Hello 2016! I love writing long lists of ambitious goals into my brand new planner, and year after year, these appear: eat better, exercise more, lose weight, be happy and travel more! I used to ask Google, “How to lose weight? How to lose weight fast? What’s the best diet plan?” Now, I’m souper pleased to share that these resolutions have become my way of life! I must confess that there are challenges in keeping to a clean eating diet, particularly during the festivities and travels. But I’ve also come to realise – there is no greater treat than lovingly taking care of your diet, health and well-being! And keeping in line to my SouperChef roots, here’s my recipe for a New Year, New You!
RECIPE FOR WEIGHT LOSS TO A SLIMMER, SOUPER YOU!
Serves 1, for life
Ingredients
- 28 days of Souper Diet
- Generous dose of superfoods
- Packs of coconut water
- Liberal dash of coconut oil
- Countless blessings
Method
1. Embark on the Souper Diet Programme.
I first started on the Souper Diet in August 2014. I was so pleased with the results I hopped on my second Souper Diet in January 2015 and I’ll be starting my third in January 2016! What is the Souper Diet, you might ask?
The Souper Diet is a 28-day soup-based meal plan designed to help you lose weight without losing nutrients, and gain control of your health without gaining weight. This is possibly one of the best things you can do for a New Year, New You!
How to lose weight? How to lose weight fast? What’s the best diet plan? I’ve asked these myself so many times over. There really is no short cut to weight loss, I’ve come to realise. I’ll be honest – I’ve struggled with weight loss and detox and diet plans for a long time. I do exercise regularly and have an active lifestyle through long distance running. However, the weight just doesn’t melt away with my exercise regime. When I go on diets, I’m also constantly hungry, struggling with cravings, feeling weak and immensely sick of eating the same salads meal after meal.
This Souper Diet was born out of my love for soups and the weight loss success I personally had in keeping to a meal plan centered around The Soup Spoon’s soup menu. When I embarked on the Souper Diet, I realised just how easy it was to keep to the diet and see visible weight loss while creating clean eating habits. Do you know that studies have shown that the combination of liquid and solids fills you up more effectively and for longer, than if you eat exactly the same amount of food but drink the liquid separately? Light and easily digestible, soups are extremely satisfying and versatile. Furthermore, the high liquid content, together with water from the ingredients like vegetables, allows for better absorption of nutrients into the body. This means less bloating and a happier body!
The Souper Diet is not a quick-fix diet, but rather, a simple, sustainable, safe diet that makes you feel souper good! Lose weight safely without compromising on your dietary needs. Check out our website to read more about our Souper Diet!
I changed the way I eat, and the kilos left me! I think I look younger even, LOL!
2. Enjoy generous dose of superfoods in your daily diet.
If you’ve become hooked to chocolates, cakes and other rich food over the festive season, you might want to start eliminating these and introducing another kind of ‘rich’ into your diet – the richness of nutrients from superfoods! There’s no official scientific definition of a superfood, but we’ve come to know superfoods as food that contain denser levels of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other substances that shield our bodies from diseases and rapid degeneration. I’m souper stoked to have known Superlife Co, who has introduced me to a wealth of knowledge and generously sponsored superfoods like chia seeds, quinoa and cacao to The Soup Spoon customers!
I carry with me a 500ml bottle of filtered water everyday and add about 3 tablespoons of chia seeds to the bottle, giving it a good shake. When the seeds absorb liquid, they swell into gel-like little jewels and I enjoy chewing them throughout the day. They are souper crunchy! I like that there isn’t a strong taste, so they go perfectly well with almost anything. These nutrient-rich seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and calcium so I liberally sprinkle them on my soups, salads, or use them in overnight oats or chia puddings!
