TECHNOGYM – MAKING HEALTHIER EATING ACHIEVABLE

Looking to try out some new food and pursue a healthier way of eating? Training like a racing driver and need some tips on what to eat?! In any line of work, it’s great to eat balanced and nutritious food – but sometimes it’s tricky to know where to start!

We have brought in the expertise of our friends at Technogym to share with us their advice on making healthy eating achievable. Ben Jones BSc, Technogym Educator & Wellness Coach, reveals his top tips as well as some delicious and easy recipes!

What does healthy eating look like?

There is no one way of eating that works best for everyone. But there are some eating behaviours that are consistently associated with good health. The Technogym Wellness pyramid recommends:

• Eat mostly whole foods from nature.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Eat plenty of vegetables and some fruit every day.
• Eat modest portions of wholegrain/high-fibre starchy carbohydrate foods.
• Eat fish and plant sources of protein like pulses, nuts and seeds regularly.
• Eat red meat occasionally and try avoiding processed meats.
• Eat some natural dairy products or fortified alternatives like unsweetened soy milk. Fermented dairy like yogurt and kefir, which are probiotic, are healthier dairy options.
• Use modest amounts of unsaturated oils like olive oil.
• Enjoy confectionary or alcoholic drinks in moderation.

It is helpful to have a model of healthy eating to work towards. But remember there is no ‘perfect diet’ and the pursuit of such can become an unhealthy obsession in itself.

How can I eat more healthily?

• Focus on changing one thing at a time. Rather than trying to overhaul your whole diet, pick one key behaviour and focus on that.
• It is easier to add than subtract. Start with behaviours that involve doing more of something first. For example, add more vegetables to each meal before reducing the portion size of your starchy carbohydrate.
• Set goals, monitor and review progress. Set a SMART Goal for the behaviour you are changing and track your progress towards it daily. Set a weekly reminder to review your progress.
• Be patient with yourself. Everyone is looking for the ‘one thing’ they need to change that will solve all their problems overnight. In reality, most people need to make lots of small adjustments and it takes time for things to fall into place.
• Wellness on the Go: Logging your food intake is great way to make sure that you’re staying on track with your new healthy habits. Apps such as My Fitness Pal can be synced to the Technogym mywellness app so you can view all your data through one dashboard and see a clear picture of your overall Wellness.

Quick & simple recipes
Here are some easy but yummy recipes to get you started…

Overnight oats

Ingredients:
• Rolled oats (50g)
• Milk or Unsweetened, fortified Soy milk (200ml)
• Chia seeds (15g)
• Frozen cherries (50g)
• Cinnamon (Sprinkle)

Method:
• Put all ingredients except cinnamon in a bowl and stir briefly.
• Place in the fridge before bed.
• Take out the next morning, sprinkle on the cinnamon and eat.

Omelette and salad

Ingredients:
• 3 eggs
• Mixed salad leaves (large handful)
• Cherry tomatoes (7)
• Cucumber (1/4 cucumber)
• Sweet red/orange/yellow pepper (1/2 pepper)
• Cooked beetroot (2-3 small beets)
• Carrot (1/2 carrot)
• Balsamic vinegar (1 tablespoon)
• Olive oil for cooking (1 teaspoon)

Method:
• Chop and mix the salad onto the plate
• Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the salad
• Crack the eggs into a bowl/jug and whisk with a fork
• Heat a frying pan and add the teaspoon of oil to coat the pan
• Pour the egg mix into the pan and heat gently until cooked through
• Once cooked, serve omelette onto the plate and season with black pepper

References
• US News & World report Healthiest diet rankings 2020: https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-diets-overall
• Samdal, G. B., Eide, G. E., Barth, T., Williams, G., & Meland, E. (2017). Effective behaviour change techniques for physical activity and healthy eating in overweight and obese adults; systematic review and meta-regression analyses. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14, Article 42. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0494-y