Do you find you do quite well with what you’re eating in the day and then your good intentions go by the wayside come evening, when you know you’re not really hungry? When many of my clients first come to me, they tell me that after dinner and watching TV is the time they struggle and end up reaching for the snacks

Do you struggle with comfort eating while you’re at work? It’s something I know I used to do – a lot! I used to see a lot of my colleagues constantly raiding their sweet drawer or heading off to the vending machine or tuck shop too (yes, one place I worked had a tuck shop – less shop, more a large plastic container filled with sugary, fatty and salty snacks)!

What you eat can affect many areas of your health from your mood to how well you sleep. As you’ll see in this blog, your body needs a wide range of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to keep you in great physical and mental condition so it’s important to nourish it with the right plant foods and drinks. Here’s how your food can affect your mood, sleep and your chances of developing depression and how this can affect your ability to lose weight.

Have you noticed how you can’t ‘get away’ with eating (and drinking!) like you did, maybe in your 20’s and 30’s?

Has your weight has crept up as you have got older? Your lifestyle could be having more of an effect than you think. We all know the obvious triggers such as eating too much and not doing much exercise but there are some sneakier factors that can play a big part in weight gain. Here are some of the most common ones to avoid so that you can keep your tummy trim and within a healthy weight range.

Whether it’s to eat more healthily, give up chocolate, start exercising or lose weight, many people believe they don’t have the motivation to do these things, or they have the motivation, but it soon starts to wane. I know, I’ve been there! Going to the gym then stopping, eating a whole packet of biscuits and then regretting it, eating in secret because you don’t want to admit your crisp habit… that was me.

‘Baby steps’ If you have a lot of weight to lose and it can be overwhelming to think about how much you ant to lose in total. Break it down and think about what you want to achieve in a smaller time frame. It can also be useful to not focus on weight so much, but just eating more healthily and getting some exercise. Start with increasing the amount of plant-based foods you eat. Increase your intake of fruits, veggies, pulses and whole grains, nuts and seeds and cut back on the processed foods and animal foods.