Sugar is Good for You!

Sugar has received so much bad publicity lately, but is this 'hate' campaign really justified? Fats used to be the bad guys, and for many years we were convinced that fat makes us fat. Now we are told that only sugar and high fructose corn syrup (used in commercially packaged foods and drinks) are the culprits. We are being told that the only way to good health and a slim body is to eliminate these 'poisons' completely from our diet. I am suspicious that such a radical approach will solve our problems related to excess weight and chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and other chronic ailments. 

I believe that moderation is the key. If you deprive yourself of something for a long time, you will end up craving this food and possibly end up binging on it and feel guilty afterwards. Then you go on a starvation diet, high in protein and without any carbohydrates. Until you can’t take it any more and have another splurge. But carbohydrates are not the evil guys when it comes to losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight. Good carbohydrates like whole grains can even help you achieve your weight loss goal. 

In my book “The Magic of Sensible Diet’, I explain in simple terms what protein, fats and carbohydrates do to your body and how much of them to consume. I talk about fibre and how important it is to your health. I honestly believe that this book is the most easy-to-understand, and easy-to-follow system ever designed. If you're prepared to follow a few simple principles, you will be able to achieve your dream of a healthy body weight, without depriving yourself and without suffering hunger and fatigue. On the contrary, you will have more energy than ever!

Even if you know nothing about nutrition or are confused (and we all are, to a certain degree, with the constant flow of contradictory advice we have been getting over the years), this book will give you the incentive to change your lifestyle, without sacrificing your favourite foods. And one of them is sugar. After all, what would life be without dessert? This is one of the pleasures that makes life worth living. A friend of mine once said, “If I can’t eat what I want, there is no point in living.” She was joking of course, but there is truth in jest. Enjoy your treats this festive season. But do it sensibly!

With much love,

Bella

Painting: 'Cake' by Carol Korpi McKinley

What is Faith ?

"Ask, and it shall be given to you; knock, and it shall be opened to you. " Matthew 7:7
This is perhaps the most famous Bible quote, and probably the least understood and the least practiced. It is the basis of the Law of Attraction, a term first coined by William Walker Atkinson in 1906, in his book 'Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World'. The expression was then used by Esther and Jerry Hicks in their numerous Abraham publications. In 2006, controversial Australian author Rhonda Byrne snapped it up and made a multi-million dollar business out of her best-selling book and video 'The Secret', which in reality is not a secret at all, as this truth has been in the Bible for over two thousand years - for everyone to read and take to heart.

But why do some people get what they ask for and others don't? The difference lies in the degree of faith you have. If you ask for something, but believe you can't have it for one reason or another, or think you don't deserve it, it will be more difficult for you to receive it, because you're closing the door to it. You don't allow it to come to you. For instance, maybe you want to be healthy, wealthy, or in a satisfying love relationship, but deep down you feel you can't achieve this goal because... Now you come up with all your arguments. You list all the reasons that prevent you from achieving your goal. I can't lose weight because I don't have enough willpower to stick to a diet. I can't find a partner because I don't mix with the right people. I would like to become an artist, but there is too much competition in my field. I would like to start my own business, but I have no capital to invest. And so on... 

Where does faith come from? It is more than just a word. It comes from letting go and letting Go. It comes from the knowledge deep inside you that you are a worthy human being and deserve to be happy and successful,  no matter what this means to you. But without the help of God, no amount of positive thinking and asking will get you anywhere. Only God can give you what you're asking for, and you need to state your desire clearly. Say it aloud, say it with conviction and be prepared to be patient. God will give you everything you want, but in His own time. But He can only give it to you if you ask for it specifically. Nothing is impossible, if you put your life into His hands and trust that He will look after you.

"I tell you with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

With all my love,

Bella

Painting: 'Childhood Faith' by Zolan

What is the Meaning of Life?

"The meaning of life is not to be discovered only after death in some hidden, mysterious realm; on the contrary, it can be found by eating the succulent fruit of the Tree of Life and by living in the here and now as fully and creatively as we can." - Paul Kurtz

"Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it. The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning." - Joseph Campbell

The question "What is the meaning of life?" is a tricky one, because it implies that life in itself has a meaning that is yours to discover during your journey on this earth. We humans like to ask "Why?" "Why am I here? Where am I going? What is my destiny, my purpose in life?"

Maybe you turn to faith and find comfort in the idea of living the best possible life, finding answers in the Bible or other religious book. Following a set of morals or ideals can give you the direction you crave for. When you have a problem, you turn to God, your refuge and strength. You believe in the power of prayer. To you God is not mysterious, He is there with you every day, a very present help in times of troubles or uncertainty. New Age philosophies may help too, but be careful of certain beliefs that can be damaging and lead to disappointment, like the idea that you can create anything with your thoughts. I won't say that it is not possible; but just because it is possible doesn't mean that it will necessarily happen. You can visualise a winning lotto ticket as much as you want, but in the end you might still not win your millions.

The meaning of life could reside in the act of living itself, breathing, walking, using all your senses, eating, sleeping, loving. You find purpose in every single action. It simply feels good to be alive and to be able to do what you're here to do. You enjoy fulfilling different roles, at work with your colleagues, at home with your family, friends and pets. This gives your life a purpose, to know that you're doing a good job and you're a good boss or employee, a good father, mother, husband, wife, brother or sister, friend and neighbour. You find fulfilment in your career, your home, your relationships and your hobbies. Your leisure time is important: finding a balance between work and play, unwinding and recharging your batteries. You want to be healthy and look after your body. You enjoy your holidays and are eager to explore new places, see fresh faces and taste exotic dishes.

In the end, your life's meaning is the meaning you decide to assign to it. Everyone is different, but most people want to be happy and fulfilled. Most people have goals they want to achieve. Some have very big goals, like being an Olympic champion. Some prefer to lose themselves in the arts, and find purpose in being creative. They write books, paint, dance, do pottery, play and compose music, design clothes, posters, gardens or websites. Some just dream to have the best possible home life, and look forward to opportunities like Christmas, when they can decorate their homes and cook delicious meals for the family. Their home is their castle, and they take pride in it.

To me life is all about learning. If I can learn something every day, I feel happy. In the end, happiness is the result of living a life that is meaningful to you. It might not be a life of glamour or luxury. It might not be the perfect life. But it is a good life, because ultimately you decide how you feel about it, and you decide to be grateful for this wonderful gift. Live consciously, in the present moment, and you will appreciate things even more. There is always another goal to achieve, but remember to take pleasure in the journey, one step at a time. The destination is not so important. Whether you reach it or not, it doesn't matter, but along the way, you can take time to smell the flowers, talk to people and admire the scenery.

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose" - Robert Byrne.

With all my love,

Bella





























Painting: 'Jacaranda Tree of Life' by Laura Milnor Iverson

Why Do We Gain Weight as We Get Older?

