Day 37-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, banana and rice milk. Green tea.
Morning snack: None.
Lunch: A ham and cheese toastie on rye bread. Mint and ginger tea.
Afternoon snack: A chai tea with honey and rice milk, half a blueberry muffin.
Dinner: Joshi's chicken and fresh herb pesto (see below) with gluten free pasta and a sprinkling of feta cheese.
After dinner snack:Lemon and ginger tea with honey, another half a muffin.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 3 hours of heavy gardening (mixing cement, moving heavy rocks, digging etc).
Sleep: About 8 hours, woke up once.
Had a great day in the garden today, really got a lot done. My retaining wall is starting to look like a wall all of a sudden, after months of preparation! Yay! I also transplanted a bunch of plants to make a new hedge, which looks great.
Unfortunately I was so busy working outside that I forgot to have a morning snack, so I was starving at lunch and demolished a ham and cheese grilled sandwich in about 3 seconds flat. Then I was unable to resist a blueberry muffin that my Aunt brought when she came to visit not long after.... ahhh...
Still, not too bad a day and I think that all of that exercise in the garden probably made up for the calories at least.
For dinner we tried Joshi's Chicken and fresh herb pesto. Not too keen to be honest, just seemed to be missing something, not salty enough maybe. The fresh herbs were nice though.
Chicken and Fresh Herb Pesto-
Ingredients:
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 1&1/2 tbsp of lemon zest
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
- 2 tbsp fresh continental parsley
- 1/2 a cup of olive oil
- chicken
- We also used gluten free pasta and feta cheese.
Add the first 6 ingredients to a blender/food processor.
Add oil until a paste forms.
Cook pasta as per directions on packet.
Cook chicken in a frying pan. Add the pesto.
Add the cooked pasta.
Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Saturday, 29 June 2013
Day 36-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: 2 slices of normal grainy bread, 1 with peanut butter, 1 with butter and marmalade. Green tea.
Morning snack: A soy latte with 2 sugars.
Lunch: Shared lunch including satay chicken & lamb, feta & spinach gozleme.
Afternoon snack: 1 jam doughnut.
Dinner: Fried rice (brown rice, beans, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, spring onion, ginger, garlic and Maggi seasoning).
After dinner snack: 1 more small slice of birthday cake.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 2 hours of grocery shopping....
Sleep: About 5 1/2 hours, woke up 3 times.
Super tired and drained from the alcohol and rich food yesterday. I certainly didn't help matters by starting the day with regular toast and spreads but I really wanted them. Maybe I had a slight hangover. Also had too much sugar due to being really tired. I didn't want to get on the scales this morning because I knew what would happen, but I did and I am 100kg on the dot...argh! So five weeks into the detox and I am 9kg lighter and feel better, but I am no better off than I was 2 weeks ago....
I only have one week left on the Maintenance Plan and I am really going to do what I can to stick to it this week, more sleep, more exercise, healthy eating, no caffeine or alcohol and I am hoping to lose weight by the end of the week. Wish me luck..!
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: 2 slices of normal grainy bread, 1 with peanut butter, 1 with butter and marmalade. Green tea.
Morning snack: A soy latte with 2 sugars.
Lunch: Shared lunch including satay chicken & lamb, feta & spinach gozleme.
Afternoon snack: 1 jam doughnut.
Dinner: Fried rice (brown rice, beans, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, spring onion, ginger, garlic and Maggi seasoning).
After dinner snack: 1 more small slice of birthday cake.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 2 hours of grocery shopping....
Sleep: About 5 1/2 hours, woke up 3 times.
Super tired and drained from the alcohol and rich food yesterday. I certainly didn't help matters by starting the day with regular toast and spreads but I really wanted them. Maybe I had a slight hangover. Also had too much sugar due to being really tired. I didn't want to get on the scales this morning because I knew what would happen, but I did and I am 100kg on the dot...argh! So five weeks into the detox and I am 9kg lighter and feel better, but I am no better off than I was 2 weeks ago....
I only have one week left on the Maintenance Plan and I am really going to do what I can to stick to it this week, more sleep, more exercise, healthy eating, no caffeine or alcohol and I am hoping to lose weight by the end of the week. Wish me luck..!
Day 35-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with, psyllium husks, lecithin and rice milk. Green tea.
Morning snack: A soy latte with 2 sugars and a chocolate.
Lunch: A shared tasting plate including lamb kofta, salt and pepper calamari, olives, feta, salami, orange, soy and ginger duck and turkish bread. Pork belly on potato mash with apple and red cabbage. 1 glass of red wine.
Afternoon snack: Not necessary.
Dinner: Spiced chicken (turmeric, cumin seeds, cinnamon, salt and black pepper) with salad (baby spinach leaves, grated orange and purple carrot, sunflower seeds, pepitas, chia seeds, flaxseed oil, lemon juice) and pilaf (brown rice, brown lentils, coriander, toasted slivered almonds, finely sliced spring onion, sultanas and grated carrot) with a little yoghurt dressing. 1/2 a glass of red wine.
After dinner snack: 1 small slice of birthday cake (an icecream cake, mainly chocolate and cherry & coconut icecream) 1 glass of champagne.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: not really.
Sleep: About 7 hours, woke up once.
Well, today was my husband's birthday and so all detox rules were null and void for the day, as predicted. I didn't go too wild though, I had to drive home from the city after lunch so I could only have one glass of wine then and I wasn't really that keen on the red we had with dinner, so only had about another half a glass. Breakfast and dinner were actually completely in line with the detox. My morning snack, lunch and after dinner snack were not, but hey, it was a birthday. No exercise really either, but we did spend a great day out together, had a lovely time at the exhibition and talked for hours, all whilst Grandma was babysitting, brilliant!
Not much to say about today, only that perhaps I had intended to be back into my favourite dress for today, but I didn't even try it on. I was pretty sure it still wouldn't fit. My husband however, wore one of his favourite shirts that had been getting really tight around the belly and the arms and it now is not at all tight, so he's lost a fair bit of weight. He's scared he's losing muscle mass and has vowed to start doing weights again. I really do have to make some kind of commitment to exercise more. Maybe I'll book it into my diary or something...
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with, psyllium husks, lecithin and rice milk. Green tea.
Morning snack: A soy latte with 2 sugars and a chocolate.
Lunch: A shared tasting plate including lamb kofta, salt and pepper calamari, olives, feta, salami, orange, soy and ginger duck and turkish bread. Pork belly on potato mash with apple and red cabbage. 1 glass of red wine.
Afternoon snack: Not necessary.
Dinner: Spiced chicken (turmeric, cumin seeds, cinnamon, salt and black pepper) with salad (baby spinach leaves, grated orange and purple carrot, sunflower seeds, pepitas, chia seeds, flaxseed oil, lemon juice) and pilaf (brown rice, brown lentils, coriander, toasted slivered almonds, finely sliced spring onion, sultanas and grated carrot) with a little yoghurt dressing. 1/2 a glass of red wine.
After dinner snack: 1 small slice of birthday cake (an icecream cake, mainly chocolate and cherry & coconut icecream) 1 glass of champagne.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: not really.
Sleep: About 7 hours, woke up once.
Well, today was my husband's birthday and so all detox rules were null and void for the day, as predicted. I didn't go too wild though, I had to drive home from the city after lunch so I could only have one glass of wine then and I wasn't really that keen on the red we had with dinner, so only had about another half a glass. Breakfast and dinner were actually completely in line with the detox. My morning snack, lunch and after dinner snack were not, but hey, it was a birthday. No exercise really either, but we did spend a great day out together, had a lovely time at the exhibition and talked for hours, all whilst Grandma was babysitting, brilliant!
