​ Try out some of these ideas for dessert.

Put a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt in a bowl and top it with lots of fresh or frozen fruit.

Or why not mix your favourite yoghurt with some berries and use a ice lolly mould to make your own ice-cream like lollies?

You can also use those moulds for making fresh fruit juice ice lollies too! (You could even try throwing in some chunk of fresh fruit before you put them in the freezer to set!)

My kids are also fans of jelly, so we pick a flavour of sugar free jelly crystals and then pour it into individual sized tupperware tubs and add some chunks of pineapple or a few grapes or strawberries before we put them in the fridge.

On the subject of grapes, that reminds me - frozen grapes actually make quite a pleasant pudding! You can even get candy floss flavour grapes - if you can find them!
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It's all about experimenting and having fun with fruit!

Let them drink their fruits and vegetables.

Keep an assortment of fruit and vegetable juices in the fridge and encourage everyone to drink them as a snack.

Get creative.

You could start “family cocktail hour” by pouring everybody a glass of his or her favorite juice over ice.

Add some straws, cocktail umbrellas and sit together to talk about how everybody’s day went.
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If you have enjoyed these fun Sneaky Tips, come back again on Monday at 9am for some more inventive ways to get extra fruit and veg in to your family's diet!

If you have ever visited a Harvester restaurant, you will already be familiar with the idea of a salad bar/cart. An opportunity to enjoy a wide range of fresh fruit and veggies as a starter or an accompaniment to your main meal.

Well, why not create your very own salad bar/cart at dinner?
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Set out a variety of chopped vegetables, some cheese and croutons as well as several choices of low calorie salad dressing, along with the lettuce and let everybody create their own perfect salad.

Add some fruits and vegetables to your family’s sandwiches (ideally on wholemeal bread).

You can add some banana, sliced apples or strawberry slices to a peanut butter sandwich.

Top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and anything else they will eat.

You can even make a Subway style vegetable sandwich by combining several different vegetables with some light mayonnaise and cheese on bread.

​(Don't be too heavy handed with the mayo though )

​Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day.

Add some small cartons of raisins to your child’s lunch box, pack some yogurt-covered raisins in your husband’s briefcase and keep some trail mix sitting around for snacking.

You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning.
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My family loves banana chips in their breakfast cereal.

​ Start the day with a breakfast smoothie.

All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice in a blender.

You may also want to add a scoop of protein powder in there for good measure.

Just blend for a few seconds and you have the perfect breakfast ready to go.

I like to drink mine out of my fancy skull shaped mason jar.

To make it even more appealing for your kids, use some frozen yogurt or a scoop of ice cream in the smoothie.
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They won’t believe that you are letting them have ice cream for breakfast!

We all know by now that we should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

But knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they?

Sometimes it is just not easy to get them all in there.

We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food.

If your family is anything like mine, they’d much rather fill up on a bag of crisps or a sausage roll or a bowl of pasta, instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli.

So we’ll have to get creative.
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Over the next two weeks, I will be sharing TEN ideas to “sneak” some extra vegetables and fruits in your family’s diet.

Planning your meals wisely is key to not only staying physically fit and healthy, but also to staying mentally strong and being able to best manage your levels of stress.

Knowing which foods to avoid and which are the best to reach for to snack on when you’re feeling worried and anxious is important to helping you get control over your emotions and fears.

When you’re feeling stressed, you may be tempted to reach for classic ‘comfort foods’ – usually foods which are laden with sugar, very starchy, or greasy.
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However, although these foods can make you feel momentarily better, they will actually make you feel worse in the long run.

Having stress-busting snacks such as fresh berries, dark chocolate, yogurt, walnuts or pistachios, or even a fruit smoothie with avocado and leafy greens in it can help you to feel better in both the short and long term when it comes to stress.

When it comes to combating and dealing with stress in the long run, it’s important to make sure that for the most part, you are eating a diet which is healthy and balanced.

