7 Tips On How To Lose Weight Using Mind Power

By Paul Scicluna

Embarking on a healthy diet or doing a series of weight loss exercises to burn body fat can help you shed some weight. So while some people can lose a bit of weight here and there by combining eating good foods with some exercise, you can add power to your efforts by employing the insights and techniques used by high-achievers to obtain that 'look' you've always dreamed of!

This one “ingredient” that seems to be missing from all successful weight loss program is using the power of the mind to help get the body you want. Incorporating mind power is crucial as one of the best ways to lose weight. You will be more likely to keep that weight off, rather than going through the vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting, or continual fluctuations in your weight. Did you know that 95% of diets fail in helping people lose weight? No wonder so many people get de-motivated and miserable.

Before beginning your journey to losing weight you must realize that you are in total control. Therefore you should have a REAL desire to lose that stubborn fat, become fit and healthy. An ineffective approach to weight loss, or anything else for that matter, usually ends in failure. Therefore I strongly urge you to incorporate the following 7 tips on losing weight - using the power of your mind.

1.     The first and most important factor to use is to release any past failures from your mind. Dwelling on past failures will only have an adverse affect on your current weight loss efforts. You can’t move forward if you’re focusing on what has been, or what’s behind you in your past. Don’t focus on thoughts such as, “I can never lose weight”

Instead, ask yourself the question, "Why did I fail?" Not losing weight can play havoc with your thought processes, but maybe you set your goals too high. Or maybe they were a little too unrealistic. Or your time frame for achieving your goals was too short or too long. Whatever the reason, look at it in an objective manner and learn from your mistakes. While learning from your mistakes, don’t dwell on the past. Plan to do it differently this time.

2.     Set REALISTIC goals. Aiming to lose 15kg in 2 weeks is unrealistic let alone potentially dangerous. When you think about how to reduce weight, setting a goal of losing 10 kg in 10 weeks is more realistic. This is an ambitious goal and you could achieve it. Just take it day by day, week by week and focus. Focusing on the end result (the goal) is important, don’t sweat the small stuff! You need to stay focused.

3.     A common concern I see in people is how to get motivated to lose weight. If you need motivation, get the help from a health coach or a "good" qualified personal trainer. Why not get fit with your friends, colleagues or join a running group, for example? You could also gain some new friends in the process! Most of the time we fail due to making our own excuses. The choice is really yours, so choose to succeed not fail!

A major problem that is constantly rearing its ugly head is lack of enthusiasm. Almost every person who desperately wants to lose weight suffers from this dreaded state at one time or another – even celebrities, sports models, bodybuilders through to everyday Moms and Dads. So yes, weight loss motivation can be challenging. But challenge your mind to think positively because remember – what you think about you bring about...

4.     Be SPECIFIC in your goals. Have a clear vision of how you want to look and feel when you have achieved your objective. As you’re visualizing this have feelings of passion running through you, get excited. Imagine how good you’d feel if you were achieving your goals. It’s awesome! Those feelings of passion are like a spark plug to an engine. It fires you up to keep going and keeps you on track.

5.     Another one of the best ways to lose weight is to cut out and put a picture of your head over a picture of your ideal body type. Or get out a photo of yourself that you liked. But be clear in your own head where you are going and what you will achieve. Whatever that picture or photo is that you choose, make sure you put it up where you’ll see it every day. And, focus on that being what you look like now.

This is where you can unleash the power of your mind. In actual fact, your mind doesn’t know the difference. What you see, feel or think has more power. So make sure you continually look at that picture or photo as though it was you NOW.

6.     One of the other tips on losing weight is to set smaller goals that easily show you have been making progress. Make note of your goal achievements. Write them down. Once you are feeling a lack of enthusiasm then look back at how far you have come. When you have reached each smaller goal tell yourself you’ve done a great job, which you have! Reaching each of these smaller goals ends up in achieving the overall result - reaching your main goal. So each one is progress.

