Australia Day
It's time to celebrate our diverse amazing Country this Australia Day - If you intend on indulging in the festivities try to keep these points in mind.
BBQ
We are Aussies and we love a good BBQ - here are some better choices to take with you or have at home.
Kangaroo Burgers and sausages, homemade chicken and veg kebabs, Steggles Turkey Rissoles, homemade beef burger (lean mince, egg, onions, and spices), pork sausages, tandoori marinaded chicken breast, eye fillet or porterhouse steak and pork is always a lean option.
Avoid or reduce the sausages in bread or buns - if you can't live without perhaps try a lower carb wrap such as Helga's or Goodness Superfoods.
Alcohol
Most of us enjoy a drink on Australia Day, keep these things in mind when choosing your drinks and the amount you consume. Your body finds it far harder to burn the energy in alcohol than in carbohydrates. Some tips to remember when it comes to better alcohol choices - try and go for straight liquor and skip the calorie and sugar dense mixers.
Stick to lower carb beer where possible, some of the better choices include Bighead, Summer Bright Lager, Coopers Clear, Hahn Super Dry and Platinum Blonde. The best low calorie choices are Rum and diet mixers, Vodka soda, Gin and Tonic, Paloma, Mojito and Martini. If you need to mix your drinks stick to soda water (try flavoured) or diet soft drinks.
Accelerator Days
Placing these strategically around this Public Holiday can be a life saver, if you're planning on having a big one.
Structuring Accelerator Days around days of increased drinking, higher consumption of carbohydrates or food in general will help keep you in check and not piling on too much extra weight. An Accelerator Day essentially is a day of promoted fat burning, by limiting the amount of carbohydrate you consume your body will turn to its fat stores for energy this day.
Make sure when planning these, it's realistic that you can complete it - this means days when you don't have social commitments or lots of poor choice foods staring at you at home. Also ensure you have time to do some light cardio (walking) on your planned Accelerator Days.
Be sure to include plenty of lean meats as well as some treats like salmon or steak and lots of salads and vegetables with avocado, nuts, cottage cheese and plain yoghurt all being great foods high in protein.
