Diet choices, wise choices... or Going out, staying fit.

My first hurdle in the first month of my challenge came today. Namely - how do you ensure that you keep your diet choices healthy and beneficial for you, when travelling, going out, being far from home, and so on? 

Last year was all about travel for me. 2014 was the year of the Horse - and boy, didn't this pony have to travel a lot! Commuting by over-crowded trains, hopping on and off inter-city coaches, setting up camp in rented accommodation and scouring strange sandwich shops or cafes for a (very) late evening substitution for dinner. And whilst it may have been an exciting time in many respects, it would have hardly done oodles of good to my overall health. 

The biggest culprit messing up the usual healthy eating style (for me personally) is dining out. Sometimes it feels a tad rude and joyless scouring the menu endlessly for the healthiest option, so you just pick whatever looks familiar, and voila! And then, of course, the desire to try something new and exotic... 

Overhauling my diet plan this year, my strategy when faced with a multitudinous array of temptations on an evening out is to look through the menu and immediately pick out the healthiest option (which I may not otherwise order). After all, it's fun to try new stuff rather than settling for old favourites! And no, it's not about eating salad all the time. If you have very specific diet goals, you can then scan the menu and at once see what would suit you best. 

My food goals for this year are:

• Less sugar (or cut down on it completely)
• Be mindful about gluten and white carbs 
• Go vegetarian whenever possible
• Ensure the portions are smaller 

So, it is all about tiny changes. Choosing figs in cinnamon syrup over a creamy fat slice of cake; a vegetable curry instead of lamb; no need to feel deprived and miserable, but doing infinitely better for my body. 

By the way, now it's middle of winter, opting for a salad is not necessarily the best option there is. With my northern ancestry, I have only been too aware that if we are in the northern hemisphere instead of a sunny beach in Thailand, food which is actually cooked (and warm) may in the long run do better for your metabolism. No need to reach for pizza either - just order that gluten-free vegetable lasagne, drink some herbal tea, and brave the colds with smugness.