What a very wet and grey and miserable day we all woke up to! No promise of anything other than rain and cold rain at that.
Breakfast this morning required a little assembly. In the clear bowl is a banana, half of which was mashed and the other half cut in to small chunks. That was mixed with 150 ml hemp seed milk and 15 g white chia seeds and left over night. So by morning it was thick and almost set; it had the consistency of a thick yogurt. In the sieve is 150 g raw buckwheat groats which were soaked in water overnight and then rinsed. In the other bowl is a mango.
I stirred the buckwheat groats in to the milk/banana/chia seeds and served with mango. 
Buckwheat made a change from oats and I really like them. They retain a slight crunch and leave a clean and fresh feeling. I enjoyed this.
We went out for lunch today to Napoli, an Italian restaurant in Westerham. We met Jeremy and Helen and their 2 lovely boys.
I thought an Italian would have been good for a vegan. Wrong !!!! There was one item on the starters menu so I had it – tomato, oregano and basil bruschetta. It was really good. The tomatoes were sweet and juicy and the bruschetta very garlicky.
On the main course menu there was nothing vegan! The staff were very obliging and made me a pizza with tomato sauce and roasted courgettes, aubergine and mushrooms.
I had a little scoop of mango and lemon sorbet, which made a tasty vegan sweet treat.
I really enjoyed seeing our dear friends and was just disappointed the weather was so dreadful which curtailed our plans of a walk after lunch. It was too wet and cold for young boys and this old woman who was freezing within 5 minutes of being outside. 
I rested this afternoon in front of a lovely fire Harvey made. We didn’t need supper but I am nibbling on some nuts with dried fruit and enjoying a glass of wine. I was designated driver at lunch time so apart from a small beer I didn’t drink. I am enjoying a glass now though.
Lose Weight and Gain Health 
You are doing so well Zoe.
I saw this recipe and immediately thought how great it would be for you now during your Challenge.
Here is a fantastic recipe for carbohydrate- and dairy-free protein bars, that is loaded with antioxidants and MCTs. You can use any variety of nuts and dried fruit as long as there is no sugar or peanuts.
Dr. Eva’s Protein Bars
Ingredients
1 cup almond flour
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 dried cranberries
1/4 dried blueberries
1/4 cup figs or dates
3 tbsp agave syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond butter
1/5 cup coconut shredded
1 egg
2 tsp cinnamon
Directions
Combine all ingredients and stir together. The mixture should be clumpy and stick together. Grab a handful of the mixture and mold into bar form. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in oven at 350°F for 11 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
Fat Melter #3: Medium Chain Triglycerides
MCTs
Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) are fat chains that are medium sized, versus the fats that make up 98% of our diet, which are long chain triglycerides (LCTs). You can find MCTs in coconut oil, for instance.
How does it work?
MCTs are digested differently than LCTs and much more easily. They are broken down right away, going straight from the stomach to the liver and burned for fuel and energy. The molecules are smaller and need less energy and fewer enzymes to be broken down. In contrast, LCTs are so big that the enzymes from the pancreas have to break them down, and then they have to travel through the lymphatic system throughout the body, depositing fat in all those unwanted areas.
What kind of results can I expect?
Promising studies have shown that MCTs help speed metabolism and also help induce weight loss.
What are good sources of medium chain triglycerides?
The main form of MCTs in food is in coconut, especially coconut oil. Another source is palm kernel oil (not palm oil). For babies, it’s found in human milk. You can also take a supplement of MCT oil.
I have read this type of information before about MCTs but it is good to be reminded. Thank you Laura x
That is so kind of you Laura and I would absolutely love to make it but it contains egg which I can not have as a vegan. That is exactly the type of snack I needed today. I will make some when I am finished as they sound delicious and Harvey can enjoy them too as they are dairy free. Thank you for being so thoughtful.
Is there not an egg substitute you could use that is used by vegans for baking? http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/f/eggsubstitute.htm Get some rest tonight and sleep well. ♥
I saw this today and wanted to pass it onto you.
http://greatist.com/health/vegan-recipe-substitutions/
Thanks Laura, that is really helpful 🙂