Not much to say about today, only that perhaps I had intended to be back into my favourite dress for today, but I didn't even try it on. I was pretty sure it still wouldn't fit. My husband however, wore one of his favourite shirts that had been getting really tight around the belly and the arms and it now is not at all tight, so he's lost a fair bit of weight. He's scared he's losing muscle mass and has vowed to start doing weights again. I really do have to make some kind of commitment to exercise more. Maybe I'll book it into my diary or something...
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Day 34-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: 3 small homemade pancakes (wholemeal flour, egg, soy milk) with strawberries, banana and pure maple syrup. Green tea.
Morning snack: About 100g salmon.
Lunch: Chicken laksa (this freezes quite well).
Afternoon snack: A soy latte with 2 tsp sugar, 2 bites of a custard scroll (husband ate the rest) and 1 square of dark chocolate (supermarket tasting).
Dinner: Homemade pizza with chicken, salami, avocado, green olives and bocconcini.
After dinner snack: Lemon and ginger tea with honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 2 hours of housework, 2 hours of shopping.
Sleep: About 3&1/2 hours all up, woke up 4 times (once for two & a half hours).
As you can see my daughter (and I) had a terrible night's sleep. She woke up 3 times between 11:30 and 1:30 then slept until 3:30, when she woke again and said her tummy hurt. Then she asked for a banana. After eating 3/4 of a large banana at 4:30am, she finally went back to sleep about 5:30, I got back to sleep around 6am, to be woken again at 8am. Arrrgh!!
So pancakes were on the agenda first up, they are always a bit of a treat and a pick-me-up. Considering how little sleep I got I am amazed at how little sugar and caffeine I consumed today. Back in the days where nearly every night was like this, I would have had so much of both just to keep me awake enough to function. Here's hoping tonight is better.
Tomorrow is my husband's birthday and we are heading out to the city for the day, a special lunch and an exhibition he's been wanting to see. I have made him an ice-cream cake too, as per his request, so we may as well say that the Detox will be right out the window tomorrow.
Anyway, the rest of those complimentary therapies are:
Hypnotherapy- A hypnotist puts you into a deeply relaxed state and can then either address problems, such as finding the cause for comfort eating, or use the power of suggestion on the subconscious to create positive change. Not sure I'd be into this, I don't think I have emotional food issues, but I think it would be helpful if I did.
Massage and Reflexology- A great way to get the toxins stored in the muscles released and get fresh oxygenated blood flowing freely to all areas again, Joshi recommends hot stone massages. Reflexology is a type of foot massage where parts of the body are mapped on the foot. Massaging a particular area on the foot can help with circulatory problems, digestive disorders, migraine, sinus and hormonal imbalances. When we lived in China I had a therapeutic massage (pummeling) every week. It was brilliant and really loosened me up so I would happily do this again.
Yoga and Pilates- Joshi explains that these wonderful exercises concentrate on the entire body and cleanse it of stress and toxins through increasing suppleness and strength. Yoga assumes that our bodies need to have all of the muscles and organs moved around to free them of toxins. There are lots of different types of yoga, some which hold stretches for several minutes each, some which are dynamic, constantly moving and some which are purely breathing exercises, it is good to try a few different types to find one which suits you. Pilates helps to strengthen core muscles and lengthen limbs. These two can be used together. Personally, I love Yoga, I have tried lots of different types and prefer those where the pose is held for a couple of minutes. The more of this I can do the happier I am.
Joshi also mentions Meditation and Visualisation but I will go into that in depth another day....
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: 3 small homemade pancakes (wholemeal flour, egg, soy milk) with strawberries, banana and pure maple syrup. Green tea.
Morning snack: About 100g salmon.
Lunch: Chicken laksa (this freezes quite well).
Afternoon snack: A soy latte with 2 tsp sugar, 2 bites of a custard scroll (husband ate the rest) and 1 square of dark chocolate (supermarket tasting).
Dinner: Homemade pizza with chicken, salami, avocado, green olives and bocconcini.
After dinner snack: Lemon and ginger tea with honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 2 hours of housework, 2 hours of shopping.
Sleep: About 3&1/2 hours all up, woke up 4 times (once for two & a half hours).
As you can see my daughter (and I) had a terrible night's sleep. She woke up 3 times between 11:30 and 1:30 then slept until 3:30, when she woke again and said her tummy hurt. Then she asked for a banana. After eating 3/4 of a large banana at 4:30am, she finally went back to sleep about 5:30, I got back to sleep around 6am, to be woken again at 8am. Arrrgh!!
So pancakes were on the agenda first up, they are always a bit of a treat and a pick-me-up. Considering how little sleep I got I am amazed at how little sugar and caffeine I consumed today. Back in the days where nearly every night was like this, I would have had so much of both just to keep me awake enough to function. Here's hoping tonight is better.
Tomorrow is my husband's birthday and we are heading out to the city for the day, a special lunch and an exhibition he's been wanting to see. I have made him an ice-cream cake too, as per his request, so we may as well say that the Detox will be right out the window tomorrow.
Anyway, the rest of those complimentary therapies are:
Hypnotherapy- A hypnotist puts you into a deeply relaxed state and can then either address problems, such as finding the cause for comfort eating, or use the power of suggestion on the subconscious to create positive change. Not sure I'd be into this, I don't think I have emotional food issues, but I think it would be helpful if I did.
Massage and Reflexology- A great way to get the toxins stored in the muscles released and get fresh oxygenated blood flowing freely to all areas again, Joshi recommends hot stone massages. Reflexology is a type of foot massage where parts of the body are mapped on the foot. Massaging a particular area on the foot can help with circulatory problems, digestive disorders, migraine, sinus and hormonal imbalances. When we lived in China I had a therapeutic massage (pummeling) every week. It was brilliant and really loosened me up so I would happily do this again.
Yoga and Pilates- Joshi explains that these wonderful exercises concentrate on the entire body and cleanse it of stress and toxins through increasing suppleness and strength. Yoga assumes that our bodies need to have all of the muscles and organs moved around to free them of toxins. There are lots of different types of yoga, some which hold stretches for several minutes each, some which are dynamic, constantly moving and some which are purely breathing exercises, it is good to try a few different types to find one which suits you. Pilates helps to strengthen core muscles and lengthen limbs. These two can be used together. Personally, I love Yoga, I have tried lots of different types and prefer those where the pose is held for a couple of minutes. The more of this I can do the happier I am.
Joshi also mentions Meditation and Visualisation but I will go into that in depth another day....
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Day 33-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: 2 slices of gluten and yeast free bread with avocado, salt and pepper and a sliced boiled egg. Green tea.
Morning snack: 1 soy latte with 2 tsp sugar.
Lunch: Chicken parmigiana with vegetables (carrot, eggplant, zucchini, onion and tomato- mostly just ate the carrot) and thick chips.
Afternoon snack: Another soy latte with 2 tsp sugar.
Dinner: Grilled salmon with vegetables (broccoli, snow peas, cauliflower, orange, yellow and purple carrot).
After dinner snack: Lemon and ginger tea with honey, about 20 almonds.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: About 90 minutes of brisk walking, pushing a tricycle..often uphill...
Sleep: About 9 hours, woke up once.
Overdid it a bit on the coffee today, but I had lunch with friends and we took the kids for a play in the park after so I just kinda got swept up in the enjoyment of both conversation and coffee. The obvious issue with this is not just the caffeine, but the sugar. Must not have so much in future. Lunch was also slightly unhealthy, but not very large and I shared it with my daughter, she is quite happy eating most vegetables thankfully.
Everything else about today was great, and I'm especially happy to have had such a good walk. It was a near thing, I almost decided to take the car because we were running a bit late but I'm glad we walked instead, it was a beautiful sunny day and I feel happily tired as a result, so I will probably sleep quite well tonight.
