Essential Tips for Health for Body: Nourish and Energise Your Life

Introduction to Healthy Living

Living well starts with a simple foundation: nourishing your body with healthy foods and staying active most days of the week. When these habits are part of your lifestyle, it becomes easier to maintain a healthy weight, feel more energised, and nourishour body and mind.

Whether you're focusing on healthy meals, prioritising movement, or addressing a negative body image, every choice adds up. Creating routines that feel doable and supportive, not extreme, can help you feel good in your own skin and show up more fully for the life you want.

Eating well starts with habits that feel doable, not overwhelming.

Key Takeaways

• Health for the body starts with consistent healthy eating and physical activity.

• A balanced diet that includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats can support a healthy body image and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

• Limiting processed foods, added sugars, unhealthy fats, and excess salt intake helps support good health.

• Planning healthy meals using a wide range of nutritious, affordable foods ensures that you meet your nutritional needs throughout the week.

• Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes a week) supports mental well-being, energy, and a healthy weight. For detailed recommendations and guidelines tailored to Australians, you can refer to the Australian Government's Department of Health resources on physical activity and healthy eating.

• Building self-compassion and working through negative body image can enhance emotional health and confidence.

• These small steps, when repeated over time, support well-being and help you feel more at home in your body.

Healthy Eating Habits

Healthy eating habits are consistent food patterns that support your energy, digestion, weight, and long-term well-being. They aren't about restriction or rigid rules, they’re about choosing foods that nourish your body while fitting your lifestyle.

At the core, healthy eating habits include:

• Eating foods that provide important nutrients, such as vegetables, whole grains, fruit, lean meats, legumes, and healthy fats.

• Balancing meals with a variety of food groups to support blood sugar regulation, appetite, and satisfaction.

• Being mindful of portion sizes and recognising hunger and fullness cues, rather than following external rules.

• Limiting processed foods, added sugars, unhealthy fats, and excess salt intake while still enjoying flexibility and pleasure with food.

These habits create a foundation for a healthy diet that’s sustainable, enjoyable, and aligned with your health goals. Over time, they can also support a healthy body image by reinforcing trust in your body and reducing reliance on short-term fixes.

What is Meal Planning

Meal planning is a way of thinking ahead about what you’ll eat across the week, without needing to plan every single bite. At its core, nutrition and meal planning is about making your food choices intentional and supportive, so you’re more likely to nourish your body with what it needs, even when life feels busy or unpredictable.

Rather than being rigid or restrictive, meal planning strikes a balance between structure and flexibility. It allows you to ensure your meals are balanced, your fridge is stocked with healthy foods, and your choices align with your goals, whether that’s energy, digestion, a healthy weight, or simply feeling better in your body.

The Core Steps of Meal Planning:

Planning meals in advance supports healthy habits and reduces decision fatigue.

1. Start with your week in mind
   Look at your schedule. How many meals will you need to prepare at home versus eating out? Are there days when you’re low on time or energy? Planning works best when it fits your routine, not someone else’s.

2. Choose your base ingredients.
   Pick a few core items you enjoy that support a balanced diet, such as brown rice, sweet potatoes, canned beans, lean meats, and plenty of vegetables. These foods provide essential nutrients and are easy to incorporate into meals.

3. Balance your plate
   Aim for variety across the week by including different food groups in each meal: whole grains or starchy veg, quality proteins, healthy fats, and colourful non-starchy vegetables. This supports energy, digestion, and blood sugar regulation.

4. Add flavour without excess salt or sugar.
   Use herbs, spices, citrus, soy sauce, or stock cubes to make your meals enjoyable and satisfying without relying too heavily on salt or processed sauces. This supports taste and your long-term health.

5. Prep a few staples
   You don’t have to prep entire meals in advance. Instead, cook a few basics, such as a tray of roasted vegetables, a pot of brown rice, or some lean protein. This makes it easier to throw together healthy meals without overthinking it.

Meal planning isn’t about perfection. It’s about giving yourself structure to eat healthy most of the time, while still leaving room for spontaneity and enjoyment. With practice, it becomes less about what you should eat and more about what helps you feel good, day after day.

How Meal Planning Supports Healthy Habits

Healthy habits form through consistency, ease, and repetition. Planning meals in advance helps reduce decision fatigue, lowers the reliance on willpower, and makes it easier to stick with nourishing options, especially on busy or stressful days.

Here’s how meal planning can build better habits over time:

• It reduces last-minute choices that often lead to processed foods or skipping meals entirely.

• It creates a sense of rhythm around meals, making it easier to regulate appetite and avoid emotional or reactive eating.

• It builds trust in your ability to nourish yourself regularly, which can lead to improved confidence and a more positive body image over time. Research indicates that consistent healthy eating habits enhance self-efficacy around food choices, leading to better body satisfaction and a reduced risk of disordered eating. Additionally, studies have shown that mindful eating practices support a positive relationship with food and overall well-being.

Meal planning plays a crucial role in promoting healthy eating patterns and alleviating day-to-day stress associated with food choices. According to the Australian Government’s Eat for Health, Meal Planning, planning meals in advance helps you choose foods that are more nutritious, manage your grocery budget, and make healthier decisions throughout the week. By taking the time to plan, you reduce the need for last-minute decisions that can lead to convenience-based or less balanced meals, freeing up mental energy for other aspects of your day and making it easier to stick with healthy habits over time.

“You don’t need to do it all at once. You just need a way forward that feels doable, grounded, and true to you.”

