories you’ve put on during the week when you’ve fancied something sticky for pudding – during the week. If you’ve got that all important gym pass that you don’t use very often, try and get to the gym at least once a week more than before so you can use that healthy body to your advantage, and use up all that extra energy from eating so healthily.

Drink
In the mornings instead of your normal morning coffee buy green tea instead, it has half the caffeine of a cup of coffee, and is much more of a calming influence on your stomach – you can replace coffee with this throughout the day just buy from a tea shop if you like to have a hot drink. |Why not learn more about the benefits of drinking green tea by visiting the Twinings website.

However you can also replace your fizzy drinks with water and fruit juices, as it will naturally replace your body’s fluids and help to clear skin. Now in a detox it is always good to try and keep the alcohol intake to a minimum, but it is easy to make alcohol a bit better for you – for example try a white wine spritzer instead of a full glass of pure wine.

Exercise
Simply walking to work or cycling can give you that kick-start to a healthy body. A walk at the weekends instead of lazing on the sofa, that will burn off any extra calories you’ve put on during the week when you’ve fancied something sticky for pudding – during the week. If you’ve got that all important gym pass that you don’t use very often, try and get to the gym at least once a week more than before so you can use that healthy body to your advantage, and use up all that extra energy from eating so healthily.