As you get older, your body changes. Your muscle mass decreases, you accumulate more fat, in particular around the waist. Your metabolism slows down, your heart and lungs are not as powerful as they used to be. You tend to lose flexibility, as your joints are worn and less lubricated. You've spent long hours sitting at a desk all these years, instead of walking, running and climbing. Your joints lock your limbs in certain positions, and your muscles shorten as you don't extend them, unless you practice yoga or do stretches every day. Can you remember how flexible you were as a kid? Everything seemed so easy, even doing the splits! It's a different story now...

Unfortunately, appetite doesn't decrease with age, on the contrary. You find more reasons to eat that have nothing to do with hunger or your body needing fuel. It's more about pleasure, like when you enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant. Or it could be stress, making you reach for chocolates, cookies and crisps. You look at your wedding photo and can't understand why you put on so much weight over the years. But don't despair: it's never too late. You can change your body and reverse the effects of ageing, but there is only one way to do it: exercise.

Exercise will increase your muscle mass and your flexibility. Ultimately, your metabolism will follow, as more muscle means more efficient fat burning. Your bones will also benefit from your efforts and become stronger, less prone to fractures. Your blood will circulation will improve, and your mental faculties including your memory are also likely to get better. Aerobic exercise stimulates your heart, blood vessels and increases your lung capacity. Your blood will be richer in oxygen, and all your inner organs will benefit from it, and work better. Your body will be able to process nutrients more effectively, as well as eliminate toxins. As a result, you will lose excess weight. Exercise stimulates the production of Endorphins in your body, a natural morphine-like substance that alleviates pain, anxiety and depression. Studies have shown that just three 20 minute exercise sessions a week may be as effective as taking antidepressants to lift your mood and increase your motivation.

The secret is to be patient. Don't think that radical change is going to happen within a few weeks or even a few months. Your body is the result of many years of neglect. During all this time, you didn't look after it properly. But there was a reason for it. Maybe you were to busy working or bringing up your children. Finally it's time to put your body first, and make your health your number one priority. As you get older, your health becomes your wealth. No matter how much money you've got, you won't be able to enjoy it if you're unfit, riddled with chronic diseases and unable to move around swiftly.

But don't make the mistake of doing too much too soon. Start with little changes, like a 20 minute walk every day, or a few stretches in the morning or evening. You can join a gym of course, if you can afford it and have time to go two or three times a week. But you can also find other opportunities to exercise, and there are plenty of ideas and videos on the internet. You can do yoga or Pilates in your own home, following Youtube videos. All you need is your living room carpet or a yoga mat, and some comfortable clothes. Even if you haven't exercised since high school, you can change and start your own programme now. You will feel so good after a while that you will never want to give up your routine any more!

With all my love and motivating thoughts,

Bella

Painting: 'Namaste Yoga Art Elephant'  (unknown artist)

Happiness doesn't depend on the things you want

"We can be grateful for music, silence, kind words, beautiful words, art, blank canvasses, space, night, sun, rain, amazing plants, animals..." - Jay Woodman

We often think that if only we had this or that, we would finally be happy. The truth is that all the things people want have little effect on the long-term happiness they derive as a result of obtaining these things. We tend to see material objects as a way of defining or creating a form of happiness that constantly eludes us, rather than enjoying the things we already possess and treating anything additional as a bonus, something that ads interest and variety to an already fulfilled life.

What things would make you happy? The fact that you need to ask yourself this question means that you need to examine your values and reassess your priorities. Material possessions will never have anything but a fleeting effect on your happiness, unless you’ve been denied basic necessities like food and decent housing. 

The rush of exhilaration you get from buying new things you’ve wished for may be real, but it doesn’t last very long. It’s a short-term thrill that has little or no impact on your overall happiness. If you want to experience real and long-lasting contentment, you need to acknowledge the good in your life now, the things that you often take for granted. We compulsively look for lack and shortages while forgetting the blessings, the things to be grateful for. 

The quickest and easiest way to develop an abundance mindset is to focus on what you’ve got, rather than complaining about the things you haven't got. Every morning and every night, think about all the things you’ve been blessed with in your life. Acknowledge them and express your gratitude in a way that makes sense to you. Some people like to say a prayer, but you could simply say thank you to yourself.

"When I wake up each morning, I praise the Lord for the gift of being alive." - Lailah Gifty Akita

With love,

Bella

Painting: 'Sea Shell' by Amy Lowell

Three Solutions for Eating Healthy - Starting Today!

In today’s busy and super-fast, high-tech world, it can be a real challenge to eat healthily, especially if you work full time and have a family to look after. You come home exhausted, and quickly grab something on the way, like Mac Donald’s or Pizza Hut. As long as there is food on the table, you don’t care what it is, and as long as your husband (or wife) and kids don’t complain. But this morning, you feel guilty as you notice that your waistline has been expanding progressively over the last few months or years. You promise yourself that you will start eating a healthy diet, no matter what. You promise yourself that today is the day that you will begin to change your eating habits and consume more vegetables, more salads, more wholegrain foods, while cutting down on junk food once and for all... But there are always excuses!

The first one is that fast food is cheaper. I have often thought that this was true. It also seems more convenient. But when you really ad it up, it’s not entirely accurate. You need your car to go to Mac Donald’s, so you end up using up at least a few dollars in petrol. If you go to the market or a wholesale fruit and vegetable outlet, you will find fresh, wholesome products at a reasonable price. You can go there once or twice a week to stock up on fruit, vegetables, nuts and lentils. At first glance it seems trouble-free to purchase burgers and fries. It’s not that easy when you spend twenty minutes in a queue during busy times, waiting for your big mac or happy meals and chocolate sundaes to be handed to you, while your kids are fighting in the back seat, only to find out that the teenager behind the counter forgot half your order or mixed it up with someone else’s, and you end up with fish burgers and apple pies.  Cooking vegetables doesn’t take long, and sometimes it’s only a matter of minutes before they’re ready. Ad a roast chicken or fried tofu and some rice to it, and there is your meal: in the blink of an eye.

Excuse number two: I don’t have the time to cook.

You can cook a dish of whole meal pasta or brown rice in advance and leave it in the fridge to be reheated when you need it. You can also prepare salads and soups for the next two or three days. Ad a can of tuna or some feta cheese to your salad, as well as crusty bread or rye bread, and you have a complete meal. Hard boiled eggs can also be used, sliced or chopped up. It’s easy to steam a few vegetables and make a quick omelette. And if it’s all you’ve got in your pantry,  a simple can of baked bean with a slice of whole grain bread and a piece of fruit make a nutritious meal. If you decide to have take aways after all, there are healthier options besides burgers and fries. You could choose a salad or go to Subway.

Excuse number three: I like to socialise.

You can still socialise and eat out while following a healthy diet. Drink alcohol in moderation to complement your meal. Avoid fried dishes like battered fish and chips and have steamed fish with vegetables instead, or seafood with salad. Go for baked or mashed potatoes instead of fries, and request that your salad be served without fatty dressing but with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar instead, as restaurant dressings are usually high in fat., which makes them so creamy. Use salt sparingly and prefer pepper instead.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to live like a Spartan and deny yourself all the things you love. You want to maintain a healthy balance, and the occasional treat won’t affect your overall diet negatively, unless you overindulge on high-calorie food items on a regular basis. If you eat junk food five days a week, cut down to two or three times, then only once a week and eventually only once a month if at all. Your body craves the foods you put into it. If you eat a lot of sugar, fat, salt and preservatives, your body will crave these substances. But if you eat a lot of fresh and unadulterated products like seasonal fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, tofu, berries and Greek yoghourt, eventually your body will crave these healthy foods and you will be the person you want to be, living the lifestyle you have always wished to live.

