Or so many of us, having a healthy relationship with food and fitness is a struggle. With so many different fad diets popping up all the time, it’s hard to know which will benefit us instead of causing longterm damage to our bodies. It’s always good to ha

PLAN YOUR MEALS

Thinking about exactly what you’re going to eat and when can make you more likely to stick to your diet goals, according to a study in Psychology and Health. In a study designed to encourage healthy eating, all participants ate more fruit for a week, but those who made a concrete plan, wrote it down, and

SWEAT IT OUT

Dr Anupam Dey, a dietician says, “All the evidence shows that you need to reduce calorie intake to lose weight.” But aside from its benefits for cardiovascular and mental health, exercise is important even after you’ve dropped several kilos, because “your muscles compensate by burning fewer calories,” Dr Dey warns. A mix of cardio and toning five times a week is ideal.

SNACK RIGHT

Dr Dey notes that unprocessed whole foods “require more energy to break down and digest than refined foods, so you burn more calories when you eat them.” So, go for brown rice instead of white, an apple instead of bottled juice, and so on.

Collin Rodrigues

EAT OFF SMALL PLATES

An ice-cream buffet was the setting for one study led by Brian Wansink, director of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab. Nutrition professors and grad students were given either 17 or 34-ounce bowls and two or threeounce scoops. People with the oversize bowls served themselves about 31% more than the small-bowl groups did. And those who had big scoops and big bowls served 57% more than those with small ones.