My diet has changed substantially over the past 12 weeks, and the corresponding improvements in overall health are starting to appear. The major changes were :

• Alcohol consumption has been reduced from a ridiculous 10-15 drinks per day, to around 3 per month
• Caffeine consumption has been greatly reduced from 8-10 cups of coffee per day to only 2 or 3 cups per month. This is slightly offset by an increase in consumption of green tea (around 2 cups per day)
• Milk consumption has been greatly reduced, from several pints per day to approx. 2 pints per day. The difference has been taken up with soy milk (primarily for post-workout shakes), water and the abovementioned green tea.
• Consumption of red meat has been reduced from around 4-5 to 2 meals per week; with the difference now consisting of pork and oily fish
• Consumption of fruit has increased – switching to daily grocery shopping helps to ensure a constant supply of fresh fruit on hand
• Addition of sugar to foods has been eliminated, with the only ‘sticking point‘ being the jar of honey which always seems to end up in the shopping bag somehow (at least it’s organic)
• Supplementation with multi-vitamins and minerals, as well as a daily dose of vitamin C
• Acquiring a taste for protein+carbohydrate shakes, which generally make an appearance either side of a lifting session

Goals (for next 3 months)

• Pay closer to attention to the origins of fresh foods, and eat only seasonal produce where possible
• Reduce the frequency of frying foods (to 2 meals per week) and increase steaming of foods (particularly vegetables and fish)
• Further reduce consumption of milk, and replace with soy milk
• Increase consumption of nuts and seeds (currently only a small amount on breakfast cereals)

Overall I’m reasonably happy with my diet – subsequent to the changes of the past 12 weeks in any case. I’ve been careful to avoid eliminating anything I know I’d miss if told I couldn’t ever have it again (such as the occasional alcoholic drink or cup of coffee). Now I have the gradual appearance of benefits such as better sleep to look forward to.