A Great Day Out In London

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Once again I was awoken in the early hours by torrential rain and winds.  But, to my complete delight, at sunrise the sun did actually rise.  I was relieved as we had a day out planned in London that involved quite a bit of walking.

First though, came breakfast.  I have been enjoying this recently, rose Harissa paste.

Rose Harissa paste I really like the flavour of this but it is very spicy so I only need a little bit.  5 g is 20 calories and it adds a lot of flavour for those calories so it is well worth it.Rose Harissa ingredients Today I added some to brown Basmati rice, 2 boiled eggs and some cherry tomatoes and a red onion I had baked in the oven for 15 minutes.  No oil added and no milk in my tea meant breakfast was a very acceptable 311 calories.egg, rice, tomatoes It was delicious and with the aid of a couple of black coffees, kept me going until we had supper.  We did eat breakfast late and supper early.breakfast 11-1-14

I was incredibly strong willed today.  We went to London for our family Christmas present to ourselves – a trip to see Charlie and The Chocolate factory.  We were early so stopped for a coffee.

It was around 1:30 pm when we arrived in Central London so the others had a bite to eat with their coffee.  I had a black coffee while they enjoyed a chocolate tart and a latte.latte and chocolate tart Or a toasted goat’s cheese sandwich with a cappuchino.  I sipped black coffee and felt virtuous as I had absolutely not even the tiniest taste of their food.Paul's cheese and toast Theatre time 🙂CATCF The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a beautiful theatre.  Charlie and The Chocolate Factory is a brilliant production and an excellent choice for a family outing.  Do go and see it if you can.Rotunda in Theatre Royal statues in Theatre Royal We enjoyed a stroll through a crowded and chilly London to our restaurant.Leicester Sq Tucked away behind Regent Street is Ottolenghi’s fabulous restaurant, Nopi.looking up Regent St I am completely in love with it.  Everything about it was completely fabulous.  It is pared down and simple but very comfortable and pleasant.  No fancy tablecloths and unnecessary adornments in here.  This restaurant is all about the food which is sensational.  I apologise for the photo quality.  I had a problem with my camera and half the photos didn’t come out which is a shame but here are some that did.

I stuck to my January resolutions; no alcohol, no dairy, no sugar and no wheat !!! I am not sure how but I did.  When I have lost 3 stone, I am going back to Nopi to eat and drink whatever I like!

We shared mixed nuts, olives, bread with olive oil and tzatziki with Lavosh (a flatbread).  I didn’t eat the wheat and dairy bits so I just enjoyed some nuts and olives with my mineral water.Nopi startersThe food here is like tapas.  Lots of small servings that you can share round.  You could order a main meal but there is a small choice of main meals and we all wanted to try so many different dishes we all chose from the section of the menu that had dishes to share.  I ordered beans, sugar snaps and edamame which were delicious.
Ottolenghi beans This tasted much better than my picture suggests – twice cooked half a baby chicken with a spicy tomato sauce and lemon myrtle salt.Ottolenghi baby chicken This dish was one of the VERY BEST THINGS I HAVE EVER EATEN !!!  Truly, it was amazing.  Worth going to Nopi just for this.  3 out of 4 of us liked this best and we all liked everything.  It is venison with blackberries and an aubergine cream.  Simply, the best.  I can not put in to words quite how amazing this was and how well all the flavours went together.Ottolenghi venison

We also shared cod on a bed of dal,  roast pork  on a bed of sweet potato, tenderstem broccoli with almonds and a mustard vinaigrette and a lovely sweet potato dish, similar to the one I made form Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook earlier.

The others all had cocktails and puddings and I had mineral water and a mint tea.  I would have loved to try everything but I am pleased I didn’t.  I will go back when I have lost 3 stone – a definite incentive.

Nopi is one of the best restaurants I have been to for a very long time.  The food is different, interesting and surprising.  This is not one for the person who likes traditional restaurant settings and familiar food on the menu.  This is a food lovers restaurant.  A very, very, good food lovers restaurant.