Joshi has a chapter devoted to Complimentary Therapies, designed to get your body to respond to the Holistic Detox more quickly or efficiently. I am certainly interested enough to look into some of these and I am happy to find that I am already using some of them:
Acupuncture- The ancient Chinese technique of inserting very thin needles under the skin to effect certain points or organs within the body and harmonise the flow of qi (energy) which will encourage the body to heal itself. I have had acupuncture in the past and felt a slight tingle as the needle was moved into position, but it certainly didn't hurt. I would be happy to try this again to see if I can give my 'fatty liver' a helping hand.
Allergy Elimination- Joshi says that most common food allergies are to wheat, gluten and dairy, but there are a number of different methods to test for and treat food allergies. He recommends the Nambudripad allergy elimination technique (NAET) which uses kinesiology to test for functional imbalances and then acupressure to treat them. This sounds really interesting and I would certainly give this a go, I might see if there is anyone in my local area who might provide this test.
Food Intolerance Elimination- It works along the same guidelines as allergy elimination but the intolerance could be due to chemicals used in the production of food rather than the food itself or it could be a sensitivity to a particular food which has developed as a result of overconsumption. Take this food out of your diet completely and then reintroduce it carefully.
Endomology: An intensive massage type procedure performed by a machine. It uses a system of rollers and can help to shift fat in stubborn areas and improve lymphatic draining through a suction device. Recommended for 35-40 minutes, twice a week for 5 weeks. I just Googled this and found that it is available at a number of places in Melbourne, but the least expensive place is $100 per session. Would totally give this a go if I had a spare $1000 kicking around.
There are others that I will list tomorrow...
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: 2 slices of gluten and yeast free bread with avocado, salt and pepper and a sliced boiled egg. Green tea.
Morning snack: 1 soy latte with 2 tsp sugar.
Lunch: Chicken parmigiana with vegetables (carrot, eggplant, zucchini, onion and tomato- mostly just ate the carrot) and thick chips.
Afternoon snack: Another soy latte with 2 tsp sugar.
Dinner: Grilled salmon with vegetables (broccoli, snow peas, cauliflower, orange, yellow and purple carrot).
After dinner snack: Lemon and ginger tea with honey, about 20 almonds.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: About 90 minutes of brisk walking, pushing a tricycle..often uphill...
Sleep: About 9 hours, woke up once.
Overdid it a bit on the coffee today, but I had lunch with friends and we took the kids for a play in the park after so I just kinda got swept up in the enjoyment of both conversation and coffee. The obvious issue with this is not just the caffeine, but the sugar. Must not have so much in future. Lunch was also slightly unhealthy, but not very large and I shared it with my daughter, she is quite happy eating most vegetables thankfully.
Everything else about today was great, and I'm especially happy to have had such a good walk. It was a near thing, I almost decided to take the car because we were running a bit late but I'm glad we walked instead, it was a beautiful sunny day and I feel happily tired as a result, so I will probably sleep quite well tonight.
Joshi has a chapter devoted to Complimentary Therapies, designed to get your body to respond to the Holistic Detox more quickly or efficiently. I am certainly interested enough to look into some of these and I am happy to find that I am already using some of them:
Acupuncture- The ancient Chinese technique of inserting very thin needles under the skin to effect certain points or organs within the body and harmonise the flow of qi (energy) which will encourage the body to heal itself. I have had acupuncture in the past and felt a slight tingle as the needle was moved into position, but it certainly didn't hurt. I would be happy to try this again to see if I can give my 'fatty liver' a helping hand.
Allergy Elimination- Joshi says that most common food allergies are to wheat, gluten and dairy, but there are a number of different methods to test for and treat food allergies. He recommends the Nambudripad allergy elimination technique (NAET) which uses kinesiology to test for functional imbalances and then acupressure to treat them. This sounds really interesting and I would certainly give this a go, I might see if there is anyone in my local area who might provide this test.
Food Intolerance Elimination- It works along the same guidelines as allergy elimination but the intolerance could be due to chemicals used in the production of food rather than the food itself or it could be a sensitivity to a particular food which has developed as a result of overconsumption. Take this food out of your diet completely and then reintroduce it carefully.
Endomology: An intensive massage type procedure performed by a machine. It uses a system of rollers and can help to shift fat in stubborn areas and improve lymphatic draining through a suction device. Recommended for 35-40 minutes, twice a week for 5 weeks. I just Googled this and found that it is available at a number of places in Melbourne, but the least expensive place is $100 per session. Would totally give this a go if I had a spare $1000 kicking around.
There are others that I will list tomorrow...
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Day 32-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, banana and rice milk. Green tea.
Morning snack: A cup of black tea with a dash of milk, 1/2 a chocolate biscuit.
Lunch: 2 nori rolls (teriyaki chicken, spicy prawn), 1 steamed dim sim, 1/2 a yakitori stick.
Afternoon snack: Carrot sticks.
Dinner: Chicken Laksa (Ayam brand laksa paste and coconut milk, vegetable stock, broccoli, snow peas, cauliflower, carrot, coriander, bean sprouts, sliced chicken)
After dinner snack:Lemon and ginger tea with honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: not really.
Sleep: About 8 hours, woke up once.
Not much to write about today, but a quick recommendation, when I looked through the labels on all of the Laksa Pastes and Coconuts milks, creams, etc, the AYAM brand was the only one with no additives, worth looking for.
I'm very tired today, not really sure why, but I was woken in the middle of a dream this morning and that always seems to bode ill for my energy levels for the day. As a result I'm not going to write much tonight, I'm going to heat up a couple of wheat bags, pop a glass of water on the bedside table, curl up with a good book and try to do a bit of meditation before I fall asleep!
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, banana and rice milk. Green tea.
Morning snack: A cup of black tea with a dash of milk, 1/2 a chocolate biscuit.
Lunch: 2 nori rolls (teriyaki chicken, spicy prawn), 1 steamed dim sim, 1/2 a yakitori stick.
Afternoon snack: Carrot sticks.
Dinner: Chicken Laksa (Ayam brand laksa paste and coconut milk, vegetable stock, broccoli, snow peas, cauliflower, carrot, coriander, bean sprouts, sliced chicken)
After dinner snack:Lemon and ginger tea with honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: not really.
Sleep: About 8 hours, woke up once.
Not much to write about today, but a quick recommendation, when I looked through the labels on all of the Laksa Pastes and Coconuts milks, creams, etc, the AYAM brand was the only one with no additives, worth looking for.
I'm very tired today, not really sure why, but I was woken in the middle of a dream this morning and that always seems to bode ill for my energy levels for the day. As a result I'm not going to write much tonight, I'm going to heat up a couple of wheat bags, pop a glass of water on the bedside table, curl up with a good book and try to do a bit of meditation before I fall asleep!
Monday, 24 June 2013
Day 31-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, honey and rice milk. Green tea.
Morning snack: About 20 almonds, a small glass of carrot and beetroot juice.
Lunch: Miso soup with rice vermicelli and an omelette.
Afternoon snack: A soy latte with 2 tsp sugar and a small piece of cherry coconut slice.
Dinner: Grilled chicken with broccoli and Joshi's parsnip and beet fry (see below).
After dinner snack: Another small piece of cherry coconut slice, lemon and ginger tea with honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 3 hours of gardening (digging, weeding, sweeping, etc).
Sleep: About 7 hours, woke up once.
Had a great day today, everything seemed to flow smoothly and go to plan, which is lovely. Mainly spent the day in the garden with my daughter, she was helping me using her little broom to sweep and her little spade to re-plant and dig with me. We were weeding and she turned to me and said with a 2 year-old's wisdom, "This is really hard work Mum!". But we had fun and it is good to see the results.
