When people think diet they often think lettuce, thinking how boring it is. There are so many different types these days to choose from, dark green to light green, with curly edges, red, round, long etc.

In general lettuce has diuretic properties, good for fluid retention. The richer darker colours have more chlorophyll making them the type of lettuce excellent for cleansing the body.

Chilli Chilled Soup

1)     To maintain a good metabolism the body needs feeding on a regular basis.  Approximately every four hours or so, depending on how well you stabilize your blood sugar levels. This is a bit like stoking the boiler, the fire needs plenty of fuel to burn well.

2)      Desserts spelled backwards  is stressed

3)      Don’t despair if your weight loss has slowed down, this is quite normal. At first you can lose a lot of fluid as well as fat. Rome was not built in a day.

4)      Make sure you do some sort of activity every day.  Get that pedometer and make sure you get your quota for the day. It is thought that most people do an average of 4000 steps a day going about their daily business – the goal would be to add anything from 2000 to 3000 more steps a day.

1)  Have a glass of water 20 minutes before you eat, this will help your digestion, stop you eating too much, and hydrate you. Remember (mentioned in several places on this site) research has shown that the brain gets confused between hunger and thirst.

2)  Never drink alcohol before a meal – unbalances your blood sugar levels, makes you even more hungry. Once you start eating then have a glass of wine if you wish.

3)  If you keep craving chocolate a) you could be essential fatty acid short, b) or short of magnesium c) or you need to control of your blood sugar levels better.

4)   It is helpful if you can find a slim or health buddy, so you can encourage each other.

1)      Do not count calories. It is however good to be mindful of them and most people have a very good idea what is high in calories and what is low in calories. Generally most people know healthy eating is naturally lower in calories.

2)      A salad when you are out sounds like a good idea but it all depends on the dressing. Ask for the dressing on the side and you can opt for the amount you want or ask for just olive oil and some fresh lemon.

3)      Re-educating your taste buds is such an important part of any successful health or weight loss program. You need to gradually get your taste buds to expect less of a sweet and salty taste. Do this gradually and it will become very easy.

4)      Any habits die hard. Some people go crazy if they can’t have their dessert after a meal. At first substitute your normal desserts with some fresh fruit after meals, or some 70% to 80% cocoa chocolate, take it to the restaurant with you, if need be!

1)     It is important to cut the sodas out of your diet including the ‘diet’ varieties. Research has shown they are highly addictive, cause cravings, mess up your blood sugar levels – resulting in hunger for sweet and fatty foods.

2)    Your body NEEDS certain nutrients – if you don’t eat nutritious foods, if the body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, it will not turn off your hunger.

3)    For better health and weight loss – eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.

4)    Not getting enough sleep disturbs your hormone balance and is ultimately fattening – my site and slimming program explains in detail why. It will also explain how to improve your sleep patterns.