Did you, like most people, swear off sugar/carbs/dairy/takeaways at the beginning of January but now that it is already March, are beginning to wonder why? Here are some tips from Louise O’Driscoll, Xen-Do Kickboxing and Martial Arts affiliated Holistic Health Coach, to help you get healthy eating into perspective and continue making good choices for your body.

Tips for sticking to healthy eating resolutions:

Think positively, from a point of view of looking after and respecting your body, rather than punishing it and depriving it as we so often do in our diet crazy culture.

Visualise yourself as the person you want to be. For example ‘I am someone who eats healthily and enjoys and looks after their body’ and then behave like that person. If that feels a long way from being ‘you’, remember faking it to make it is an amazingly effective technique!

Don’t go on a ‘diet’, make your objective to feed your body as well as possible. Consider when you are choosing a snack or meal, what will nourish you the most, as opposed to how many calories or fat are in different foods.

As Xen-Do Kickboxing and Martial Arts Sensei Denise Bailey says ”commitment is all important, it is about the small steps you take every day towards your goal to keep progressing. Taking up healthy eating is no different to taking up Kickboxing and Martial Arts, you have to learn the techniques and continuously put them into practice, that is why at Xen-Do London we provide so much support to our students so they remain ‘fit for life’ overall.”

Louise continues:

Take hunger as a signal that you need food but remember that we never really need sugar or processed carbs. Even if you are following a set ‘plan’ such as low carb, vegetarian or paleo, ask yourself if you are consuming enough protein, veggies and good fat. Look after these three as a priority and you should find your cravings for less nutrient dense foods diminish.

Thinking about a biscuit? Enjoy a bowl of (full fat) yoghurt and berries, or an apple and a handful of nuts…then think about if you still really want the biscuit (if you do – have it!). This approach removes the sense of deprivation created when we ban certain foods and lessens the likelihood of bingeing on the very same food or the dejected feeling of having ‘fallen off the wagon’ when our willpower fails!

Remember the 80:20 rule. If you eat fresh and unprocessed nutrient dense food 80% of the time then the occasional blowout on pizza or cake isn’t going to cause a problem. It’s all about balance.

If you are still finding it hard to make healthy choices, make one small step at a time. For example, cut down your consumption fizzy drinks by half every three days until you can ditch them completely. Swap your sugary cereal breakfast for eggs once a week then twice, then every other day. Add one extra portion of veg to your dinner each night for a week – then one to lunch. Too much change in one fell swoop increases the chance of reverting all the way back to old habits. Baby steps make the process much more manageable and sustainable and add up to a big difference for your health and waistline.

Dai Master Raf, founder of Xen-Do Kickboxing and Martial Arts London says ” you have to adopt the champion’s mindset in all aspects of your life and that is what we encourage our Xen-Do students to do. Visualise success whether practising your moves in the Kickboxing and Martial Arts Dojo , at work or choosing healthy food from a restaurant menu; everything is interrelated and without a clear idea of what you are aiming for you will miss the target. When you visualise success you make it happen!”

Sensei Denise Bailey adds, ”even champions need support, I enlisted the help from the Supreme champions in every Kickboxing and Martial Arts technique and that is why at Xen-Do London we offer our students so much support on and off the dojo. Take our new App for instance, now everyone can stay in touch with Xen-Do Kickboxing and Martial Arts whenever and wherever they like – the timetables, news and information such as these tips on a healthy lifestyle are always to hand.”

In part three of this guide Louise looks at what to do when the going gets tough – make a note to look out for it now and better still download the new Xen-Do App.

This article is based on opinion:
– the author is not a qualified doctor or anyone who can dispense medical advice.
– any opinions stated are just that and people should consult a doctor before making any dietary changes or changes of any nature prompted by the articles published by or on behalf of Xen-Do.
– under 16’s please obtain parental permission before posting anything online.
– any opinions stated are that of the author and do not represent the opinions of Xen-Do.