Healthy diet, healthy lifestyle.

Stop bad eating habits and achieve balance and a healthy lifestyle with these great tips from nutritionist Jessica Sepel

SHE might be the picture of health, but South African-born clinical nutritionist Jessica Sepel knows all too well what it’s like to bounce from one fad diet to another without seeing real and lasting results. In her teens and early twenties she was obsessed with being skinny, but once Jessica (28) started learning more about the link between what you put in your mouth and how you feel, her perspective changed.

“When I started studying health and nutrition I got a big fright because I realised I’d been a fad dieter for so many years,” says Jessica, who now lives in Australia.

“I was cutting out carbs, fat, protein and living off diet Coke, cans of tuna and artificial sweeteners, thinking these ‘skinny’ foods were healthy.”

Learning about how the body works and the powerful healing nature of food transformed her from a fad dieter to a healthy wholefood eater.

We sat down with Jessica when she was in Cape Town to promote her new book, Living The Healthy Life, and asked her to share some of her tips for changing unhealthy eating habits and finding a balanced approach to healthy living. DON’T BE A MINDLESS SHOPPER One of the biggest complaints she hears as a nutritionist is that eating healthily is too expensive, but while Jessica agrees some healthy foods might cost a little more, the trick is to hit the shops knowing what you need.

“I watch people in the shop,” she says. “I have my little trolley of fruits and vegetables and many people simply go down the aisles chucking in things that are tempting – it’s what I call mindless shopping.”

Grocery shopping isn’t something you should do after work with the thought of whipping up a quick meal, she says. Do a weekly shopping trip to stock your fridge and pantry with the right foods.

“Even if it turns out that shopping for healthier alternatives is a bit more expensive, it really is the best long-term health investment you can make.” PLAN AHEAD Bad eating habits are often based on ease and convenience, so the best way to break them is to make sure healthier alternatives are always at hand. “You’ve got to make sure your house is filled with healthier versions of the things you often fall back on.”

She suggests keeping a food diary for a