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Peaches’ Complete Guide to Healthy Living

There’s something truly magical about this time of year! Summers here and along with it so many delicious in season fruits: mango, grapes, cherries, apricots, melons and plenty more! But summer fruit isn’t the only thing that we’re excited about. January usually means something changes inside a person as they make the goals and resolutions for the New Year. We all know that the most popular New Year Resolutions usually centre around getting active and starting a brand new healthy lifestyle. And here at Peaches, we want to support and motivate anyone who has made the brave decision to embrace this new lifestyle. So we’ve decided to create the Complete Guide to Healthy Living, just for you!

It’s important to remember that everyone’s journey to healthy living is different. You just have to find the right way that works for you! The first thing that anyone in this position should do is set some goals. This way you know exactly what you want to achieve this year and also how to strive for it. A good tip is to write your goals down as a constant reminder. Whether your goals are about waking up that extra bit early to get in a morning run every day or cutting down on sugar, once they’re set, they can be achieved!

diary

Diets can be pretty tricky to figure out! If you’re looking to find out more about certain dietary requirements and what’s the right path to choose, make sure to check out our previous blogs on gluten and sugar free diets as well as veganism and vegetarianism.

Maybe a detox is the right option for you! Every detox is different, but they all revolve around cleansing your body and leading a life of better health. Some involve strict fasting or relying on one single source of nutrients such as the lemon detox. If you find yourself trying out one of these detoxes, make sure to cut down on the exercise to prevent nausea and dizziness. Detoxes are an excellent way to help you feel fresh and guide you further down the path of healthy living!

There are so many benefits to heathy living! So many in fact that it’ll make the switch to a healthy lifestyle so much easier for you! Some of these fantastic benefits include:

  • Increased energy
  • Increased self esteem
  • Lower blood pressure and cholesterol
  • Built up muscle mass, decreasing the chances of diseases such as osteoporosis
  • Improved sleeping patterns
  • Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type two diabetes

There are plenty of reasons to make the change to healthy living. Even though we’ve all heard it a million times before, a New Year can, in fact mean a new you! So if you’ve decided to make 2016 your year for new beginnings and a fresh lifestyle, Peaches is behind you 100%. Make sure to visit us soon to pick up all the fresh ingredients you need to achieve your goals.

And now we leave you with this last health tip. Check out these morning smoothie recipes that will help keep you motivate throughout the day!

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You’re Sweet Enough Already

Lately, we sure have been noticing the recent trend towards low sugar diets! There are so many different reasons to try out a low sugar diet; maybe you’re trying to lose weight, or need to cut out sugar due to health reasons like hyperglycemia, or maybe you just don’t have a sweet tooth. It can be pretty hard to avoid sugar in everyday life, especially when it’s hidden in some of your favourite foods and treats! So we’ve decided to help you out by checking out some of the foods you should be eating and the ones you should be avoiding!

Foods You Need

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  • Non-Starchy Vegetables- Rich in nutrients and full of vitamins, non-starchy vegetables are your best option for keeping you fuller for longer. Some of these vegetables include leafy greens, kale, mushrooms, onions, cauliflower, capsicums, peas, corn and eggplant. It’s also important to incorporate some mildly starchy vegetables such as potatoes for a more balanced diet.
  • Low Sugar Fruits- Depending if you’re looking to cut out just refined sugars or all sugars too, fruit is a relatively safe option for you. Low sugar fruits such as apples, berries, limes and lemons are full of nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. So remember these fruits for next time you’re reaching for that pack of biscuits!
  • Dairy Products- Cheese, milk and natural yoghurt are great snacks options as they’re full of calcium and healthy carbohydrates.
  • Proteins- Proteins keep you feeling full, and help reduce your cravings for those bad sugary snacks! Focus on foods like fish, poultry, eggs, meat and some nuts to keep both you and your stomach happy!

Foods To Avoid

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  •  Sugar- We’ll just start off with the obvious! Anything from lollies, cakes and other sugary snacks which don’t contain any necessary nutrients should be avoided. Also make sure to look out on the ingredients lists on your favourite cereals, sauces and marinades which may contain some hidden sugars for you to avoid.
  • Flours- Avoiding foods containing flour like donuts, fried food, pasta, pizza, cereals and white bread to make your sugar free diet much more effective!