In order to stay on track, it’s a good idea to make a meal plan for your week and plan ahead to make sure that you have a good selection of these stress-busting foods in your kitchen to make meals and snacks from when you’re feeling like stress-eating.

Making sure that the majority of your meals include foods such as lean proteins and leafy green vegetables will not only make you feel healthier overall, but can improve your mental health and stress levels, too.

A good example of a healthy, stress-busting menu would be:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with berries or a fruit smoothie with avocado and berries

Mid-morning snack: Natural yogurt with fruit or a handful of pistachio nuts

Lunch: A whole-grain pasta salad filled with plenty of leafy greens

Afternoon snack: Dark chocolate

Dinner: Grass-fed beef with vegetables

Before bed: Chamomile tea

Of course, you don’t need to stick to this menu – but it gives you a good idea!

Remember to exercise good portion control when eating foods such as nuts, chocolate, yogurt or avocado!
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As the saying goes, you are what you eat – so make sure that first and foremost, you’re filling yourself up with foods which are good for your mental health.

If you have enjoyed this series, come back at 9am tomorrow, to find out what next week's series is going to be about!

DAY 10 - FERMENTED FOODS

Last but not least, eating fermented foods such as yogurt can help to keep your gut healthy, which actually in turn will help to improve your mental health and reduce stress levels.

The beneficial bacteria which are found in fermented foods such as yogurt actually have a direct effect on your brain chemistry and transmit positive mood and behavior regulating signals to your brain via the vagus nerve.

I hope you have enjoyed the Stress Reducing Food Tips that I have shared over the last couple of weeks.
If you pop back tomorrow at 9am, I'll have bonus post to share with you all.

DAY 9 - GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES

Leafy, green vegetables should be a pivotal part of anyone’s diet.

Along with helping to combat stress, leafy greens are full of nutrients and antioxidants which help to fight off disease and leave your body feeling healthier and more energized.

Dark leafy greens, for example spinach, are especially good for you since they are rich in folate, which helps your body to produce more mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is a ‘feel-good’ chemical.
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Making leafy greens a part of your diet will help you to feel happier and less stressed out overall.

DAY 8 - PISTACHIOS

Another food which is great for snacking on and can also help to combat stress and anxiety in the long term is pistachios.

Studies have found that simply eating two small, snack-size portions of pistachios per day can lower vascular constriction when you are stressed, putting less pressure on your heart by further dilating your arteries.
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Along with this, the rhythmic, repetitive act of shelling pistachios can actually be quite therapeutic!

DAY 7 - WALNUTS

If you’re looking for a healthy snacking option which will help you to stay better in control of your stress levels, walnuts are a great choice.

There is no denying the sweet, pleasant flavor of walnuts and they can be a tasty snack for in-between meals or as part of a dessert.
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A versatile nut, walnuts are great for salads, or add them to a sweet treat such as coffee and walnut cake.

DAY 6 - OATMEAL

Oatmeal is great in that it can be a filling comfort food, but also has a large number of healthy properties to actually make you feel better from the inside out.

A complex carbohydrate, eating oatmeal causes your brain to produce higher levels of the feel-good chemical serotonin, helping you to feel calmer and less stressed.
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Studies have shown that kids who choose oatmeal for breakfast tend to be much sharper throughout the morning in school compared to kids who had alternative morning meals.

DAY 5 - BEEF

I know not all of you eat meat, but for those of you that do, this tip is worth bearing in mind.

Grass-fed beef is not only kinder to the planet and to animals, it’s also good for people, too.

Grass-fed beef has a huge range of antioxidants, including beta-carotene and Vitamins C and E, which can help your body to fight stress and anxiety.
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If you’re looking for more reasons to spend a little more money on organic, grass-fed beef, it’s also lower in fat than grain-fed beef whilst being higher in omega-3.

DAY 4 - DARK CHOCOLATE

Although it’s usually seen as an unhealthy treat, there is an undeniable link between chocolate and our mood.

Studies have shown that eating chocolate can actually make you happier.