I had a pretty decent day diet-wise too, except of course for the obviously non-detox coffee and cherry slice. I really wanted a coffee and have found that switching from cow's milk to soy milk when I order a coffee isn't really a problem, I mean it tastes different, but it's not unpleasant and you get used to it. The cherry slice came free with the coffee, so I couldn't really turn it down, could I?
I finally used my juicer!! Yay! I was disappointed when I realised (I had not thought to check before) that the plug was a Chinese plug and wouldn't fit an Australian socket, but since we lived in China a few years ago, I was lucky enough to still have an adaptor kicking around, so I could use it. The juicer works well, the vegetable juice is...well, interesting. I'm glad it's good for me. Next time I'll add ginger and maybe mint...
Also tried another winning recipe of Joshi's tonight for dinner- Parsnip and Beet Fry, here is the recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 medium beet, unpeeled.
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled and grated.
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp shallots (spring onion) chopped finely
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled (I used fresh thyme)
- fresh thyme sprigs
- (I also crumbled some sheep/goat's feta over the top, yummo!!)
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180C/350F, place beet in a baking tray and bake for an hour until tender.
Fry the shallots in oil, when golden add grated parsnip and dried thyme.
Remove beet from the oven. Allow to cool then peel and grate into the same pan as the parsnip and shallots.
Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme sprigs and serve.
This was a really delicious and simple side-dish, though to be honest, I am not sure why the beet needs to be roasted and then grated and fried, I'm sure it would be fine to just peel and grate it raw before frying it. Either way you end up with a lovely purple hand.
Next time I would probably add another parsnip to the mix and I also added some feta because feta and beetroot are best friends, it was perfect.
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, honey and rice milk. Green tea.
Morning snack: About 20 almonds, a small glass of carrot and beetroot juice.
Lunch: Miso soup with rice vermicelli and an omelette.
Afternoon snack: A soy latte with 2 tsp sugar and a small piece of cherry coconut slice.
Dinner: Grilled chicken with broccoli and Joshi's parsnip and beet fry (see below).
After dinner snack: Another small piece of cherry coconut slice, lemon and ginger tea with honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 3 hours of gardening (digging, weeding, sweeping, etc).
Sleep: About 7 hours, woke up once.
Had a great day today, everything seemed to flow smoothly and go to plan, which is lovely. Mainly spent the day in the garden with my daughter, she was helping me using her little broom to sweep and her little spade to re-plant and dig with me. We were weeding and she turned to me and said with a 2 year-old's wisdom, "This is really hard work Mum!". But we had fun and it is good to see the results.
I had a pretty decent day diet-wise too, except of course for the obviously non-detox coffee and cherry slice. I really wanted a coffee and have found that switching from cow's milk to soy milk when I order a coffee isn't really a problem, I mean it tastes different, but it's not unpleasant and you get used to it. The cherry slice came free with the coffee, so I couldn't really turn it down, could I?
I finally used my juicer!! Yay! I was disappointed when I realised (I had not thought to check before) that the plug was a Chinese plug and wouldn't fit an Australian socket, but since we lived in China a few years ago, I was lucky enough to still have an adaptor kicking around, so I could use it. The juicer works well, the vegetable juice is...well, interesting. I'm glad it's good for me. Next time I'll add ginger and maybe mint...
Also tried another winning recipe of Joshi's tonight for dinner- Parsnip and Beet Fry, here is the recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 medium beet, unpeeled.
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled and grated.
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp shallots (spring onion) chopped finely
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled (I used fresh thyme)
- fresh thyme sprigs
- (I also crumbled some sheep/goat's feta over the top, yummo!!)
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180C/350F, place beet in a baking tray and bake for an hour until tender.
Fry the shallots in oil, when golden add grated parsnip and dried thyme.
Remove beet from the oven. Allow to cool then peel and grate into the same pan as the parsnip and shallots.
Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme sprigs and serve.
This was a really delicious and simple side-dish, though to be honest, I am not sure why the beet needs to be roasted and then grated and fried, I'm sure it would be fine to just peel and grate it raw before frying it. Either way you end up with a lovely purple hand.
Next time I would probably add another parsnip to the mix and I also added some feta because feta and beetroot are best friends, it was perfect.
Sunday, 23 June 2013
Day 30-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: 1 slice of Pharoah toast with avocado, salt and pepper and a poached egg. Green tea.
Morning snack: About 20 almonds.
Lunch: Joshi's chicken curry (recipe below), brown rice with toasted slivered almonds, grated carrot and green beans, 1/2 a piece of fresh garlic naan bread. About 100mls of soft drink.
Afternoon snack: Not necessary.
Dinner: Vegetable stir-fry (orange, purple and yellow carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, spring onion, garlic, ginger) with fried tofu (with lemon juice, salt, chilli and garlic), vermacelli noodles and about a tablespoon of Rogan Josh paste.
After dinner snack: Lemon and Ginger tea with a teaspoon of honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: About 2 hours of gardening and housework.
Sleep: About 8 hours, woke up twice.
I feel much better about my diet today, far healthier, except the naan bread & soft drink. I'm going to have to get back on the Detox far more than I have been, but I'm on track generally. I have bought a different bread, Pharoah bread, very nice, not sure if it is gluten free, but it's certainly much nicer that gluten free bread.
Just looked it up, pharoah is NOT gluten-free but I've found a great website to tell me which grains are from the Whole Grains Council.
I'm not sure if I've mentioned it but Joshi has a stack of really great recipes at the back of his book and I've decided to try out quite a few of them this week.
This is the recipe for the chicken curry we had for lunch. It was the first time I have made a curry from scratch and it was delicious, will definitely be trying this one again:
INGREDIENTS (for 4 servings):
- 8 chicken thighs (skinned)
- 1 cup of soya yoghurt (can't find this so used normal plain bio yoghurt)
- 1 tsp ground ginger (I used fresh)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup of vegetable oil (I used about 1/3 of a cup and that was too much)
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground almonds
- 1 tbsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 cup of shredded coconut
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground mace
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup of warm water
- 1 cup of soy milk
- 1/4 tsp saffron
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
- 1/4 cup of lemon juice
- (I also added 2 tsp salt)
METHOD:
Marinate chicken, yoghurt, ginger, turmeric and garlic for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Fry onions in oil until golden, remove from the pan and set aside.
Fry ground coriander, cumin, almonds, coconut, nutmeg and mace over low heat for 3 mins.
Add these spices and the onions to a blender and blend until the mixture forms a paste, I added water and oil.
Transfer the mixture back to the pan and add the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, stir until combined and remove from the pan.
Add more oil and cook the chicken in the pan, turning until browned, about 20 minutes.
Put the spice paste over the chicken and then pour the remaining yoghurt marinade mixture over the top.
Add warm water and simmer for another 20 minutes.
In a small saucepan warm the soy milk and add the saffron. When warmed through add this to the pan.
Cook until desired consistency and serve. YUM!!!
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: 1 slice of Pharoah toast with avocado, salt and pepper and a poached egg. Green tea.
Morning snack: About 20 almonds.
Lunch: Joshi's chicken curry (recipe below), brown rice with toasted slivered almonds, grated carrot and green beans, 1/2 a piece of fresh garlic naan bread. About 100mls of soft drink.
Afternoon snack: Not necessary.
Dinner: Vegetable stir-fry (orange, purple and yellow carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, spring onion, garlic, ginger) with fried tofu (with lemon juice, salt, chilli and garlic), vermacelli noodles and about a tablespoon of Rogan Josh paste.
