Indulge over Christmas without piling on the pounds, with Slimming247's festive fat-busting tips.  

 

1. Eat a banana or glass of milk before going out; not only will they help with alcohol absorption, but also mean you're less likely to consume calorie-laden canapes. 

 

2. A small glass of Champagne contains only 90 calories, and a standard measure of vodka with diet mixer just 100 calories. Opt for these over creamy cocktails, and, better still, alternate with low-calorie soft drinks to avoid a hangover.

 

3. Choose your canapes wisely; opt for crudites over breadsticks, and tomato based dips over creamy ones. Avoid anything pastry based, such as sausage rolls and vol au vents, and instead choose lean grilled chicken skewers or king prawns. 

 

4. Hit the dance floor at a party - it burns calories and keeps you away from the buffet table!

 

5. Christmas dinner doesn't have to ruin your good intentions; turkey breast is a rich source of protein yet is low in fat. Just remember to eat it without the skin, and load up your plate with healthy, festive vegetables such as brussel sprouts and red cabbage instead of roast potatoes or parsnips.

 

6. Suggest a walk after Christmas dinner - it is all too easy to slump in front of the TV after a big meal, but fresh air and exercise will prevent you snacking on nuts or chocolate, and will help to burn calories.

 

7. a>life Thermo T5 Ultra is our lightest formula, and is the perfect aid to support maintenance. Buy now for only £32.00 (RRP £40.00) for 60 capsules. 

 

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How many of us are health conscious but find it hard to strike a balance between our hectic lifestyles and staying healthy? From my own experience, I know many people (me included) who find it difficult getting the balance right. For example you’ve had a long day at work and the last thing you want to do is go to the gym or cook so you decided to grab a takeaway or a readymade meal and sit in front of the T.V or go out to dinner with some friends. Situations like these have led to many of us becoming reliant on convenience foods impacting on diet, exercise routines and reducing our nutritional intake. This has caused many of us to feel tired and stressed which has had a negative impact on our general wellbeing and health.

Here at Slimming247 we have stumbled across a new product which acts as a nutritional supplement called Moringa. Your probably wondering what makes it different from any other supplement you see in your local supermarket or pharmacy. Firstly, it is often referred to as ‘The Miracle Tree’ as it is the world’s richest natural source of vitamins and minerals as it contains more vitamin A, vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Protein and Potassium than many common foods.  It is also estimated to contain 46 antioxidants, combining these with vitamins and minerals, allows the body to absorb the nutrients more easily than single vitamin capsules. Thirdly, it has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal herb by the likes of the Ancient Greeks, Ancient Egyptians and Romans.

The nutritional content of Moringa helps increase energy levels, stamina and metabolism, build strong bones, build strengthen and maintain immune system, increase natural defences of the body, aid digestion and circulatory system, improve functionality of the liver and kidney and improve your general well being.  This can be particularly beneficial to those who exercise regularly, are working professionals, depression sufferers, diabetics, lactating mothers, senior citizens and middle aged women. 

Most of us often feel bad about not exercising or eating enough of the ‘right’ kind of foods. However a multi-vitamin supplement such as Moringa can act as a convenient way of increasing your intake of vital vitamins, improving your health without feeling guilty about the takeaway you ate last night or forgetting to eat all of your ‘five a day’. 

At slimming247 we are really excited to have 60 Moringa capsules on offer for £14.99! I definitely know at this price and with so many benefits we at Slimming247 will definitely be trying Moringa out!

 

A good diet is central to overall good health, but which are the best foods to include in your meals, and which ones are best avoided? Slimming247 takes a look at the facts, to help you make realistic, informed choices.

 

• It is not only a matter of what you eat but also how much you eat. In addition, daily cardio exercise is excellent for weight loss. Do not eat past 8 pm or 2-3 hours before bedtime. Use portion control. Measure high carbohydrate foods like pasta and rice to get no more than half a cup. Eliminate sweets, desserts, or anything with sugar and all refined (processed) carbohydrates.

 

• Avoid getting fruit servings from juice; juice is loaded with calories and carbohydrates. Eat a low carbohydrate, quality protein, breakfast; this will stop you overeating later in the day. Eliminate sandwiches and burgers. Use mustard or no sauce at all, instead of mayonnaise. When eating out, look for color in sauces. Red tomato based sauces will have almost no fat; white creamy sauces are loaded with fat. Use grains very sparingly; they are very high in carbohydrates. Drink at least eight, 8 oz. glasses of water a day. If you are able, do cardio exercise daily.

 

• Eat five or six small meals per day. Keep a food dairy to track what you are eating. Drink lots of water. The benefits of water are tremendous. Cut out fizzy drinks they are loaded with sugars. Cut out even diet soda. Diet drinks can cause water retention. In addition, look out for 'hidden sugar.' For example, many protein bars are loaded with sugar. Eat turkey, fish, lean ground beef, lean steak, grilled chicken, and load up with veggies or salad. Avoid the "no fat or low fat" dressings. They are loaded with sugar. Use low fat sour cream instead of mayo. Any weight loss diet is not an overnight diet but if you are consistent, you will establish good habits. In addition, you need to add exercise.

 

• If you want to lose body fat and keep it off, eliminate processed (refined) carbohydrates from your diet. Processed (refined) carbohydrates have negative effects on health; they also slow down metabolism. When digested all carbohydrates turn into sugar, and sugar becomes fat. Therefore, think of eating carbohydrates as eating sugar and think of eating refined (processed) carbohydrates as eating concentrated sugar. To increase your metabolism, allow yourself 20 to 60 grams of carbohydrates daily. Get those carbohydrates from natural sources such as (preferably organic) fresh vegetables and fresh low carbohydrate fruits such as berries. There is no minimum daily requirement for carbohydrates, but they do have beneficial phytochemicals and fiber so eating some is fine as long as they are unprocessed.

 

• Eat a meal about every three waking hours (5 or 6 meals per day). You will not be eating more food; you will simply be spreading it throughout the day. Each of those five or six feedings should contain at least 15 grams of unprocessed protein (from natural sources) for a female or at least 20 grams per feeding for a male. This one change alone will speed up your metabolism and help to curb any food cravings.

 

• You can do more to boost your metabolism besides eating well. For example, weight training will increase muscle. Muscle is your metabolic furnace that will burn extra energy (calories) 24 hours a day. Similarly, brisk walking (cardio exercise) for several miles daily will burn extra calories during and immediately after walks. If you are too heavy to exercise, begin with the correct eating frequency for fat burning and the correct fat burning foods. When you have lost enough weight to exercise comfortably, then add exercise to your weight loss program. (Before changing your physical habits, you may wish to obtain the blessing of your physician.)