With my best wishes for your wellbeing,

Bella

Eat Good Carbs for Health and Weight Loss

In my latest book, 'The Magic of Sensible Dieting', I explain that carbohydrates are not the bad guys that we thought they were. Carbohydrates are not only essential for good health and energy, they are incredibly effective for weight loss, contrary to popular belief. The only thing that matters is to choose the right sort of carbohydrate, as there are 'good' and 'bad' carbs. Focus on the good ones and avoid the bad ones as much as possible.

Carbohydrates provide the body with glucose, which is essential for the proper functioning of your body cells, as well as your brain cells. Without glucose, you can't think clearly, you can't concentrate. If you cut carbohydrates out of your diet, you will feel weak, and your thinking will be muddled. Complex carbohydrates are the 'good' guys, because it takes time to break them down into glucose. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates are usually packed with fibre too, which slows the absorption of glucose even further, making them slow release energy foods. They will keep you full and your blood sugar level will remain even throughout the day. This will keep hunger and cravings at bay, and give you sustained energy. 

Simple carbohydrates are the ones to avoid. They are often found in packaged, ready-made foods, including microwave meals and canned soups. Most processed supermarket foods contain refined sugar in one form or another, and if you want to lose weight or maintain your current weight, stick to fresh foods as much as possible, and avoid anything out of a package, unless you read the label carefully.  Avoid white bread, white pasta and white rice, as well as sweets, candy, chocolates, crisps, cakes, crackers, packaged breakfast cereal, burger buns and biscuits. 

Go for whole grains: brown rice, wholegrain pasta, beans, whole wheat bread, whole oats, buckwheat, quinoa, whole rye, wholegrain barley and wholegrain corn. These foods are rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, all beneficial to your health. They have a low GI (glycemic index), as they cause only slow changes in your blood sugar levels, therefore preventing diabetes and heart disease. Bad carbs usually have a high glycemic index, which means that their consumption is followed by a rapid rise in blood glucose levels, which is bad for you and predisposes you to chronic diseases. 

Fruit and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and good carbohydrates. Bananas in particular are an excellent source of carbohydrates, and they contain a lot of potassium too, which is good if you suffer from headaches and fatigue. Legumes such as beans, peas and lentils are high in fibre, complex carbs, but they're also high in vegetable protein and low in fat, which makes them particularly valuable. Legumes have been shown to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes as well as certain types of cancer.

Include beans in your diet as they are a good source of protein and slowly digested carbs. Eat whole wheat or whole oats for breakfast, wholegrain bread for lunch and ad brown rice, wholemeal pasta, millet, barley or quinoa to your evening meal. Good carbohydrates are essential for health and vitality. They will help you lose weight, as they are satisfying and provide you with lasting energy.

With my best wishes for your success,

Bella

Life is a Voyage of Discovery

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust.

Infinity is something we cannot understand, as we tend to shelve everything into neat categories: people, events, landscapes. But there is more than one way to look at things. The possibilities are endless. 

Perception is a subjective experience, and our senses interpret reality in a unique ways. It's not the same from one person to the next. It's not the same from one day to the next. It's not the same, whether we're working or on a holiday. It's not the same depending on our mood, our frame of mind. 

With awareness comes a new appreciation of the world around us. Every flower, every blade of grass, every insect, every little animal can be overlooked as mundane and unimportant, or admired like a masterpiece, a miracle.  The world around us is full of mysteries and surprises. It is there for us to enjoy: awe-inspiring, ever-changing reality. The best things in life are free of charge: sunshine, rain, fresh air, and nature in all its magnificence and diversity.

We can experience infinite pleasure in becoming aware of the beauty around us. By cultivating a spirit of wonder and appreciation, we extend the boundaries of our world, and it becomes infinite. We don't need to travel to distant destinations to stimulate our senses and discover new landscapes. 

Today, imagine that you're someone from another country, visiting your place for the first time. What would you see? What would you think? What would you feel? Enjoy this day as though it were your first one on this wonderful planet.

With love,

Bella

Painting: 'Back yard discovery' by Donald Zolan

Why ketogenic diets are bad for you

As a Registered Nurse, I am very concerned about the current diet

fashion, which encourages KETOSIS to achieve ideal and rapid weight loss. This is probably the biggest 'con' promoted by the diet industry. 

Ketosis is a metabolic state that is unhealthy because there is an imbalance in the body. Due to the absence or lack of carbohydrates in the diet, the liver has no more glycogen available to provide your blood with glucose. Fat is broken down and used to supply energy to your body cells, but as a result of this unnatural process, ketones are created, and the body goes into starvation mode. 

If you go for more than 24 hours without eating, your body will start producing ketones as a result of your fat stores being utilised. In theory, this sounds like the perfect solution to easy weight loss, but unfortunately it is not. This system is flawed and dangerous, as it causes damage to your body and your inner organs. There is also a high likelihood of rebound weight gain once the diet is over and you revert to your previous eating habits. Actually, statistics have shown that most people on ketogenic diets regain all the weight they've lost within six months to a year!

As I point out in my book, 'The Magic of Sensible Dieting', rapid weight loss is not only dangerous but also ineffective, especially in the long term. Ketosis results when the body does not receive enough nutrients that it can convert into energy needed to function properly. 'Good' carbohydrates are actually essential for enhanced health, energy and fat burning, as they allow you to build muscle, while enabling you to reach peak athletic performance. Low-carb, high-protein and high fat diets like the Atkins Diet and other similar diets, are based on the ketogenic technique and they do work - but only in the short term. On top of that, you lose a lot of water initially, which gives you the illusion of even more dramatic weight loss - due to your body being depleted in fluids and electrolytes, which can cause further problems.

Once your body enters ketosis, you also begin to lose muscle, which is bad news, as all your hard work at the gym will be for nothing. You can't build muscle without supplying your body with energy in the form of healthy carbohydrates. Developing your body's muscles helps boost your metabolism, so you can burn fat more easily. Eventually, you will become extremely fatigued, weak, irritable and depressed while on the ketogenic diet, which only works because it makes you sick. The problem is that once you enter starvation mode, it becomes even harder to lose weight, as your metabolism slows down and weight loss almost comes to a halt.  This is how nature helps us survive food shortages and famines, which were frequent during our evolution as humans.

Ketosis can damage your heart, which is also a muscle. In the long term, ketogenic diets can lead to liver and kidney damage. Eating too much protein puts a lot of strain on your kidneys, and research has shown that it shortens your life span.  By exceeding your daily protein needs every day, you will destroy your kidneys, while not necessarily becoming slimmer. The ketogenic diet is also bad for your liver, which is not only the main detoxification organ, but also the biggest energy burning organ in your body. If you liver suffers, your metabolism will be affected negatively. Another setback is the risk of osteoporosis when eating large amounts of protein, as this type of diet causes calcium to leach from your bones, leaving them brittle and prone to fractures, especially as you age. 

