My Next Goal: Eating Clean with the Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Now that the Tinsel Triathlon goal is near, I can't help but start planning for my next set of goals. That's so typical of me!

Recently, the Eating Clean movement has been on my mind. So I decided to do some research today to find out more about it. I remember that some of my fellow SparkSanDiego team members tried a clean eating challenge earlier this year, but I didn't join in. The commitment to eating clean and only clean just didn't appeal to me at the time.

I wish I could recall exactly what instigated this interest in it now. I'm ready to commit, but like most things, I should try this in moderation. Committing to a lifetime is completely overwhelming and not achievable for someone who's never tried this before. Perhaps committing for a specific length of time is actually sustainable.

I've been interested for the past couple years in the Anti-Inflammatory Diet, as developed by Andrew Weil, MD. This diet seems much like the Eating Clean diet, as Dr. Weil's big on fresh seasonal freggies, whole grains, and no artificial ingredients.

I don't consume much on the "avoid" list. (See this list of the 14 ingredients to avoid.) The only time I eat anything with coconut oil, as I just found out thanks to a November 2009 exposé, is when I have popcorn at AMC Theaters, which is maybe three to four times a year. I rarely use my husband's butter substitute, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light, which is made from nondescript vegetable oils, except when baking treats. Unfortunately, on some weekends that's more than I should!

Yet, the goal to completely eliminate high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from my diet has prevented me in the past from committing 100%. I do love my Cherry Coke as a treat (and on bad weeks, nearly every day), and I do love hot fudge from time to time on strawberry frozen yogurt. Both of which, of course, are made from HFCS. Plus, it's also found in barbecue sauce, which is another one of my faves!

But I was thinking today about how I need another challenge, something to dedicate myself to and something that'd *spark* weight loss. Over the past couple years, in an effort to figure out what in my diet was causing severe abdominal pain with gas and bloating, I've tried a gluten free diet for a few weeks at a time and had great success. Eating less simple carbs, specifically anything with gluten in it, always led to a 4 to 5 lb weight loss. I do love me some baked goods, so staying away from them does the body good. And when I do stay away from HFCS and stick with natural sweeteners, I find I no longer crave nor like the taste of HFCS.

What I could improve:

• Instead of eating a sugary snack, especially those packaged, eat a piece of fruit or drink a fruit smoothie. I did purchase clementines and honeycrisp apples specifically for this reason.

• Explore the world of Asian mushrooms. My husband and I do love these in Thai food, so I think it'd be relatively easy to incorporate them into the meals I prepare at home.

• Replace chai with herbal or green tea. This one will be more of a challenge at work, since we only have a microwave to heat water. Microwaving a cup of water grosses me out--I'm convinced I can taste food that's been heated in the microwave. So perhaps a separate hot water heater that I buy and donate to our clinic lounge would work best for me.

• Compare the packaged Quaker High Fiber Instant Oatmeal I eat daily to oatmeal that I'd prepare myself. Is fresh oatmeal really better than packaged? Is this something I could truly to commit to time-wise?

•  Decrease my sodium intake. I've always been concerned about how much sodium I intake, as my dad has high blood pressure and his parents died of cardiovascular disease. My blood pressure has always been normal, 120/80, and last week when my doctor's medical assistant checked it, it was 110/54. (And that was in spite of being slightly agitated with the doctor. Yay for the health benefits of exercise!) I've noticed that though I'm concerned about sodium, I often have too much of it, despite never cooking with it or adding it to any food I prepare at home. Last week I averaged 2901 mg per day of sodium, when the highest level should be 2300 mg per day. Goes to show just how much I get from packaged food and food prepared in restaurants. By ridding myself of packaged food, the amount of sodium I intake will naturally decrease.

• Pack my lunch. Admittedly, over the past couple weeks, I've slacked on this. And if I do pack my lunch, it's a Lean Cuisine, which is high in sodium. So I need to start packing healthy lunches, complete with a good entree or sandwich and at least 2 servings of freggies.

• Seek out others who are eating clean and/or the anti-inflammatory diet. I've been browsing the SparkTeams and considering joining the Eating Clean SparkTeam. I do need a team with challenges and goals I can track. I'm also thinking of starting my own SparkTeam, as I noticed that no Anti-Inflammatory Diet teams currently exist.

Now it's time to consider how long I'll commit and when I'll start. It's tempting to start today, but I've gotta tell you, the thought of throwing out soda entirely leaves me sad and a little anxious. I haven't even had a drop of soda in several days, yet the thought of eliminating it completely unnerves me. Go figure.

What I can commit to starting today through Dec. 31 is the following:

• Pack my lunch 4x per week. If and when I eat out for lunch, eat only *natural* foods that are freshly prepared. That means no Sun Chips.

• No sugary snacks on weekdays. Only fresh fruit and/or fruit smoothies.

• No packaged foods or drinks. Specifically, no Lean Cuisines, no packaged cookie mixes, no chicken and apple sausage (!), no soda. All food has to be made by someone and not come from a box, can, or bottle. (Canned mandarin oranges and packaged fresh spinach for my salad are the exceptions.)

• Start a support network with the Anti-Inflammatory Diet SparkTeam.

What about you? Have you ever tried a Clean Eating or Anti-Inflammatory Diet? How beneficial (or detrimental) do you consider this diet?