It's all about balance.

Nicola Lewis, aka This Girl Can Organise, is a mother, personal organiser, influencer and author. Her mission is to help people declutter, organise and streamline all the elements around you to reduce the stress out of modern living.

"I've hit a time in my 40's when I feel it's important to be educated about nutrition. I've always been happy in my skin, but I had a hysterectomy aged 41, and feel I've never really got my figure back." - Nicola

Gabriela: Tell me about your weight. 

Nicola: I consider myself fairly normal - going between a size 10 to 14 over the years, and seeing my body change through pregnancy and back. But I can’t get rid of my middle area.

Gabriela: What sort of diets have you tried?

Nicola: I'm not a massive diet fan. I've cut back on carbs and tried to cut back on sugar – I feel that might be the problem! I’ve tried exercise, and although I toned up, I didn’t lose my tummy. I’ve never been defined by my weight and my main focus is to feel good.

Gabriela: How about your stress levels at the moment? Where are you from one to ten?

Nicola: I’m probably at about seven, and I’m very aware of it. I can’t control what’s making me stressed, but I can control what makes me happy; I do my best to offset stress with me-time.

Gabriela: This is so important. People forget to look after themselves, especially when they have kids. Do you exercise?

Nicola: I love walking and yoga. I walk two or three times a week, and I’ve been told it’s a good idea to do more weights.

Gabriela: Walking is fantastic, but weights would be great. Muscle increases metabolism as well as promoting longevity. Tell me what you eat during the day.

"The best way to lose that excess around your midriff is to balance your blood sugar – you don’t need a strict diet plan, you just need to make a few tweaks" - Gabriela

Gabriela: How about lunch?

Nicola: I have a mixture of things, maybe couscous with chicken or fish, or a chicken salad wrap. Sometimes I have soup with a bread roll.

Mid-afternoon is when I go downhill! I might have a chocolate bar or packet of crisps. I also have healthy snacks – I love apples with peanut butter or I’ll have some more nuts.

Gabriela: What do you eat for dinner?

Nicola: I look forward to dinner – it’s my big meal of the day and it needs to fill me up. I love to cook but I don’t fry anything. Sometimes I make risotto with seafood or mushrooms. I use crème fraîche rather than cream, but I know I should reduce my portion size!

Gabriela: ‘Would you have anything sweet after dinner?’

Nicola: ‘Not every night, but as a family we have a sweet tooth. We love baklava, cherries and ice cream, or fruit such as figs and grapes.’

Gabriela's Recommendation

You need a good quality nutrient with immune support, so my 'Clean' is a good option. The capsules, Cleanse Complex, contain ingredients such as magnesium, zinc and selenium, and Advanced Cleanse Blend has extracts of broccoli and wheatgrass. I’d also recommend taking omega 3 for memory, skin and hormone balancing.

The best way to lose that excess around your midriff is to balance your blood sugar. You don’t need a strict diet plan, you just need to make a few tweaks. First, you need to have breakfast. If you have honey in your tea, then your blood sugar will spike and continue going up and down throughout the day.

I have no problem with breakfast bars as long as they’re high in protein. Or a protein shake with fruit is fine, and if you can throw more greens into it, that’s fantastic. Once in a while, I’d love you to have eggs.

At lunchtime, focus on protein and have a range of grains. The more seeds you see and the less fluffy the bread, the better it is for you!

The afternoon snack is a problem, but once you start balancing yourself with breakfast and a good quality lunch, you won’t feel these cravings. When you start to feel peckish, eat something. Have a range of good quality snacks in your fridge: hard-boiled eggs, dairy-free yoghurt, hummus and crudites.

If you balance your afternoon snack better, you’ll have a smaller dinner and, I suspect, you won’t want as much of a dessert in the evening. You’ll feel a difference in yourself really quickly.