We all want to start the year with healthy intentions. The best way to do so, is to make small changes and work your way to make them into lifelong habits. We have tips for this and an awesome brownie recipe for you to try!
1. Write down your why- It’s not enough to say “I want to be X lbs”, instead write down why you want to lose weight- to be healthier, prevent disease, have more energy, play with your kids etc.
2. Make small, sustainable changes- there’s no point in doing a shake program for 14 days and hating it then going right back to the way you ate before. Make small changes that you don’t notice as much, and so you don’t feel like you are depriving yourself. Change you salad dressing, or replace one of your coffees with an herbal tea.
3. Water! I know I talk about this all the time, but I can’t stress enough how important it is. Especially after drinking too much over the holidays 😉
4. Meal prep day: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”- This is the most important step! We make so many decisions a day that we suffer from “decision fatigue”. If you don’t have something already planned out or prepared, your default will always be something quick and unhealthy. Use slow cookers, mason jar salads, and plan snacks.
5. Add veggies to everything! It doesn’t matter what diet you do, you need veggies! Up your intake to 5-10 servings per day. Shred carrots, zucchini, cauliflower rice, etc.
6. Plan out your cheats- this way you will have something to look forward to and not feel deprived. Try our brownie recipe!
Recipe for Zucchini Brownies
Ingredients
-1 cup of peanut butter or other preferred nut butter. You can use Tahini for those allergic to nuts and peanuts.
-1 1/2 cups of grated zucchini ( You can also process it in a food processor it just needs to be in very small pieces)
-1/3 cup of raw honey or coconut sugar
-1 egg
-1 tsp of pure vanilla
-1 tsp of baking soda
-1/2 cup raw cacao or cocoa ( can use carob powder for a different flavour)
-1 tsp of cinnamon
-1/2 tsp of nutmeg
-1 cup of dark chocolate chips. (Can be omitted)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix everything together.
Pour into a greased 9×9 baking pan.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Catch the segment here: http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=781292&binId=1.1164511&playlistPageNum=1
