When it comes to shedding pounds, many of us think of restriction and – quite honestly – misery. So, is it any surprise that we have a hard time sticking to a diet? ‘Many are so restrictive, they take away the joy of preparing and eating meals,’ says Rachel Kelly, author of The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food (£14.99, Short Books). You reach for a bar of chocolate or a piece of cake to cheer yourself up – and, before you know it – bang goes the diet.
‘It’s easy to be drawn to treats and comfort foods,’ says Rachel. ‘These tend to contain sugar, yeast and refined carbohydrates, which disrupt healthy gut bacteria and encourage inflammatory reactions within the body. Inflammation makes it difficult to lose weight and may also affect mood.’
