Last night at dinner we discovered that, according to Belle, there are 22 letters in the alphabet — many of the usual suspects and a tongue-twisting “elemenopee” in the middle. We didn’t do flash cards or ten books a day with our second-born and halfway through sausages and spaghetti we realised that maybe we had been a bit remiss. The LH demanded paper and scissors and assembled letters in a flash. We then spent half an hour in stitches as we sang our ABCs and tested Belle to see what she knew. She’s hard to test though as she thinks it’s hysterically funny to get it wrong. By the time the kids were splashing in the bath I thought that elemenopee was actually quite a good letter, the multitasker of the alphabet.

When Chloe was born and we became parents overnight I think it’s safe to say that we both felt the pressure. We’d been through other rites of passage before — becoming an adult, becoming a spouse — but those were much easier. I mean, no one was actually going to die if we messed it up. Becoming parents and realising we had a living, breathing, amazingly cute but overwhelming responsibility was quite the eye-opener. Throw in a healthy dose of sleep-deprivation and we were in a spin. But, committed to giving Chloe every opportunity out there, we broke out the flash cards as soon as she could hold them. Could she recite her alphabet and write her name early on? You bet!

And then came Belle. We would have felt guilty about the lack of baby education except we didn’t have time. Demanding jobs, piles of laundry, the daily juggle of work-life appointments, dinner prep, lunch boxes …. the list goes on doesn’t it? And last night I could have felt guilty about the alphabet, except, it doesn’t really matter does it? The beauty of becoming parents for the second time is that you get to ride the rollercoaster again without quite so much worry. Because we all know that they catch up eventually. I read a great statistic the other day too, that conversation around the dinner table is an even better vocab booster than reading. So burn the books (just kidding)!

All this did make me think though, that it’s so easy to overcomplicate life in every area — with healthy eating being no exception. I get asked lots of questions about maca, moringa, acai and just about every other superfood out there and yet we still often overlook the basics. So if you want to boost your nutrition, make sure you are doing these things first before getting into the more complex stuff. Here are five easy ways to clean up your diet today!

1. Ditch the soda and sugary drinks

I know, I know you’ve heard all this before, but it’s seriously important. The sugar in our diets is a huge factor when it comes to chronic health problems. Healthy eating has to start somewhere and ironically it often starts with what we are drinking. Sodas, juices and other sweet drinks can dump a whopping 22 teaspoons of sugar into your bloodstream — which puts pressure on your pancreas (ultimately contributing to type 2 diabetes) and triggering weight gain for the majority. Artificial sweeteners are not the answer as they perpetuate sugar cravings and stress your detoxification pathways, so it’s water, water, water! Herbal teas and naturally flavoured waters such as Hint (Supermart) are OK.

2. Clean up your alcohol

If you are going to drink try and stick to wine or spirits with non-sugary mixers. Unfortunately our beloved Dark n’ Stormies and Rum Swizzles are a deadly combo of high-dose booze and sugar. When it comes to wine, try an organic option as grapes are one of the most heavily sprayed crops when it comes to pesticides. I love the Frey and Stellar Winery options (Supermart too). When it comes to mixers, soda water is your best bet. It’s easy to mistake tonic water for a less sugary, more grown-up option but both the Schweppes and Canada Dry brands are sweetened with tons of high fructose corn syrup. Try fever-tree or Q tonic water (Miles) instead.

3. Buy non-GMO

We have been exposed to a massive amount of genetically-engineered food without knowing it, particularly when it comes to corn, soy, canola and sugar beet. Many argue that the GMOs that we consume either directly or indirectly (via animals that have been fed GMO grain) have not been proven to be safe, especially in the quantity and combination that we consume them. The most worrying aspect is that GMO grains often have pesticides bred into the seed — so there is no way you are washing them off. For more information read Michael Pollan’s ‘In Defense of Food’. To avoid GMOs (which are not legally required to be labelled in America) try and buy items that have the non-GMO project seal of approval.

4. Fill your plate with veggies

Vegetables provide you with the antioxidants and fibre that boost your immune system and prevent chronic disease. But when you fill up on veggies it’s not just about what you ARE eating, it’s about what you are NOT eating too. If you eat more veg you will have less refined carbs and less room for dessert. A win-win situation!

As fresh produce can be expensive, rest assured that frozen veg is still very nutritious — just try and steam it rather than boil it to avoid nutrient depletion.

5. Get enough sleep!

This one is indirect. Research shows us that when we sleep we produce a chemical called Leptin. When we don’t get enough sleep, our Leptin levels fall low and cause us to crave sugary carbs and stimulants. So, get more sleep, crave less crap — especially crave less sugary stuff. Aim for at least seven hours a night but note that there comes a point when enough is enough. If you are not well rested after seven to eight hours a night, it’s worth discussing with your doctor just to rule out any other health concerns.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the managing director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a registered dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda