Changing my diet

 I woke up in the early hours with my back really killing me again.  Since I couldn't get into a comfortable position lying any which way, I got up and sat in my recliner chair....it's firm and supportive, not a squishy one.  We've got into the habit of eating too many carbs lately (bread, potatoes, rice and pasta, mainly) and I know carbs don't do me any good, I'm sure they make my joints ache more - they certainly make me feel sluggish.  So I googled anti-inflammatory foods (may as well make use of my sleeplessness!) - basically, the Mediterranean diet....more veg, some fruits (berries mainly), pulses, wholegrain foods, nuts & seeds, oily fish, chicken and olive oil.  So for a couple of weeks at least (as long as I can maintain it, basically), I'm going to give it a try.  No bread at all, wholegrain pasta or brown basmati rice perhaps once a week, no potatoes, no breakfast cereals....not that I'm much of a breakfast eater, but I do occasionally have cereal.  I've also got into the habit of drinking more coffee - I have those sachets of frothy coffee, decaff unsweetened Nescafe Gold cappuccino being my favourite.  I used to have 1 or 2 a day, now it's more likely to be 3 or 4.  Whilst they're supposedly unsweetened, they do contain glucose, milk and carbs, so aren't particularly low in calories, carbs or fat.

So now I'm going to change things.  On the occasions when I feel like breakfast, I'll have overnight oats with soya milk, nuts and seeds and some berries....obviously that means I have to prepare it the night before - if I don't actually feel like eating it the next morning, then it'll keep in the fridge till the next day.  If I don't want breakfast, then I'll have a glass of soya milk or half-and-half apple juice and water.  Oh, and instead of my early morning first cup of cappuccino, I'm going to have a cup of Earl Grey with clementines (thanks Joy, I got some yesterday and had it this morning, lovely).  I shall also try only having 1 cappuccino per day, drinking the Earl Grey or water instead - I do drink lots of water anyway.

Lunches will be eggs or fish, either fresh smoked mackerel, or tinned mackerel, tuna or sardines, with salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.  Or homemade soup - lentil, split pea or vegetable.

For dinners we'll stick to our usual regime - 3 days meat, 2 days fish, 2 days vegetarian.....but with no potatoes, plenty of green veg and only wholegrain pasta or rice once a week.

Hopefully, this will help me lose a bit of weight, along with reducing the inflammation in my joints.  I'll try and keep up the short gentle walks daily, or if it's raining will try using my exercise bike again - I'd stopped because it was hurting my back.

Husband is happy to go along with my preferred meals, although he'll get his own breakfasts - toast or cereal, most likely.  He'll probably also have bread or wraps with his lunch.  Although he could do with losing weight (he often complains about his weight, but does nothing about it, he's got a big appetite), he doesn't suffer with inflamed joints like I do.