Fresh Starts: Spring Cleaning Your Diet for Optimal Health

Fresh Starts: Spring Cleaning Your Diet for Optimal Health - Nutritional advice focusing on seasonal produce and detox diets to rejuvenate after winter indulgences.

I get it, drinking beer is the best. Eating Pizza in that new spectacular restaurant Hammersmith that everyone is raving about, is the best. Ben and Jerry’s is the best. But let's face it, if you're reading this, you have had it too good for too long. 

And don't worry, I'm not here to tell you that you need to be more like me, because trust me, I'm in full slob mode just like you. I'm still eating and drinking sh*t, like it's Christmas Day. I'll hit the gym tomorrow I tell myself. I'll just finish this beautiful bottle of wine, then I'll quit for a week. All these bullsh*t excuses we tell ourselves. Well March is the new January haven't you heard? 

It's really time to sort out that extra tire I'm carrying around. So I've been looking around for some healthy diets that I could use to shake up my body before its get into complete f*cking disrepair. You'll excuse my language, but if you're reading this, then you know it's time to take action. 

I don't know if I can go to the extremes of Hugh Jackman, who posted about his new diet to get in shape for Wolverine V Deadpool, 

black bass with veggie rice and herb sauce, Patagonia salmon with potatoes and hot sauce, two chicken burgers with sweet potatoes, and two grass-fed sirloins with noodles. 

A daily intake of over 8000 calories a day. Not for me thank you. But I do know, that discipline, fish, sweet potatoes, rice, are all the buzzwords when it comes to getting in shape. 

I spoke to a friend recently who I know is broke. But weirdly he is in fantastic shape. I asked him, how can you look so good when you have no money? You can't afford a gym, no personal trainer? What's going on? 

He told me that he was living in his stockroom above his shop to save rent money. He had no kitchen, no money to eat out. But he was f*cking ripped and lean and as healthy as I'd ever seen him. He told me he had invested in a cheap steamer from Amazon, he gets his fish on a great deal form his local fishmonger, and he steams the vegetables along with the fish. He can't afford a gym membership, so he just floor work in his stock room, has some make shift paint cans as dumbbells and his only vice is cheap vodka. We all have them. But for him it works because its cheap, and those next to calories as he drinks it neat. 

Fantastic I thought. Here is a guy, who has no money, no real clue on how to stay healthy. But he's doing it almost by accident. The fish diet absolutely the way to go. Knocking beer on the head is also a plus. 

So I wanted to know what fish are in season right now and this article from Penny Go Lightly tells me, 

Seasonal Fish For Spring

• clams (farmed Manila)

• coley / saithe

• crab (brown)

• gurnard (red)

• herring / sild

• lobster (European)

• plaice

• pollock

• prawns

• sprat / whitebait

Summary

So an interesting topic. Seasonal produce, shake up your diet. But a couple of takeaways I want you to think upon. Hugh Jackman has a goal. He has a physique that he is aiming for, and a date for when he knows he will be getting topless. He also has some healthy competition in Ryan Reynolds. Ryan is also bulking up and the two of them have been sparring online in order to drum up some publicity, but also to inspire each other t0 train. 

What a great idea. Imagine if you did that with your friend. Set a date 3 months from now where you'll both have 3 rounds of sparring in your garage. Maybe set it up on social media as a grudge match. I don't know if any of this is legal. Admittedly I watched Fight Club the other night and maybe I'm getting carried away. 

But the point is, competition is good. A goal and a deadline is something to aim for. And fish and rice and chicken seems to be the perfect recipe. 

What time do they do discounts at supermarkets? 

Can you believe I actually Googled this? Not a good sign. But hey, my friend is on hard times living above his shop and he tells me that between 3-5pm is the best time to get those yellow sticker bargains. He also says you need to get to know your local butcher, your local fishmonger very well. Maybe tip them, even if tipping them is weird. 

Photos by nrd and Thomas Le on Unsplash