Making your latte healthier

These days we all love a nice latte, cappuccino or Americano. It's a trend. A fashion. 

It's yummy. 

Then, there's the guilt. 

Recently, a client asked me, "is coffee really that bad for you?" and proceeded to tell me how she couldn't 'give it up'. 

So, one thing coffee does is affect the acid/alkaline balance in your body. To help with this, a simple glass of water with a slice of lemon will help readdress the balance and pop the body back into a healthier alkaline state. 

Marks and Spencer offer free lemon water in coffee shops. Well done M and S for knowing this fact. 

Any water will help though as that will rehydrate. The coffee alone acts as a dueretic which can help you become dehydrated. 

Small things really do help. 

How's the 'diet' working for you?

Are you on a diet? It's such a massive subject isn't it!

There seems to be a 'pull' in the direction of wanting to get slim and 'going on a diet'.

We see all over the magazines that we could lose a stack of weight in just a week and still get all fired up to try it.  Yet we still seem to be ignoring the fact that....

DIETS DON'T WORK...

And here's why.  

Now I realise this is bad news for most of us as we just want a little bit of magic in our lives to make us feel better, slimmer, more energetic.... but it's a change for life that we need.  Not a quick fix.

How many friends do you hear talking about their recent slimmers diet and they say, "as soon as you start eating normally again it all just goes straight back on."

If you want to know the reason for this, read on...

It's not so much that the weight goes straight back on or as some say 'clings to me as I've been starving myself' or whatever crazy excuse they come up with,  it's because of this:

The reason the person, or you, needed a slimming diet in the first place is because something was going wrong with your everyday diet.  Too many calories, too much junk food.  Likely just too much.  So,  as soon as you start eating too much once again,  you will gain weight.  Now there are theories behind this such as it slows your metabolism and so you end up storing more fat.

Hmm, a possibility.

Although I suspect far more than that it's simply that you have not changed any habits whatsoever.  Which is the HARD bit.  Things are so tasty out there and we are in a lovely social fashion of going out for coffee and a cake and it gets very tempting.  I recognise this too.  However..... changes need to be made in order to sustain a new you.  This starts from day one and must follow right through until after you get your ideal body.  Yes... that's right,  it's a life change.

Now no need to thank me for sharing this information with you for you see while you might want to click off from the truth in favour of a quick one week diet and then back to eating what caused the unhappiness in the first place,  you need to listen up about the 80/20 rule.

The 80/20 rule

Ok so here's the really good news.

You don't need to be an angel.  You can still have what you call 'treats'.

If you eat healthily for 80% of the time (be honest with yourself) then you will be fine to eat other things for 20% of the time.  This will only work if this is always the way you do it and only if you do it for good.

Accepting this is the first part of the mindset for you.  Diets, slimming and health are all about balance, mindset and motivation.  If you would like to know more I will be addressing lots of this on the blog here so make sure you sign up.  

Feel free to email me any questions you have and I will be addressing these over on my Youtube channel later on.  

Wishing you the very best of health.

Nutrition advice - Youtube channel

Hey folks

Here's the thing.  I need your help really.  I am in the throws of designing and updating my Youtube channel.  This is the channel which relates directly to the stuff I talk about on this blog.

I did wonder if I should begin just adding the new videos to the Youtube channel I already own which is gaining in subscribers.  Although having learned the marketing tools stuff I took the decision to keep the two separate.  There are a couple of videos over there which may make you chuckle just now but to be honest, it needs some TLC and I have been creating new videos which are not uploaded just yet.

Please be so kind as to hop over to there and subscribe to my new channel as this will motivate me highly to get these new videos up there for my new subscribers to see.

Thanks so much.  Let me know what type of videos you would like to see.  I'm a bit of an expert at cooking for the SCD diet to help intestinal issues so come on over and tell me what more I can help you with.

As a gift for you,  I totally recommend this FREE SCD lifestyle ebook to get you started on your way into health.  It breaks things down so easily for you to understand.  Click below to claim your free book.

SCD Lifestyle E-Book (Free Guide)

Ever ask "How did I get to be so big?"

You wouldn't be alone if you almost feel as though one day you woke up and suddenly had gained a load of weight.

"How did this happen?"

"When did this start?"

"How did this start?"

And you keep on looking in the mirror,  disliking what you see and beating yourself up about it.  Sound familiar?

Right now stop right there.  I see people morbidly obese walking with a struggle in town,  trying to get around.  With cruelty some people tut and say "How can they let themselves get like that?"
Well chances are,  they didn't.