7.     Visualize and say your goals out loud often or at least twice a day – preferably once in the morning and once at night before going to be. Focus on burning that stubborn fat rather than not losing weight. Tell yourself that you are doing well and reward yourself when you reach a goal. But don’t reward yourself with bad food or drinks as that will have a negative effect and it’ll take longer to reach the main goal! Reward yourself by going to the movies or going on a long weekend away, for example. This will increase your self-esteem and keep your motivation high.

If a negative situation arises don't look at it as a problem but view it as a challenge. If you can overcome your inner demons and draw on the strengths of your mind, you are one step closer to getting the body you want. You will be amazed at how powerful your thoughts have in determining the person you become. So make you think positively and become another of the many weight loss success stories.

Success breeds success, so review your progress and modify your goals to get to where you want.

The potential to achieve anything is within you. Whether the end result of your weight loss efforts is success or failure it is your choice. Give 100% and you will receive 100%. This quote sums it up as it really is up to you…

 “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right.”                    

                                                                                 - Henry Ford

If you want to learn how to unleash the power of your mind to shed that weight, keep it off and transform your body to an entirely new level, check this out for your weight loss success.

Here’s to burning that fat off for good!

Why Lemons are Amazing for the Body

By Paul Scicluna

As a certified personal trainer, nutrition specialist and health coach, my clients know that I love lemons. If they overhear me talking to someone else about the benefits of lemon, I can hear them chuckle to themselves, saying he’s talking about lemons again. I have good reason to rave on about them – they are amazing for the human body.

This little amazing fruit should be consumed everyday – I have at least 1 – 2 lemons minimum everyday. Have a glass or two of lemon water, or add it as an ingredient in salad dressings, or add a whole lemon and the zest in your freshly squeezed juice, for example. Try it and watch the benefits…

Lemons are a nutritional and medicinal powerhouse. Here are just some of the lemon benefits:

·        Helps reduce scaring

·        Improves the immune system

·        Improves acne and wrinkles

·        Helps cleanse the lymphatic system

·        Kills intestinal parasites

·        Helps remove moles naturally

·        Improves liver function

·        Aids weight loss

·        Helps fade freckles, and MUCH MORE

Are you one of those people who get bitten by those annoying mosquitoes? Now here’s one trick that works wonders… Just grab a wedge of lemon and rub the fresh lemon juice over it. That’s it! No harsh chemicals – just a simple, cost effective and natural remedy.

I’ve shared this trick with many friends and family and they couldn’t believe the results. The swelling and redness reduced in no time at all. And, the itchiness subsided very quickly.

Isn’t it amazing how natural remedies such as these are not widely known? Why spend money on products that are most likely laden with many toxic chemicals, and can be potentially harmful to your body? Although these are externally applied, they actually penetrate your skin and go through your blood stream.

It’s plain simple - go natural. Go lemons!

Actually, one of my trusted colleagues, Claire has an amazing story about how she was able to turn her health around by using some simple home remedies...

The benefits of lemons don’t end there… According to the Institute of Health Sciences, Baltimore, their research found that lemons are effective for cancer!

It is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy. Plus, it doesn’t produce the horrific effects of chemotherapy. Why do we not know about that? Because big pharmaceutical companies are interested in making a synthetic version that will bring them huge profits.

Lemons are credited with many virtues, but the most interesting is the effect it produces on cysts and tumors. This plant is a proven remedy against cancers of all types. Some say it is very useful in all variants of cancer.

It is also considered an anti microbial spectrum against bacterial infections and fungi, effective against internal parasites and worms, it regulates blood pressure for those suffering from high blood pressure, it has antidepressant effects, combats stress and nervous disorders.

After more than 20 laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that: It destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreas.

The compounds of this tree showed nearly 10,000 times better than the product Adriamycin (one of the main chemotherapy drugs), slowing the growth of cancer cells. And what is even more astonishing: this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not affect healthy cells.