On the way home we walked past a Wholefoods Market in Picadilly.  It was open and I couldn’t resist a quick shop.  I bought some nutritious treats, including a Bounce Ball so I had a semi healthy sweet treat that did not break any of my rules.  I also have some healthy goodies in the larder to enjoy in the coming weeks.  What a great day out in London we all had.

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A Perfect Day On The Diet

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Today was perfect.  I was perfect.  The diet was perfect.

I have decided to start counting calories.  I know I am eating lots of healthy foods but I do have a tendency to eat large portions.  Also, I eat foods which are high in calories, although healthy, such as nuts, seeds and avocado.  I am so determined to lose weight this year, lots of weight, that I need to be more disciplined.  So I found myself an App I liked the look of and got tracking.  Having input my height, weight and how much I want to lose each week (2 pounds), I need to eat 1,200 calories a day which seems very manageable.

I had a green smoothie for breakfast made with kale and raw buckwheat groats, which I soaked for a couple of hours first to soften.

spinach and buckwheat in blenderI added hemp seeds,
hemp seeds a kiwi fruit plus coconut water.kiwi and hemp seeds I blitzed it for ages so it was super smooth.  357 calories of green goodness.  The flavour was a tad too kale but I am quite used to these green smoothies now and so I enjoyed it.green smoothie 10-1-14 I worked hard all morning and just before lunch decided to take the dogs over the road for a walk.  It was sunny so walking was a very enticing prospect.  It was wonderful to feel the sun on my face.  sunny walk 10-1-14 Our usual route was slightly challenging.  Some trees were clambered over broken tree and others were walked around.tree across path Lots of water everywhere.walk 10-1-14 3 walk 10-1-14 2 I could have walked for ages today but I needed to get back to work.  Today was a busy one.  I was pleased to see my walk burned off 210 calories.walk 10-1-14 1 Lara had made lunch while I was walking so I walked back home to this bowl of deliciousness.chicken and mushroom salad Mixed salad leaves, red pepper, tomato and avocado, topped with chicken and mushrooms that had been stir fried in coconut oil, garlic and soy sauce.  I didn’t want to use any calories on a dressing so I ate it as it was and thoroughly enjoyed it all.  Thank you Lara.lunch 10-1-14 Lara made supper too which I was thankful for as I didn’t finish working until nearly 7pm.   Sea bass cooked in a coconut milk based curry sauce, served on brown Basmati rice with tenderstem broccoli.  It was fantastic and came in at 640 calories.  The coconut milk was very high.dinner 10-1-13So today  I ate very healthy food, I exercised and I came in under my calorie target.

Totals 1,375 117 58 103 30 1,253
Your Daily Goal 1,410 176 47 71 53 2,300
Remaining 35 59 -11 -32 23 1,047
Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sugar Sodium
*You’ve earned 210 extra calories from exercise today

Apparently I have 35 calories left which is great.  I am under the carbs, sugar and sodium allowances but over the fat and protein.  I personally think we can eat more fat and protein and should eat less carbs than the standard recommended amounts so I am pleased with my day’s eating.

The only thing missing is a large glass of wine, something I usually enjoy in front of a fire on a Friday evening at this time of year.  But I am putting my health first and feeling really good about that.

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Bountiful Butternut

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I worked from home today and as well as working I had 2 objectives; eat very healthily and do some exercise.  By the end of the day, both objectives had been met most satisfactorily.

For breakfast I had a mound of kale, onion and mushrooms with scrambled egg and hot smoked salmon.  That kept me going all morning, during swimming and until lunch was ready at 3pm.  Did you see that?  I went swimming :-).  First time in about 2 months and it was tiring but I am pleased I went.Breakfast 9-1-14 While lunch was cooking I ate this half of an apple.  Harvey had the other half in his porridge for breakfast which is why it looks slightly manky.  It tasted fine though.half apple Lunch was inspired by my lovely new cookery book, Jerusalem.  This was fantastic and I highly recommend you make it.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion with Tahini and Za’atar.