We don't just end up like that do we.  Realistically. 

If we gain weight,  it's because we have eaten too many calories on one occasion.  The scales reflect a 1lb gain.
"Oh well, I'll get that off again this week."
Then another day we do the same.  So on goes another pound, then another and another.  Before you know it, you've gained a stone.  Exactly the same way everyone gains weight.  Bit by bit.

It was not your intention to become overweight.  Nor could you see it happening despite the chance that you decided to get a grip on it with that first 1lb gain.  Nor could anyone.

So it's happened.  So what is likely to happen next?

Well,  you come to a cross roads.

Now you need to make a decision.

Do you change your habits or do you carry on gaining at one pound per time?

Changing your habits means eating differently,  thinking consciously about what is going into your system.  And watching the scales go down....one pound at a time.

That's right.  Let's be real yet encouraging.  You can lose weight.  You will likely lose it faster than you gained it if you are really focused.  Yet you are not going to make the decision and then wake up the following day to see a suddenly slim you,  no more than you woke up overweight.

So make a decision to go on a journey and begin to respect your body more. 

* You will feel better,  

* you will look better, 

* have more energy

* Reduce the chances of illness

* Likely live much longer and spending precious time with your loved ones.

So,  you want to make this happen?

Want to know how?  Sign up with this blog for lots of tips,  feel free to get in touch with me to ask your questions.

One to one help - apply for free funding

Twitter: @louiseusher

Pizza Hut does gluten free

I'm more than thrilled to announce that I've just discovered Pizza Hut does gluten free dough!

Perhaps I'm behind the times here as it was approximately 6 years since I've been out for Pizza. Just before my coeliac blood test. 

Fully prepared to treat my daughter to a pizza while I ate salad, we looked at the menu with excitement as she exclaimed

"Mum they do gluten free!!!"

I had no idea and HAD to take a couple of photos to show my lovely blog audience!

While Pizza shouldn't be an every day menu item, it's great to know the option is there for those avoiding the usual wheat based dough. 

Also, if you are a student with an NUS extra card, like me, they will give you 25% off the bill!

Well done Pizza Hut! Service was great too. 

Healthy and simple flavoured water!

This heat wave we are enjoying in the UK is amazing! It's important to keep hydrated for so many reasons. Yet lots of us find plain water is a bit like hard work.

For some reason, it seems easier chilled in a water bottle. Some folks try this approach. I have a new idea for you. 

Filter your water in the usual way to remove toxins. 

Find a gorgeous "blog friendly" bottle and fill with your fruit or herb of choice and simply top up with water. The infusion gets your taste buds going as well as adding the goodness of the ingredients. 

My favourite is lemon and mint. Which is your favourite?

The best way to chill wine!

So you've a lovely glass of vino. You are looking forward to it very cold...

Although adding Ice will water down the wine. Hmm, solution for you. 

Pop a few grapes in the freezer and let them freeze. Then add them to your glass of wine. No worries about dilution, and a lovely little healthy snack at the bottom of your glass awaits you!

What is the 80/20 rule?

Here's the thing.  When I posted this photo on my social media,  so many readers had a big AHA moment.

Amazing statement.  One lovely lady, Yvonne, suggested people fail on typical diets as they don't feel they can have a treat.  This is what is an issue with 'diets' that you 'go on' for a quick fix.  Really, there needs to be a life change.

That sounds so off putting and frightening.  Which is why there are far better sales in:
"lose a stone in a week" type of marketing.  However this isn't looking at your health as a whole and won't make you feel better in the long term.

So what can you do if you have the motivation and the wish to make a long term life change?

Well, many health gurus are sick and tired of the "Food Police" chasing them around when they are out at a restaurant with the family.  Even these heroic types can have a 'moment' from time to time.

It's not falling off the wagon.  Nor is it a treat.  Forgive me if I slip up in my Youtube and call it a treat! What is the best thing to do?

As the title suggests, there is an 80/20 rule.  Which means that for 20% of the time you can be more relaxed in your healthy eating.  This will not throw your diet off completely.  Although you really should exercise some caution when you are using your 20% and use common sense.  
Generally though,  using your 20% will be a sure way of keeping you motivated and on track without doing damage to your hard work on the 80% times.

Have you tried this approach?  Let me know in the comments below what has worked for you in the past.

Please feel free to subscribe to the list to get more updates like this!

Wishing you the best of health

Louise