With warmer weather just around the corner, it's time to spring into action.

With warm spring air comes the irresistible urge to clean out your house, your desk and make space in your wardrobe for the new season's style. But don't stop there. Spring cleaning your diet will not only help you be healthier, but also give you more energy. Australia's image as a nation of healthy sporty people was shattered recently when we became the heavyweight champions of the world. New figures revealed that Australians now outweigh Americans, making us the fattest nation in the world.

The report, Australia's Future Fat Bomb, from Melbourne's Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute revealed that latest figures show 4 million Australians - or 26 percent of the adult population - are now obese compared to an estimated 25 percent of Americans. A further 5 million Australians are considered overweight.

If the crisis is not averted, obesity experts have warned, health costs could top $6 billion and an extra 700,000 people will be admitted to hospital for heart attacks, strokes and blood clots caused by excess weight. The report also concluded that this epidemic could cause 123,000 premature deaths over the next two decades.

Exercise, nutrition and education are the three key areas that have been routinely successful in treating obesity. The arrival of spring invites us to clean up our dietary habits by replacing high-fat winter comfort food with healthier alternatives.

Eight ways to spring clean your diet

Follow these steps to lighten up your diet and produce a personal spring within.

Reduce your meal size

It is not uncommon to put on weight during winter - more food, heavier meals, so it's time to make healthier choices. By eating smaller meals more often, you will boost your metabolism and help clean up your diet.

Colour yourself healthy

One of the best ways to spring clean your diet is to add spring colours to your meals. Indulge in fresh fruits and veggies in a wide variety of colours. Choosing fresh berries, melons and leafy greens to mix into your balanced meal will increase your intake of essential vitamins and antioxidants, helps prevent disease and will also increase energy levels.

Keep snacking

A successful diet is not about cutting back on food, it's about eating sensibly throughout the day so you're not starving at the end of the day. Eat five small meals every day including some healthy snacks such as almonds or walnuts and some fruit.

Get fresh

The secret to a flavourful and healing diet, anytime of year but especially in the spring, is to emphasise foods that are as fresh as possible. As the weather turns warmer, add some more raw foods, such as salads, to your diet.

Phase out the toxins

Spring is the season to cleanse and support the liver, the body's main organ for detoxifying all the toxins we accumulate. Antioxidant-rich vegetables and adequate protein are needed for the removal of toxins from the system and enhance the detox process.

Keep meals simple

Steer away from complicated recipes and enjoy the merit of simplicity. Use just a few fresh or seasonal foods and no processed foods to create easy, uncomplicated dishes with gourmet sophistication.

Water yourself

Make a concentrated effort to drink purified water often throughout the day, especially between meals. We need even more water when the body is flushing out excess toxins. Alcohol, sodas and juices don't satisfy the body's need for water; instead, they stress blood sugar and liver function and lead to weight gain.

Get motivated to exercise

With days of bikinis and singlets on the horizon, it's time to exercise more, and why waste time working out if you eat poorly afterwards? If you find you're slow on spring cleaning your diet, try making your way to the gym a couple more times a week. It will motivate you to eat healthier so you're not working out for nothing.

Super foods

Many dietary experts believe that there are certain foods that deserve the title ‘super' - that is, they are specifically outstanding in fighting disease or immune disorders and have a beneficial effect on skin and general appearance. Most experts agree that the following foods should be incorporated into the average diet.

Avocados

Up until a couple of decades ago, avocados had a relatively bad name, thanks to their higher levels of fat than most fruits and vegetables. However, it has since been discovered that this fat is ‘good fat': healthy monounsaturated fatty acids that actually appear to lower ‘bad' cholesterol levels and raise the ‘good' levels. Avocados are also rich in antioxidants, which are thought to slow the body's ageing process by destroying free radicals and slowing oxidation. Antioxidants also reduce allergies and the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Berries

Cranberries, strawberries and blueberries each have their own benefits. Cranberries have long been used to ward off urinary tract infections and are also packed with antioxidants. More recently, it has been discovered that cranberries also contain anti-carcinogenic compounds, which can prevent or delay the development of cancer. Strawberries contain Vitamin C which along with Vitamin E is also an antioxidant, as well as ellagic acid, which contains cancer-fighting properties. And blueberries have Vitamins C and E, in addition to fibre and folic acid, which is of benefit to women who wish to fall pregnant.

Carrots

Your mother was onto something when she said carrots help you see in the dark. Carrots contain beta-carotene, the pigment that forms Vitamin A. As well as being yet another antioxidant, Vitamin A helps promote healthy eyes and has also been linked to cancer prevention. Carrots also have respectable amounts of Vitamins C and E.

Citrus fruits

Citrus fruits contain Vitamin C and flavonoids, which are the best known antioxidants, and also help lower blood pressure and prevent clogged arteries. Kiwifruit is another fruit considered helpful in this respect - as well as Vitamin C, kiwifruit also has lots of enzymes that help fight autoimmune disorders, allergies and cancer.

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is a surprisingly rich source of antioxidants, so indulging occasionally in a small amount of dark chocolate has great health benefits. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, and it is best to look for varieties that have higher percentages of cocoa solids for a better effect.

