Be slim with healthy food choices

Choose your white foods carefully

•     Avoid white rice, bread, pasta. These refined foods promote weight gain as they are digested quickly and cause your blood-sugar and insulin levels to spike.
•     Making the switch to wholesome wholegrain varieties will help you maintain a healthy weight and keep you full for longer, as they are rich in fibre and help keep your blood-sugar levels balanced.
•     Includes whole grain choices like whole oats, quinoa, brown rice, daliya, buckwheat, whole grain pasta and grainy bread add in your main meal.

Drink 2-3 litres of water a day

We often forget to keep our water intake up during winter, yet it is important to drink plenty of water all year round for good health. Don't forget air conditioning and heaters can be very dehydrating.

    Try to drink at least two litres a day. Herbal teas count too.
    There are many wonderful health-promoting teas to choose from such as ginger (great for improving circulation), green (a powerful antioxidant and can help promote weight loss), and chamomile (helps calm your nerves).

Eat protein with every meal

•     One of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight is to eat good-quality, low-fat protein at each meal.
•     Protein foods have a low gi and help to stabilise blood-sugar levels, which in turn will help curb sugar cravings and prevent you snacking on sugary carbohydrate foods.
•     A good guide is to keep protein servings to the size and thickness of your palm. Some healthy protein choices include nuts, seeds, legumes (and legume-based foods such as hummus), egg white, fish, lean meat, chicken, low-fat dairy and soy products.
•     Protein foods also help to create a feeling of fullness, preventing you from overeating.

Fill half your plate with fruit and veg salad

•     At least half of your diet should be made up of fresh fruit and vegetables (including legumes).
•     Fruit and vegetables are an excellent source of important vitamins and minerals including vitamins a and c, folate, iron and calcium.
•     Purple, red and orange varieties are particularly high in potent health-promoting antioxidants.
•     However, if you are watching your waistline, don't overdo higher-gi veggies such as potato, sweet potato and pumpkin.
• Aim to have about three pieces of fruit a day. Try adding fruit to your porridge, and make stewed fruit have with muesli or natural yoghurt in the morning.

Start your dinner with soup

•     Have a small bowl of low-calorie mix veg soup before your main meal to help manage your weight.
•     Doing this is not only a great way to increase your vegetable intake, it can help reduce the amount of food and calories you consume in a meal.
•     To save time, make a healthy vegetable-based soup at the beginning of the week and freeze portions.
•     Don't forget to add immune-boosting ingredients such as garlic, ginger, onion and miso to help protect yourself from colds and flu.