If you want to keep healthy from harvest to planting, consider 30 minutes of physical exercise daily and eating healthy. Here are six tips from the Heart Foundation of Australia:
• Enjoy winter vegetables, fruit: Consider making fruit a breakfast routine. Broccoli, carrots and cauliflower are great in soup. Stock the freezer. Get more fruit and vegetables tips at www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-eating/food-and-nutrition/fruit-veget... .
• Try tea. Drink black and green tea - both rich in plant chemicals which have antioxidant effects. Regular tea drinking improves blood vessel health and lowers risk of heart disease.
• Stews, casseroles and leftovers. Choose stews with lots of vegetables. Trim fat off meat before cooking and add kidney beans, chickpeas, soybeans or lentils for fiber, and use reduced salt stock. For winters desserts, try stewing some fruit and saving some for breakfast for the next day. Learn more healthy cooking tips at www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-eating/food-and-nutrition/how-to-make... and see more of our healthy meal ideas at www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-eating/food-and-nutrition/healthy-mea... .
• Control portions. Rethink meal size, especially with foods such as rice, pasta and potatoes. Use smaller plates when dishing up and wait 20 minutes before going for seconds. Learn more here on how much of these foods you should be aiming for at www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-eating/food-and-nutrition/fruit-veget... .
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• Get active indoors. Make winter activity enjoyable and social by seeking out exercise groups, including yoga or fitness centers. Check out your closest swimming pool, for either swimming or simple aerobics moves in the shallow end.
• Sit less. Try using an electronic activity tracker to make sure you're still getting your steps up. Try to achieve the same amount of steps you would in the summer. Try jogging or skipping on the spot or even just stretching while watching TV. Get more tips on sitting less at www.heartfoundation.org.au/active-living/sit-less .