So now can you see why I continuously rave on about lemons and strongly encourage everyone to have their daily dose of lemons.

So every morning upon rising, squeeze the juice of 1 fresh lemon into a large glass or two of water and reap the benefits.

7 Natural Remedies for Eczema

By Paul Scicluna

Eczema is one of the most common skin conditions that affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In the United States alone, it is reported that over 30 million people suffer eczema. It not only affects adults but children too.

So what is eczema? Also known as atopic dermatitis, eczema is a condition affecting the skin where it results in itching, redness and a raised rash. The condition can often become quite severe, to a point where a person’s skin may bleed.

When people are searching for ways for how to get rid of eczema, they are oftentimes advised to go and buy creams. Now, if that’s what you opt for then make sure you do your research on the ingredients contained within them. Sometimes they contain chemicals that can do more harm than good.

There are so many truly natural remedies for eczema. And thanks to Anna McPhee, I’d like to share with you 7 of those natural remedies. Find them out HERE.

You may already have some of these items in your cupboard already. So save yourself some money and make sure you read up on how to get rid of eczema naturally.

Now, if you’re wanting more all-natural alternatives to other medications and products in your home, be sure to check this out...

The Secrets to Overcoming Gastrointestinal Problems

By Paul Scicluna

There are so many people suffering from gastrointestinal problems such as bloating, flatulence, constipation, malabsorption, pains and irritations, without realizing why. These problems can be quite debilitating and embarrassing.

People often turn to pills, powders or potions as the remedy. However, not only does this become expensive, it is not a viable long term solution to the problems, meaning they’ll just continue to experience them in the future. That’s why I’m going to share with you the secrets to overcoming those annoying gastrointestinal problems in this blog.  

During the last 30 or so years we have come to a better understanding of the gastrointestinal tract and its relationship to the human immune system. Most people don’t realize that approximately 80% (if not more) of the immune system is in your gastrointestinal tract.

You have to think then that it makes sense why so many people are lacking energy, feeling sluggish, run down, getting colds and flu, as well as more serious problems such as intestinal malabsorption, gastro, stomach ulcers and even much worse diseases.

About 500 different species of bacteria live inside you, amounting to around one hundred trillion, more than 10 times the number of cells of the human body, according to most estimates. These bacteria are referred to as some being good and others being not so good.

I’m a big believer that these microbial organisms are designed to live in a balance within the human body. I also believe this balance between the bacteria becomes one of the critical factors determining your optimal health, let alone your gastrointestinal wellbeing.

The body will enter into a state of discomfort or disease when insufficiency of quality whole food nutrition and/or toxicity builds-up. This results in the body’s inability to absorb nutrition properly and allowing these communities of microbes to overwhelm us.

When you look at how the majority of people eat, especially in the western world it truly is no wonder why this is occurring to a large amount of people.

The alimentary canal, which is the biggest pipe or tube in the body – also known as the gastrointestinal tract runs from your mouth all the way to your back door. It was called “the river of life,” by the ancient Egyptians they also called it “the river of death”.

This depended on what you float down your river… that’s right, what food or drink you put in your mouth results in the outcome and that being a river of life or a river of death (good health or bad health). But knowledge as simple as this is not commonly shared with the public. So it doesn’t surprise me why there are so many gastric problems in society.

We live in a day and age where the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables eaten by most is minimal. On the other hand, the amount of pre-packaged and pre-prepared meals coming to us in bags, tin cans, boxes and so many being shipped from distant lands is so prevalent – I wouldn’t even call most of these things food. It really is no wonder why the immunity of most people is so low, resulting in everything from colds and flu all the way to diseases.

To help overcome gastrointestinal problems, clean up your Diet (the word diet comes from the word "deit" meaning leads to god or good), embrace whole foods, drink water, and even exercise. You’ll start to assist your body in the cleaning and healing process. This in turn allows it to regulate the natural balance of bacteria resulting in an improved immune system.