After dinner snack: Lemon and Ginger tea with a teaspoon of honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: About 2 hours of gardening and housework.
Sleep: About 8 hours, woke up twice.
I feel much better about my diet today, far healthier, except the naan bread & soft drink. I'm going to have to get back on the Detox far more than I have been, but I'm on track generally. I have bought a different bread, Pharoah bread, very nice, not sure if it is gluten free, but it's certainly much nicer that gluten free bread.
Just looked it up, pharoah is NOT gluten-free but I've found a great website to tell me which grains are from the Whole Grains Council.
I'm not sure if I've mentioned it but Joshi has a stack of really great recipes at the back of his book and I've decided to try out quite a few of them this week.
This is the recipe for the chicken curry we had for lunch. It was the first time I have made a curry from scratch and it was delicious, will definitely be trying this one again:
INGREDIENTS (for 4 servings):
- 8 chicken thighs (skinned)
- 1 cup of soya yoghurt (can't find this so used normal plain bio yoghurt)
- 1 tsp ground ginger (I used fresh)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup of vegetable oil (I used about 1/3 of a cup and that was too much)
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground almonds
- 1 tbsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 cup of shredded coconut
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground mace
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup of warm water
- 1 cup of soy milk
- 1/4 tsp saffron
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
- 1/4 cup of lemon juice
- (I also added 2 tsp salt)
METHOD:
Marinate chicken, yoghurt, ginger, turmeric and garlic for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Fry onions in oil until golden, remove from the pan and set aside.
Fry ground coriander, cumin, almonds, coconut, nutmeg and mace over low heat for 3 mins.
Add these spices and the onions to a blender and blend until the mixture forms a paste, I added water and oil.
Transfer the mixture back to the pan and add the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, stir until combined and remove from the pan.
Add more oil and cook the chicken in the pan, turning until browned, about 20 minutes.
Put the spice paste over the chicken and then pour the remaining yoghurt marinade mixture over the top.
Add warm water and simmer for another 20 minutes.
In a small saucepan warm the soy milk and add the saffron. When warmed through add this to the pan.
Cook until desired consistency and serve. YUM!!!
Day 29-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, honey and rice milk.
Morning snack: Peppermint tea.
Lunch: 1 chicken satay stick without sauce :(
Afternoon snack: Half a muesli bar.
Dinner: 3 slices of pizza.
After dinner snack: 2 dark chocolate tim tams, 2 glasses of red wine.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 40 minutes of Vinyasa Yoga, 20 more minutes of shoveling rock.
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, honey and rice milk.
Morning snack: Peppermint tea.
Lunch: 1 chicken satay stick without sauce :(
Afternoon snack: Half a muesli bar.
Dinner: 3 slices of pizza.
After dinner snack: 2 dark chocolate tim tams, 2 glasses of red wine.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 40 minutes of Vinyasa Yoga, 20 more minutes of shoveling rock.
Sleep: About 7 hours, woke up once.
Wow, what can I say about today? Woke up early enough to do some yoga before anyone else was awake, which is always good. I was running around from one place to another shopping for 3 hours, then we had to drive and collect the 2nd load of rocks from the city. My lower back is slightly sore but not a bad workout again today. My brother came to stay the night, I had a brilliant Indian feast planned using one of the recipes at the back of Joshi's book, but we got stuck in traffic and got back from the city far too late to start cooking curries and dhals. So we got a couple of pizzas...
I was fairly restrained (though it may not look it) when it came to the alcohol and chocolate biscuits, I had 2 glasses and 2 biscuits. My brother and husband finished the rest of the packet and 4 and a half bottles between them!
So, not a good Detox day, and considering it is the end of week 4, I resolve to do much better from now on as I have gained 2 kilos back!!! Arrrgh! So I am back up to 101kg, all other detox related health matters seem fine, though I am sure that I am not getting enough vitamins. Must try that juicer...
To finish off, here are the other health issues that Joshi offers holistic advice on:
Skin Conditions: DUE TO: a number of things cause different conditions- menopause, hormone imbalances, iron deficiency, liver congestion, stress, alcohol, sugar, acidic food, chemicals...the list goes on. TRY TO: basically stick to the detox diet as much as possible, include more dark leafy greens in your diet as they contain sulphur which helps your liver to purify the blood, try yoga and meditate to reduce stress, avoid skin creams, hair products, perfumes, use natural/biodegradable detergents.
Tiredness and Lethargy: DUE TO: Stress, poor diet, consuming alcohol, sleep deprivation, a generally sedentary lifestyle. TRY TO: Cut foods from your diet that are difficult to digest or contain lethargy-causing chemicals (dairy, red meat, refined sugars, alcohol, bread, biscuits, cakes and chocolate), drink more water, exercise more, try to get enough sleep.
Constipation: This was interesting- Joshi said that people are more constipated that they realise and that only one bowel movement a day is not enough. If your body is working efficiently, you should have three or four a day! To achieve this, you are supposed to make sure you drink a lot of water, eat fibrous foods (vegetables, salads, gluten free cereals) and avoid foods that stick to the walls of your digestive system, (red meat, dairy and products containing gluten).
Indigestion: DUE TO: Eating too much or too quickly, meat, dairy, alcohol and fruit, increased acidity within the gut, foods that produce too much gas, a blockage of dry foods or it could be something more serious. TRY TO: Slow down, chew your food a lot, eat less food more often, avoid foods that seem to trigger indigestion.
Heartburn: Stomach acids irritating the valve that closes between the stomach and the oesophagus to when digesting food, causing it to open and acid to come into the wind pipe. TRY TO: Avoid spicy food, sugary foods, dairy, beer, fermented foods, red meat, fried food. Taking too many painkillers can also cause heartburn.
Insomnia: DUE TO: Stress, anxiety, eating late at night, alcohol, coffee, tea. TRY TO: Avoid stimulants and alcohol, exercise more, do yoga, and meditate, read before bed, write down concerns so as not to take them to bed, try camomile tea, and in extreme cases herbal supplements such as valerian or rhodiola will help to calm.
Mood swings: DUE TO: Chemical imbalances TRY TO: Avoid alcohol, sugars, caffeine and processed foods which contain preservatives and chemical additives.
Friday, 21 June 2013
Day 28-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, honey and rice milk.
Morning snack: 2 (homemade) apple and cinnamon mini muffins. Peppermint tea.
Lunch: 2 small squares of spinach and feta pie, 1 small triangle sandwich, 1 slice of sweet bun. Peppermint tea.
Afternoon snack: A handful of nuts and seeds. Half a banana.
Dinner: 4 dumplings. Pumpkin soup. Peppermint tea.
After dinner snack: 3 squares of dark chocolate, 2 glasses of red wine.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 40 minutes of shoveling rock.
Sleep: About 9 hours, woke up twice.
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, honey and rice milk.
Morning snack: 2 (homemade) apple and cinnamon mini muffins. Peppermint tea.
Lunch: 2 small squares of spinach and feta pie, 1 small triangle sandwich, 1 slice of sweet bun. Peppermint tea.
Afternoon snack: A handful of nuts and seeds. Half a banana.
Dinner: 4 dumplings. Pumpkin soup. Peppermint tea.
After dinner snack: 3 squares of dark chocolate, 2 glasses of red wine.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 40 minutes of shoveling rock.
Sleep: About 9 hours, woke up twice.
We had mother's group again today, hence the inability to resist the mini muffins and the sweet bun. But it was lovely to catch up with everyone and share all of the crazy and endearing things that our children have done in the past week.
