The inspiring story featured in The Press earlier this month about Becky Holmes and her dog Murphy who are tackling five tough fitness challenges to raise money for St. Leonards Hospice got me thinking about what makes people decide to face a challenge and how they do it.

Many people are, like Becky, inspired to raise money for charity, whilst others are aiming to prove to themselves they can conquer a difficult challenge and achieve something they never thought they could.

My work as a nutritional therapist involves motivating and inspiring clients to change their eating and lifestyle habits in order to gain freedom from their health problems. The task of changing well established, routine eating habits which have been part of their lives for many years can feel as daunting as being asked to run a marathon!

A good place to start is with one change a week; this allows each new habit to establish itself in your daily routine. Tackling too many changes at once can be overwhelming; cutting out chocolate, caffeine and wheat all at the same time for example can cause terrible withdrawal symptoms and massive cravings for lattes and cake! 

For inspiration try one of these changes each week and notice the positive effects they have on your health and wellbeing:

- Enjoy new foods for breakfast: it’s easy to get stuck with cereal every morning but breakfast doesn’t have to come out of a box! How about poached eggs and watercress, mackerel and tomatoes on toast or a vegetable omelette?

- Snack habits; if your habit is to buy snacks from a certain shop en route to work, walk a different way - don’t put temptation in your own path! Surrounded by cakes and sweets in the office? Bring in your own stash of nut and seed bars, oatcakes and dips so you have healthy options to hand.

- Swap regular tea and coffee for fruit teas, herbal infusions and Redbush tea. Cutting down on caffeine helps stabilise energy levels and improves sleep, leaving you feeling calmer and clear headed.

- Choose one new meal recipe each week and make time in your schedule to enjoy creating it.

- Sign up for an organic veg box from one of the many local suppliers in York. Many veg box schemes provide recipe ideas and advice on how to prepare and use some of the more unusual vegetables.

-Try a different type of fish or cut of meat: leave out the usual cod, haddock and lamb chops and ask your butcher or fishmonger for tips on preparing and cooking something new. 

- Eat at the table, not on the sofa: studies have shown how people consume much larger portions when eating passively in front of the TV. If you’re trying to lose weight make sure to turn off the television and sit at a table so you can focus mindfully on what you are eating.

- Sally Duffin is a nutritional therapist and writer based in Holgate, York.