Unfortunately most people just seem to accept the level of so called vitality they have and never change. Imagine if you had 30 – 50% more energy?

It is possible, as I have seen so many people get these results… with some changes and embracing the foundations of health you too can have a river of life.

Find out more secrets to take your health and wellness to an entirely new level - check it out HERE.

Top 5 Benefits of Garlic to Improve Your Health

By Paul Scicluna

I’m a huge advocate of using natural herbs and spices to improve your health and heal your body. And one of my favorites is garlic. The benefits of garlic are many, and if I have a recipe that includes say 2 cloves of garlic, then if I’m cooking for myself then I’ll double or even triple the portion!  I don’t even worry about the garlic breath.

Not only does it give your meals a delicious flavor sensation, you get a lot of nutritional goodness as well as naturally boosting your immune system. So if you’re not having garlic, aim to introduce this into your diet. Now if you’re lucky enough then growing garlic yourself is best, but if not, head to your local market and buy it fresh.

Avoid buying the store bought packaged varieties that are minced, crushed, flavored or the like. Usually additives, artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and other potentially toxic products are added to them. You won’t get the maximum nutritional garlic benefits and will be causing more harm to your body.

Not only is garlic so nutritious, garlic has powerful anti-biotic, anti-viral and anti-fungal characteristics. Top 5 benefits of garlic include:

1.      Boosting your immune system

2.      Reducing cholesterol

3.      Lowering blood pressure

4.      Detoxifying your body

5.      Helping to prevent diseases and illnesses

So, don’t wait until you start to feel sick or are ill… Protect yourself now from disease and boost your immunity today. Get hundreds of solutions you can make from home - CLICK HERE.

5 Tips on How to Eat Healthy

By Paul Scicluna

In over 20 years of research on the health industry, it irritates me that there is still a lack of right education to help people on how to eat healthy. Approximately 2.8 million people globally are dying each year from being overweight or obese. This is just shocking.

And still to this day, organizations are continually producing and promoting fat laden and unhealthy foods for profits. Don’t become another statistic. That’s why today I want to share with you 5 tips on how to eat healthy. Incorporate these into your daily routine so help yourself become healthier and minimize dis-ease.

1) Eat Whole Foods

Processed and refined grains such as bread, rice, cereal, pasta, pastries and other foods made with white flour have a high glycemic index, low amounts of fiber, and lack vitamins and minerals. Make the switch to whole foods. You will then start to see the benefits of eating healthy.

Whole foods are complete, meaning they haven’t been unprocessed or unrefined. Whole foods do not contain added ingredients such as sugar, salt, fat, food dyes, flavors, artificial ingredients, fillers and so forth. 

Examples of whole foods are fruits, vegetables, nuts, wholegrains, seeds and eggs. Do yourself a favor – for healthy meals incorporate more whole foods and watch your health and vitality return.

2) Limit Soft Drinks and Sodas

Soft drinks and sodas are nutritionally dead and contain plenty of calories. At about 150 calories per 12 ounce serving (340 ml), that’s an extra pound you’ll gain about every 3 weeks if you drink just one can of soft drink each day!

Eliminate soft drinks and sodas so you don’t pack on the calories – these are far from being healthy drinks! Plus, you’ll be healthier for it.

Sodium benzoate is one of the main preservatives in soft drinks as well as many other things. It has been the subject of concern about cancer for some time. It’s been shown in studies to be a carcinogenic substance.

Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology at Sheffield University, in 2007 said “These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether. The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it – as happens in a number if diseased states – then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. There is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA – Parkinson’s and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of aging. The food industry will say these compounds have been tested and they are completely safe. By the criteria of modern safety testing, the safety tests were inadequate. Like all things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago.”