In my book, I recommend that you include complex carbohydrates in your diet, to satisfy your hunger and energy requirements. Complex carbohydrates are the body's natural fuel and contrary to popular belief, they do not make you fat.  They will help you slim down and retain a healthy body shape, as long as you stay clear of all sugars, including honey and other sugar substitutes. Stay away from white bread, white pasta and white rice. Most manufactured products like biscuits and cakes contain lots of white flour, refined sugar and transfats, so stay away from them. Stick with fresh fruit and vegetables instead, as well as whole grains, beans, lentils and brown rice. Healthy carbs are also rich in fibre, which is another advantage.

The 'keto' diet can do more harm than good, even though it seems promising at first glance, and most people like the idea of being able to eat as much protein and fat as they like, while losing weight at the same time. But there is a price to pay and the price is way too high!

I hope this article has helped you understand why these diets are not good for you. For a diet that works, you can purchase a copy of my book, available as a softcover or ebook - just click on the lick at the top left of my blog or google your favourite online book retailer, like Amazon or Book Depository. 

With my best wishes for your success and wellbeing,

Bella

What to do when problems seem big

When problems seem big, don't despair... Don't be discouraged if life doesn't run smoothly, if things don't go according to plan. Simply be confident that your main struggles are in the past. From now on, things can only get better!

Arguments and disagreements may create a rift between your loved ones and yourself, but you don't need to dwell on what happened and foster regret. From now on, allow yourself to look forward to a new life of quiet contentment.

Be patient, especially when you fall into the trap of feeling sorry for yourself, or resenting the words and actions of others. What was said cannot be undone, but to keep going back to it is torturing yourself. These destructive excursions into a bitter past are something you cannot allow yourself to do. Instead, look at the present with your full awareness, and the future with hope in your heart. As long as you detect the danger signals, the negative thoughts that often crop up without any warning, you know that you're improving every day. When negative thoughts arise, shoo them away like flies, and immediately replace them with better feeling thoughts.

Say a prayer of gratitude every morning before getting up, and every night before going to sleep. This will stick in your mind, and pave the way for good things to come. God will give you His guidance, his light of wisdom and serenity in a world that often seems troubled.

"Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun." - Ecclesiastes 11:7

With love,

Bella

Painting: 'Olive Trees with Yellow Sky and Sun' by Vincent Van Gogh

Stop Counting Calories

While calorie counting can be useful at the beginning of your weight loss journey, it quickly becomes counterproductive. Your ultimate goal is to develop a healthy lifestyle for yourself, not a diet that you follow for a while before reverting to your old destructive eating habits. A diet should not be a quick fix, but a way of life. Change needs to be implemented slowly and progressively, and you want to cultivate new habits with deep roots. Once a habit is formed, it doesn't require willpower any more, as it becomes automatic, just like having a shower and putting your clothes on. If you stick to a healthy eating plan and exercise moderately, your metabolism will gradually improve and weight loss will follow automatically, as your inner organs recover and your liver in particular is able to perform its main job, which is burning calories to supply your body with constant energy.

Many people find they cannot stick to a diet because the mental energy required to measure each portion of food while counting calories is just too great. Calorie-counting is unnecessary when you eat nutritionally balanced meals as I suggest in my book. These meals contain enough energy for the average adult, and there is no need to become obsessed with counting calories. Just listen to your hunger signals, and eat accordingly. In the beginning this might be a challenge, especially if you've always eaten large portions. Reduce your portions progressively, and take time to chew your food thoroughly, so your brain can receive the message of satiety, a feeling of fullness. Leave the table when you feel that you've had enough to satisfy your hunger, but with room for more food in your stomach. After a while your  stomach will begin to shrink, and your brain will become attuned to your body, and able to acknowledge when you need to stop eating. Don't overload your plate, as you will tend to finish what is on it. Instead, put less food on your plate deliberately, while taking care of the presentation. We eat with our eyes as much as our mouth, and a well-presented meal is much more satisfying than something unsightly thrown on a plate!

Understand the difference between physical and psychological hunger. 'Stomach' hunger is true hunger and needs to be satisfied. 'Head' hunger can arise out of boredom or stress. It's not a real need to replenish your energy stores, but rather an impulse to put something in your mouth in order to feel better. If this happens to you, think about other ways to alleviate negative feelings or restlessness. Do something to take your mind off food. Have a piece of fruit. An apple, a carrot or a celery stick can do wonders, as they satisfy your need to chew. Chewing in itself has a relaxing effect and has been shown to enhance brain activity. Sugarless gum may help, although I personally find it often makes me even hungrier. Drink a lot of water to reduce your hunger and appetite. When you're dehydrated you tend to eat more, and a lot of people mistake thirst for hunger. Make it a habit to stop eating as soon as you feel satisfied, and you will never need to count calories or go on a diet again, especially if you stick to the foods I recommend in my book.

For more useful information, you can order a hard copy or an ebook version of 'The Magic of Sensible Dieting', by clicking on the link at the top left of my blog page.

All the best and much love,

Bella

How to Have More Willpower

"The best way to think of willpower is not as some shapeless behavioural trait but as a sort of psychic muscle, one that can atrophy or grow stronger depending on how it is used." - Jeffrey Kluger (award-winning senior writer at Time)

I like the idea of comparing willpower to a muscle, as it gives us hope that we can increase the amount of willpower we have, just like we can strengthen our muscles with regular exercise.

The force behind willpower is motivation. Without motivation, you can't achieve anything, as there is nothing to drive you towards your goal. Motivation is a sort of open-mindedness, a willingness to change and to give anything a go, if it helps you move in the direction of your choice. It entails a 'bigger picture', something that you really really want, something for which you're prepared to put in special efforts on a daily basis. Visualise what this bigger picture means to you. Imagine yourself having already achieved what you set out to do. Imagine yourself being that person, and feel what it feels like.

At the beginning of every life-changing journey, you use decision-making to choose the habits you want to adopt. You use willpower to get the habit started. Willpower is the ability to choose one course of action over another. It means delaying instant gratification, as there is something bigger than instant pleasure you want to achieve. Willpower is the power to say 'no' to temptation, while at the same time saying 'yes' to things you might not necessarily feel like doing. If you're studying for instance, you want to say 'no' to distractions like television shows, computer games or parties, and say 'yes' to spending large chunks of time with your books and notes, understanding and memorising new concepts.

The Magic of Willpower happens when you've created good habits for yourself, whether you want to pass an exam, lose weight, get into shape or simply live a more balanced lifestyle. Learning to play the piano is a good example: to master this complex instrument, regularity of practice is what guarantees your progress. You need to put aside half an hour or an hour every day, no matter what else is goes on in your life. Once this practice is in place, you won't have any trouble adhering to it. It will become an integral part of your routine, just like getting dressed or brushing your teeth.

