November 3, 2024

Acquanyc

Health's Like Heaven.

Dad who shed 4st reveals healthy food swaps so YOU can lose weight in 2021 without missing out on your favourite foods

A DAD who turned his life around by shedding four stone has revealed the easy diet swaps you can make to kick start your weight loss in 2021.

Darren Kirby, a city worker turned fitness guru, re-discovered a love of exercise and lost weight by swapping out junk food for healthy choices.

Darren Kirby shed 4st thanks to healthy food swaps and has revealed how to lose weight without missing our on your fave foods

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Darren Kirby shed 4st thanks to healthy food swaps and has revealed how to lose weight without missing our on your fave foods

He has since founded Fitter Healthier Dad, a platform designed to help other dads and blokes over 40 to break through the barriers and improve their health.

In the spirit of Near Year’s resolutions, Darren has revealed his top-five healthy food alternatives you can quickly and easily change in your diet this January so that you don’t feel like you are being restricted.

According to Darren, losing fat, getting fitter and having more energy is not as complicated or time-consuming as most of us think.

The dad lost weight by making small changes to his diet and re-discovering a love of exercise

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The dad lost weight by making small changes to his diet and re-discovering a love of exercise

Microwavable porridge swapped for rolled oats with maple syrup or cinnamon

Darren recommends swapping out instant porridge sachets for the DIY version made with rolled oats

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Darren recommends swapping out instant porridge sachets for the DIY version made with rolled oatsCredit: Alamy

Microwavable porridge sachets have high amounts of added refined sugar.

You can easily swap this out for Rolled Oats and add Maple Syrup or Cinnamon for sweetness. This has a low glycemic index (GI) which is good for sustained energy and lower blood sugar

Simply measure out 35g of porridge oats into a bowl, cover with water or milk/milk substitute and microwave for 1.5-2 minutes.

35g Porridge 180 calories & 1 tbsp White Sugar 387 calories, while 35g Rolled Oats 136 calories & 1 tbsp Maple Syrup 52 calories

Margarine/spreads swapped for real butter

Changing the spread on your toast is an easy way to reduce the amount of saturated fat consumed

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Changing the spread on your toast is an easy way to reduce the amount of saturated fat consumedCredit: Alamy

While margarine spreads are easier to spread, they contain a lot of manufactured fats which cause inflammation affecting our overall weight and health.

Real grass-fed butter is a better alternative as it contains good healthier fats which is better for our gut and brain function.

1 tbsp of margarine spread is 102 calories, while 1 tbsp of unsalted butter 102 calories but has the benefit of healthy fats

Pasta swapped for quinoa

Need a carb fix? Opt for quinoa instead of starchy pasta

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Need a carb fix? Opt for quinoa instead of starchy pastaCredit: Alamy

Pasta has become a staple of the western diet, however, it’s a fast-releasing carbohydrate.

This means that as we move less, we aren’t using the fuel that the fast metabolising carbohydrates provide, so try swapping pasta with quinoa.

Quinoa is cooked the same way as pasta, but is also a Low GI carbohydrate and also contains protein which is great for feeling fuller for longer.

1 cup of Pasta 221 calories, but 1 cup of Quinoa 170 calories

Milk chocolate swapped for dark chocolate (70% cocoa)

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Credit: Alamy

With its high content of cocoa, dark chocolate has been linked to many health benefits like reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and reducing blood pressure.

Dark chocolate contains 50 to 90 per cent cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar, whereas milk chocolate contains anywhere from 10 to 50 per cent cocoa solids.

Cocoa is rich in plant chemicals called flavonoids that may help to protect the heart. Dark chocolate contains up to 2-3 times more flavanol-rich cocoa solids than milk chocolate.

Always choose brands with 70 per cent or more cocoa content.

Instead of buying one big bar, buy smaller bars and just limit yourself to small amounts each day, rather than consuming a whole 100g bar.

Dark chocolate per serving (28 g) has 136 calories, while milk chocolate per serving (28g) has 150 calories.

White potatoes swapped for sweet potatoes

Potatoes are still on the menu if you swap the white kind for sweet potatoes

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Potatoes are still on the menu if you swap the white kind for sweet potatoesCredit: Louis Wood – The Sun

White potato has become the staple of our diets – it is a carbohydrate which our bodies need, but it has a high glycemic index so it gets converted to sugar for use as energy very quickly, and our bodies can’t process it all.

This means that the excess gets stored as fat.

A really good alternative is sweet potato which is much lower in calories and it’s a Low GI carbohydrate, releasing slower into the bloodstream over a longer period of time.

They are great roasted in the oven with a small amount of olive oil or mashed with real butter.

One serving of white potatoes 280 calories and 1 Serving of sweet potatoes 114 calories

Sweetened yogurts swapped for Greek full-fat yogurt (add blueberries for sweetness)

Greek yogurt is a healthier option

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Greek yogurt is a healthier optionCredit: Alamy

Sweetened yoghurts are a standard evening dessert in most UK households, however they are laden with sugar.

A really good and tasty alternative is full fat Greek yogurt which, whilst lower in calories, is also high in good fats and protein which keep us fuller for longer and stave off the evening munchies.

For sweetness, add some blueberries which are high in polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant.

1 pot of strawberry yogurt 104 Calories (with 14g of Sugar), while 1 Pot of Greek yogurt 61 Calories (also high in protein which keeps us fuller for longer)

Elsewhere, fitness gurus who shed 15 stone between them say it’s all down to good meal prepping.

And a nutritionist says don’t bother dieting if you want to lose weight in New Year – ‘eat normally’ instead.

Meanwhile, bridezilla DUMPS her sister from the bridal party after she gained 1.5 stone during lockdown.

Woman reveals how much UK size 12 trousers vary between different shops – and people are gobsmacked

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