3) Eat More Green Leafy Vegetables

In the words of Popeye, "I'm strong to the finish when I eats me spinach.” This is so true. Not only spinach but green leafy vegetables in general are awesome for great health. The color green is actually associated with life, vitality and renewal. The benefits of eating healthy with green vegetables are enormous!

Green leafy vegetables are among the most nutrient dense foods available and low in calories. Greens are high in iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, vitamins A, C, E, K, folate, chlorophyll, enzymes and many other phyto-chemicals and micro-nutrients. Greens are really so great to help support your inner ecosystem.

So when you’re making healthy meals don’t forget your greens!

4) Know Where Calories Come From

While you don't necessarily need to do daily calorie counts, keep a diary of what you eat for a week so you can see where the calories are coming from. Are you overweight because of the calories you get from a “midnight” snack or a treat of sweets? Or maybe the portion sizes are too large?

If you know where your calories are coming from, you will know where to make changes and where you need to cut back to eat healthy. Focus on having whole foods, which will contain far fewer calories but are nutrient dense, meaning that they are supplying your body with a good range of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and anti-oxidants.

5) Learn About Carbs

Yes, there are good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates. And once you know how to eat healthy with carbs you will see benefits.

Whilst it’s a good idea to avoid foods such as bread and pasta, and beverages sweetened with sugar, other carbs should be part of a balanced diet. Everyone needs carbs in their diet – but the good carbs though. Foods to include in your healthy meals with good carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils to name a few.

If you are going to have breads then make sure it’s wholegrain or rye as they are much better options. Remember that carbohydrates are processed by the body and turned into glucose (sugar) for energy. If you are having too many carbs and not burning them off, then all that extra glucose (sugar) just ends up in your fat stores.

So remember these 5 tips on how to eat healthy. Incorporate them into your daily routine to start seeing the health benefits. Break the bad habits to bring in the good habits.

If you need a personalized one-to-one chat with me about a concern with your current health condition, then please take action NOW and find out more HERE.

7 Key Benefits of Avocado

By Paul Scicluna

There is a huge myth going around that avocados are bad for you because of the high fat content. Frankly, people need to be given the right education so they can make better informed decisions on their health. In actual fact, avocados are not bad for you.

Yes, they contain fat but it’s the good monounsaturated fat that’s healthy for you. Even if you’re trying to lose weight, you need good fats to help your body function properly. Consumption of good fats is not only essential to a healthy body, but believe me, it's also helpful if you're trying to lose weight.

Avocados can be used in somewhat “unconventional” ways to make your meals healthier. For example, sometimes I add avocados to my smoothies if I want a creamy consistency. This is far healthier than using chemically laden milks or ice creams. If you want to see what’s in ice creams, check out my article HERE. You’d be surprised as it doesn’t overpower the smoothie flavor. Try it for yourself!

>>> Get my FREE Smoothies and Juices eBook with my avocado smoothie recipe <<<

The avocado nutrition benefits are great. And not only do those good fats in your diet help people who are wanting to lose weight, it also protects your heart, helps to fight fatigue and support overall health and wellbeing. Whereas bad fats have been shown to promote weight gain, increase the risk of diseases such as obesity, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Now, I’m glad that there are other smart people out there who realize that benefits of avocado are huge. And one group I’d like to highlight is the Health Ranger from Natural News. They talked about avocados being a superfood and listed 7 top benefits.

I’d like to share these avocado health benefits with you HERE.

The One Surprising Ingredient In Processed Foods That Are Making People Fat

By Paul Scicluna

As a health coach, I’ve heard so many times from people that they keep getting told to eat less and exercise more if they want to lose weight. So they eat less and exercise more but they still can’t seem to melt that fat away. This is where all the scam diets, supplements and fat burning pills, lotions and potions are being bought by the public in the hope of finding the fastest way to lose weight.

But when that stubborn fat hasn’t been lost, people ask, “Why am I not losing weight?” I’m going to share with you the one surprising ingredient in processed foods that are making people fat, and tips to help your weight loss efforts.