Once the new habit is formed, the power of this magical process will take over. Don't make the mistake of wanting to do too much at the beginning though. Small habits are easier to incorporate into your lifestyle, like a twenty-minute walk compared to an hour long workout at the gym. Repetition and consistency are the key to steady improvement. Big tasks need to be divided into smaller, manageable steps, or they may seem overwhelming. When I write a book, I see this project as one paragraph at a time. I never imagine myself having to write 200 pages in one go!

The good news is that when your habit is firmly in place, you're free from the need to make decisions and to use willpower. You don't need willpower any more to follow this course of action, as it has become automatic. You have conditioned your brain and your body to behave that way, and it's now part of who you are. As you change, you create a new 'self-image', how you view yourself, and this is the true key to success, as this behaviour has now become an integral part of yourself.

For more information on how to tap into your own willpower and make your dreams come true, click on the icon at the top left of the page and you will be able to purchase a hard copy or the ebook version of my book, 'The Magic of Willpower'.

With love and my best wishes for your personal success,

Bella

Painting: 'Sea Turtles' by Maria Ryan

Nine Strategies to Beat Hunger When You're on a Diet

Diets fail for many different reasons, and one of them is hunger: an uncomfortable sensation that we humans are biologically designed to avoid. This complex process is regulated by numerous hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain. We get hungry for physiological reasons (when our body needs nourishment) and psychological reasons (e.g. stress or boredom). There is a difference between real 'stomach' hunger and so-called 'head' hunger, although drawing the line between the two is not always easy. Psychological reasons can influence physiology, like when you're in shock and cannot eat, even though your body needs energy. Regardless of the origin of your hunger, here are some proven strategies to help you beat this painful feeling and stay on track with weight loss:

1) Don't cut calories too low. 
The stricter your diet, the more you will be likely to experience hunger, so it's important not to cut your food intake too low. This is the main reason why diets fail: because they are too restrictive. When we're not allowed to have something, we want it more, so it's also important not to eliminate certain foods completely. Anything in moderation can't do much harm, especially if you don't consume it regularly. The occasional treat won't ruin your diet, but consistently overindulging in ice cream for example will sabotage your efforts. Strict diets not only make you hungry, but your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows down, which means you'll burn less calories and lose weight more slowly.

2) Eat more complex carbohydrates.
Refined sugars are a no-no for obvious reasons, especially as they are followed by a surge of insulin followed by the inevitable 'crash' as your blood sugar suddenly drops and leaves you exhausted and ravenous. Slow carbohydrates like whole meal breads, whole meal pasta, brown rice, oats, quinoa, lentils and sweet potato are excellent for weight loss, as they don't have this effect. On the contrary, they give you sustained energy and make you feel full. They are 'low GI', which means they are broken down and absorbed slowly, keeping your blood sugar on an even keel. They also influence your mood positively as they have been linked to an increase in the brain of the feel-good neurotransmitter Serotonin.

3) Eat more fruit.
If your stomach rumbles and it's still a while before your next meal, have an apple, a pear, a banana or a cup of berries. This is often all you need to quell your hunger. I don't know how fruit got such a bad name when it's actually good for your health and very satisfying.  The fructose contained in fruit works to refill liver glycogen, sending a signal to the brain, thus making you feel fuller. This is why people who include moderate amounts of fruit in their diet report feeling less hungry. This is an addition to the other benefits of fruit: fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants. Of course we are talking about whole fruit here - stay away from juices!

4) Eat more fibre.
Fibre is quite miraculous, and totally devoid of calories. It adds bulk to your food and makes you feel full, while lowering the GI of your meal. It delays stomach emptying, and you tend to feel satisfied for longer. By adding volume to your meal, fibre contributes to stretching your stomach, and the brain thinks you're full. How do you increase your fibre intake? Focus on soups, vegetable curries, stews and stir fries. Have lots of salads. Besides eating fruit and vegetables, it's essential to stick to unrefined products like whole meal cereals, breads and pasta. Remember to have pulses and legumes as they are 'nutritional powerhouses', and to add nuts and seeds to your meals.

5) Eat more fat.
Low-fat diets tend to leave people hungry. Fat contributes to lowering the GI of your meals, and like fibre it slows gastric emptying. Dietary fat helps you feel fuller for longer between meals, as you food sits in your stomach longer. Adding fat to your dishes also makes them more tasteful. Without fat, food often tastes like cardboard. Fat makes food more palatable, and thus more satisfying, which plays a big role as people tend to abandon diets that are tasteless. Avoid cooking or frying in fat though. Instead, add fat towards the end of your cooking, by drizzling olive oil or adding a bit of fresh butter to your dish. If you need to fry something, use coconut oil: it's the only oil that remains stable when heated. Most other oils, including vegetable oils, become toxic at high temperatures, as their structure is altered by heat. To add 'good' fats to your diet, it's a good idea to consume nuts in moderation. It has been proven that people who include nuts in their diet (about a handful a day) are less hungry than those who don't. Eating nuts also increases your life span.

6) Drink more water.
Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day helps reduce hunger pangs. Water makes you feel fuller. It stops you from eating large quantities if you consume it before a meal. Water works well in conjunction with fibre, which acts like a sponge, increasing the bulk of your food and stretching your stomach. Another reason for drinking more water is that thirst is often mistaken for hunger. You might feel hungry, when in reality you're simply dehydrated. Before grabbing something to eat, fill up on water. Make it a habit to carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go, and sip some water throughout the day to replenish your body cells. Water is great if you suffer from stress and headaches. Water not only helps keep hunger at bay, it also stimulates your metabolism and assists your kidney and liver. You liver is your major detoxification and energy-burning organ, and drinking water will help it work efficiently.

7) Exercise moderately.
Moderate exercise has been shown to stabilise blood sugar levels and regulate hunger pangs, especially if you do it on a regular basis. Exercise is a natural antidepressant. It lifts your mood, which is important, as you tend to eat more sugar and junk food when you feel low. When you feel better about yourself you also tend to stick to your diet, as you're more likely to take better care of yourself. Exercise can be relaxing and it takes your mind off your problems, while alleviating stress and boredom. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and motivates you to stay on track.

8) Avoid 'diet perfectionism'.
In my book 'The Magic of Sensible Dieting', I devote a whole chapter to this destructive mindset. Diet perfectionism is sure to make you fail, because it is impossible to be perfect all the time when you follow a weight loss programme. While you need to adhere to certain guidelines like eating a wholesome breakfast, avoid eating late at night and eating several small meals a day, you also need to have a flexible approach to dieting if you want to succeed. If you feel guilty and miserable just because you had a piece of chocolate cake, you might believe that your diet is ruined and eat the entire cake, and abandon your diet altogether. This type of rigid dieting is bound to fail. You will possibly put on more weight in the long term, rather than losing it. 

The truth is that small deviations don't do much harm in the context of a long-term healthy eating approach. If you've dieted for the last five days and decide to have a handful of cookies, because you really fancy them, it won't do you much harm. But if you decide that you're a worthless piece of crap without willpower and eat another 1000 calories of cookies to punish yourself, you're turning this slight deviation into a big problem. Always include periods of 'free' eating (on the weekend for example) and include your favourite treats in your diet, without going overboard of course.

