Category: Slimming

Eating fruit regularly can boost your overall health. However, not all fruits are created equal. Some of them provide unique health benefits.

Here are the 7 healthiest fruits we’d recommend eating at least a few times a week.

• Grapefruit

Grapefruit is one of the healthiest citrus fruits. Besides being a good source of vitamins and minerals, it is known for its ability to aid weight loss and reduce insulin resistance. 

• Avocado 

Avocado is different from most other fruits. Most fruits are high in carbs, while avocado is the opposite and has mainly just healthy fats. Besides that, these healthy fats contribute a lot to better heart health and regulate insulin levels. Because of higher fiber concentration, it makes you feel more full after each meal. 

Important! Avocados are high in calories, so it is important to control the quantity of it. 

• Blueberries

Blueberries are powerful antioxidants. The antioxidants in blueberries may reduce the risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Blueberries are also known for their powerful effects on the immune system. One study found that eating blueberries regularly may help defend you against viral infections. Besides all these powerful benefits on the immune system and disease prevention, these berries also contain high levels of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K. 

• Apples

Apples are among the most nutritious fruits on the planet. They contain a high amount of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K. They also provide some B vitamins. The phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is true for preventing heart disease and reducing the risk of other illnesses like type 2 diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. 

• Strawberries

One of the spring-summer joys are Strawberries that happen to be also highly nutritious. However, compared to other fruits, strawberries have a relatively low glycemic index. Eating them shouldn’t cause a big blood sugar spike. Similar to other berries, strawberries are also antioxidant “bomb,” which can reduce your risk of chronic disease.

• Watermelon

Malta is full of watermelons in the summertime. Watermelons have high in vitamins A and C. It’s also rich in some essential antioxidants, including lycopene, carotenoids, and cucurbitacin E. Compared with all the fruits, watermelon is one of the most hydrating fruits out there. Over 90% of all watermelon consists of water, which can help you feel more full. Therefore we’d recommend limiting watermelons consumption as it has high levels of sugar, which, if consumed too much, can gain you fat.

• Oranges

Eating one medium-sized orange will provide a significant amount of vitamin C and potassium. However, oranges are also responsible for most of the health benefits. For example, citric acid may reduce the risk of kidney stones, help increase iron absorption, and prevent anemia.

Do you need help on how to control your eating habits? Marion Mizzi slimming programme may be a solution for you! Call us to book a FREE consultation. 21 896545, or send us a message on facebook.com/marionmizzi/

There comes a time in each and every one of our lives when our body just cries for help!

At times it sends subtle signs but in others, they are not so subtle.
Have you ever had the feeling that you have a million and one things to do, but just don’t have the energy to do them?

Or had the need to prepare for a very important meeting or presentation and could not muster the concentration to do so?

These are only a couple of signs that your body is asking for your attention.
Now one may say, I get enough sleep, I exercise and take care of my wellbeing! But is that really enough?

Good nutrition is the base of good health – and are we really taking good care of what we eat?

Making sure the food you eat is packed with nutrients and helps feed your body in the right way?

Join us to explore some common ailments and what we can eat to improve them:

Fatigue

Fatigue is a term used to describe an overall feeling of tiredness or lack of energy. It isn’t the same as simply feeling tired. When you’re fatigued, you have no motivation and no energy.

Foods which fight fatigue include:

• spinach,
• chickpeas,
• kale,
• beets,
• cinnamon,
• salmon,
• blackberries,
• onions.

Suggested Recipes:

1. Pasta With Chickpeas (A Journey To A Happy You) P.204

Chronic Pain

Chronic or persistent pain is pain that carries on for longer than 12, sometimes there may be no obvious cause nor cure for this therefore good nutrition which helps reduce inflammation in the body is always a helpful tool to handle this condition.

Foods which ease inflammation are:

• Salmon,
• ginger,
• green tea,
• soy products,
• turmeric,
• quinoa,
• oats,
• avocado,
• bananas,
• garlic,
• butternut squash,
• blackberries.

Suggested Recipes:

1. Pumpkin Turmeric Soup (A Journey To A Happy You) P.250
2. Baked Salmon and Vegetable Salad (A Journey To A Happy You) P.130
3. Avocado & Tomato Salad (A Journey To A Happy You) P.71

ANXIETY

Anxiety is a normal and often healthy emotion. However, when a person regularly feels disproportionate levels of anxiety, it may become a medical disorder. Having more control over your life helps to feel more confident and worry less.

Here are a few foods which will help if you’re battling anxiety:

• peaches,
• blueberries,
• oats, salmon,
• broccoli,
• melon,
• beef,
• soy products,
• grapefruit,
• barley,
• tuna.

Suggested Recipes:

1. Barley Soup (A Journey To A Happy You) P.228
2. Pearl Barley Risotto With Salmon (A Journey To A Happy You) P.132
3. Smoked Salmon Frittata (A Journey To A Happy You) P.92
4. Parma Ham & Melon Salad (A Journey To A Happy You) P.76

Share it with your friends! 🙂

Achieving our goals is seldom easy. It is why knowing how to stay motivated is so incredibly important when it comes to getting what we want in the long term. 