Garlic

Next time you're worried about garlic breath, keep in mind garlic is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. For centuries, garlic has been considered a cure-all and is said to be able to treat just about every ailment. Garlic is thought to lower cholesterol and blood pressure and may also be helpful in destroying cancer cells.

Green tea

Most types of tea contain the flavonoids called polyphenols, however green tea contains less caffeine than black tea and is also thought to aid digestion and may stimulate the metabolism. Many green tea drinkers also report that drinking a couple of cups a day helps to maintain clear skin.

Mangoes

Mangoes are packed with beta-carotene, flavonoids and Vitamins C and E and are thought to aid the immune system, combat cancer, regulate the thyroid and help digestion. They may also boost memory and help minimise the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Oily fish

Oily fish such as salmon is the best source of essential omega-3 oils, which fight heart disease and improve the texture of the skin and hair. Vegetarians can boost their intake of omega-3 by taking supplementary capsules daily.

Spinach

Leafy green vegetables are an essential part of most diets, and spinach is the best of the bunch. It contains Vitamins A and C and folic acid, as well as magnesium, which is thought to help fight cancer and lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. It also blocks free radicals, which cause signs of ageing on the skin, and may even help prevent the bone disease, osteoporosis.

Diet myths exposed

Although different things work for different people, it is important to separate diet fact from diet fiction.

The best way to lose weight is to avoid eating carbs.

Not exactly. The best way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories while enjoying a nutritious diet that includes a variety of foods. No one particular food group must be avoided to achieve a healthy weight as long as you keep your caloric intake in check. While it is smart to avoid refined carbohydrates as often as possible, foods like bread, rice, pasta, cereal and fruit, can all be part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Genetics ultimately determine your weight.

While research has shown that biological relatives tend to have a similar body weight, that doesn't seal your fate. Those with a family history of obesity may be more likely to gain weight than those with a trimmer family tree, but the most important factors affecting weight are the amount of calories eaten and the amount of physical activity.

It's ok to switch from diet to diet.

While choosing the right diet may be a case of trial and error, yo-yo dieting or weight cycling (meaning you repeatedly lose and then gain back weight) may lead to certain health issues, such as gallbladder problems. Avoid ‘crash diets' that cause a sudden weight loss. A slow and consistent loss is healthier and more likely to be permanent.

Avoid fat

Not at all. Some fats can actually help with weight loss. We all need a little fat in our diets to be healthy. Fat helps the body to absorb important nutrients and to feel fuller longer, which will help you eat less. Enjoy foods like fish, nuts and olive oil.

Skipping meals cuts calories.

It's actually a good way to gain weight since it slows down your metabolism. Meal skippers tend to weigh more than people who eat regular meals, which may be due to their tendency to overeat later in the day to compensate for skipping meals. Rather than cutting out entire meals, shave off a few calories from each meal by controlling portions.

Switching to reduced-fat or fat-free foods helps with weight loss.

Not necessarily. As with all other foods, portion control is the key to losing weight with reduced-fat foods. Light versions may have less fat than their regular counterparts, but they often have as many, or more, calories (some diet foods contain more sugar than the regular versions). Always read and compare nutrition labels when making selections.

Artificial sweeteners instead of sugar help with weight loss.

Several studies have suggested that artificial sweeteners may hinder a diet more than they help. A Purdue University study in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience reported that rats on diets containing the artificial sweetener saccharin overate and gained more weight than rats given sugary food. The study showed there is a direct connection between the taste of food and calorie consumption. Another US study revealed that the brain responds differently to artificial sweeteners and suggested they may undermine the brain's ability to track calories and to determine when to stop eating.

Following a strict diet speeds up your metabolism.

You can't change your metabolism by following a particular diet plan - what will actually cause an increase in your metabolism is exercise. Following a too strict diet can make exercising more difficult. In order to have energy to exercise, you must give your body the fuel it needs. Food is that fuel, and if you follow a fad diet that provides too few calories, you will be too weak to exercise effectively and in the end, your metabolism will stall.

Five little weight-loss tricks

Downsize your dinner plates

Over the past few decades, portion size has ballooned. Studies have found that the less food put in front of you, the less food you'll eat. Conversely, the more food in front of you, the more you'll eat. According to a study at the University of North Carolina, the average hamburger is 23 percent larger today than it was in 1977.

Stick a fork in it

If you prefer your salad dressing on the side, dip your fork into it before stabbing your greens, rather than dipping the whole vegetable. That little manoeuvre could cut hundreds of calories.

Sleep well, lose more

Insufficient sleep appears to increase production of the stress hormone cortisol, which regulates appetite. High levels seem to worsen bingeing and hunger; moreover, too little sleep could keep your body from burning carbohydrates, which translates to more stored body fat.

Drink water

Your body often mistakes thirst for hunger, so staying hydrated means you'll probably also stay satisfied.

Brush your teeth after every meal

Not only does it fight cavities, but brushing serves as a physical and psychological cue to stop eating.

ACSM #41