20 ways to make a fresh start in 2014

How many times have you found yourself saying, “I’m going to have a fresh start on Monday”? 

For some of us this is a weekly mantra. 

Typically, this means we’re going to try a new diet or restart that fitness programme that we abruptly stopped due to work getting in the way, or our social life taking its toll.

So why do we fall off the healthy lifestyle wagon so easily?

Normally it’s because the diet or exercise schedule is not designed to complement our regular work/life routine. This makes it difficult to sustain for any prolonged period of time, ultimately ending in those dreaded words “I’m going to have a fresh start on Monday.”

Food is one of the main things we all have in common in order to survive and flourish and I believe that this should be the first change we make in our lifestyle. 

Food is the most powerful drug on earth, as we eat it every day and it’s directly responsible to how we feel.

There is no reason why a hectic work or life schedule should get in the way of making changes in what we eat.

You are what you eat.

For a fresh start that shouldn’t come to an end follow my top 20 list:

1. Eat only whole, natural foods, organic whenever possible.

2. Drink at least three litres of water a day; I suggest bottled spring water.

3. Eat when your body tells you to eat.

4. Always try to eat before you get hungry in order to maintain your blood sugar levels.

5. Consume only organic, whole grain products.

6. Eat lean, organic and grass fed meats/poultry.

7. Baked foods should only contain whole grain flours. Use sprouted grain products when possible.

8. Use raw, organic butter, ghee, coconut oil and olive oil instead of vegetable oils and margarine.

9. Use only fresh, raw nuts and seeds but limit their intake unless you’re a vegetarian due to their high fat content.

10. Use only organic, fresh, frozen or dried vegetables.

11. Emphasise non-starchy vegetables over starchy vegetables.

12. Consume fresh vegetable juice daily.

13. Consume only fresh fruits or frozen without added sugar.

14. Use only olive, palm or coconut oil, ghee or butter for cooking.

15.  Use only unprocessed sea salt as your table salt, but use sparingly.

16. If you must have coffee, limit to one to two cups per day and only drink organic coffee.

17. Limit all sugar in your diet as much as possible.

18. Use stevia or xylitol as sweetener when you must use ‘sugar’.

19. Consume one to two tablespoons of freshly ground, organic flax seed four to seven times a week.

20. Eat coconuts. 

Colin Ayliffe is a certified Personal Trainer and Holistic Lifestyle Coach with over 10 years experience in training clients. He graduated from the University of Surrey with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Science and is also a CHEK Practitioner, Golf Biomechanic and accredited by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He now blogs at www.CoconutFitness.com