How to get motivated and spring clean your diet

Focus on Fresh. Spring is the most abundant time of year for seasonal fresh produce. We have had our winter fix of soups and stews; it is a great time to integrate more raw fresh produce into your diet. Get imaginative with tasty salads and fresh dressings, flavour with everything from fresh herbs to tahini, miso and different extra virgin oils.

Find your local farmers market to stock on seasonal organic produce or get a veg box delivered to your door which will be full of that month’s vegetables. Invest in a cheeky simple kitchen gadget called a spiralizer, to create everything from courgette noodles to homemade carrot ribbons. For some inspiration check out our recipe for raw pad Thai. 

Clean out your Cupboards. It is easy to end up with cupboards of half used dry goods, out of date and never used. Have a good clear out of old food that you never use, also while you are sifting through look to remove any products that are full of junk. Purge your kitchen of anything with ingredients you can’t pronounce: sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, diet products, sugary and salty snacks, and ‘low-fat’ or ‘diet’ food. Play a close eye to labels on condiments; they are notorious for having hidden sugars like high fructose corn syrup or even artificial sweeteners and trans fats.

Give yourself a natural energy boost. Winter can see our energy levels drop and cravings for caffeine, sugar and carbs increase. Spring into spring by supporting energy from the ground up with the right nutrition - iron and B vitamins are key. Try VITL SuperGreens capsule packed with energy supporting nutrients and foods such as green tea and spirulina.

Get your fingers green. There is nothing more nutritious or satisfying than eating something that you have grown yourself. Not matter how small your apartment is there is still always an opportunity to grow a little of your own produce. If you are really tight for space, start with some herbs; mint, basil, coriander and parsley only need a spot by a window and are great to add instant flavour, freshness and colour to your dishes. If you have a balcony you can easily grow high yielding tasty salad veg such as tomatoes, cucumbers or peppers. If you have a full garden, then you can really get adventurous. Gardening has also been shown to be good for your health in itself, studies have shown it helps to lower blood pressure, increase brain activity and produce a general upbeat feeling.