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Izzy Boudra (pictured above) is Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s Health and and Nutrition manager. He shares his tips for a healthy start to the year.
1. Ditch the diet – your first resolution this year. Most of us will fail at dieting because it brings such a quick and drastic change to our day to day lifestyle. Instead, set yourself realistic goals against a timeline. Small changes can have a huge impact!
2. Before you start making any changes to the way you eat, ask yourself what may have caused the weight gain in the first place? An understanding of the problem will help you have a clearer idea of the solution and therefore take appropriate action to achieve your goals healthily.
3. Try to avoid drinking water or juices during meals. It reduces your digestive system’s ability to break down your food and absorb vital nutrients. Try drinking 30 minutes before or about an hour after your meal instead.
4. Gradually reduce the amount of coffee and soda you drink – try to have them only as a treat once or twice a week only.
5. Don’t skip breakfast. People who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight and generally feel better throughout the day. Skipping breakfast can actually put your body into “starvation mode” causing your body to store your next meal as fat.
6. Vary your gym workout. Your body is constantly adapting to your workout, so if you are doing the same amount of cardio at the same speed for more than a couple weeks, your body will no longer burn the same amount of calories. Try to vary the speed and intensity of your cardio workout each time.
7. Don’t start your New Year’s resolution with no exercise plan, you will only get confused and frustrated when you get to the gym. Plan a workout by yourself or with a professional and stick to it. Get into group classes to get the motivation or get a personal trainer for a month or two and have a program tailored specifically for you.
8. Drink plenty of water and herbal teas. Snack on some fruits in the morning and in the afternoons eat celery, cucumber or carrots sticks with hummus, guacamole or almond butter.
9. Whole foods surpass anything in a can, box or package. I’m fairly certain that no one is out there debating this. I’m not saying that everything in the centre aisles of the store is unhealthy, but the bulk of our foods should come as naturally as possible.
10. Stay positive, stay positive, stay positive. Don’t beat yourself up if you have a bad day
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