After that though, it was another long drive to the city to collect some material from my former sewing teacher and some scoria that had come up on freecycle. It is perfect for my retaining wall, so we headed out there and spent 40 minutes shoveling rocks into the back of the ute. Wow, what a workout that is, no good for your back but good exercise. I brought my daughter's little spade and she had fun helping. Anyway, I have to go back and do it all again tomorrow as I could only fit half of it in one trip.
I have found (probably as a result of eating things with wheat and sugar in them) that I am really bloated tonight. Joshi has devoted a chapter to particular ailments and various holistic methods for easing them. Some of it seems to be common sense, but there is also some really good advice. Here is the first half of them:
Joint aches and pains- DUE TO- a more sedentary lifestyle, poor/acidic diet, little or no exercise- TRY TO- exercise, have massages, stretch, visit saunas, drink lots of water and change your diet to something less acidic.
Bloating- DUE TO- eating gassy foods or increased fluid intake- TRY TO- avoid raw vegetables and salads, chickpeas, baked beans, kidney beans, sugary food and fizzy drinks.
Headaches- DUE TO- eye strain, tiredness, stress, low blood sugar, dehydration- TRY TO- take breaks when working on the computer, eat regularly, drink 2 litres of water a day, make sure that your glasses are the right prescription, have an eye test, avoid coffee, chocolate and other acid-forming foods.
Weight problems- TRY TO- focus on improving health rather than losing weight. If you eat properly and exercise, the weight should come off easily.
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Day 27-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin and rice milk. Green tea.
Morning snack: A banana.
Lunch: Miso soup with rice vermicelli and an egg yolk (hard boiled).
Afternoon snack: A handful of nuts and seeds. Detox tea.
Dinner: Chicken curry with saffron flavoured brown rice and vegetables (cauliflower, purple carrot and snow peas).
After dinner snack: 3 squares of dark chocolate, detox tea.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: None.
Sleep: About 8 hours, woke up twice, for about 1/2 an hour each time
A much more relaxing day today, we just hung out at home except for a quick trip to the shops to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables, followed by a play in the park. I'm noticing that my vegetable intake is nothing like as much as it should be and I'm planning to sort that out as of tomorrow, lots more vege on the agenda. I still have to try out my juicer too.
So, Ayurvedic Practice.
Ayurveda is the traditional holistic medicine of India, Joshi explains that the point of Ayurvedic Practice is to achieve a healthy balance between mind, body and soul. As it is a holistic method, it takes into account your emotional and mental well-being when assessing or treating a physical ailment, as opposed to just treating the symptoms of the physical ailment. He says that at the heart of Ayurveda is the creation of harmony and that normally an Ayurvedic physician would assess a person by assessing them physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and culturally. However, Joshi has some charts and other methods which are supposed to help with self-assessment.
He states that the philosophy of Ayurveda is based on the idea that everything in the universe is made up of five elements, earth, water, fire, air and ether. The idea is (if I have understood this correctly) that in our bodies there are three metabolic types or 'doshas' and we are all predominantly one or two of these types. When you have figured out which type, or types, you are, then you are supposed to follow certain guidelines when it comes to food, exercise, etc to ensure that your health is always at its best.
The three doshas are Vata, Kapha and Pitta and they are all in charge of various parts and functions within the body. Vata governs motion and movement, responsible for the air and liquids within our body, Kapha governs the phlegm and mucus and gives the body form with muscle, fat bone and sinew, Pitta governs digestion, metabolism, temperature, intellect, vision and other things.
There is a great chart which you are supposed to complete to figure out your type and then you are supposed to look up all of the advice for that dosha. This is about where it all becomes a bit too hard for me, I seem to mainly be a combination of two doshas that seem to have completely opposing advice (Kapha and Pitta), so yeah, the whole idea seems very interesting, but I think if I wanted to go down this track I would be getting a professional assessment rather than trying to do it myself.
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin and rice milk. Green tea.
Morning snack: A banana.
Lunch: Miso soup with rice vermicelli and an egg yolk (hard boiled).
Afternoon snack: A handful of nuts and seeds. Detox tea.
Dinner: Chicken curry with saffron flavoured brown rice and vegetables (cauliflower, purple carrot and snow peas).
After dinner snack: 3 squares of dark chocolate, detox tea.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: None.
Sleep: About 8 hours, woke up twice, for about 1/2 an hour each time
A much more relaxing day today, we just hung out at home except for a quick trip to the shops to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables, followed by a play in the park. I'm noticing that my vegetable intake is nothing like as much as it should be and I'm planning to sort that out as of tomorrow, lots more vege on the agenda. I still have to try out my juicer too.
So, Ayurvedic Practice.
Ayurveda is the traditional holistic medicine of India, Joshi explains that the point of Ayurvedic Practice is to achieve a healthy balance between mind, body and soul. As it is a holistic method, it takes into account your emotional and mental well-being when assessing or treating a physical ailment, as opposed to just treating the symptoms of the physical ailment. He says that at the heart of Ayurveda is the creation of harmony and that normally an Ayurvedic physician would assess a person by assessing them physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and culturally. However, Joshi has some charts and other methods which are supposed to help with self-assessment.
He states that the philosophy of Ayurveda is based on the idea that everything in the universe is made up of five elements, earth, water, fire, air and ether. The idea is (if I have understood this correctly) that in our bodies there are three metabolic types or 'doshas' and we are all predominantly one or two of these types. When you have figured out which type, or types, you are, then you are supposed to follow certain guidelines when it comes to food, exercise, etc to ensure that your health is always at its best.
The three doshas are Vata, Kapha and Pitta and they are all in charge of various parts and functions within the body. Vata governs motion and movement, responsible for the air and liquids within our body, Kapha governs the phlegm and mucus and gives the body form with muscle, fat bone and sinew, Pitta governs digestion, metabolism, temperature, intellect, vision and other things.
There is a great chart which you are supposed to complete to figure out your type and then you are supposed to look up all of the advice for that dosha. This is about where it all becomes a bit too hard for me, I seem to mainly be a combination of two doshas that seem to have completely opposing advice (Kapha and Pitta), so yeah, the whole idea seems very interesting, but I think if I wanted to go down this track I would be getting a professional assessment rather than trying to do it myself.
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Day 26-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: 1 slice of gluten and yeast free toast with avocado, salt and pepper and a sliced boiled egg. Green tea.
Morning snack: Raw nut mix (Cashews, brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts). Peppermint tea.
Lunch: Burger patty and salad.
Afternoon snack: 3 strawberries, 1 liqueur cherry chocolate.
Dinner: ***am embarrassed to write this*** KFC zinger burger and about 20 chips!!! EEEK!!
After dinner snack: 3 squares of dark chocolate, detox tea.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: None.
Sleep: About 7 hours, woke up twice, once for 2 hours though....
Have you aver had a day where nearly everything seems to be just off balance? Well I had one of those days today.
We had a big day planned with a trip to the airport to collect my mother-in-law (about a 2 hour drive) with some shopping on the way to break up the trip, then driving to my mother-in-law's house (another 2 hour drive) to have dinner, give my daughter a bath & put her in her PJ's and then come home (1 hour). HUGE day and we had an extra adventure to boot.
I was up early, chopping salads, putting soup in a thermos, packing heaps of snacks, clothes, etc. Sadly, soup and salad are not particularly easy foods to eat whilst you're driving. I managed to have some tea and salad when we stopped to go shopping, as my daughter had fallen asleep on the way, but she woke up before I could get to the soup. We went shopping for an hour, great chance for her to run around. I managed to get the sports bra I need, YAY! Exercise DVD's will be much easier now. The ladies in the store were excellent and pretended to fit my daughter with the smallest bra they could find when she insisted that she wanted to try on a bra too "like Mummy!"...arrrgh! 2 year-olds!