9) Welcome hunger instead of trying to avoid it at all cost.
Hunger is not as bad as it seems. Hunger means you're burning energy and shedding excess weight, which is what you want after all. To feel slightly hungry after a meal may also be a sign that you're getting used to eating smaller quantities and that your stomach is 'shrinking'. It takes time for your body to adjust to this new way of life. If you're used to eating a lot of junk food and switch to a diet based on fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, healthy carbs and lean protein, your body will be in shock for a while. Give yourself enough time to get used to being healthy! The body is a marvellous machine, and even if it has been abused for a long time, it longs to be healthy and to be looked after properly. Your body doesn't work against you. It works for you, but you need to give it a chance. 

It can be good feel hungry sometimes. Before a meal, it means you need to replenish your energy stores. Hunger can be healthy, and to experience it shows that you're in tune with your body's signals. Overweight and obese people often forget what real stomach hunger feels like, due to overeating all the time, and they need to learn to identify true hunger signals, which are not the same as a desire to eat because something looks appetising. Make a decision not to be scared of hunger and welcome it instead. After all, there are a lot of healthy foods you can eat to satisfy your body's needs as well as your taste buds.

I would love to read your comments and suggestions on this article!

With love,

Bella

Follow Your Passion!

"Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you." - Oprah Winfrey

Passion is the energy that propels you forward. It gives meaning to your life. It fills you with excitement, happiness and anticipation. It nurtures the flame of your imagination. It keeps you going in times of doubt and insecurity. Passion maintains your focus and stops you from giving up. There might be a mountain in front of you, but you're ready to climb it, and you can see yourself at the top. 

Passion means doing the things you love, the things you were born to do. You may be good at certain things, but the difference is to do what you really love. You can lose yourself in this activity to the extent that you lose track of time. It is totally engrossing for you, and it never seems like a chore. Whether you're writing, painting, learning to play a musical instrument, designing a new dish, a new lounge room or a new choreography, it doesn't matter, as long as it unlocks the positive passion energy within you. 

Today, ask yourself what you love doing. Make sure you allocate some time in your busy day to do it. Start with 15 minutes and see what happens. Whatever it is, you don't have to do it all day, every day. Dedicating just one hour a day to an inspiring, creative activity is enough to enhance your wellbeing and lower your stress levels. As long as you're passionate about it, it will refresh, energise and invigorate your life. 

Passion is the driving force behind success and happiness. It gives you a sense of personal power and accomplishment, as you're achieving a goal with something that gives you pleasure and satisfaction. 

Painting: 'Dancer' by Steve Henderson

Look on the Bright Side

"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world." - Buddha

Reality is how you perceive it. Reality is how you think it is and how you want to see it. According to quantum mechanics, things don't exist when we are not observing them. So don't take notice of what you don't like, don't talk about it, don't dwell on it.

At first you may feel like you're kidding yourself. After all, you have all these problems... How can you just ignore them and carry on with your life as if they didn't exist?

How can you not worry? This sounds like denial, but it's only a matter of where you put you focus on, and what thoughts you decide to keep in your mind. Thoughts come to you all the time; you don't need to invite them. But some thoughts catch your attention more then others, and if you allow them to stay, they will produce more thoughts of the same kind. For instance, if you feel sorry for yourself and nurture this feeling, you will find more and more reasons to feel sad and discouraged.

If there is one thing you like about your life, your job, your family, your cat or your dog, put all your attention on it. Tell yourself how much you appreciate this aspect of your existence. Praise others and let them know how much you love and care for them, and what a difference they make in your life. 

Put a happy face on when you go to work, and expect to get along with everyone, even if they're not perfect. All humans have flaws, but why point out other people's defects? You won't change them. But if you acknowledge their qualities, they will respond more positively to you, and your interaction with them will greatly improve.

Forget all the things you don't like and keep pushing against. Weed out negative thoughts and replace them with more positive ones. This will make you feel better about anything you have to cope with. Repeat to yourself, "I can handle this, and I know that things are getting better for me all the time, as long as I keep looking on the bright side. I know that lots of good things are coming to me!"

I wish you love and peace of mind,

Bella

Painting: 'Light Melody' by Lena Sotskova

What to do when you've broken your diet

"Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments." - Bethenny Frankel, American author and television personality

This morning, you got up at 06.00 am, went to the gym and did a good workout, then came home to a nutritious breakfast. You managed to get your kids ready for school without too much trouble, while packing a healthy lunch for yourself. At work, you avoided the usual temptations of muffins and birthday cakes, had an apple instead, and steered clear of the vending machine. You felt in control until you picked up the kids from school and they started fighting in the car. Your blood pressure went up and your temper flared. A message on your phone: your husband let you know he would be back late from work.

Suddenly feel exhausted, but you still need to take your son to soccer training and your daughter to ballet. You come back around 6 pm to a messy house, and don't feel like cooking any more. It will be McDonald's for the children and a can of vegetable soup for you. Ravenous, you gobble down your meagre meal, and after helping your children with their homework, you finally manage to get them off to bed. Weary and discouraged, you go to the freezer. There is a bucket of ice cream. Boysenberry, your favourite! Before you realise what you're doing, you help yourself to a big bowl of it, and top it with whipped cream. You eat it and it tastes and feels good, but then guilt sets in and you feel like a failure.

It only takes a few seconds for a diet to go from awesome to awful, and no matter how strong your resolve is, you can't expect to follow your diet perfectly all the time. In my book 'The Magic of Sensible Dieting' I devote a whole chapter to diet perfectionism, as it is actually counter-productive. As human beings we make mistakes, and you will never be able to change this. You might do everything by the book for a while, until you get tempted and fall off the wagon. What is important is how you cope with these lapses and how fast you get back on track.

Know yourself, and find out what your triggers are: stress, boredom, frustration, loneliness, tiredness or feeling overwhelmed? Stress is a big problem, and dealing with it takes a lot of planning as well as making time to calm your mind and body in a natural way. Drinking alcohol or taking prescription drugs is not recommended! Meditation helps a lot, and it's not the obscure science that a lot of people believe it is. It simply means focusing on your breath, and as soon as your mind wanders (and it will), return to your breath. You can do this anywhere you are.

Maybe you 'stuff down' your emotions to avoid feeling them. The fear alone of these painful emotions can trigger you to eat. When your feelings get the better of you, write them down in a diary or discuss them with someone like a trusted friend or a counsellor. See what happens if you allow yourself to feel these emotions without suppressing them. It might not be as bad as you think it is. You could also go for a walk, drink some water or listen to some calming music.

The important thing is not to beat up on yourself. Talk nicely to yourself, like you would to a friend in the same situation. Instead of yelling at yourself what a failure you are, say to yourself: "Okay, you had a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream. So what? You got stressed. It's not the end of the world. Don't ditch your diet just because of one mistake. Tomorrow is another day, and you will be able to make healthy choices again." Get back on track right away, that's the secret.

