At a time when the term 'clean eating' saturates our newsfeeds, it can feel like you're failing if you don't buy organic, cook from scratch or juggle avocados between TRX classes.

And life is complicated enough without forcing yourself into a corner when it comes to diet and nutrition, right?

So, sticking to five simple rules as often as possible is all you need to do to keep your physical health and emotional wellbeing in check.

1. Eat when you are hungry

And ONLY when you are hungry. If ever there was one rule to follow, it is this one.

Yes, it means forgetting all about this “finish your plate” plea you heard so much as a kid, but it is essential.

Basically, remember that your body isn’t a trash bin: don’t finish your plate if you are no longer hungry, and don’t say yes to the birthday cake in the office if you feel full already. 

2. Eat your fruits and veg first

The idea here is not to only eat fruits and veg, but to eat as much as you can.

Automatically, if you only eat when you are hungry, that will reduce the amount of junk you put in your mouth. 

3. Stay away from processed food

There are so many reasons to eat homemade food and to keep processed food at bay.

It is healthier, cheaper and most importantly, it tastes so much better!  

4. Do not waste food

Buying in bulks is a good idea for long shelf-life products (rice, pasta, canned food) but sometimes, good deals can end up costing you more if it all ends up in the bin.

Learn how to buy according to your needs and freeze your leftovers. 

5. Do not prevent yourself from enjoying social times

The one and only exception to rule #1 is holidays and family reunions. That’s right, you should have a slice (or three) of cheesecake at your cousin’s communion if you feel like it, just keep it in mind during your next exercise session and push yourself that bit extra.

Depriving yourself from enjoying social times because you want to lose weight or be healthy is too much of a waste, and life is too short to be constantly dieting.