Another awesome superfood I stand by is quinoa. Years ago, when I first came to read about it, I didn’t even know how to pronounce the word! It’s read as ‘keen-wa‘ by the way! Now, it has become my diet staple. A complete protein (yes, complete!), this superfood has been a fashion diva of foods, and rightfully so. Quinoa is a slowly digested carbohydrate, making it a good low-GI option, and keeps me full for longer! I enjoy them as a substitute to grains. Taste-wise, it’s perhaps a little nutty, but only subtly so, making it great in salads. Do try our quinoa salad in our New Year New You Souper Inspirations Set!
Putting all my favourite souper foods into the New Year New You Souper Inspirations sets!
3. Hydrate with coconut water.
Other than carrying around a bottle of filtered water filled with chia seeds, I always make sure I have packs of coconut water in my fridge! It’s all the rage now and it’s really not hard to see why. I personally love the delicate sweet taste of coconut water, and it does wonders in satisfying my sugar cravings, yet quenching my thirst at the same time. Hydrating and rich in essential electrolytes and nutrients, this amazing low-fat drink is my to-go-to after a run or workout. Instead of fizzy sodas and flavoured concentrated disguised as juices, I serve these to my guests and they love it too!
A little tip – do check the food label when you purchase your coconut water. It is not uncommon for coconut water companies to sell their products as “All Natural” when they are very much sweetened or from reconstituted concentrates. My pick (no pun intended!) is definitely Just Picked CocoWater. As a coconut water aficionado, I’ve tried so many brands, and Just Picked CocoWater comes closest to the real thing. No added sugar, zero additives, not from concentrate. Just pure coconut water.
I’ve included a pack of Just Picked CocoWater in each New Year New You Souper Inspirations Set. Enjoy the refreshing boost to your meal!
My little tip for a nutritional boost – sweet and refreshing coconut water on the side, and a squeeze of lemon juice into my soups!
4. Have a liberal dash of coconut oil in your food.
Like the other superfoods mentioned earlier, coconut oil deserves its own centre stage. I had been a little conservative in my use of this oil previously, using it only for moisturizing my skin. After reading more about it and trying the Nakula Organic Cold Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil from Provenance Singapore, I’m souper stoked to use it in my quinoa salad for the New Year New You Souper Inspirations Set!
What I really love about coconut oil is that intense fragrance. I like it drizzled over salads, baked in cakes and granola, and as a cooking oil for stir-frying vegetables. That sweetish aroma of coconuts means you can add less sugar to your food, making it a souperb ingredient! I also learned that coconut oil contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight, and the saturated fats have antimicrobial properties to deal with various bacteria, fungi, and parasites that can cause indigestion. Nakula‘s high quality oil is extracted from certified organic fresh coconuts, thus preserving its nutrients. Best bang for buck!
5. Count your blessings.
I’ve learned not to count my calories but to count my blessings. True transformation comes when we delight in little changes and build determination in keeping to our resolutions. It’s a blessing to be able to wine and dine with our loved ones. Sure, we might have a few pounds to lose here and there, once in a while. But don’t sweat the small stuff. Go ahead and indulge a little, bearing in mind our greater end goals. It’s about celebrating small souper moments, like the time you readily skipped the chicken rice for chicken ragout. Or like the time you automatically reached out for chia seeds to pop into your water instead of opening a can of coke. Bank these souper moments, delight in them. Make slow and steady changes. After a few weeks of taking notice of small souper moments, I found that my brain became rewired to focus on the positive. Stay determined to your resolutions and the good habits you’ve built. Don’t ask “how to lose weight fast” anymore. Instead ask “how to lose weight right”.
Not quite apple to apple comparison, but there is quite a distinct weight loss after my Souper Diet in 2014!
You now know how. Change the way you eat, and the kilos will leave you naturally. Try this recipe for a New Year New You, and let me know if you feel slimmer and souper! I will love to hear from you!
Cheers,
Anna
burn boost
I’ve always tried to watch out what I eat during the week and on weekends do one or two meals that I like that are not “healthy”. It never got me to lose weight. When the pandemic started and all had to stay home, that is when I decided to do some exercise. By doing 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week, I started losing weight. I’ve lost 10 kilos in 1 year, it is slow but I feel great.