— Lena, Tailored Dietetics

How the Mediterranean Approach Fits In

While the World Health Organisation (WHO) provides comprehensive guidelines on healthy diets, the Mediterranean style of eating is one of the most researched and sustainable dietary patterns for supporting long-term health. It’s naturally aligned with smart meal planning: meals centre around vegetables, legumes, whole grains, extra virgin olive oil, and moderate amounts of lean meats, fish, dairy, and fruit.

When planning your week, you might build in Mediterranean-inspired habits such as:

• Swapping butter for olive oil in cooking

• Including 2–3 plant-based meals each week using canned beans or lentils

• Adding chopped vegetables or leafy greens to most meals, even breakfast

• Serving meals with a simple salad, olives, or roasted veggies as a default side

This style of eating isn’t about giving things up; it’s about layering in vibrant, nutrient-rich foods that support energy, digestion, and a healthy body image. Over time, it becomes a natural rhythm rather than something you need to follow perfectly.

Physical Activity and Exercise

Physical activity is any movement that gets your body working and your muscles moving, whether it’s structured exercise or everyday actions like walking, gardening, or dancing around the kitchen. It plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy weight, supporting mental health, improving digestion, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

But movement isn’t just about physical health; it also supports body image, energy levels, and emotional well-being. Regular activity can boost confidence, help regulate mood, and reconnect you with the strength and capability of your body.

Physical activity can be simple and joyful, it just needs to work for you.

The Basics

• Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, such as brisk walking, swimming, cycling, or hiking. That’s just over 20 minutes per day.

• Include a mix of aerobic (such as walking or dancing) and resistance-based (like bodyweight exercises, yoga, or light weights) activities to support muscle strength and bone health.

• Choose a movement you enjoy, it’s more likely to stick. This could be walking with a friend, doing a Pilates class online, or simply stretching while watching TV.

For detailed recommendations, refer to the Australian Government's physical activity guidelines for all Australians

Why It Matters

• Helps regulate body weight and supports metabolic health.

• Reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

• Improves mental clarity, mood, and energy.

• Supports positive body image by shifting focus from how your body looks to what it can do.

• Contributes to overall well-being by helping you feel calmer, clearer, and more in control of your day.

The best physical activity routine is the one that fits your life, not a program you dread or feel guilty about. Start where you are, and build up at your own pace. Even small steps can lead to meaningful change.

Reconnecting With Your Body: Understanding and Improving Body Image

Reconnecting with your body starts with self-compassion and small shifts.

Body image is how you perceive and feel about your body, not just its appearance, but its abilities, sensations, and presence in your daily life. It can be influenced by experiences, social messaging, health changes, and even your energy levels or hormonal shifts. A healthy body image means feeling connected to, respectful of, and at ease in your body, even if you’re still working toward goals or navigating changes. In contrast, an unhealthy or poor body image can erode confidence and create disconnect from the very behaviours that support health.

As you reconnect with your body through nourishment, movement, and self-compassion, you’re laying the foundation for real change. It doesn’t have to happen all at once. One meal, one walk, one kind thought about your body is enough to start. These small, powerful shifts, repeated with intention, can transform your habits and how you feel in your body every day.

Why It Matters

• A healthy body image supports better decision-making around food, movement, and self-care

• It reduces the emotional stress linked with weight, appearance, and comparison

• It helps shift focus from how your body looks to what your body does for you, like carrying you through your day, healing, adapting, and strengthening

• It can protect against the onset of disordered eating patterns and support emotional well-being

What Can Help

• Practice self-compassion: Acknowledge that your body has carried you through a lot, and it deserves kindness, not criticism.

• Reduce exposure to body-negative messaging, especially in social media feeds. Curate content that reflects diversity, strength, and health at every size.

• Surround yourself with support: Connect with people who value health beyond appearance and encourage habits that feel nourishing, not punishing.

• Focus on your positive qualities, not just physical, but emotional, relational, and practical strengths.

• Move for how it feels, not just how it shapes you. Physical activity can boost body confidence through experience, not aesthetics.

Improving your body image doesn’t mean loving every part of your body every day. It means recognising your body as worthy, resilient, and something you can care for with respect, right now.

Final Thoughts: Small Steps Towards Health for Body and Life

Supporting your health for body and mind isn’t about overhauling everything overnight. It’s about building small, consistent habits that make you feel more nourished, confident, and in control of your choices.

Healthy eating, movement, and a positive relationship with your body are all connected. Meal planning helps create structure and ease. Physical activity lifts both mood and energy. And working on body image, especially if it’s been shaped by years of pressure or change, can open the door to more supportive self-care.

The most powerful shifts often start with simple actions. One planned meal, one short walk, one compassionate thought about your body, that’s how real, lasting change begins.

You don’t need to do it all at once. You just need a way forward that feels doable, grounded, and true to you.

Lena Anson-Smith, Accredited Dietitian & Nutritionist

Lena helps busy women who feel tired, bloated, or not quite like themselves connect the dots between what’s going on in their body and what they truly need.

With a former career as a busy businesswoman in the city, and her own experiences with hormonal imbalance, she now runs a flexible, online dietetics practice supporting women to build energy, ease digestion, and feel confident and balanced through Mediterranean-inspired nutrition strategies, practical tools, and tailored plans that fit real life.

Want to feel more energised, clear, and confident in your body?

What Next?

Wondering how food can help support your hormones without extremes? Read: Hormonal Balance, Body-Balancing Nutrition to Support It Naturally

Are you wanting to know more about how nutrition impacts your energy, immunity, and long-term health? Read: Why Good Nutrition Is Important for Your Health and Well-being