My Imperfect Food Habits for the Summer

No one gets anywhere striving for the perfect life. Part of what makes us human is enjoying both the good and bad things in life. No guilt or shame should ever be felt. Often, we are inundated with the latest fad diets, what we can and can’t eat. How much sleep we must get, how much caffeine we are allowed to consume etc, etc. I suppose it comes from a good place. I mean, essentially we are all trying to reach our optimum health objectives. But sometimes it can all get a bit too much. And having to think and act on these things in this current heatwave is nothing short of exhausting.

Why do I avoid hot foods in the summer?

So, I do make some changes to my diet in the summer but I want to stress that this is not a guide that people must follow. It works for me. This also sounds like I am being proactive but actually laziness is the big factor driving the change. I have very few hot meals this season. One reason is that it is simply too hot to cook hot food in an already steaming-hot kitchen. Secondly, I cannot be bothered (lazy). Thirdly, and fortunately, it is better for my skin when I live on cold Mediterranean foods such as plenty of leafy greens: spinach, Kale, broccoli, and asparagus. Lots of omega 3, 6, and 9 in the form of nuts and seeds and oily fish.

What other dietary changes do I make?

One huge change that I have made is cutting out all carbohydrates during the weekdays. I blow out at the weekends which again, says that I am not seeking perfection. However, seriously reducing my carb intake means that I am experiencing no bloating at all. My allergies seem to have improved including my eczema. My skin is less dry when I eat these foods.

Do I drink alcohol?

I have not drunk in the past few years now. Looking back, it was a drastic change that I definitely needed to go through. My body was going on a full-on attack and I got very sick. Over the last two weeks, I have cautiously started to re-introduce alcohol back into my diet. No beers or lagers mind you, they set me off instantly. I have been going on social occasions and having just one drink, which has now turned to two and that’s it. Two drinks at the weekend.

What's my drink of choice?

My choice of weapon is vodka tonic because it seems the cleanest of all alcoholic drinks. The danger is to think, “Wow, it’s not having a negative impact on me, I’ll have some more!” Alcohol is not great to have a full stop but every now and then is fine. As long as my overall diet is pretty decent then I do not worry about being too precious about some of the foods I consume. Now, I will try and have a great summer and you all should too. Be good and naughty, it's the only way forward!