The most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is to make weight loss a natural and fun part of the life you already live. You don’t have to run a marathon or live on cabbage soup for weeks on end or give up all the things you enjoy; you just need to make a number of small but significant changes that when put together add up to big benefits. In other words you adopt the habits that naturally slim people have and make them part of your daily routine:

1. Choose satisfied over stuffed

Naturally slim people don’t tend to eat everything on their plate. They’ve managed to get over the ‘waste not, want not,’ barrier to weight loss. They finish eating when they feel satisfied not stuffed. People with weight problems tend to mistakenly equate the sensation of fullness with satisfaction and feel deprived if they stop short or they simply eat every thing on their plate because the habit has been ingrained in them from childhood or school days.

Small change: The next time you sit down to a meal take your time and chew your food thoroughly. Put your knife and fork down between bites and really savour your food. Then about halfway through your meal, put your knife and fork down and try to assess how full you are. If you still feel hungry eat five more bites; then listen to your body again. The aim of this is to slow down your eating to allow the sensation of fullness to settle in and to help you distinguish between feeling satisfied and feeling stuffed. As a rule of thumb if you’re feeling satisfied you’ll feel alert and full of energy and ready to get moving but if you feel stuffed you’ll feel like putting your feet up and having a nap.

2. Hunger is not a crisis

Well, certainly not for those of us who have the good fortune to live in this part of the world. Trouble is most of us behave as if starvation is just around the corner and fear hunger regarding it as terrible condition that needs to be cured fast. This fear of hunger makes us routinely overeat to avoid it. Slim people have a totally different mindset; they are fully aware that hunger is not a life or death situation for them and that hunger pangs always come and go.

Small change: The next time you get a hunger pang or food craving ride it out. Don’t grab something to eat; do something else instead like going for a walk or chatting to a friend. Nine times out of ten the hunger will pass as you get distracted. You could also try delaying lunch by an hour or so. The aim of this is to show you that you can function perfectly well and don’t need to respond instantly every time your stomach howls.

3. They Don’t Use Food as Comfort

Slim people get comfort food cravings just like everyone else but the difference is they tend to recognise what they are doing and stop; whereas people with weight problems aren’t always aware that they are using food as a source of comfort when they feel sad, angry, scared or guilty.

Small change: The next time you get a craving try to assess whether you are eating because you are really hungry or because you feel angry, lonely or tired. If it’s one of the latter three recognise that they are the most common triggers for emotional eating. If you are really hungry prepare yourself a healthy snack such as a piece of fruit and a handful of sesame seeds to help you make it to the next meal. If you’re angry, lonely or tired recognise and accept the situation and seek alternative, non-food related solutions. Go for a run or put some music on and dance or e-mail a friend or take a walk in the park. Being in a crowd of people will make you feel less lonely. If you are tired; take a nap or have an early night.

4. Stock up on fruits and vegetables

According to a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association slim people tend to eat more fruit and vegetables than overweight people.

Small change: Grab a note book and make a count of how many fruit and vegetables you ate yesterday. You need to be aiming for at least five; say two pieces of fruit and three servings of vegetables a day. If you aren’t getting enough fruit and vegetables think of ways to add more to your meals and snacks, for example, have two vegetables for lunch instead of one, snack on fruit, sprinkle berries over your cereal bowl. Keep a bowl of fruit on your kitchen table and some chopped vegetable sticks on your desk to motivate you to think fruit and vegetables first, vending machine never.

5. Be a creature of habit

A varied diet is a good thing but too much variety can backfire. Studies have shown that too many new tastes and textures encourage you to overeat, so stick to some well planned staples instead. This doesn’t mean you should never have any surprises but for the most part make your diet fairly predicable.

Small change: Try to be as consistent as possible with your major meals–have cereal for breakfast, a salad or soup at lunch, and grilled fish or tofu or legumes for dinner and so on. It’s fine to vary by adding tuna to your salad one day and tofu the next, but by sticking to a loosely prescribed meal schedule, you limit the opportunities to overindulge.

6. Fidget more

On average, slim people move about a lot more than people with weight problems. This doesn’t mean they are always to be found down at the gym or training for a marathon it means that they find opportunities in their everyday life to move. For example, even when they are sitting they are moving their feet or tapping their fingers and getting up at any opportunity they can. Slim people like to move but they don’t consider this to be exercise – as overweight people do – they consider movement as a natural part of being human.

Small change: Buy a pedometer. Studies have shown that people often overestimate how active they really are. Most people actually spend 16 to 20 hours a day just sitting. Wear a pedometer on an average day, and see how close you get to the recommended 10,000 steps. Your day should combine 30 minutes of structured exercise with a variety of healthy habits, such as taking the stairs instead of the lift or mopping the floor with extra vigour. (To see how many calories your activities burn, see the exercise calculator at www.caloriecontrol.org.)

