Ten useful tips to lose the extra pounds without too many sacrifices. Eating more snacks a day based on fruit or vegetables is good practice, even if you have to allow yourself even a small transgression a week.

What better time to make good resolutions – like following a healthy diet – than the beginning of the new year? And if the “I love fruit and veg from Europe” program gives us a hand, it will be even easier to lose the extra pounds.

The international project, which promotes the seasonal purchase and consumption of European fruit and vegetables, including organic ones and those with quality brands, provides a handbook full of tips and recipes, to make dieting less stressful.

First tip: increase the consumption of seasonal fruit and vegetables.

Not only savory dishes, but also freshly squeezed and centrifuged.

Fresh fruit in January sees oranges, clementines, cedars, grapefruits, lemons and mandarins in pole position. Without forgetting kiwis, apples and pears.

Many vegetables to prepare hot soups, side dishes and delicious salads: beets, broccoli, artichokes, carrots, thistles, cauliflowers, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, catalonia, chicory, onions, fennel, Belgian endive and curly endive, lettuce, potatoes, leeks, red chicory, turnips, celery, spinach, Jerusalem artichoke.

“To remedy the Christmas binges – explains nutritionist Federica Avitabile – I recommend a typical day rich in fruit, vegetables and proteins, with no limits on quantity.

For breakfast fruit or a smoothie, for lunch lots of vegetables and for dinner an unlimited protein.

In addition, it is necessary to drink 2 liters of water a day to improve diuresis and reduce renal retention as much as possible ”.

Second tip: take lots of vitamin C naturally.

How can you resist the January fruit with such warm colors?

the red and orange of citrus fruits, the yellow and green of apples, pears, kiwis and plenty of vegetables. A true concentrate of vitamin C.

Third tip: fasting is prohibited, to avoid the yo-yo effect of pounds gained and pounds lost.

Meals are not skipped for any reason, maybe we reduce the portions, even using smaller dishes than those usually used.

Fourth tip: increase the quantity of legumes and fish on the table.

Legumes and fish can replace animal fats such as red meat and include white meat in the diet.

Fifth tip: let’s pamper ourselves with a dessert.

The chilli dark chocolate is perfect. Cocoa is healthy, thanks to the high concentration of antioxidants it helps fight aging by counteracting free radicals.

The chili facilitates digestion and contributes to the improvement of circulation.

In the kitchen this spice must not be missing, it enhances the flavors and helps to limit the consumption of salt.

Sixth tip: indulge in a small transgression once a week.

Among the good proposals we include eating at home more often. Obviously we must not give up on socializing, but for a while we avoid going too often to the bar or restaurant. Then, let’s treat ourselves to a transgression once a week, like a nice pizza.

Seventh tip: drink a lot.

A creative and tasty idea is to prepare flavored waters by adding pieces of fruit or vegetables, aromatic herbs and spices such as ginger.

The procedure is very simple, just leave the water with the fruit or vegetable of your choice to macerate in the refrigerator for a few hours, filter and then drink during the day.

Eighth tip: the scales are our friend.

We must not be afraid of weighing ourselves.

A study found that people who weigh themselves regularly lose weight better and faster. Let’s do it once a week.

Ninth tip: exercise daily.

Let’s start with a brisk walk of one hour every day.

And if you prefer a sport in particular, even better, it burns calories and helps improve mood by releasing endorphins.

Tenth tip: some dried fruit as a snack.

The advice is to consume 10-15 grams every day.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also included it in the list of foods recommended for a healthy and proper diet.

Furthermore, we can use dried fruit as a dressing for salads, to make them more imaginative and tasty.

Easy, quick and tasty, we prepare the winter salad with lettuce, fennel, grapefruit, apple and walnuts.

Wash the lettuce, clean the fennel, cut in half and slice them.

Peel the grapefruit and apple and cut them into small pieces.

Combine all the ingredients, add the walnuts and season with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

Federica Riccio