10 Easy Ways to Clean Up your Diet in 2016

I came across this great article on the 12WBT blog, which sets out some simple steps we can all take to improve our diet, whether we're signed up to 12WBT or not, trying to lose weight or not. Of course, I'm making mental notes of whether and how well I'm achieving each after only just over 2 weeks back on the 12WBT program.

1. Start with the kitchen: clearing all the junk and temptations out of the kitchen is always one of the pre-season tasks for any round of 12WBT, with good reason. And what better excuse to get rid of all the expired cans, packets etc. we all inevitably accumulate over time? My prime candidates are cans of things like chick peas, which I always think I will use to make my own delicious and tasty hummus, but somehow never do. Also bottles of dodgy flavoured mustards and dessert sauces which we receive as part of Christmas hampers etc., but end up living in the dark back corners of the pantry. There's also nothing quite like the feeling of satisfaction looking at the fridge freshly stocked with all manner of colourful vegies and healthy lunch-makings etc. I use the Tupperware "fridge mates" for vegies (I think we've got three different sets to cover all the size combinations), and they really do a great job of keeping vegies both visible and fresher for longer. (This is not actually my fridge, by the way, it's an image from one of my Pinterest boards - who on earth keeps cupcakes in the fridge???)
   
2. Plan Ahead - this one's about sitting down and working out your menu in advance for the week, doing a single shop (ideally) and not falling into the trap of collapsing in a heap at the end of a tiring day and not feeling up to cooking a healthy meal. I tend to customise my 12WBT weekly nutrition plan (menu), as I'm a bit fussy about breakfasts and don't like certain foods. I know Mish would say "suck it up, sunshine", but quite honestly I'm more likely to stick to the program if it consists of foods I would choose to eat. I also try to cook for both my husband and myself from my nutrition plan - he has a portion of starch and a larger serving size. This is definitely a task that requires sitting down and concentrating for half an hour, to try to match ingredients, achieve variety and get a good mix of protein, vegetables and limited complex carbs. There was a challenge recently for participants in the current round of 12WBT to do a big "cook up", freezing meals in advance for easy meals. I've never really been one to do this sort of thing in the past, as I tend to like to keep a bit of flexibility to work around last minute commitments etc. Something to keep working on...
3. Breakfast - okay, this is an issue for me. I really don't feel like anything but a cup of coffee when I first get up in the morning, but I definitely suffer from the late morning munchies as a result. I found the 12WBT Oat and Berry muffins were great last week, when I made them for the first time. Nourishing and I didn't feel like snacking before lunchtime. I think the sweetness of the fruit worked for me. I do occasionally feel like baked beans on toast, too, if I've got a bit more time to get ready. They're definitely a good "sustaining" food for a busy morning, despite the relatively low calorie count. I don't even miss butter on my toast anymore... (well, hardly at all!)
4. Get Back to Wholefoods - This is all about ditching processed versions of foods in favour of more "paleo" options. Personally, I can't stand brown rice, but I am eating whole fruit now instead of juices and I really like the rule of thumb about filling half your plate with food that comes from plants.
5. Three Meals a Day - my difficulty with breakfast is the major issue here. Unlike other participants in 12WBT, I don't seem to feel hungry while on the program. I tend to snack because of boredom or temptation, rather than because I need a "lift". We also probably eat too late at night some of the time. I've been reducing the amount of starchy carbs (bread, rice, potatoes, pasta etc.) I eat at night for a while, and I think it's improved my sleep, even if I haven't noticed any particular weight loss. Combining that with smaller portion sizes and limiting to 1200 calories a day should hopefully tip the balance.
6. Probiotics - I eat a bit of Greek Yoghurt in wraps, with curries etc., but other than that, I've never really thought much about stomach flora. I do take anti-reflux medication, though, so probably should consider taking some Yakult (yuk!) or maybe some probiotic capsules. Watch this space...
7. Resistant Starch - this was a new one on me. Apparently some sources of starch, including legumes, barley, cold boiled potatoes and banana flour (???) promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria (see above) and protect against colon cancers. Sounds good in theory. I'd better make some legume-based soups as we head into winter...
8. Ditch the Liquid Calories - this is a complete no-brainer for anyone trying to lose weight and/or combat the onset of type-2 diabetes. Soft drinks contain absolutely no nutritional benefit. I'll admit to a predilection for full-octane Coke when it's in the house, it's like I can't stop drinking it. I'm proud to say that I haven't had any at all (or any other soft drink, actually) since the start of the 12WBT round over two weeks ago, and definitely feel better for it. As with other temptations, my rule of thumb is simply "don't let it in the house and it won't be a problem". I don't tend to drink much alcohol anyway, but it's also full of calories, something to bear in mind.
   
9. Adjust your Taste Buds - giving up any habit is hard, more so if you try to do it "cold turkey". My weakness is sugar - I was having up to 2.5 tsp in a café latte - so my aim is to cut down gradually to a much lower intake, or even none at all. I'm having 1.5 sugars in a cup of plunger coffee at the moment, and it's fine. My husband accidently put two in the other day, and it was cloyingly awful, so this process is working. The soft-drink thing I thought would be harder than it is, but substituting plain sparkling mineral water for sugary soft drinks seems to be doing the trick so far. Fingers crossed...
10. Mindful Eating - I'm a renowned slow eater, always have been. That doesn't mean I'm being mindful, however, as I often work on the computer, read the paper or watch TV while I'm eating. One of my aims for this round of 12WBT is to get organised to provide more mindful dining experiences for the whole family, to think about and enjoy the tastes and textures of food and appreciate what goes into the quality foodstuffs we tend to take for granted in this part of the world.