7. Go to bed earlier

According to a study from Eastern Virginia Medical School slim people sleep an average of two hours more a week than overweight people.  Researchers theorise that a lack of sleep is linked to lower levels of appetite-suppressing hormones like leptin and higher levels of the appetite-boosting hormone ghrelin.

Small change: Aim to be in bed by midnight and if you can by 10.30 or 11 pm. Try to get between 7 and 8 hours quality sleep a night; no more than that as too much sleep may be just as bad for you as too much. Two extra hours of sleep a week is only 17 more minutes a day which is a lot more manageable, even for the most packed of schedules. Start there and slowly work towards 7 or 8 hours of snooze time a night -the right amount for most adults.

8. Eat breakfast

78% of successful dieters do it every day, according to the National Weight Control Registry, a database of more than 5,000 people who’ve lost more than 30 pounds and kept the weight off for at least a year.

Small change: Get up 10 or 15 minutes earlier and make sure you eat a healthy breakfast, for example a bowl of porridge with a piece of fruit or a boiled egg with whole grain toast. You will fire up your metabolism (fat burning) and your energy levels for the whole day. And if you don’t ever feel like eating in the morning remind yourself of the universal dieting truth: fat people don’t eat breakfast.

9. Take charge of your appetite

Slim people tend to have greater self-control than people who are overweight. Researchers at Tufts University found that the biggest predictor of weight gain among women in their 50s and 60s was their level of disinhibition, or unrestrained behaviour. Women with low disinhibition (in other words, a finely tuned sense of restraint) had the lowest body mass index. High disinhibition (i.e. low restraint) was linked to an adult weight gain of as much as 33 pounds. So if you haven’t been diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance like PCOS or thyroid dysfunction and if you aren’t suffering from an eating disorder or medical condition that makes weight loss tough, you need to take charge of your appetite, rather than it taking charge of you.

Small change: Be prepared for those times when you know you are going to be out of control, for example, a night out with your friends. If you’re at a party, tell yourself you’ll take one of every fourth passed hors d’oeuvre. If you’re stressed make sure you have a source of healthy snacks (like fruit or carrot sticks) at the ready. If you’re going out for dinner, order an appetiser portion. If someone offers you a slice of birthday cake gratefully accept it then wrap it up in a handkerchief and tell the birthday boy or girl you’ll take it home and enjoy it later. By making these kinds of choices you’ll be firmly reminding your stomach that you are in control and that’s how things are going to be from now on.

Nuts are highly nutritious foods but are often overlooked in a healthy diet because of the belief that they are ‘fattening.’ Research, however, shows there are a number of health benefits to be gained from eating nuts regularly and the broad range of nutrients they contain makes them highly beneficial. Including nuts regularly as part of a healthy way of eating has been shown to offer protection against heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels and may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Intriguingly, eating nuts in moderation can also have benefits for weight control.

Nuts are so healthy because they are naturally rich in a wide range of vitamins and minerals, fibre, protein, healthy fats, plant sterols and antioxidants, which together contribute to good health. Nuts are also a great source of the healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which help lower blood cholesterol levels, particularly when they replace saturated fat in the diet.

Macadamias, cashews, almonds, pistachios and pecans are rich in monounsaturated fat, while walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts and Brazil nuts are rich in polyunsaturated fat. Walnuts are also an excellent source of the polyunsaturated omega-3 fat, which has benefits for lowering blood pressure and reducing inflammation in the body. (Peanuts are not actually a nut but a legume but are often used in the same way as nuts.)

All nuts contain fibre, with hazelnuts, pistachios and almonds topping the list. While it is well known that fibre is needed for a healthy digestive system, it also has many other important functions in the body. For instance, fibre-rich foods travel more slowly through the digestive system and this effect can help to keep you feeling full. This is one of the reasons why nuts are a great filling snack between meals.

Other health benefits of nuts

Nuts are particularly rich in vitamin E and folate (folic acid), with some varieties providing around 10 per cent of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) for folate and up to 20 per cent of the RDI for vitamin E in a 30g serve. Almonds and hazelnuts are the best sources of vitamin E, while peanuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios and walnuts provide useful amounts of folate.

Nuts also contain the minerals magnesium, zinc and selenium. A 30g serving of brazil nuts, almonds and cashews provides more than 75 per cent of the RDI for magnesium, while a serve of cashews, pine nuts or brazil nuts provides more than 10 per cent of the RDI for zinc. Just one Brazil nut provides the whole day’s RDI for selenium! (Selenium is a micronutrient which is said to be helpful in preventing conditions ranging from heart disease to cancer.)

Nuts contain a range of ‘plant chemicals’ such as flavonoids, luteolin and resveratrol (in peanuts), which have all been shown to have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help protect the body from a range of lifestyle-related diseases.

