Use this tip to speed up weight loss

I was at a funeral wake yesterday. It was a lovely ceremony because every person who was there had such lovely memories of the amazing 88 year old woman who had died. As is customary at such events there were platters of sandwiches and little cakes. It was the same at every graduation ceremony I have attended and many school functions, conference meetings and even at a training I attended.

In the Western world we tend eat a lot of grains in the form of bread, cereals and pastas. In the Eastern world we tend to eat lots of rice and noodles. Where ever you live and what ever culture you embrace, there will be a grain-based diet. Grains are cheap to buy, relatively cheap and easy to grow (climates and weather permitting), they fill people up and we use them for nearly every meal and for many snacks. How many meals to you have without grains? How many snacks do you have that don't include flour of some grain?

When I want to loose a kilo, such as when I returned from my holiday in the UK, I use this tip to ease my body back to my maintenance weight. It takes some 'thinking outside the box' to implement it and it can be done wholly or partly. I personally prefer to do this partly as I enjoy grains for breakfast.

You don't need to eat grains. I appreciate that this may be a surprising statement for you. You may want to know how else you will get sufficient fibre and Vitamin B. The answer is to eat more vegetables and fruit. This does not include white potatoes. I will help you further by suggesting some meals that don't include grains, and for snacks I have nuts and fruit.

For light meals, which for me is lunch, you could try:

• Avocado cut into chunks with diced tomato, dry roasted cashew nuts, pine nuts dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• Half a carrot thinly sliced and gently pan fried to which you add one diced orange and two large handfuls of baby spinach, then add a splash of soy sauce and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup. 

For main meals leave out the grain portion and add more root vegetables and green vegetables. An example is meatballs in tomato sauce (all home-made) on a bed of green beans and roasted carrots.

You may find that these meals don't fill you up as much as ones with grains, so take snacks with you such as mixed nuts and a little dried fruit, or a banana. Also remember to keep hydrated.

Share your experiences of this in the space below.

Sarah