In this final section of January’s Xen-Do health tips, Louise O’Driscoll, Xen-Do Kickboxing and Martial Arts affiliated Holistic Health Coach, suggests looking at your diet from a point of view of what nourishing foods we should be including regularly rather than approaching dietary changes from a restrictive point of view.

Focus on foods you should be eating, rather than the ones you shouldn’t is the Xen-Do mantra.

This week, take a look at your diet in general and consider where you can improve it in a way that feels nourishing rather than painful. There are lots of small tweaks and additions that can add up to a much healthier you.

First, aim to prepare meals at home with fresh ingredients as much as possible. If you aim for 80% of your diet to come from whole foods, rather than processed, you will be doing a great job as you will immediately be reducing your intake of sugar, salt and trans-fats, which feature strongly in most pre-prepared foods and takeaways. If you can add in extra veg wherever possible, even better. In the previous posts in this series I covered the importance of hydration and the best foods to provide protein and anti-oxidants, below is a list of other foods you should try and include on a regular basis to cover your most important nutritional requirements. If you can do this then the occasional blow out on cake or burgers shouldn’t cause you any problems!

Good fat – EFA’s are crucial for our good health and appearance. If we are fat-deficient then the effects will be noticeable in the form of dry or greasy hair and skin, poor digestion, headaches, chronic fatigue, foggy headedness or lack of focus, poor nail condition and many other complaints. The best sources of EFA’s are seeds, raw nuts and nut butter, cold-pressed oils, oily fish such a salmon or mackerel, and avocados. You could also consider taking a daily supplement.

Fibre – fibre is essential to helping us feel full and enabling our digestive systems to operate smoothly. Wholegrains can provide this (providing they agree with you), other great sources include bananas, kale, broccoli, beans, lentils and cauliflower.

Vitamins – foods that score particularly highly  for their vitamin content include avocados, berries, applies, kale, spinach, tomatoes, tuna and cauliflower.

Eat for energy – we all need plenty of energy to get through the Kickboxing and Martial Arts Classes at Xen-Do!  Choose oats, lentils, nuts, full fat dairy, beans, quinoa, avocados, peas, citrus fruit, spinach and berries to keep you going.

Look after your gut – gut health is crucial for our immunity and general well-being. Feed it well with garlic, onions, fermented foods such as sauerkraut or miso paste, fibrous vegetables, turmeric and live yoghurt.

”If you have followed this Xen-Do Kickboxing and Martial Arts guide to fitness in 2015 then by now you should be feeling and looking fantastic,” says Dai Master Raf. ”I encourage all our students to continue to look to Xen-Do for support such as this beyond the dojo because I am clear that Xen-Do is a way of life and my mantra for 2015 is Xen-Do – Fit for the Life that You want to lead!”

Are you or a friend looking to improve your fitness? Will you be looking to take up a new activity in 2015? Xen-Do kickboxing and martial arts clubs in London offer a free trial lesson where you can experience our unique ‘hybrid’ training system that delivers chart topping exercise, progress in martial arts and a great feeling of self confidence in a one hour lesson, book your free trial now and take advantage of special membership offers available now.

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.