No dieting required! Kickstart your new year with 5 easy and healthy eating resolutions

If you indulged a bit more than planned during the holiday season or took a break from your diet routine, there’s no need to worry—now is the ideal moment to regain your balance!

With the joyous festivities behind us, it’s an opportune time to embrace fresh health objectives. While it may seem challenging at first, Starts at 60 spoke with leading nutritionist Teresa Mitchell-Paterson to uncover her invaluable insights.

The best news is, you don’t have to resort to drastic measures or crash diets to steer yourself back on the path to wellness.

Pile on the veggies

Increasing your intake of vegetables may help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and even prevent some types of cancer. Despite its importance, Australians aren’t getting enough — only 5 per cent of adults eat sufficient serves of vegetables and fruits.

Mitchell-Paterson recommends eating a wide variety of different coloured vegetables, such as beetroots, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli and spinach.

The best part is vegetables can be prepared in a number of ways — they can be boiled, steamed, roasted or even sautéed. For a quick and easy snack, Mitchell-Paterson recommends steaming some green beans and seasoning with Furikake for extra flavour.

Eat less meat

Reducing your meat intake can have a lot of fantastic health benefits, with one of the biggest being the link between eating less red meat and a reduced risk of developing bowel cancer.

Add more fibre-rich foods, such as beans, lentils, chickpeas and mushrooms into your diet as a substitute. For a recipe idea Mitchell-Paterson recommends replacing the minced meat in lasagne with eggplant instead. Eggplant is also tasty when char-grilled or tossed into a salad.

“The skin of the eggplant is high in nasunin, an antioxidant that helps to prevent disease,” Mitchell-Paterson explains.

Load up on fresh herbs

If you over-indulged these holidays, Mitchell-Paterson says fresh herbs can help soothe an upset stomach. Try adding herbs like parsley, coriander or tarragon to steamed beans or a salad.

Drink lemon water

Mitchell-Paterson recommends sipping on lemon-flavoured water daily. Lemon juice acts as a digestive and detoxing agent, which revs up your metabolism and curbs cravings throughout the day.

“This simple addition to the plain taste of water will enhance liver function and give you a spring in your step,” she adds.

Get rid of leftovers

If you’ve still got a lot of Christmas food left in the fridge, throw it out! Leftovers should be eaten within 24 hours, after that the risk of food poisoning increases.

“If you have leftover chocolate and lollies, give them away!” she adds.

“If they’re not in the cupboard you can’t be tempted.”

By incorporating vibrant vegetables into our meals, reducing meat intake, and embracing the power of fresh herbs, we can make significant strides towards a healthier lifestyle. Additionally, simple habits like drinking lemon water can enhance digestion and metabolism.

Remember, the key is not to resort to extreme measures but rather to make sustainable choices that contribute to your overall wellness. As we bid farewell to the remnants of holiday overindulgence, let’s welcome a rejuvenated and balanced approach to our health in the new year.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.