Cutting out some of the sugar in your diet can bring some amazing benefits such as weight loss, clearer, skin, increased energy and motivation, health teeth and improved digestion and mental health. Ultimately you need to decide on the diet that fits best for you and remember not to be too hard on yourself if you have a few lollies one night. But just remember that you don’t need to eat sugar all the time, after all you’re sweet enough already!

So Many Diets, So Little Time

Over four million people living in Australia have reported to avoid a certain type of food due to allergy, intolerance or lifestyle choice. Gone are the days when selecting food was a much more relaxed task, depending more on flavour and personal taste rather than dietary requirements. Instead now, there are so many different diets and allergies to consider, a quick trip to the supermarket becomes a lot more complicated. To help you out on your journey through the shopping aisles, we’ve found some of the important diets and recipes you need to know about to keep everyone feeling happy and healthy.

Lactose Intolerance

Lactose Intolerance is when a person has trouble digesting the milk sugars from dairy products. But just because you suffer from lactose intolerance, doesn’t mean you have to suffer. Products such as hard and matured cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, brie and feta don’t contain any lactose so they should be safe for those who are lactose intolerance.

There a tonnes of lactose free recipes around that still let’s you have some of your favourite meals without worrying about dairy. Check out this recipe for a dairy free lasagne that will keep everyone around the dinner table happy!

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Gluten Intolerant

There are two main types of people who cannot eat gluten. Firstly there’s those with coeliac disease. This is a condition where the immune system doesn’t react properly to gluten that can lead to damage in the small intestine. The current treatment for people with coeliac diseases is to live by a strict no gluten diet. Gluten is a protein that can be found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. It’s best to avoid these types of food and instead focus on fresh fruit, vegetables, meats, eggs, nuts, milk and fats. Also keep an eye out for any products that have a trusty gluten free sticker on them. The second type of people who avoid gluten are those who suffer from non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. This group does not actually suffer from the disease but instead simply intolerant to gluten.

While sometimes it may feel that gluten is unavoidable, there’s still plenty of ways to still get your hands on some tasty treats. Check out this recipe for some delicious gluten-free banana and raisin bread. And as a fun bonus, it’s also lactose free!

To find out more about the myths surrounding gluten intolerance,  you can also check out our previous blog.

 

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Vegan

This is a type of vegetarian diet where only plant-based foods are eaten and no animal products whatsoever are consumed. There are many different types of reasons for going on this sort of diet including environmental and health concerns, animal rights and religious reasons. Every vegan’s diet needs careful consideration, as some certain food groups have been restricted. For example to keep up protein, vegan approved sources include legumes, nuts, seeds, soy products, wholegrain breads and cereals.

Even with this strict diet, you can still have so much fun experimenting with different recipes and ingredients. Take a look at this amazing chocolate cake recipe anyone can enjoy!

 

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Paleo

This diet consists of only the food eaten by early humans including meat, fish, vegetables and fruit. Dairy, cereal and processed products are not included. This diet can bring health benefits such as weigh loss, improved blood lipids and reduced pain from autoimmunity. Typical paleo meals include salads, omelets, and meat with some vegetables. But there’s also some delicious paleo desserts to try out, that will put a smile on anyone’s face without having to feel guilty for indulging. Check out this creative avocado mousse with spiced orange recipe, you won’t regret it!

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Raw Diet

This diet most relates to only eating unprocessed, uncooked foods including raw fruits, vegetables and grains. It’s believed that heating food destroys its nutrients and natural enzymes that can bring many health benefits. While there are some benefits to this diet including weight loss, and eating foods that very high in vitamins. However there are some consequences, for example you have to make sure that you’re getting enough protein, iron and calcium in your diet. Therefore it may be a good idea to take supplements to make up for any gaps.

For some fun salad recipes to help with this diet, check out one of our previous blog posts.

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So there you have it! There are so many different types of diets and allergies to consider, it can be difficult to keep up. But once you get your head around understanding the meaning and requirements behind these diets, shopping for them can be easy. Next time you have a dinner party but remember that some of your guests are vegans and but someone else is gluten intolerant, there’s no need to panic. You can find something at Peaches that can make everyone happy and healthy, no matter what their dietary preferences may be!