Before you succumb to temptation, you might want to try the strategy of waiting it out. You should only eat if you're really hungry. Ask yourself, "Is this my head or my stomach demanding food?" If you wait ten to twenty minutes and get engrossed in some activity, you will find that your desire for food will disappear, unless you were really hungry to begin with. If you feel like a treat but get too busy to indulge in it, chances are you will forget about it.

Acknowledge your success so far. Even if you haven't lost much weight yet, you've made an effort to look at your eating habits, to be more healthy conscious and eat more mindfully. This is great progress, and you should congratulate yourself. Even if you just improve your diet a little bit every day, you will be able to achieve a lot.  Every time you make good choices, you're moving forward towards your ultimate goal.

With love,

Bella

How to Stop Having Regrets

"One of the most difficult things to think about in life is one's regrets. Something will happen to you, and you will do the wrong thing, and for years afterward you will wish you had done something different." - Lemony Snicket.

Maybe there is something about your past that gives you shame, and that you don't want to tell anyone. You can't forgive yourself for this, and just thinking about it makes you uncomfortable. Maybe it's something you did to someone else, or maybe you did it to yourself. 

You could also have regrets for lost opportunities. You torture yourself, repeating to yourself: "I should have done this, or I should have done that..." But it's too late now. Unfortunately, you can't you can't go back in time.

Guilt is a useless emotion, because it does nothing for you, except keeping you trapped in an endless cycle of guilt,  shame, regret, punishment and low self-esteem. It's time to break your shackles and live your life without looking back. Accept yourself as you are now. Everything you did is a part of you, but it's not what keeps you going today. What keeps you going is what you think from moment to moment, and the decisions you make as a result.

Acknowledge your mistakes without fear. Talk to yourself, talk to someone else like a trusted friend or a counsellor. You mistakes seem unforgivable to you, but someone else may have more empathy for you. We are our own harshest judges! "I can never forgive myself for this" is an attitude that won't set you free, but keep you chained to the past. I you can't forgive yourself, you'll remain stuck in a destructive cycle and repeat the regretful actions over and over, instead of breaking free from them.

Put your mistakes into perspective. Maybe you did something terrible, but why did you do it? What were your circumstances? For instance, maybe you took drugs or were promiscuous because you felt lonely and depressed, and wanted to fit in. Maybe it was the only way you had to cope with difficult circumstances. It's not about finding excuses, but about putting your behaviour into context. Maybe you did the best you could at the time with the tools and knowledge you had. 

Learn and grow from what you did instead of berating yourself. Guilt is toxic to your self esteem, and peace and happiness will elude you if you keep holding yourself in contempt. Understand your actions and make a commitment  to act differently from now on. You can't erase your mistakes, but you can make up for them, by learning from them and making amends to the people you hurt or to yourself. 

You can decide to choose serenity over self-condemnation. Do you want to continue suffering or make a decision to be free from the past? Instead of dwelling on your past mistakes, focus on all the opportunities the present has to offer. Beating up on yourself won't improve your life, but making a decision to be put an end to regrets and to be happy will.

"Accept everything about yourself - I mean everything. You are you and that is the beginning and the end - no apologies, no regrets." - Henry A. Kissinger.

With all my love,

Bella

Healthy Eating: Six Easy Principles Explained

1) Know yourself: it will help you plan ahead. Planning is the secret of success. Are you the kind of person who enjoys food preparation, cooking shows, shopping for food and all aspects of the culinary art? Do you hate anything that has to do with cooking? Or are you somewhere in between? Do you like big family gatherings and large shared meals, or do you prefer snacking at home in front of your computer or television? 

Depending on what type of person you are, it may not always be advisable to follow the common wisdom of five or six small meals instead of three big ones. A lot of people are healthy while sticking to the traditional three square meals a day. Just make sure you don’t end your day with a huge dinner, and plan small snacks during the day before a dinner party.

Knowing yourself also helps counteract behaviours that may be detrimental to you, like too many sweet treats at work or at home. Know your weak moments and plan ahead, by packing nutritious foods such as fruit, carrot and celery sticks if you feel like munching on something. Do this instead of heading towards the vending machine! If you need to lose weight, just eat a little less every day, instead of going on a drastic diet.

2) Find out what sort of ‘greens’ you like. If you haven’t eaten a vegetable since you were ten years old, it’s time to do some personal research regarding your taste. You may think you don’t like beans, broccoli or cabbage, but preparation makes all the difference. Surf the net for easy, tasty recipes. If there is only one vegetable you like, stick to it for a while; it is better than nothing. Progressively introduce different vegetables into your diet. Have your weekly supply home delivered, if you don’t have time to shop. 

Vegies are extremely versatile: you can add them to salads, soups, stir-fries, stews, curries, bakes, and so on. They give your meals more bulk without adding extra calories, while also making them more nutritious. The fibre in vegetables is particularly valuable, as it keeps you clean from the inside, and helps your body eliminate toxins and extra fat. Vegies are ‘low GI’, so they are also great at regulating blood sugar levels.

Fruit is extremely versatile too, and a simple apple can take away sugar cravings. If you can’t easily obtain fresh fruit, look for frozen raspberries for example, and make an energising smoothie with them, with some banana and low fat milk, soy milk or yoghourt.

3) Eat less animal foods like meat or chicken. Make the bulk of your diet consist of grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegies, rather than meat. Whole grains like in oats, or in wholemeal breads, wholemeal pasta and brown rice are full of fibre, B vitamins, and will make you feel energetic, while stimulating your metabolism. They also make you feel full. Nuts and seeds are a great source of protein and other nutrients. Legumes are full of fibre, protein, iron, folate and loads of other nutrients. You can replace meat with legumes as it is an excellent source of protein. Open up a can of beans or chick peas and add them to your soups, curries and pasta. Add seeds (e.g. sunflower or sesame seeds) and nuts (e.g. chopped almonds) along with berries to your breakfast porridge. You will be one of the few people (less than 5 %) in Australia who are getting enough vitamin E!

4) Know your fats. Not all of them are necessarily bad for you, and fat is actually essential for good health and adequate functioning of your organs. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are the ‘good’ guys. You’ll find them in nuts and vegetable oil and oily fish, such as salmon, trout and herring. They are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. The problem with vegetable fats, including olive oil, is that high temperatures affect their chemical nature, and they can become harmful if used for frying or cooking. The only stable oil that can be heated without changing its chemical composition is coconut oil. Olive oil should be drizzled over your food, after you’ve steamed it or cooked it in a bit of water. 

In her fascinating and controversial book, ‘The Big Fat Surprise’, Nina Teichholz debunks the myth that saturated fats are bad for you. They have always been an integral part of our traditional diet, and people did not gain extra weight for consuming them. Moderation seems to be the key with these fats found in meat, chicken, dairy products (milk, cheese, cream, butter), fish and coconut oil. 