Follow these tips or any combination of them that works for you.

1. Remind Yourself Why You Set The Goal

When things feel overwhelming, just take a few moments to sit back and remind yourself why you chose your path in the first place. 

Why did you choose to lose weight?

Was it because you knew your end goal would lead to long term happiness?

This can always help you find clarity in the worst moments.

2. Visualize The Results

It is important to visualize the end result and what it will feel like when you’ve achieved your end goal.

Make sure to imagine not only how you are going to look once all the weight has come off, but also how you are going to feel.

Visualize how my clothes will feel looser on your body, and how much more fluidly and easily you will be able to move. Try to actually feel the additional energy and stamina that you will have as a result of losing the weight! 

3. Break The Goal Down Into Smaller Pieces

Break your goals down into smaller, more task-oriented goals — and set target deadline for those tasks.

For example. if your goal is: “to lose 50 kilos” start by saying, “first I’m going to lose 1 kilo, then 3 kilos and after a few months, it is going to be 15 kilos” etc.

This method can make even the biggest task feel more manageable. 

4. Social support: A necessity for weight loss

According to research, having a specialist who is supportive of your healthy eating is important for long-term weight-loss success.

The specialist will stay in touch for example when we overeat, it is easy to feel ashamed and isolate ourselves.

But support can be crucial in getting us back on track. So manage to reach your therapist even when you are feeling down.

5. Take A Deep Breath And Reward Yourself

Find a way to relax and pamper yourself. Don’t forget to reward yourself after reaching smaller goals. It could be a new dress, a new toy or a good massage in the spa!

6. Share Your Progress With Others 

Sharing your successes publicly may sound a bit narcissistic, but there is a good reason to boast about your achievements. Studies have shown that publicly sharing your progress can actually help motivate you to accomplish your goals. 

You can share your progress on Instagram, Facebook or other social media! 

1. Facilitates digestion

Jelly facilitates digestion and intestinal transit due to its high water content. Gelatin increases peristaltic movements in the intestinal muscles, and this helps to improve the digestive process and absorption of vitamins and minerals as well as excretion.

2. Accelerates the healing process

Proteins are an essential part of wound healing. Gelatin is very high in protein and this contributes to the formation of new layers of skin. Gelatin also contains a specific amino acid, called glycine, which is an anti-inflammatory.

3. Strengthens bones

The proteins found in gelatin, as well as the lithium, phosphorous, and copper, keep the bones strong and increase the mineral density of the skeleton. Gelatin can also be an important defense mechanism against osteoporosis, while the amino acids help fight arthritis.

4. Helps weight control

Gelatin stimulates metabolism through its nutrients and amino acids. Fibre and protein, for example, satisfy and contribute to the feeling of satiety. Gelatin replaces calorie desserts and avoids excessive weight gain.

5. Promotes immune response

Proline, another amino acid found in significant amounts in gelatin, improves immune system function and strengthens the fight against infections, as it is essential to the structure of most proteins in the human body.

6. Improves sleep

According to a Japanese study published in 2012 in the journal Neurology, glycine – one of the ingredients in gelatin – improves sleep cycles and stimulates certain neurotransmitters and enzymes that increase the quality and duration of sleep.

7. Protects the skin

Gelatin is rich in collagen, a key protein in the constitution of the extracellular matrix of connective tissue, accounting for most of its physical properties. It is one of the most important elements of our skin. Collagen fibers are responsible for maintaining the youthful appearance of the skin, thanks to its gravitational resistance.

8. Controls blood sugar

The almost absence of sugar in gelatin makes this food a good option to reduce hunger without causing disruption in blood glucose levels. This property of gelatin brings two benefits: it decreases the production of insulin, a hormone that favors the accumulation of fat in the body and facilitates the control of the appetite, since abrupt changes in the rate of glucose can increase the will to eat carbohydrates.

9. Promotes hormonal regulation

Thanks to the essential proteins found in gelatin, all metabolic activities of the body are improved by the ingestion of gelatin, including the creation of new cells, absorption of nutrients and strengthening of muscles.

10. Strengthens hair, nails and skin

We can find keratin in most quality shampoos. Keratin is a type of protein that is also part of the constitution of gelatin and is essential in maintaining healthy hair, nails and skin.

Cravings can emerge at any point, but can be subdued. When cravings are repeated over and over again they will become a habit; typical examples are when one regularly consumes biscuits at tea time or consumes salty delicacies and peanuts while watching television.

Whenever cravings become habits we become a victim of the habit. Although sugary foods such as cakes and biscuits give us the impression of comfort and happiness at the time of consumption, in practice this is an illusion!

In reality, this is not a state of happiness, but a few moments of good taste. After having eaten, you will feel more miserable than before, as you will soon realise that you would have lost control. The end result is more calories, translating into weight gain and feeling even more miserable.

Cravings impact an individual for around ten minutes, once the individual has managed to resist these cravings during this brief period, it will subside.