As I’ve been saying for years, weight gain can be more complex than once thought. It’s only just starting to reach the mainstream media but scientists are slowly realizing that weight gain and obesity seems to be more complex than was first thought.

Many medical experts are calling for obesity to be labeled a disease. This in turn results in their solution being of course - drugs and surgery. However, researchers have shown a popular processed food additive could be contributing to the fat people are gaining.

The latest research from Georgia State University believe emulsifiers, which are added to most processed foods disrupt the good bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract, making your body hold on to more fat.

Start reducing the amount of processed foods you consume not only to lose weight but for better health overall!

Emulsifiers are used in processed foods to extend their shelf life, make the foods more artificially palatable, and stop oils and water from separating to name a few. They can be found in everything from your store bought salad dressings to frozen desserts, right through to breads, cakes, margarines and peanut butter. 

The researchers gave mice the same dose of emulsifiers to what an average person would consume through processed foods in their diets. The researchers found that the mice had dramatically altered gut bacteria through the consumption of these emulsifiers.

What the altered gut bacteria led to was inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic syndrome. This included Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. These conditions have dramatically increased since processed foods have become more prevalent in the modern day diet.

Around 85% of your immune system is based in your gastrointestinal tract. That’s why you need a good balance of bacteria.  So if ingredients like emulsifiers as well as antibiotics both strip the body of good bacteria, then there is an imbalance. As a result, this not only impacts your health but also your fat burning efforts.

If you are trying to lose weight and improve your health then reducing processed foods is a must. You can also help your gut bacteria out by introducing foods with gut friendly bacteria in order to protect our gut.

This can include increasing your fiber intake by eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. These will also give you a good supply of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, anti-oxidants and fiber. Also foods such as kidney beans, lima beans, chickpeas, cabbage, bananas, asparagus as well as properly fermented sauerkraut, natural kefir and Greek yoghurts are foods that will help improve your gut bacteria.

So remove harmful processed foods, introduce fresh fruits and vegetables and probiotic rich foods and watch this improve your fat burning efforts.

Change your diet, and you will be one BIG step closer to losing that stubborn fat! Get my information and recipe eBook, "Time To Get Healthy" HERE.

Create over 60 delicious healthy recipes from day to night, and discover secrets to reach your optimal weight and dramatically improve your health.

The Truth About The Benefits Of Almond Milk

By Paul Scicluna

Milk is generally a typical part of just about everyone’s diet, whether that be store bought cow’s milk, soy milk or varieties of nut milk.  

Almond milk has been gaining popularity over other types of milk and for good reasons. Many people think it’s still a new phenomenon due to this recent popularity, but it has actually been around since the middle ages.

Geographically it was found to be used in what we now know as Spain right through to East Asia as well as across many different religions.

I personally don’t have dairy milk, and if I did I would avoid those that you can generally buy in stores, and even some of the other varieties of milks. For me, I prefer homemade almond milk. Let me explain why...

Almond milk doesn’t contain cholesterol or lactose. But benefits of almond milk is that it’s rich in nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, selenium, manganese, zinc, potassium, iron, phosphorus, biotin, copper, trytophan, vitamin E, vitamin B2, flavonoids, fibre, as well as protein.

Many store bought milks including almond milk are pasteurized. This manufacturing process has been shown to kill off many of the natural enzymes and nutrients. Many of them have synthetic nutrients added through fortification or enrichment. So basically you’re getting lifeless milk lacking in vital vitamins and nutrition.

It really is simple and easy to make homemade almond milk. The best thing about making it yourself is that you know what’s in it and it’ll have all of the natural enzymes and nutrients with no other potentially toxic additives, flavors or preservatives included.

Other almond benefits include that they’ve been shown to inhibit free radicals in the body, strengthen the immune system, aid digestive health and weight loss, help protect against heart disease and diabetes.