Nuts contain plant sterols (those substances found in margarine designed to lower cholesterol), which improve the levels of cholesterol in the blood by reducing cholesterol absorption from the intestines. Pistachios, pine nuts, almonds and macadamias are the best nut sources.

The downside

Allergies aside, the potential downsides of nuts is that because they are so tasty they are easy to overeat. Eating 30 grams of nuts a day has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of heart disease by 30 to 50 per cent and lowering cholesterol levels by 10 per cent so that’s what you should be aiming for.

Because each nut provides a different mix of nutrients, alternate the varieties of nuts you usually buy, or try a mixed nut combination.

And when I recommend eating nuts for their health benefits, don’t forget that I mainly mean the unsalted varieties. Raw, unsalted nuts are naturally low in sodium, with a 30g serving containing less than one per cent of the RDI, whereas the same quantity of salted nuts contains around 15 per cent of your sodium RDI. Most of us consume more sodium than we need, so always best stick to unsalted nuts. But if it was a choice of salted nuts and a bar of chocolate, go for the salted nuts!

Simply follow these tips to enjoy more nuts in your daily diet:

• Nut and dried-fruit mixes are a great snack on the run.
• Make your own muesli at home using rolled oats, dried fruits and chopped nuts of your choice.
• Team nut spread such as cashew or almond spread with banana on crackers.
• Mix crushed macadamias or walnuts with wholemeal breadcrumbs, herbs, olives and onion for a tasty stuffing.
• Sprinkle crushed walnuts through a tuna or roasted vegetable salad.
• Mix crushed cashews, almonds and pecans to make a topping for live natural yoghurt.
• Add chopped pistachios onto a piece of fish grilled with lemon juice and garlic.
• Sprinkle roasted pine nuts on pasta dishes.

Finding out what causes your skin to age faster than it should, can help you win the war against wrinkles. For decades scientists have looked for an answer and at least eight contributing factors have been identified; not surprisingly the majority of them are related to diet, environmental toxins and stress.

Typically it’s not one factor that makes skin look older but several working together. They are all interconnected and addressing one factor will often deal with several others. Here are the main contributors to wrinkles with advice on how to avoid or deal with them.

1. Free radicals

We generate free radicals through the natural process of metabolism but we also inhale, absorb and digest them as well. Free radicals come from environmental pollutants, radiation, pesticides, preservatives, cigarettes, car fumes, antibiotic residues and mercury fillings to name just a few.

Free radical damage has been linked to as many as 60 illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and immune system disorders. And it also plays a significant role in the aging process of our skin. Over the years, the skin’s collagen suffers mercilessly from free radical attack. Normal, healthy collagen proteins gently mesh with each other, giving skin its softness and elasticity. Once damaged, these proteins become cross linked and hard, and ultimately collapse on themselves, preventing them from holding water and remaining plump. The overall effect is a confusion of cross linked collagen fibres, manifested on the skin’s surface as wrinkles.

The only thing that neutralises free radicals is a group of nutrients known as antioxidants of which the most potent are vitamins A, C, E and flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants have an even great affinity for free radicals than for tissue and when consumed or applied to the body they neutralise free radicals and prevent tissue damage. The message is simple; the more fruit and vegetables you eat the less chance you have of developing wrinkles. A good antioxidant formula in supplement form is Nutriguard by BioCare (see Resources Page).

2. Insulin resistance

Preventing insulin resistance and blood sugar imbalances is another key factor in preventing wrinkles. More and more research is suggesting that steady insulin levels are an indicator of how healthy and vital a person feels and looks. This is because insulin isn’t just responsible for lowering blood sugar it is also responsible for storing nutrients such as magnesium in cells. If insulin resistance occurs the cells become deficient in magnesium and other nutrients that are essential for good skin. To maintain healthy blood sugar levels avoid eating sugar or foods that are highly refined and easily convert to sugar such as white bread, cakes, pastries and alcohol and make sure you eat a meal or snack every three to four hours.

3. Weak immune system

Colds and infections make you look much older than you are so it is important to keep your immune system strong. Catching one infection or cold after another can be highly damaging for your face, as infections can promote inflammatory responses. Therefore make sure you boost your immunity with healthy eating, plenty of vitamin C found in fruits and vegetables, regular exercise and lots of antioxidants.

4. Environmental toxins

Every day your body is exposed to a sea of wrinkle causing environmental toxins such as pesticides, industrial chemicals, car fumes, cigarette smoke and additives and preservatives in processed or refined food. When exposure to these toxins becomes overwhelming the toxins accumulate in your body, damaging cells and contributing to wrinkles and saggy skin. The best way to reduce your risk of wrinkles is to eat a diet that is as fresh and as healthy (preferably organic) and whole food, as possible and to avoid unnecessary exposure to environmental toxins.

