Cliff notes from Episode 35: How to Spring Clean Your Diet

Now that we are closer to spring than winter, you’re probably starting to feel that subtle yet nonetheless detectable feeling of fresh, new energy replacing the old, slower, more stagnant energy of winter.

This may have started to show up in your closet via the desire to get rid of those heavy winter coats and boots, as well as the desire to start wearing the lighter, brighter clothing of spring.

So too may you have felt similar leanings in your diet. For example, while you may have enjoyed hot chocolate over the past few months, maybe now it is starting to feel slightly off somehow, and you’re feeling more excited by smoothies or fruit juice than you have done for a long time.

All of the above is, of course, perfectly natural and just goes to show how connected we still are to the seasons and the gifts that each one brings.

Therefore in this episode, by publishing it in mid-February rather than mid-March I wanted to give you a few weeks to sit with the ideas and suggestions I share with you today, so that by the time spring officially rolls around you’ll feel totally ready for it, excited and prepared.

How to Spring Clean Your Diet

Step 1) Make a list of all the heavier foods and drinks that you’ve been consuming over the last 2-3 months that you know are more “winter” type fare, and title that list: On their way out.

Step 2) Make a separate list of all the foods and drinks you can feel yourself starting to be attracted to, even if it’s just by looking at pictures on instagram, Pinterest or in a magazine. Title that list: Possibly coming soon!

Step 3) Your third list will be all of the foods and drinks that you want to let go of from your diet, regardless. Spring cleaning your diet is not just about preparing for the season itself, but also about cleaning out all the things that just aren’t a fit for the new version of you that you’re becoming, irrelevant of season. For example, you might wish to give up or greatly reduce alcohol, or a particular type of alcohol. Or maybe you’ve realised that bread just really doesn’t work for your body and it’s time to accept that and let it go. Call this third list: No longer good enough.

Step 4) Clarify one health-focused goal for yourself for the season of spring. That’s 12 weeks to focus on one clear distinct shift you want to make in your health that you feel ready to make and that gets you excited. Common examples are, of course, losing weight, releasing a certain percentage of body fat, clearing up skin, strengthening nails, increasing stamina, a new personal best at the gym… There are lots of different things you could choose but I encourage you to choose the one that excites you the most and that you feel ready for. I would also encourage you not to go for more than one, as once we do that our attention is automatically divided and our chances of success start to diminish.

Step 5) Ask yourself, ‘what would be the best things for me to consume to enable me to reach my health goal?’ and write those things down. If you’re not sure what to eat or drink to reach your goal, this is where Google or a relevant expert come in. One good all-round suggestion that would work well for anyone’s health goal regardless, is a green juice or smoothie every day (you can find free recipes on my social media for these) and at least one protein smoothie per day with 1-3 superfoods added that are pertinent to your particular health goal.

Step 6) Your final step is to pull everything together from Steps 2-5. By doing this you should be able to pull together a decent first-draft menu plan that you can get excited about and that also aligns with your health goal. With regards to your list in Step 1, as these are things you are going to be leaving behind, begin phasing them out now by consuming them less often and in a more diluted form or smaller amounts, depending on what’s relevant. For example, if you currently drink hot chocolate every day you might move to every other day, and then twice per week, then once per week until you don’t want to drink it at all.

CLEANSE! is coming!

Doors will be opening very soon for the spring 2023 run of CLEANSE! which starts on Monday 6th March – so only three weeks today!

Find out more by clicking on the WORK WITH ME tab above.