Michelle Bridges has a no-nonsense approach to healthy living. Source: Supplied

But sometimes it feels like we’re wading through loads of confusing information.

We asked Michelle Bridges, the woman whose guns and abs do not lie, to clear things up for us. Is fruit bad? Can we eat carbs? How on earth will I make it through all these Christmas parties without gaining weight? Here are her five tips for getting healthy, fit and strong this summer.

Michelle and her buff boyf, the Commando. Photo: @mishbridges. Source: Instagram

1. There’s no such thing as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods

“When people start using the terms ‘good food’ and ‘bad food’, my alarm bells go off. As soon as you start labelling things as good and bad, you start setting yourself up for a negative mindset,” Bridges says.

“I believe that there are foods that are really, really good for you and give you the best nutritional value. And some foods don’t give you the best nutrients but are a really nice treat now and again.

“Break it down to basics. For most of us, our portions are way more than we really need. And it’s also about being balanced. If I had a dollar for every time someone said, ‘I shouldn’t be having this, but …’ We instinctively know what we should and shouldn’t be eating. I tend to believe that we over-think it.”

2. Choosing which fruit to eat isn’t your problem

“People have said to me, ‘I’ve heard if I eat too much fruit, it’s bad for you’ or ‘I was told I shouldn’t be eating bananas’. They’re all bent out of whack over whether they should eat a mango or not. Come on, get real. Knock yourself out on the bananas and mangoes, but don’t tuck into the Doritos at 3pm. Why do they not get that it’s not the banana you ate, it’s that they just consumed half a pack of biscuits?”

Clearly, Michelle loves fruit just as much as us. Source: News Corp Australia

3. Don’t eat crap out of a box

“When it comes to eating, I like to think of it as eating like my grandparents would — very simple, whole produce. There wasn’t any fast food, that’s for sure. Always making sure to have plenty of vegetables. I have green in pretty much every meal. Two serves of fruit a day. A little bit of dairy, maybe some yoghurt with breakfast or a tub as a snack in the afternoon.

“Breads and cereals are not the enemy. You need carbs to keep you functioning. Some carbs are better than others, sure. Just don’t eat that many. Eat stuff you can pull off a tree or pull out of the ground, not something that’s sitting on a box on a shelf that will last a year.”

4. You CAN avoid weight gain during the silly season

“You don’t have to go to every single Christmas party you’re invited to. So slash a few if you can. And be the designated driver for a few. You might have eight parties to go to and for three of those you might say, ‘I won’t drink’.

“Everybody says this but not many people do it. Go one alcoholic drink for one mineral water. Start with a mineral water then have a glass of wine, then have your mineral water. Be strict with yourself.

We bet Michelle didn’t tuck into the hot chips at this event. Photo: Richard Dobson. Source: News Corp Australia

“One of my biggest tips [with functions] is to eat something small before you go. I was at a function last night and all the canapés were deep fried or battered. There wasn’t even one non-fried thing that I thought was healthy. It’s hard because I went straight from work without having something to eat, and I really wish I’d packed an apple in my handbag. I was strong and didn’t eat the stuff, but it was hard. So have something light to eat, like a small salad, or a yoghurt or piece of fruit before you go.”

5. Holidays = more free time to exercise

“What do you think the number one excuse against exercise I hear is? Time. And what have you got bags of when you’re on holidays? Time!

“Holidays are great because you can’t pull that excuse out. This is not a blowout time. You don’t have to be trying to lose weight or to break your PB running distance. But you can certainly come away from Christmas not having put any weight on.

“I know it sounds crazy, but I love training on Christmas Day. I’ll go to the beach and have a quick run and swim. It’s just the best way to start your day because you go into lunch with a workout under your belt and you’re less likely to want to blow out.”

Learn more about Michelle’s 12 Week Body Transformation here.