Our task is to gain control over the habit. The meal replacement is very helpful during these periods. You can take 1 scoop of the Marion Mizzi meal replacement as a treat of the day from the seven-step diet. This is particularly helpful when the craving is very powerful.

Other options are to consume fruit, diet sweets, herbal tea, water, and eating at your leisure from the side dishes in the recipe book.

It is vital to remind yourselves in periods of craving, that what you are craving is what has been holding you back all this time. They are those few extra items which account for your weight gain. Without these items in your diet, you will achieve your desired shape and size, never looking back.

The longest duration of craving is around ten minutes. It is vital that we have personal discipline, and be happy that every time we have a craving we are in control of the situation.

The Golden Rule: Keep in mind that you are the master of both the creation and deletion of the habit. Thus perseverance and absolute discipline are the key to your success.

Our body is our home, each and every one of us lives inside this unique home. Our body needs us as much as we need it. It needs our care, our love, and our dedication.

What we give our body is what it will give us back, if we take care of it, it will take good care of us. If we nurture it, it will grow into a beautiful and comfortable space, which will be our home for all our lives.

Our beauty comes from within and transpires without. What we give our body will determine how healthy our body is.

Our body’s health will not only show in our physical appearance, but will also affect our mental health and wellbeing. We will feel balanced and in harmony with ourselves, and with others.

The harmony from within will guide us through life and its challenges. It will give us the strength to persevere and live a happy and healthy life.

It will empower us to build strong and healthy relationships. Physical and mental health are correlated. Taking care of your body will make you feel good about yourself.

To take care of your body, you have to be active and follow a healthy and balanced diet. At times we neglect our body, we stop moving, we become sedentary and we eat unhealthy foods.

This neglect will not only lead to weight gain, but potentially to other health risks related to obesity. Obesity and health issues bring misery to us and to those around us.

We feel prisoners in our bodies, in our lives, and the only ones who can set us free are none other than ourselves. Only we have the key to set ourselves free from this trap.

We might need help finding the key, turning it in the right direction, but ultimately we are responsible for our freedom.

When we look back and try to understand how we ended up in this overweight body, we sometimes cannot remember how it started.

Neglect creeps in on us when we least expect it. We are caught off guard; too busy with what we mistakenly think is more important in life. We are swept away by this current and comfortably let it carry us away.

We are responsible for our body and if we are not determined, not focused and not balanced, we will fall into the trap again, and again.

The key to happiness has many names: determination, courage, and strength.

We should be determined and focused to never neglect our bodies. We should have the courage to admit our faults and have the strength to get back on our feet and make amends. Everyone can live a healthy life. If we fall, we can pick ourselves up and start fresh. Life gives us endless opportunities to make it beautiful.

3 months is how long it will take us to get back on track. These few months will lead us to a new beginning. We will learn to find our strength and avoid temptation.

This journey will guide us to shed that weight and transform our body into the home we feel so comfortable in.

We owe it to ourselves and to our loved ones. We owe ourselves a second chance. We owe ourselves well being and a happy life.

Vegetables represent a relatively cheap source of vitamins, they include nutrients ranging from carbohydrates (potatoes, onions), proteins (leafy greens), vitamin A (carrots, tomatoes), and vitamin B (garlic) together with vitamin C (green chili), proteins which neutralise body acids, and also contain fibre to ensure regular bowel movements.

Vegetables are very tasty and are indispensable within our daily diet, these possess a low calorific value while increasing volume and not contributing to weight gain.

Although vegetables contain a high level of vitamins and minerals, they do not generate cravings for more food.

The Marion Mizzi diet includes two kilos of vegetables on a daily basis. These are included in the main meals and side dishes. It is strongly recommended to vary your consumption of vegetables, and not to overcook them so as to ensure a mixed intake of different nutrients.

Overcooking your vegetables will decrease their mineral and vitamin content which are so essential to the human body.

The inclusion of vegetables is highly important in all recipe preparations and the consumption of vegetables in their raw state is recommended not only to enjoy the crunching pleasure, but also to ensure full mineral intake.

There are certain vegetables which you must avoid whenever undergoing a weight loss diet. This includes all starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and Jerusalem artichokes.

Since vegetable are easily accessible, fresh vegetables are recommended. However, you can also opt for frozen or canned options. It is important that no oil, starchy vegetables, or legumes are added.

The following are a set of practical tips which are recommended to those following a weight loss diet:

• Purchase vegetables which are in season, since they are fresh and more affordable
• Do not stick to a few preferred vegetables as this will narrow your intake of nutrients
• The more you vary the type of vegetables, and the methods you choose to cook them, the greater the interest generated, not only until the end of the weight loss program, but also beyond
• The bulk of the vegetables should be prepared as a daily routine first thing in the morning. This is necessary since in the absence of vegetables there is a tendency to resort to old eating habits
• Where possible, it is recommended to leave the skin on since this is an extra source vitamins and fibre
• The water in which the vegetables have been cooked can be used for stocks or enjoyed as a drink