Health tip X: Weight Watchers

For us lucky bastards living the UK, there is this amazing food brand called Weight Watchers. They sell all sorts of products; from yoghurts to pre-cooked food and from flatbread to freaking brownies, and everything, everything is low-fat. I've had the pleasure of tasting some of their foods and I bow to them because everything I've eaten so far has proved delicious. Delicious, filling and healthy! 

Take a look at their webpage. I think you can order food on-line, but you can also find their products at Tesco's, ASDA and so on...

• http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk

Do not forget, of course, that this sort of stuff isn't good unless you alternate it with fresh fruit and vegetables. However, Weight Watchers can really help you in your way to a healthier diet. 

Health tip IX: Choose your biscuits wisely

Okay, who doesn't love biscuits? Don't lie, I know you do. There are hundreds of them, one for every kind of person; buttery, chocolatey,  sugary, rounded, star-shaped, creamy... and we would eat them all if we could! Well, who says we can't? In moderation, everything should be alright. Don't go eating twenty Oreo biscuits a day if you want to maintain your figure, though. That's a total no-go. 

Biscuits are perfect for either breakfast or as an afternoon snack. However, we should always be wise when buying them. My tips:

• Buy them in small packages; this way you will always know how many calories you're eating. For instance, Oreo and other brands have what they call 'snack packs', bags of about 120 kcal each. They are perfect and you can carry them everywhere! 
• If your favourite biscuit doesn't come in a small pack, you should always be sensible about  how many you're going to eat. Eat four or five, don't eat forty.
• Tea biscuits are amazing if you're feeling peckish. They're not as tasty a biscuit as the chocolate ones, but they're much less caloric. (Mc.Vitie's tea biscuits have around 38 kcal each, whereas any chocolate-chip biscuit has around 55 kcal.) Keep it in mind when you're buying!

Again, you're not on a diet. You're free to eat whatever you please. However, be sensible and wise, choose whatever you think is best for you and your health and, of course, enjoy it as much as you can!

Health tip VIII: Carbs. Friends or foes?

Carbohydrates are absolutely necessary to the human body, so if you were thinking about eliminating them of your diet, think twice. Besides, they are literally everywhere. Bread? Say "hi" to carbs. Pasta? Cereals? All carbs. Yes, they are caloric, but then again they are also extremely healthy.

My tips:

• Eat pasta. 200 gr. of "penne" have around 280 kcal. Remember, it is usually the sauce that adds loads of extra calories. If you choose, like me, a light tomato and herb sauce, you will only add from 50 to 80 kcal to your dish. Yummy and filling!
• Do not abuse bread. You can eat bread, of course, but if you can start buying wholegrain instead of white bread, you'll reduce the calories substantially. Much less caloric and definitely healthier. 

It would probably be a good idea if you ate pasta at lunch instead of during dinnertime. See, carbohydrates have "fast" calories; they are really quick to burn. Therefore, it'll be easier for your body to eliminate them if you've got a busy afternoon instead of an early night. If you're set on losing weight, maybe don't eat any sort of carbs after, let's say, 5 pm. Otherwise, enjoy them as much as you can; they're really yummy!

Health tip VII: Winter is coming

For those of you who live in southern Europe, winter is still far away. However, for those of us inhabiting the obscure north (well, come on, I'm living in London) winter is already a reality. Coming down with something gets easier and easier as temperature falls. Therefore, we need to prepare ourselves!

• Soup is your new best friend. Cheap, easy to make, healthy and waaaarm.
• Drink a lot of liquids; water, juices, hot milk, tea, coffee... whatever floats your boat.
• Please remember to use skimmed milk (45 kcal/100 ml) if you want to cut down calories!
• Don't drink too much juice; it is extremely sugary.
• When drinking tea and coffee, be careful with the sugar (maybe alternate with saccharine?)
• Stay warm. I think that goes without saying.

Remember: exercising can also help to prevent your falling ill. If you can't go to the gym, either work out at home or go running. If you do the latter, wear scarves, gloves and maybe a bonnet, and even if you start sweating do not remove any of your clothes. 

Winter is a wonderful time to exercise. Snow? Snow is great to gain some muscle and lose some weight! Skying, snowboarding, even just walking in the snow... Does it snow where you live? Take advantage of it!

• Important: The lower the temperature, the less calories you will burn while exercising. It's time to push yourself a little harder.

Health tip VI: Do the shopping!

If you're living on your own I'm sure you've already had the opportunity to enjoy the wonders of doing the shopping. If you're living at home, maybe your parents do it for you, maybe they don't. Anway, if you're really set on having a healthier diet, going to the supermarket yourself should become one of your first goals. If you go with some friends you can even have fun (I talk from personal experience; going to the supermarket with my flatmate is a fucking show!)

Why is it important?

• You actually choose what you are going to eat; vegetables, fruit, even pasta or canned food.
• You don't buy what you don't want to eat (for example, my mum is set on buying crisps, which is a total no-go if you're trying to keep a healthy diet).
• You can compare prices and save a huge amount of money.
• You can buy products according to their low fat/calories.
• You can give your parents a very much deserved rest (!!!)

I admit that going to the supermarket if you don't own a car sucks quite a bit. However, you can take it as a form of exercise as well! Trust me, carrying bags up and down helps to build up some awesome biceps.

Recipe IV: Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and some of us think that missing it will help us lose weight. I used to think and do that until I came to live in England, but I've realised now how wrong I was. Always eat breakfast, especially if you get up early and have a busy day.

I don't have lectures on Tuesday up until 6.30 pm, so I've spent the morning in the gym. I've just exercised for about an hour, though, a light, easy workout to start the day with a smile. 

• 30-minute routine on the elliptical machine.
• 2000 metres on the rowing machine.
• 3 series of 20 abs (superior, inferior, lateral)

Estimated kcal loss: 400

The ideal breakfast for a morning like mine:

• A glass of orange juice
• A Philadelphia cheese and roasted ham sandwich

Sandwich

Ingredients for 1 person:

• 2 slices of wholegrain wheat bread (51 kcal per slice!)
• 40 gr. of Philadelphia light cheese
• 1 slice of roasted ham

Preparation:

• Put the bread on the toaster until it is brown and crunchy. 
• Coat the toasted bread with a thin layer of Philadelphia cheese.
• Add the roasted ham.

Estimated calories: 180 + 80 (from the juice) = 260

See? It really can't be easier! Enjoy, guys, and have a good day!

Recipe III: Tonight's dinner

Tonight's dinner has consisted of: 

• Ham and cheese omelette
• Campbell's mushroom soup
• Mini loaf of bread (home-made, courtesy of my lovely flatmate)

Estimated calories: 400

Ingredients for the omelette:

• 1 egg
• 1 slice of roasted ham (18 kcal)
• 1 sheet of cheese (40 kcal)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

Preparation

• Break the egg on a bowl and beat it for a while.
• Slice the ham and the sheet of cheese and add to the bowl.
• Add the pinch of salt.
• Put a saucepan on the stove. Add the oil and spread it. 
• When the saucepan is hot enough, pour the mixture onto it and let it brown.

Et voilà! A nice, healthy omelette is the perfect combination for a low-calorie Campbell's mushroom soup! Add the hot, spongy loaf of bread as a side dish and some fat-free yoghurt (50 kcal) as dessert. 

Enjoy!