Then we headed to the airport, I missed the turn-off and had to wait another 5 km's before I could turn back...once we get to the airport, my daughter says there is something in her nose. I asked if she needed a tissue and she said no, so, confused, I asked her what was in her nose and she said 'mandarin'...! Sure enough, a close inspection revealed a large piece of mandarin rind that she had pushed as far into her right nostril as she could manage. Arrrggh! I had no chance of getting it out without tweezers, so I thought I'd buy some in an airport chemist. We met my mother-in-law and she said she had some tweezers in her luggage, so we grabbed that and a chocolate frog to use as bribery to get my daughter to stay still while I tried to get the rind out of her nose (I couldn't help getting a chocolate for myself too). It was no good though, I couldn't get it out and so we had to make a detour via the hospital on the way home.
Of course by this point we're all starving and I neither want to stop, nor get my daughter out of the car and try to put her back in again unnecessarily, so we called into a drive-through KFC on the way to the hospital. So much for reverting to the detox foods. I suppose I could have grabbed a grilled chicken wrap instead, but I was hungry and not looking forward to holding a small struggling toddler whilst the doctor pulled something from her nose, so got what I wanted, not what was best for me.
As it turned out, it was a quick and simple process to extricate the offending rind, my daughter stayed still and the doctor gave her a lollipop which she immediately opened and devoured (so much for trying to limit sugar intake).
The rest of the day ran more smoothly, but now I am exhausted and hoping to climb into bed, forget about today's dramas and wake up refreshed and ready to try out my new sports bra tomorrow morning...
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: 1 slice of gluten and yeast free toast with avocado, salt and pepper and a sliced boiled egg. Green tea.
Morning snack: Raw nut mix (Cashews, brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts). Peppermint tea.
Lunch: Burger patty and salad.
Afternoon snack: 3 strawberries, 1 liqueur cherry chocolate.
Dinner: ***am embarrassed to write this*** KFC zinger burger and about 20 chips!!! EEEK!!
After dinner snack: 3 squares of dark chocolate, detox tea.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: None.
Sleep: About 7 hours, woke up twice, once for 2 hours though....
Have you aver had a day where nearly everything seems to be just off balance? Well I had one of those days today.
We had a big day planned with a trip to the airport to collect my mother-in-law (about a 2 hour drive) with some shopping on the way to break up the trip, then driving to my mother-in-law's house (another 2 hour drive) to have dinner, give my daughter a bath & put her in her PJ's and then come home (1 hour). HUGE day and we had an extra adventure to boot.
I was up early, chopping salads, putting soup in a thermos, packing heaps of snacks, clothes, etc. Sadly, soup and salad are not particularly easy foods to eat whilst you're driving. I managed to have some tea and salad when we stopped to go shopping, as my daughter had fallen asleep on the way, but she woke up before I could get to the soup. We went shopping for an hour, great chance for her to run around. I managed to get the sports bra I need, YAY! Exercise DVD's will be much easier now. The ladies in the store were excellent and pretended to fit my daughter with the smallest bra they could find when she insisted that she wanted to try on a bra too "like Mummy!"...arrrgh! 2 year-olds!
Then we headed to the airport, I missed the turn-off and had to wait another 5 km's before I could turn back...once we get to the airport, my daughter says there is something in her nose. I asked if she needed a tissue and she said no, so, confused, I asked her what was in her nose and she said 'mandarin'...! Sure enough, a close inspection revealed a large piece of mandarin rind that she had pushed as far into her right nostril as she could manage. Arrrggh! I had no chance of getting it out without tweezers, so I thought I'd buy some in an airport chemist. We met my mother-in-law and she said she had some tweezers in her luggage, so we grabbed that and a chocolate frog to use as bribery to get my daughter to stay still while I tried to get the rind out of her nose (I couldn't help getting a chocolate for myself too). It was no good though, I couldn't get it out and so we had to make a detour via the hospital on the way home.
Of course by this point we're all starving and I neither want to stop, nor get my daughter out of the car and try to put her back in again unnecessarily, so we called into a drive-through KFC on the way to the hospital. So much for reverting to the detox foods. I suppose I could have grabbed a grilled chicken wrap instead, but I was hungry and not looking forward to holding a small struggling toddler whilst the doctor pulled something from her nose, so got what I wanted, not what was best for me.
As it turned out, it was a quick and simple process to extricate the offending rind, my daughter stayed still and the doctor gave her a lollipop which she immediately opened and devoured (so much for trying to limit sugar intake).
The rest of the day ran more smoothly, but now I am exhausted and hoping to climb into bed, forget about today's dramas and wake up refreshed and ready to try out my new sports bra tomorrow morning...
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Day 25-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, rice milk and honey. Green tea.
Morning snack: 1/2 a small wagon wheel biscuit. Peppermint tea.
Lunch: Miso soup (Organic brown rice miso paste & 1/2 a 'Massel' brand vegetable stock cube) with rice vermicelli noodles.
Afternoon snack: Skim Cafe Latte with 1 sugar and 2 chocolates.
Dinner: Homemade burgers- beef mince with salt, pepper & herbs from the garden, white bread roll, butter, beetroot, feta cheese, rocket, grated carrot, ketchup, mustard.
After dinner snack: Lemon and Ginger tea with honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: None.
Sleep: About 8 hours, woke up twice.
Well, I certainly feel like I have had my 'Day of Decadence', and I'm paying for it alright...
It all started fine with my usual muesli for breakfast, then at playgroup my daughter really wanted a bit of a chocolate biscuit, so I shared one with her. Lunch was fantastic, a tasty, easy and inexpensive option. I'm going to get some seaweed and tofu to have with it next time, yum! But then my husband came home early from work, so we had a lovely afternoon at the art gallery and then went to my favourite chocolate shop for a coffee and a chocolate.
Well, they tasted lovely, after 2 small chocolates though, my body basically screamed "Stop!" it was just way too much sugar. The coffee was delicious and I did get skim milk, but oh boy, the effects! The milk made me feel ill for the rest of the afternoon and the caffeine, well lets just say that my husband and I were speed-talking at each other for the next 2 hours!! Incredible! I used to drink up to 4 of those a day, no wonder I felt like crap! Before I did the detox, it got to the point where the caffeine barely seemed to have any effect, so it was a really strange thing to feel it again.
The dinner, it doesn't seem that bad but, the bread, meat, ketchup and mustard are all banned on the detox, as they are either acidic, likely to cause bloating or difficult to digest. The whole burger just feels like a stone sitting in my stomach at the moment, so yeah I would agree with those projected side-effects.
So what have I learned from this?
- My body does not like milk- I will be asking for soy milk on the very odd occasion that I buy a coffee from now on.
- I have a very low sugar tolerance, which is a good thing- but I still love chocolate!
- Bread is an unnecessary addition to meals, it is too heavy, makes you feel bloated and is probably clogging up my system as we speak.
- I'm going to limit red meat to once a week at the most and make sure that it is good quality-free range, chemical free meat. And a very small portion.
- I can do without ketchup and mustard and probably most condiments generally.
- My daughter can share her chocolate biscuits with someone else from now on...
So there we go, I didn't plan today this way so I will need to write about Ayurvedic practice tomorrow.
As for allowing a greater range of food back into my diet, I think I'm just going to stick as closely to the detox diet as possible and occasionally allow myself the odd little thing not on the 'allowed' list from now on. I actually feel better eating that way.
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, rice milk and honey. Green tea.
Morning snack: 1/2 a small wagon wheel biscuit. Peppermint tea.
Lunch: Miso soup (Organic brown rice miso paste & 1/2 a 'Massel' brand vegetable stock cube) with rice vermicelli noodles.