However, that doesn’t mean that you can start munching on chocolate bars every time you're stressed out – chocolate works best as a de-stressor when eaten in moderation and as part of a healthy and balanced diet.

Dark chocolate in particular is best for you, as it contains more flavonols and polyphenols, two hugely important antioxidants which can help combat stress, more than many fruit juices.
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Remember, everything in MODERATION!

DAY 3 - CHAMOMILE TEA

Of course, it’s not all about what you’re eating when it comes to managing stress; what you’re drinking can also alleviate or worsen the stress you're feeling.

Drinking liquids which are high in sugars and caffeine, such as coffee, energy drinks or soda, can actually increase your stress levels if consumed regularly.
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Chamomile tea has long been used as a natural bedtime soother, and it has also been used in clinical trials, which determined that chamomile tea is effective in reducing the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

DAY 2 - BLUEBERRIES

If you’re feeling stressed out and reaching for the snacks, swapping chocolate or chips for one of the best super foods is a great way to help you deal with your stress levels and achieve a higher level of calm.
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Blueberries have some of the highest levels of antioxidants, especially anthocyanin, which means that this berry has been linked to a wide range of health benefits including sharper cognition, better focus, and a clearer mind – all of which can help you to better deal with stress.

​DAY 1 - AVOCADOS

Avocados are a creamy and versatile fruit which can be eaten in a range of different ways whether you enjoy it raw, made into sauces, dressings and dips, or in a smoothie.

These nutrient-dense fruits have the properties to stress-proof your body, thanks to their high glutathione content which specifically blocks the intestinal absorption of certain fats which cause oxidative damage.

Avocados also contain higher levels of vitamin E, folate, and beta-carotene than any other fruit, which boosts their stress-busting properties.
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However, be careful with portion control when eating avocado, as it is high in fat.

​EAT YOUR STRESS GOODBYE!
👋
When you’re stressed out, the foods that you’re turning to are most likely going to be traditional ‘comfort’ foods – think big meals, take-out, fatty foods, sweet foods, and alcohol.

Let’s face it – we’ve all found some comfort in a tasty meal and a bottle of beer or glass of wine when we’ve been stressed out or upset about something.

However, this isn’t a good permanent solution. When you’re turning to unhealthy foods you can feel better temporarily, but in the long run, you will feel worse.

When your body isn’t getting the right nutrition, you can begin to feel less energetic, more lethargic, and in some cases less able to concentrate and focus.

All of this can lead to even more stress.
🍏🍎🥑🍊🥦🍋🍐🍓🥒🍅🥝🍓🍇
FOODS THAT FIGHT STRESS!💪

If you’ve been feeling more stressed out than usual lately, it’s important to know which foods are best to choose and which to avoid when it comes to combating stress and helping you to deal with feelings of stress and anxiety.

The best way to fight stress is to have a healthy, balanced diet which includes a moderate amount of each of the different food groups.

Filling up on foods such as whole grains, leafy vegetables, and lean proteins as the basic staples of the diet is the best way to ensure that your body gets the optimum amounts of nutrients to fight both physical and mental health problems.

When it comes to choosing the foods to eat, some have a range of great properties which help the body to combat stress.

Choosing these stress-busting foods will help to heal and calm your mind permanently, rather than providing a temporary fix.

If you are interested in finding out more about which foods specifically are good at reducing stress, comment below and I'll send you the link to the new group that I have created.

Join the group and tomorrow I will be sharing the first in a 10 day mini series on

BUSTING STRESS THROUGH FOOD!👈

​Hello everyone! I'm Amy.

Officially, I am a Clinical Hypnotherapy Practitioner, who specializes in Weight Loss and Addictions BUT this weekend I am busy busy creating a brand new fb group that I will be filling with lots of valuable info, hints and tips, to help you get fit, healthy and maybe even lose a few pounds... without even having to book a session with me!

I want to be able to support people on a conscious level, as well as subconsciously.
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So if you'd like to join the free group, feel free!
We kick off on Monday with a 10 day series on Stress Busting Through Food!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/394393578272951/