5 Simple Ways to Clean Up Your Diet

Since Summer is right around the corner this may be a great time to ‘clean up your diet’ because #summerbods. I have repeatedly mentioned how people assume dietitians hand out ‘diet plans’ which will magically help lose weight and make one’s body beach ready. Trust me if that were the case, I’d be a millionaire with a beach body myself. So instead of ‘diet plans’ I will share 5 simple ways on how you can clean up your diet for better health and wellness. -Cook at home : We all know that home-cooked meals when done right are healthier, nutritious, and cheaper. By home cooked, I am not referring to reheating frozen tv dinners or simply reheating leftovers from a Chinese takeout. One of the main concerns I hear from my friends/families is that they don’t know how to cook and that’s okay. I want you all to know that cooking is a learning process that comes with time. I am not suggesting you to make  elaborate meals with fancy ingredients and labor hours in the kitchen. Invest in some everyday essentials kitchen tools  to get you started. Start by making 1-2 easy recipes a week if you are new to the cooking scene and grow from there. Some of my favorite, easy recipes include Easy Thai Green Curry (vegan, glutenfree), easy chicken roast (many uses throughout the week), garlic sriracha salmon (ready in 30 minutes), and roasted peppers and tomato gazpacho (perfect for light meal).-Discard all the junk : This is pretty obvious because as long as you surround yourself with processed foods, the chances are you will eat them. I am not suggesting you go on a complete pantry makeover overnight but in the future do not bring junk into your house. It’s as simple as that. If you have chips, cookies, cakes etc left from a party or something, share amongst your friends, families, co-workers, and neighbours. Also, it is a good idea to keep a good stock of fruits, nuts, and homemade bars and balls for your snacking needs. -Eat Breakfast : It’s the most important meal of the day because our body needs fuel to jumpstart the day. Even research says so. Everyone has their own opinion on what is considered a gold standard breakfast but general consensus says  a good breakfast is ‘a combination of complex carbs and fiber with some protein’. When I eat protein based breakfast in the morning (compared to just carbs), I tend to stay full longer. So don’t skip your healthy a.m meal because it gives you the energy you need, satisfies your appetite until your lunch, and helps set the stage for smart decisions all day long. I usually eat either this,this, or this before rushing out the door. -Stay away from sugary beverages :Soda, caffeinated drinks, sweet tea, and other sugar laden beverage is a habit that is hard to break for many of us. It’s partly psychological (you will survive without your energy drink trust me) and partly love for sodas and general dislike for plain, boring water. I hear you but how about for every bottle/cup of sugary beverage you drink some water or just alternate your soda and water days? Depending upon how close-knit you are with your sugary beverage, set some goals to break off that ties. It is not doing good to your teeth, waistline, and wallet. On the other hand, have you tried flavoring your water with fresh mint leaves, cucumber, lemon slices. Image/Recipes via here. -Go Meatless once a week: I am not trying to convert you into vegetarianism; whatever dietary lifestyle you follow it’s cool. If you don’t eat enough vegetables on a daily basis, this is a good idea to experience vegetable-based meals even if you try just one meal once a week. I have been doing meatless Monday for the past few years and it had allowed me to cook vegetarian dishes that I would normally not make. When I say vegetable-based dishes, I am not encouraging you to eat fries and eggplant parmesan. The whole point is to enjoy vegetables and incorporate that more into your daily lives. My favorite meatless dishes from here includes tofu tikka masala (most popular recipe too) and peanut butter sauce and sesame with green tea noodles.[Tweet “5 Simple Ways to Clean Up your Diet #healthyliving”]
Any other tips/suggestions on cleaning up your diet?