Afternoon snack: Skim Cafe Latte with 1 sugar and 2 chocolates.
Dinner: Homemade burgers- beef mince with salt, pepper & herbs from the garden, white bread roll, butter, beetroot, feta cheese, rocket, grated carrot, ketchup, mustard.
After dinner snack: Lemon and Ginger tea with honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: None.
Sleep: About 8 hours, woke up twice.
Well, I certainly feel like I have had my 'Day of Decadence', and I'm paying for it alright...
It all started fine with my usual muesli for breakfast, then at playgroup my daughter really wanted a bit of a chocolate biscuit, so I shared one with her. Lunch was fantastic, a tasty, easy and inexpensive option. I'm going to get some seaweed and tofu to have with it next time, yum! But then my husband came home early from work, so we had a lovely afternoon at the art gallery and then went to my favourite chocolate shop for a coffee and a chocolate.
Well, they tasted lovely, after 2 small chocolates though, my body basically screamed "Stop!" it was just way too much sugar. The coffee was delicious and I did get skim milk, but oh boy, the effects! The milk made me feel ill for the rest of the afternoon and the caffeine, well lets just say that my husband and I were speed-talking at each other for the next 2 hours!! Incredible! I used to drink up to 4 of those a day, no wonder I felt like crap! Before I did the detox, it got to the point where the caffeine barely seemed to have any effect, so it was a really strange thing to feel it again.
The dinner, it doesn't seem that bad but, the bread, meat, ketchup and mustard are all banned on the detox, as they are either acidic, likely to cause bloating or difficult to digest. The whole burger just feels like a stone sitting in my stomach at the moment, so yeah I would agree with those projected side-effects.
So what have I learned from this?
- My body does not like milk- I will be asking for soy milk on the very odd occasion that I buy a coffee from now on.
- I have a very low sugar tolerance, which is a good thing- but I still love chocolate!
- Bread is an unnecessary addition to meals, it is too heavy, makes you feel bloated and is probably clogging up my system as we speak.
- I'm going to limit red meat to once a week at the most and make sure that it is good quality-free range, chemical free meat. And a very small portion.
- I can do without ketchup and mustard and probably most condiments generally.
- My daughter can share her chocolate biscuits with someone else from now on...
So there we go, I didn't plan today this way so I will need to write about Ayurvedic practice tomorrow.
As for allowing a greater range of food back into my diet, I think I'm just going to stick as closely to the detox diet as possible and occasionally allow myself the odd little thing not on the 'allowed' list from now on. I actually feel better eating that way.
Monday, 17 June 2013
Day 24-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, rice milk and banana. Green tea.
Morning snack: One of my daughter's Carman's 'Yummo' treats (cannot keep these in the house from now on, they are far too delicious, but at least only 270 kj's). Detox tea.
Lunch: Pumpkin soup with a sprinkling of feta cheese.
Afternoon snack: Pumpkin soup with a sprinkling of feta cheese again.
Dinner: Grilled salmon with vegetables (broccoli, corn, brussel sprouts, carrots).
After dinner snack: Lemon and Ginger tea with honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 1 hour walk, with my husband and daughter, so there were fast and slow bits but there were some pretty steep hills too.
Sleep: About 7 hours, woke up twice.
It was 'Daddy-Daughter Day' today, so after a morning walk my husband and daughter went out for the day so that I could get to work. It was a long walk for my daughter, so we had a lot of breaks and my husband ended up carrying her for much of the time. Still, it felt good to do it rather than stay inside all day. Not a particularly varied diet today either, a bit lazy, but I always get too involved with what I'm doing and can never be bothered with much food preparation when I'm working. Sometimes I forget to eat entirely. Also realise that I should have done the Liver Flush today but forgot...oops...
So, what are the rules for the Maintenance Program? Well, Joshi has already mentioned what might constitute healthy choices at various types of restaurants, so that you can try to ease back into a normal daily routine which is far healthier than before. We don't eat out nearly as much as we used to, but of course, I get the picture, try to stick to the healthy dishes with vegetables and stay away from as many of the 'Foods to Avoid or Reduce' as possible.
Joshi recommends both physical exercise and Ayurvedic practice during the Maintenance program.
He states that "exercise is absolutely crucial to a healthy body and mind, that during this time you should try to increase your level of exercise to encourage the body to use its fat stores rather than looking to muscle for its energy. Exercising decreases the chance that your body will adjust to its new calorie intake and over-compensate, creating a yo-yo dieting effect. If you reduce the amount of calories you ingest but do not increase your exercise rate, your metabolic rate is likely to start to slow down. This can lead to weight gain."
This is a point that I will need to keep in mind, as I would rather lose more weight that gain back what I have already lost without even the excuse of eating badly!!
Joshi also goes on to say that the Detox has encouraged your body to break down fat cells and your liver to eliminate toxins, stimulants and chemicals, so the result is a leaner, healthier, more energised body and mind. But you must keep up your fluid intake, as getting fit is thirsty work!
I am fairly happy with the fact that I am doing any exercise at all, so I would say that my exercise rate is on the increase.
More on Ayurvedic Practice tomorrow....
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: Gluten and wheat free muesli with psyllium husks, lecithin, rice milk and banana. Green tea.
Morning snack: One of my daughter's Carman's 'Yummo' treats (cannot keep these in the house from now on, they are far too delicious, but at least only 270 kj's). Detox tea.
Lunch: Pumpkin soup with a sprinkling of feta cheese.
Afternoon snack: Pumpkin soup with a sprinkling of feta cheese again.
Dinner: Grilled salmon with vegetables (broccoli, corn, brussel sprouts, carrots).
After dinner snack: Lemon and Ginger tea with honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: 1 hour walk, with my husband and daughter, so there were fast and slow bits but there were some pretty steep hills too.
Sleep: About 7 hours, woke up twice.
It was 'Daddy-Daughter Day' today, so after a morning walk my husband and daughter went out for the day so that I could get to work. It was a long walk for my daughter, so we had a lot of breaks and my husband ended up carrying her for much of the time. Still, it felt good to do it rather than stay inside all day. Not a particularly varied diet today either, a bit lazy, but I always get too involved with what I'm doing and can never be bothered with much food preparation when I'm working. Sometimes I forget to eat entirely. Also realise that I should have done the Liver Flush today but forgot...oops...
So, what are the rules for the Maintenance Program? Well, Joshi has already mentioned what might constitute healthy choices at various types of restaurants, so that you can try to ease back into a normal daily routine which is far healthier than before. We don't eat out nearly as much as we used to, but of course, I get the picture, try to stick to the healthy dishes with vegetables and stay away from as many of the 'Foods to Avoid or Reduce' as possible.
Joshi recommends both physical exercise and Ayurvedic practice during the Maintenance program.
He states that "exercise is absolutely crucial to a healthy body and mind, that during this time you should try to increase your level of exercise to encourage the body to use its fat stores rather than looking to muscle for its energy. Exercising decreases the chance that your body will adjust to its new calorie intake and over-compensate, creating a yo-yo dieting effect. If you reduce the amount of calories you ingest but do not increase your exercise rate, your metabolic rate is likely to start to slow down. This can lead to weight gain."
This is a point that I will need to keep in mind, as I would rather lose more weight that gain back what I have already lost without even the excuse of eating badly!!
Joshi also goes on to say that the Detox has encouraged your body to break down fat cells and your liver to eliminate toxins, stimulants and chemicals, so the result is a leaner, healthier, more energised body and mind. But you must keep up your fluid intake, as getting fit is thirsty work!
I am fairly happy with the fact that I am doing any exercise at all, so I would say that my exercise rate is on the increase.
More on Ayurvedic Practice tomorrow....
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