Cara is a health blogger, fitness enthusiast, nutrition coach, whole foods producer, and founder of the Caralishious brand.  She shares with us her top tips on how to get back on track and healthy for the upcoming summer.

My Top Tips to Get Healthy for Summer

1. Drink warm water and lemon every morning on waking up.
2. Take a good quality probiotic to ensure proper digestion – when your digestive system is working properly it will get rid of unwanted substances and toxins which in turn will promote healthy weight loss.
3. Keep well hydrated by drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day.
4. Load up on vegetables, and lean proteins.
5. Avoid the processed stuff – including sauces. Try creating your own healthy versions of your favourite sauces instead.
6. Switch up your salt – opt for Himalayan pink crystal sea salt instead.
7. Don’t fear healthy fats – these keep your blood sugar levels stable, keep you fuller for longer and keep your skin soft, supply and glowing.
8. Find ways to move more –get active outdoors; walk your dog, go for a stroll in the park, find a sport you enjoy or create a hiking club. Making exercise social – will help you enjoy it far more.
9. Stick to small dinners and bigger lunches.
10. Try to get some protein in at every meal.
11. Avoid carbs from grains at night – Stick to lots of vegetables and proteins instead.

12. Work with your Body: When you eat, stop consumption once you are comfortable – not full. It takes 20 mins for our brains to register that we have eaten, which is why we often eat more than we should and begin to feel overfull only 10 mins after eating. You will see that if you allow your body 10 to 20 minutes to digest your food and to process that you have in fact eaten, you will no longer feel hungry. Only if you still feel a little hungry after 20 minutes, then eat a little more.

13. Get a good night’s sleep! Make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Switch off your phone, laptop, TV and all technology at least 30 minutes before going to sleep. This will allow your mind to quieten, and your body to relax and prepare for rest. Please do not sleep with the TV on!! The flashing light stimulates your brain and prevents you from having a deep and peaceful sleep. Lack of sleep also causes us to feel energy depleted, and so what ends up happening is that we crave more and more food to replenish the energy that we need – not great for fat loss! So get plenty of healthy sleep!
14. Set realistic expectations – don’t let yourself get caught up in the whole lose 10 kg’s in two weeks nonsense. If you want the weight to stay off then you need to be consistent in the changes you make and see those changes as a commitment to yourself. Slow and steady weight loss is always best for the metabolism and will ensure that it stays off…period.
15. Be sure to keep balance– look at all facets of your life – sleep, exercise, eating, relaxation, mental health, stress-levels, work – how are you feeling in each one of these spheres? Are you in balance? If not – work on finding ways to establish that balance.
16. Don’t become obsessive– sometimes when people implement changes, they can go from not caring at all to caring way too much. Your health must be something that you enjoy and cherish – don’t ever let it become a chore. Remember balance is key!
17. Don’t be afraid to take rest days –  If you have been training very hard and are feeling run down don’t be afraid to take a little break: one or two days of rest can do wonders to rejuvenate your body. Remember that exercise puts stress on your body too which in excess can cause your cortisol levels to rise, which will make your body want to retain and store fat.
18. Keep your mind healthy – Make sure that you are also keeping your mind healthy – positive thoughts all the way! Spend five minutes every day visualizing yourself with the body of your dreams to help you reach your goal. Your body listens to your thoughts so keep them positive and self-affirming.
19. Above all, give your body love – show it respect, appreciate all that it does and I can guarantee it will reward you abundantly

Click HERE for Cara’s fabulous Pinkberry Smoothie recipe!

For more from Cara visit caralishious.com or follow on social media  Twitter | Facebook  | Instagram