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Gemma McCaw shares her top health hacks

Feed your body and mind in one hit.
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Here are some fast and effective ways to change up your diet for spring. Making a few simple switches will keep you feeling good and functioning well without too much extra effort!

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Swap your tinned fruit for fresh!

Banana, kiwifruit, apple or orange on your morning cereal is far lower in sugar than tinned varieties, as well as providing fibre and water to aid digestion.

Swap your snacks

Try carrot and celery sticks with plain hummus for a pre-dinner snack instead of cheese and crackers – such an easy and delicious way to reduce your calorie intake.

Choose low GI foods

Opt for low-GI foods such as kumara instead of potatoes, or brown rice instead of white. A large surge in insulin, caused by eating high-GI foods, will start reactions in the body that leave you feeling lethargic, hungry and craving more sugar. Eating low-GI carbohydrate foods causes a steady rise in the level of glucose in the blood, which in turn leads to a small and gentle rise in insulin. You’ll be more energetic and feel fuller for longer.

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Swap your wine out

Swap your usual glass of evening wine for sparkling water with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Alcohol affects our ability to sleep and has no nutritional benefits – just extra calories! Ensure through your week you are having more alcohol-free days than alcohol days. Balance is key.

Replace sugary drinks with water

Did you know there are over five teaspoons of sugar in every can of fizzy juice? Even store-bought smoothies can be packed with sugar! Water is always best – zero sugar and great for our skin and mood too!

Take the sugar or sweetener out of your coffee

Give it a shot for a week and I bet you won’t miss it. Opt for a smaller size when buying or making your coffee. The bigger the drink, the more milk and therefore more fructose (sugar). There is the same amount of caffeine in a regular and large size cup at most stores! Forget flavoured shots and iced coffees as these contain extra calories and sugar too.

Forget flavoured yoghurt

Unsweetened, unflavoured, plain yoghurt is so much better for us. Simple? Yes. Boring? Anything but. The flavoured and fancy yoghurts can contain a heavy dose of sweeteners and thickeners as well as artificial and natural flavourings that aren’t always good for us, not to mention the extra sugar and calories. So go with the old faithful plain yoghurt – it will serve you well.

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Ditch dessert

Swap your evening sugar fix for a few pieces of dark chocolate and a peppermint tea. It won’t take long for your body to adjust without the after- dinner sugar rush.

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How Gemma McCaw stays healthy

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