New Year's Resolutions - Beauty Inside & Out: Part 1 of 3

I don't know about you, but I've got a HEAP of New Year's resolutions for 2010. They all vary in terms of subject: some are mental spring cleaning goals, others are career resolutions and one is keeping fit. Granted the last one isn't particularly original and I bet at least one of you out there is in the same boat!

The trouble is after a month into the year the good intentions are intact but the actual putting-into-practice isn't quite so much... We've all been there, but there are ways to make life a little easier when it comes to exercise and maintaining a really great diet.

So whether you're aiming to improve your diet, fitness routine or beauty regime - or maybe all three - here's one of three instalments to give you a helping hand so that by this time next year, you won't be rolling your eyes at the thought of you making the same resolution another year in a row. After all, your internal well-being means looking great on the outside will be a cinch ; )

Part 1 of 3: Improving your Diet

I'm not talking about hitting the Slim Fast. Or the Atkins diet. Or restricting yourself to blended juices only. I'm talking about healthy eating - not denial of certain foodstuffs, nutrients or anything that makes you happy! Diets don't work because they're not sustainable, they usually involve incredible limitations on what you can actually eat.

All that drudgery makes you feel you have a mountain to climb and often leaves you thinking more about the food you love but can't have than anything else. Never mind that most of these diets are incredibly bad for your body and mind. Sure enough, diets are often the first thing to go out of the window!

The essential point to remember is that it's all about balance. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "a healthy balanced diet"? Well not only does it address the balance of all the essential nutrients, but it's all about moderation. Everyone's different and you may want to adapt the following a bit to suit your lifestyle but here's my tips for maintaining a healthy body - and not going crazy whilst you do so:

Don't start off with the 'shoulds' or 'shouldn'ts' when addressing your eating habits - that sets things off to a very dull start and makes the whole goal feel like a chore. Instead look at what you enjoy from a meal, what keeps you going and what you can do without:

What foods do you really love?

You may really love a good steak, or fresh fruit, steak and ale pie or smoked salmon. I'm not talking about temptations like chocolate (yet!), I'm talking about food you can have every day that you love to eat.

Once you've made a list of all these elements come up with recipes whereby you can include a good amount of vegetables or fruit around that particular food. For instance if you love a good steak and ale pie, you could have one a week but make sure you include three portions of veg - e.g. parsnips, carrots and leeks. Vegetables don't have to boring - you can sprinkle rosemary onto potatoes and roast them in the oven or glaze parsnips and carrots in honey for instance. Find a combination you love and sticking to eating the good stuff won't feel so tricky!

What do you need to survive a day on the go?

A big breakfast? A couple of snacks? A hearty lunch? I can't start the day without a bowl of cereal - if I eat anything else it never keeps me sated until lunch and I end up wanting to snack. You might however need to eat little and often to keep you going instead of having an official three square meals a day. Whatever you feel you need stick to. But any excess can be cut.

If you have three square meals a day you might not need snacks so often. If you feel sluggish or lightheaded without them though why not replace your packet of crisps with a packet of mixed nuts or replace your chocolate buttons with dried mango slices? Snacking can still be as tasty but less calorific!

Is there anything you eat that you feel you could do without?

We all do it now and then - eat or drink something so often we do it without thinking and if we did think about it a bit more, we'd realise that we probably don't appreciate or really need it. That cupcake after your sandwich - do you really need it? Or do you often sit at your desk afterwards thinking "Hmmm, I could have given that a miss"? Or when you do a supermarket run and you instinctively grab that chocolate bar - could you leave it? Or if you're going to do it, could you cut it down to once a week?

Don't go denial crazy!

Once or twice a week I allow myself something naughty. For all my efforts at staying healthy I think it's fine to have an indulgence every so often. Complete denial of my favourite treats has led to overcompensating later on - it just doesn't work. Whereas if once or twice a week I let myself have my favourite chocolate bar I don't feel guilty and it usually satisfies the craving until the next week.

You'd be surprised at how much you'll appreciate your treats that way, enjoy them more and don't end up feeling like needing one every single day! The point is you can eat the foods you enjoy - just work out what your favourites are and learn to work them in once or twice a week as rewards for anything - a promotion, jogging 3 miles rather than 2, being a great girlfriend ; )

Eat for your activity

By this I mean if you work an office job the chances of you burning off a lot of calories and needing to compensate for this are slim. You're actually better off with a smaller lunch and one that won't be so carbohydrate-intense - a huge baguette, pasta or a full-on bowl of noodles are all rich in carbs. Whilst tempting at the time they'll only send you to sleep half way through the latter half of the afternoon as your blood sugar levels crash.

Try eating a bowl of soup - without the bread roll! Chunky soups often fill the gaps fantastically, are low in calories and leave you feeling satisfied until dinner time. Or sushi is just as filling but great in warmer climates or summer months. You don't have to stick to salad, there are inventive ways to satisfy the hunger but without the regret.

However if you work outside, work out a lot or your job is physically demanding, you're going to need more than a bowl of cereal for brekkie, soup for lunch and a small dinner. You are more likely to need carbohydrates - a healthy pasta dish with mustard dressing for instance will keep you fuelled as you go. You may require a more fuelling breakfast too like granola, yoghurt and honey with a banana and hemp shake for instance.

In summary, the more you burn, the more you need - if you're eating more than you burn off look for ways to trim down your portions. If you're feeling fatigued but do a strenuous job then you may need to incorporate some healthy snacks in between meals to keep you going!