Trans fats are definitely the ‘bad’ guys, but it’s fairly easy to avoid them, as they are mainly found in processed supermarket foods like cakes, cookies, crackers, potato crisps, chocolate, frozen meals, and take away burgers, chips and so on. Some of these products can be high in hidden sugars too, so it’s best to avoid it. Stick to fresh  produce as much as you can, but don’t become paranoid about these fats as you probably won’t be able to avoid them completely while living in modern society. Again, moderation and self-control is the best strategy. 

5) Reduce your portion sizes. The stomach is the size of a fist, not a wheelbarrow. If you habitually eat big portions, it will get stretched beyond its normal size, and the pituitary gland in your brain won’t register the fullness signal unless you’ve gorged yourself. Once you begin to eat smaller portions, you may still feel slightly hungry after a meal, but after a while, your body will adjust to these portions, and you will feel satisfied, even though you’ve eaten only half or a third of what you used to eat. To find out what a normal portion looks like, put your hands together to form a ball. This is the ideal portion size! Cut down your portions progressively and eat more slowly, savouring every bite, chewing and swallowing mindfully. You will find it more enjoyable than gobbling down your meal without appreciating it.

6) Reduce your sugar intake, especially in ‘liquid’ form. No soft drinks or sodas! Watch out for hidden sugars. Around 80 % of supermarket processed foods contain sugar in one form or another. Sugar has many different names, such as maltose, dextrose or fructose. Molasses, syrups, fruits juices and honey are just as harmful, even though they may look innocent. Something marketed as healthy like a breakfast cereal or muesli bar can actually be loaded with sugar.

Too much sugar in your diet puts you at risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver, obesity and ‘metabolic’ syndrome, a group of risk factors including high blood sugar, high ‘bad’ cholesterol, high blood pressure and accumulation of fat around the abdomen. 

If you follow all these principles as much as possible, you will remain healthy and in good shape, especially if you devote some of your time to regular exercise too!

With my best wishes for your success,

Bella

Don't Say You're on a Diet

"Health requires healthy food." - Roger Williams

A diet alone won't help you lose weight. It may even make things worse for you. People who diet for a certain period of time, only to revert to their former eating habits once the diet is over, will put on even more weight than they've lost. Restricting your food intake slows your metabolism. As you deprive your body of calories and nutrients, it goes into starvation mode. You're setting yourself up for more weight gain: this is the 'rebound' effect. 

A diet should not be a temporary thing, something you do to lose a few kilograms or pounds, over a period of time. Much better and more effecting is a change of lifestyle. The word 'diet' actually means 'way of life'. It encompasses every aspect of eating, exercising, sleeping, as well as smoking and drinking. To have a healthy body within the normal weight range, you need to nourish it with healthy food. You are what you eat, so choose wisely what you decide to put into your body. If you eat junk food, you will become junk!

Exercise regularly, but don't do anything that you can't stick with long term. Choose a form of exercise that is moderate and that you find enjoyable. Your new habit needs to be sustainable. If you know you won't be able to go to the gym five days a week, then don't fool yourself into believing that you will do it. Be realistic about what you can do. It's better to walk for half an hour a day at your own pace, rather than pushing yourself too hard, and put yourself off exercising altogether.

A lifestyle is something you do for the rest of your life. An easy and sensible easy way to improve your diet is to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Drink eight to twelve glasses of filtered water a day. Sleep at for at least seven to eight hours a night. If you don't sleep enough, your metabolism will become sluggish. You will be moody, volatile and less likely to resist temptation. 

Have a wholesome breakfast that includes complex carbohydrates, protein and fruit. Oat porridge with banana, nuts and seeds for instance, or poached eggs with tomato and parsley on wholemeal toast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, because it kickstarts your metabolism. Instead of three big meals a day, make it a habit to have five or six smaller ones. This will stabilise your blood sugar levels and give you sustained energy until bedtime. 

Avoid refined sugar and anything with hidden sugar in it, like muesli bars or even fruit juice. Sugar comes in a lot of disguises and has many different names. Just because you choose honey doesn't mean you don't eat sugar! It's the same thing. Honey may be more natural, but it is still sugar. Fructose and high fructose corn syrup are just as bad. Watch for names that end in 'ose' like maltose or dextrose: they all mean sugar.

Change can be frightening, so implement changes progressively. It works better to do things step by step, rather than trying to stick with drastic changes overnight. It took you a long time to develop unhealthy habits, so it will take you a while to undo them and replace them with healthy ones. But does it really matter? As long as you actually make these changes, there is no rush. 

This is your body, your health, your journey. Only you decide how you will do it, and how long it will take you to transform yourself. Start with one little thing, like eating an apple instead of an ice-cream. This will lead to the next thing and to the next, until you replace all your negative habits with positive ones!

With love,

Bella

Painting: 'Red Bell with Vase' by Debra Sisson

Tune into Your Body

It's amazing how preoccupied we can be with our body, while at the same time, being out of touch with it. This obsession is mostly about looks and it usually focuses on the negative aspects of our body, rather than the positive ones. 

When you grew up, you were probably insecure and as you compared yourself to others who in your opinion, were better looking and therefore deserving of more admiration and respect. As you became older and more mature, you stopped comparing yourself to others, but this basic insecurity remained with you. Most adults feel that there are too fat, too short, too tall, too ugly, as if there was some model of perfection they need to measure up to. Magazines emphasise this concept as they project an ideal that is out of reach for the average human. 

It's time to love your body, this marvellous machine, and accepting it as it is, instead of wishing it were different. Your body can walk, sit down and reach for things. It can run, jump and climb. It knows how to digest food and makes your heart beat without your intervention. It will even breathe for you, without you having to do it consciously. Your body can feel things and taste food and experience all sort of sensations. You may take it for granted until something happens to it, and you lose any of these abilities due to an accident or illness. Then you yearn for them and wish you could have them back and be like you were before. Imagine what it would be like if you were paralysed, wheelchair bound and at the mercy of other people's kindness and assistance. This is a quick way to stop being complacent.

An effective exercise to get in touch with your body and tune into is the 'body scan'. You can do it while comfortably seated or lying down. It consists in relaxing your muscles one by one while travelling through your body, beginning with your feet and ending at the top of your head. Begin with the toes of your left foot, then move up your leg to your pelvis, and start again with your foot and leg. Consciously breathe in and out. While you're breathing out, imagine tension and toxins leaving your body. Once you reach the pelvis again, move to your abdomen, lower back, chest and upper back. Then to your arms one by one, starting with your fingertips. Next your shoulders and your neck, then your face, the back of your head and finally the top of your head. Imagine a whole on top of your head: you're breathing through it as if it were a blowhole. Visualise your breath flowing from your feet to the top of your head, while entering every region of your body and relaxing, rejuvenating them. 

Do this body scan every day if you can, or whenever you have a few minutes to yourself. Notice how your body feels different every time you're doing it, and how your aches and pains begin to disappear. When you do this regularly, you will feel your body relaxing and becoming your friend, your ally, instead of your enemy. You will develop appreciation and respect for everything it can do, and how well it serves you. You've ignored your body so far, but now you're paying attention to it, and you feel a new sense of empowerment that comes from knowing your body and being in tune with it.

With love,

Bella

Painting: "Relaxing on the Beach" by Robert Anderson.