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Bingo Beauty: Kick start your healthy summer body

With summer fast approaching we all want to look our best and make sure we’re in the best condition we can be for having to venture out on the beach in less than flattering swimwear options. A healthy diet, along with a frequent exercise regime, will help make sure that not only do you look good, but that you feel good on the inside too!

Here are some top tips from Littlewoods Bingo to banish those food myths and help you on your way to a healthier diet.

Starchy foods aren’t bad for you

It’s a common misconception that starchy foods like bread, potatoes, rice and pasta are bad for you, but in fact they are a good source of energy and are also a main source of nutrients in our diet. Starchy foods should make up around one third of the food you eat.

Where possible try and stick to wholegrain varieties as things like white rice have many of the nutrients stripped out. Wholegrain varieties also digested more slowly, so you will feel fuller for longer.

Get your five a day

The doctors and nutritionists are not lying when they say you should be getting your five a day. Fruit and veg contain all kinds of vitamins, mineral, antioxidants and fibre which are essential to your diet. Try including fruit as a snack instead of biscuits or crisps, add on a side salad to your lunch and make sure you have veg with your evening meal. Fruit juice is also a great way to increase your intake!

Get friendly with fish

Most of us need more fish in our diet, including one portion of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel or fresh tuna, every week.

Fish is an excellent source of protein, which is a main energy source, and also contains many minerals and vitamins. Oily fish contain omega 3 fatty acids, which help to keep your heart in tip top shape.

Cut down on foods high in saturated fat and sugar

Contrary to some beliefs, we do actually need fat as part of a healthy diet. The main thing to distinguish is that saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol while unsaturated fat can lower it.

Foods that tend to be high in saturated fat include meat with visible white fat, hard cheese, butter, lard, pastry, cakes, biscuits and cream. You can reduce your intake by using reduced fat spreads or picking leaner meat that has less fat.

Avoid foods that are high in sugar such as cakes, biscuits, sweets and in particular fizzy drinks. Cut down on foods that have added sugar and try not to snack on sugary foods, perhaps swap your afternoon cake for a piece of fruit or a fruit and nut mix. If you see the words sugar, sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, hydrolysed starch, corn syrup or honey, especially if they are close to the top of the list of ingredients, it’s likely that whatever you are eating is high in sugar. As well as being bad for your health it’s also bad for your teeth and sugary drinks can actively work towards tooth decay.

Cut down on salt

85% of men and 69% of women in the UK eat too much salt. You shouldn’t be eating more than 6g a day. Check the packets as many foodstuffs have salt added to them, including cereals, soups and readymade sauces.

Salt can raise your blood pressure which can lead to heart disease and increase your risk of a stroke. Check the packet – a high level of salt will be more than 1.5g of salt per 100g.

Drink more water

Our bodies are mostly made up of water and we should be drinking around 1.2 litres every day. Try to avoid fizzy or caffeinated drinks, as these can actually make your body lose water.

Portion control

Are you eating too much? It’s always worth checking recipes and packets for the recommended amounts rather than just throwing things into a pan. It’s always tempting to eat it all if you make too much but think about using leftovers for lunches or freezing bigger portions, rather than eating for the sake of it. Also, remember to listen to your body, if you feel full stop eating regardless of how much is left on your plate.

A healthy diet is of course important but remember to couple this with regular exercise to get the most benefit and keep your body in tip top shape, ready for those beach outings! Get active as physical activity is a good way of using up those extra calories, which in turn helps control your weight.