Many people like to add flavorings to whatever types of milk they drink such as sugar, artificial flavorings, colorings, powders and syrups. However, these are far less healthy for your body and devoid of nutrients.  These additives in milk when consumed regularly are a major contributor to numerous health conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Sadly, obesity has become an epidemic.

Unfortunately with billions of people worldwide classed as being overweight or obese, we will be the first generation that sees our kids die before we do from obesity related illnesses. So please consider this if you are thinking of buying pre-packaged flavored milks or the other flavorings mentioned above for yourself or your family.

Here’s some tips on how to make almond milk healthier if you want flavorings - add medjool dates, the seeds from vanilla beans or even fruit for naturally added flavor. You could even add honey or cinnamon which not only taste great but have numerous medicinal benefits, or even cocao powder for you chocolate lovers! Adding these natural ingredients means you get plenty of vitamins and nutrients.

Whether you have plain almond milk or another nut milk or add natural flavorings, at least you know you’ll be getting a higher dose of quality nutrients to help protect you from contracting diseases.

So do yourself a favour and choose the healthier type of milk!

5 Tips For How to Stay Healthy on Vacation

By Paul Scicluna

I love traveling and immersing myself in the different cultures, environments, experiences and foods, of course! Yes, I am human and I allow myself a few treats on vacation.

As I say to my clients, as long as most of the time you have a balanced diet full of good wholesome healthy food, your body will be able to cope with a bit of indulgence. Yet, I often see many people filling their plates with fatty, processed and non-nutritious foods, washed down with soft drinks or sodas.

Having worked in the health and weight loss industry as a certified personal trainer, nutrition specialist, and health coach, many clients tell me they need to get back into shape after over indulging on vacation. Some put on several pounds within just a couple of weeks by not having some healthy meals!

What’s more, before going on their break, some of them went to all that effort to lose weight beforehand so they could look fantastic in a bikini or bathers.

Now, the challenge is trying to lose that weight again. However, many people are de-motivated because they have post-vacation blues. So rather than making it hard for yourself next time, here are 5 simple tips for how to stay healthy when on vacation.  

1.     Portion control – whether you’re at a hotel/resort or self-catering accommodation, make sure you opt for the entree-sized plate, and not the main size. That way your portion sizes will be smaller and you may be less likely to have more food than you should. If there are no smaller plates then you don’t have to pile the food on!

2.     Healthy meals - Aim to fill your plate with 2/3 fresh fruit and salads. These have high water content so will help fill you up and provide you with lots of nutrients. Plus, by having some raw foods the enzymes help with digestion unlike the cooked foods that have most of the enzymes cooked out of them.

There’s nothing worse than having a vacation and then you feel terrible because your body is overwhelmed with unhealthy foods.

3.     Exercise! Now this is another way of keeping healthy on vacation. I’m not talking about running a half marathon every day, but make sure you get a decent amount of movement. And don’t think of it as “exercise.” Make it part of your holiday.

For example, walk to places of interest rather than taking a train or bus. Go and explore! More often than not, you’ll see and experience far more on foot. Therefore, if you do indulge a little, especially on not so healthy food, then you’ll still be burning up those calories.

4.     Drink lots of water and good fluids – especially if you’re visiting a place with a warmer climate, as you’ll most likely sweat more. Therefore you’ll need to replenish the fluids you’ve lost plus some. I love going to places where they have the fresh coconut water – it really quenches my thirst, and provides me with nutrients and electrolytes (mother nature's energy drink)!

5.     Do your research – read trip reviews and forums to understand the area you are visiting. When you get to your destination speak to the locals about where to go to get good healthy food, whether that be at a market or wherever. Sometimes language barriers are a challenge. You could get some of the basics from people before you go. And what also works often are pictures!

It really isn’t hard to stay healthy on a trip and have healthy meals. Be sensible but also allow a little indulgence if you’ve been good.

If you need to get back on track with your weight, click HERE to get my free report on 7 top foods to lose weight fast, which includes bonus recipes.