5. Inflammation

Another primary cause of wrinkles is inflammation. The theory is that when cells are under free radical attack substances are activated that cause the cells to produce inflammatory agents known as cytokines, a killer agent in your cells. As a result other chemicals are produced which digest collagen; collagen is what keeps your skin looking fresh and young and so when under free radical attack your skin has no defence system in place. The best way to reduce the risk of inflammation is to feed our bodies with antioxidant rich foods than can remove inflammatory compounds. In addition to a diet low in antioxidants another contributory factor towards inflammation is stress.

6. Stress

When you are under long term stress, whether that stress is physical, emotional, psychological or environmental, your body produces increased levels of cortisol which can age your skin fast. Vitamin C, an essential nutrient for firm skin, is also used up by stress and this can lead to the loss of facial tone. The way to combat stress is to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, make sure you get a good night’s sleep and set aside quiet time each day to mediate or relax. You can also take Siberian ginseng to help nourish the adrenal glands to offset the effects of stress and some extra vitamin C in supplement form (see Resources page).

7. Sleep

During sleep your body can repair cells and release hormones. One of the hormones that is released by the pineal gland while you sleep is melatonin, which helps to prevent free radical attack. Your skin is under free radical attack every day so every night you need to protect it with a good night’s sleep. Melatonin may also help reverse the actions of toxins. Sleep experts believe that the most important time for skin repair is between 10 pm and midnight so try to get to bed early and aim to eat your meal before 8 pm so that your body is not digesting when it should be resting.

8. Sun damage

The sun’s UVA and UVB rays can damage the DNA in skin cells and it is thought that the great majority of visible signs of skin ageing in some women, such as wrinkles, age spots and sagging skin may be caused by too much sun exposure. And even though darker or olive skin may not burn easily, a suntan is evidence of injury to the epidermis, the top layer of skin.

Prevention is the best way to reduce the risk of sun damage. Using a natural sunscreen lotion or cream, especially on the face and hands, is important as is avoiding excessive exposure to the sun. Don’t shut yourself indoors though, just avoid the midday glare and go out in the early morning or in the evening to get all the vitamin D benefits of natural light without the burning heat of the sun.

Good food sources of antioxidants:

You’ll have noticed that in the majority of cases your greatest weapon in the war against wrinkles is a diet rich in antioxidants. Consuming more antioxidants helps provide your body with the tools it needs to neutralize harmful free radicals.

It’s estimated that there are more than 4,000 compounds in foods that act as antioxidants. The most studied include vitamins C and E, betacarotene and the mineral selenium.Many people think “supplements” when they think about getting more antioxidants. The supplement aisle, however, is not the only place to find these important compounds. Better places include the fresh and frozen fruit and vegetable section and the whole grains section of your supermarket. Why? Because the foods in these sections come packaged with other complementary nutrients and phytochemicals. They can provide better insurance than supplements that you’re getting the antioxidants you need in the right amount and form. Here are some good food sources of the four most studied antioxidants.

Vitamin C – Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin found in all body fluids, so it may be one of our first lines of defense. This powerful antioxidant cannot be stored by the body, so it’s important to get some regularly – not a difficult task if you eat fruits and vegetables. Important sources include citrus fruits, green peppers, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, strawberries, raw cabbage and potatoes.

Vitamin E – A fat-soluble vitamin that can be stored with fat in the liver and other tissues, vitamin E is helpful for a range of purposes – from delaying ageing to healing sunburn. While it’s not a miracle worker, it’s another powerful antioxidant. Important sources include wheat germ, nuts, seeds, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, vegetable oil and fish oil.

Beta-carotene – The most studied of more than 600 different carotenoids that have been discovered, beta-carotene protects dark green, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits from solar radiation damage. It is thought that it plays a similar role in the body. Carrots, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, kale, collards, cantaloupe, peaches and apricots are particularly rich sources of beta-carotene.

Selenium – This mineral is thought to help fight cell damage by oxygen-derived compounds and thus may help protect against cancer. Good food sources include fish, grains, eggs and garlic. Vegetables can also be a good source if grown in selenium-rich soils.

Bear in mind that when it comes to antioxidant content, all foods are not created equal. A study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Nutrition analysed the total antioxidant content of various fruits, berries, vegetables, cereals, nuts, and legumes. These are the results:

Overall Best Sources of Antioxidants

• Berries: dog rose, sour cherry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, crowberry, blueberry, black currant;
• Walnuts;
• Sunflower seeds;
• Pomegranate;
• Ginger

Research from the University of Southampton has also showed that when it comes to lettuce leaves the darker they are the more health boosting wrinkle erasing antioxidants they contain. It’s recommended that we eat 3,000 ORAC( the measure of antioxidant activity) a day and here’s what 100g of some of the most common lettuce leaves contain: iceberg – 105; lambs – 956; lollo – 987; spinach – 1,260 and rocket – 2,373.