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diets

We all know the drill: we wake up bright and early on Monday morning ready to embrace fruit, granola and poached eggs… only to be scoffing down a spice bag by Friday afternoon. 

#shame

Yup, life is hard. But it's fine because there's always another Monday lurking on the horizon.

Now it has been revealed that the average yo-yo dieter is only motivated by looking at their mates anyway: a Forza Supplements study found that the main incentive for women to lose weight is… remaining thinner than a friend or sister.

And regardless of the triggers, by 30 we have spent an astonishing three YEARS on a diet. Oh and by 40, that will length of time will have increased to almost SIX YEARS. 

That's a hell of a long time spent asking for your dressing on the side. 

Indeed, the majority of Irish women will diet twice a year, on average losing about 4lbs through dieting alone. 

And just why-oh-why do we spend so much of our 30s counting calories? Well, fear of middle-aged spread and gaining weight during pregnancy are both apparently at fault.

There IS light on the horizon though. Many woman tend to become comfortable with their figure by their 40s resulting in spending much less time dieting…

So here's to hitting 40! 

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Anyone who’s been giving clean eating a go will have heard the word ‘superfood‘. But what does it really mean?

When it comes to eating healthily it is important to know what exactly you are putting into your body – especially if you’re trying to drop a few pounds.

The truth is, some so-called ‘superfoods’ are not so super for you after all. With that in mind we’ve put together a list of what to include in your diet and what to avoid.

Superfoods you need in your life…

Cocoa powder
Like chocolate, cocoa powder contains flavonoids which are known to help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow to the brain and the heart. With less than 15 calories per tablespoon cocoa provides a strong chocolate flavour without the guilt.

Try adding the powder to a smoothie for a rich chocolatey taste.

Seaweed
Sea-grown vegetables are packed with omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc and vitamin C. However seaweed is most treasured for its concentrated source of iodine which is crucial for normal growth and production of thyroid hormones.

Slice up some nori sheets and add to your salad or wrap for an extra crunch or add to your smoothie for an extra mineral kick.

Goji berries
Goji berries contain a lot of vitamin C needed for healthy teeth and gums and for protecting the liver. The have been used for centuries by Chinese herbalists to treat eye, liver and kidney ailments.

Sprinkle over cereal to instantly increase the nutritional density of the cereal.

 

And the superfoods best ignored…

Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass can cause nausea, appetite loss, and constipation and is often blended with sweeteners. It’s much better to stick to the leafy greens, like spinach for example, which is more affordable – and tastes better.

 

Vitamin-enriched drinks
Many vitamin drinks come flavoured with excess sugar and artificial additives. So keep things natural instead by simply adding lemon or lime slices to your normal water.

Gluten-free products 
These often have added sugars to make up for the lack of flavour. So unless you have an intolerance for gluten you should give these expensive items a skip.

 

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There’s nothing worse than realising that kale salad was actually just a taco chip in disguise.

Whenever anyone makes the effort to try a healthier eating regime they often have to do the dreaded ‘healthy’ food shop.

With countless brands promoting thousands of products as they healthiest to hit the shelves it can be hard to know what to choose. Luckily for you, a number of dieticians have weighed on which so called ‘health foods’ that you’re better off avoiding.

Juice cleanses

Some people, and some celebs, will swear by juice cleanses claiming the detox is the best way to reinvigorate their entire body, however:  "there is really no such physiological phenomenon as a 'cleanse,' " says registered dietitian Mindy Haar, Ph.D., the director of program development at the New York Institute of Technology in New York City. 

Gluten- free snacks

Unless you are an actual sufferer of celiac disease, then it’s best to steer clear. Registered dietician Emily Hein told ELLE magazine, much of these have the same amount of calories and higher sugar content than your usual snack options.

Sugar-free salad dressing

The experts says that when food makers remove sugar from food they add other ingredients that will be broken down by your body into sugar when you digest them. So best to avoid those too then.

‘Diet’ drinks

While they could possibly be better for you than ordinary fizzy drinks, Lori Welstead a registered dietician at the University of Chicago Medicine says “they contribute nothing beneficial to your diet and may contain artificial chemicals suspected to increase food cravings.”

Vegetable based crisps

Apparently we’re all just kidding ourselves with this one. Avoiding the potato based kind is generally a fruitless endeavour because many other ‘veggie’ crisps are made with the same ingredients as the usual kind. You can’t blame us for trying though, right?

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Game of Thrones star, Emilia Clarke has revealed that she has been on gruelling diet to ensure she will be trim for her upcoming role in Terminator: Genesis.

Emilia has said that she is constantly training for the film; as well as avoiding unhealthy foods when it comes to her diet.

“I’ve been spending all day, every day in weapons training. I’ve been shooting guns, weightlifting, kickboxing and generally kicking a lot of ass. On top of that, I have not been allowed to eat anything that might taste good at all.”

Emilia also commented on reports surrounding her dating life saying that she is single and happy that way.

“I’m figuring out a lot of stuff right now. I think as a woman it’s in our nature to nurture someone else. Sometimes at the expense of ourselves.”

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