When we think about being healthy, most thoughts immediately turn to dieting. But building a healthy lifestyle without restrictions, binges, and the pressure of being a certain weight, shape or size can release you from the stress. And help create sustainability.

How does it sound to be able to create a healthy lifestyle, without restriction or pressure, get rid of food guilt, and restriction binges and feel more confident in your own skin and who you are now?

That’s how creating a healthy lifestyle and not another diet can help.

Is eating healthy better than a diet?

The diet culture has caused an unhealthy mindset in many people, as well as an unhealthy image as to what healthy actually looks like. But the truth is that health comes in all shapes and sizes.

Eating healthy looks different for everyone. For me personally, I work on an 80/20 basis, so at least 80% of the time I’m eating healthy whole natural foods and not feeling guilty for the 20%.

Not following a specific diet can help get rid of the bad food habits we can pick up over time such as counting calories (not all calories are created equally), and avoiding fats and carbs.

Understanding ingredient labels is an important fact in healthy eating because diets that count calories or have “sins” or “low-fat foods” can actually be misleading. Many foods have hidden sugars in them that can be addictive or lead to weight gain. I’ve created a supermarket checklist to help with just that, you can get it here if you’re interested.

Finding what works for you can take time, but focusing on adding in more healthy foods and eating more whole, natural foods instead of restricting them can really help you find what does work and stay consistent.

What is the difference between a healthy diet and dieting to lose weight?

A healthy diet will help you slim down naturally because you’re giving your body everything that it needs to do its job properly.

With many diets you’re restricting foods, possibly eating foods processed foods that have lots of additives and added sugars because they’re low calories. These can cause an unhealthy mindset around food and I’ve seen first-hand that unhealthy mindset can last someone’s whole life.

Top 10 tips to eat healthy without dieting

• Eat more fruits and veg – Adding more fruit and veggies to your meals can increase the minerals, nutrients and fibre to help you feel good.
• Whole grains – Choosing whole grains like brown rice and pasta over white pasta, bread and cakes can add help fill you up with fibre and keep you feeling fuller.
• Eat protein – Protein can help us feel full and it also helps to repair muscle after exercise.
• Full-fat products – Don’t be scared of healthy fats. Most low-fat foods have added sugar along with other additives to make it taste good.
• Check ingredients – If you’re struggling to lose weight, added sugars may be the culprit. Check out ingredient labels for those hidden sugars.
• Chew your food – Digestion starts in the mouth, so chewing your food helps aid digestion and eating more slowly can help your body signal when it’s full.
• Eat fibre rich foods – Not only does fibre help us poop, but it helps keep hunger at bay and keeps us feeling full. Too much fibre though can cause discomfort and bloating.
• Drink plenty of water – Sometimes hunger can actually be a sign of dehydration, so sipping water throughout the day can keep you hydrated.
• Get a good night’s sleep – Ever noticed how you crave all the wrong things when you’re tired? A lack of sleep may disrupt the hormones leptin and ghrelin which are the appetite-regulating hormones.
• Eat mindfully – Paying attention to what you’re eating instead of watching TV can help prevent overeating and consuming more calories.

In a busy world, we always want quick fixes for everything, and that includes our health. But creating a healthy lifestyle can provide sustainable long term results.

Creating small habit changes daily can have a great impact on your health.