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

  • 1 large butternut squash, washed, cut in to 2cm x 6cm wedges
  • 2 red onions, quartered
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 30g pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp za’atar
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 of a pomegranate (optional)
  • either 4 heaped tbsp hummus (or 3 1/2 tbsp light Tahini + 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 small garlic clove, crushed)
  • 2 tbsp Dukkah (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 240 ° C
  2. Place the butternut and red onion in a large bowl and toss to coat with 3 tbsp of the olive oil and salt and pepper
  3. Turn in to a roasting tray and cook 30 – 40 minutes, taking out once or twice to move the pieces around
  4. butternut squash and red onion
  5. When cooked, remove from the oven and set aside
  6. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a small pan and roast the pine nuts with some salt for 2 minutes so they become golden brown
  7. Layer the squash and onions on to a serving plate, sprinkle with za’atar
  8. Place either hummus on top (or, as per Ottolenghi’s recipe, combine the Tahini, lemon juice and garlic and drizzle over the squash)
  9. Add the Dukkah (if using), pine nuts and oil, pomegranate and parsley

dukkah and pomegranateI think mine looks better then the book ! Ottolenghi should have added the pomegranates as they add a wonderful juiciness, crunch and red contrast to the lovely orange and purple.lunch 9-1-14 5I kept the skin on the butternut.  When you roast it like this it becomes very soft so it is easy to eat and it adds fibre to the diet.lunch 9-1-14 4This tasted fantastic.lunch 9-1-14 3Soft, warming and comforting.
Juicy, red and crunchy.
Mild sweetness contrasting with creamy garlicky hummus.lunch 9-1-14 2This is one of the best vegetarian meals I have had for a long time.  It is suitable for vegans too.lunch 9-1-14 1It kept us full for the rest of the day.  I had a smoothie for supper made with coconut water, hemp seeds, protein powder, frozen banana, pineapple and blueberries and fresh spinach.smoothie ing 9-1-14Nasty sludgy brown colour but it tasted lovely.Smoothie 9-1-14

No where near as good as that lovely lunch though.

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A Lunch Date With Myself

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I did things a little differently today.  Instead of waking up early and rushing off to work, I woke up early, got ready and cooked breakfast for myself and Harvey.  It was his first day back at school so I wanted him to have a good start to the day.  We each had a mashed baked sweet potato with an egg on top.  It was great but I was struck by how sweet it tasted.  I did miss the butter I would usually have added but this was much healthier without any and the sweet potato made a good alternative to the more traditional toast.

egg on mashed sweet potato I never go to work this late.  To be clear, I was not late to work as I was in the office before 9am but I was travelling at least an hour later then usual.  train to London The early morning trains are quiet (very few people chat, many sleep), they are on time and not crowded.  The later trains are crowded and noisy and the school children chat non stop and simultaneously.  But it was great to have breakfast with Harvey and take him to his school bus and then to arrive in London in daylight instead of the dark.  It was sunny this morning which was a bonus.train in to London At lunch time I went for a walk and decided what to eat.  I had made a salmon salad the night before but had left it at home.  I chose Leon and then made a spur of the moment decision to eat in which I very rarely do.  I never eat in on my own, only ever if I am with a friend or colleague.Leon table and lunch I chose the Chicken Superfood Salad.Leon lunch 3

I should have checked the ingredients because unfortunately it contained sugar in the mayonnaise and some dairy.  It can’t have been much though as this lunch had 435 calories and the chicken  and seeds must have contributed a lot of that.  I am very puzzled as to why they would add yogurt or double cream to something called a ‘Superfood Salad’.

Having checked on their excellent website, I will in future look up what I want to eat in advance.  Look at all this information Leon provides online:

LUNCH – CHARGRILLED CHICKEN SUPERFOOD SALAD

Ingredients: Superfood Salad Base (Cos, Spinach, Rocket, Peas, Broccoli, Quinoa, Semi-dried Tomatoes (Tomatoes, Sunflower Oil, Garlic Flakes, Salt, Cirtric Acid, Oregano, Ascorbic Acid)), Vinaigrette (Sunflower oil, White wine vinegar, Dijon mustard (Water, Mustard seeds, Spirit vinegar, Salt, Acidity regulator: citric acid), Water, Salt, White ground pepper), Chicken (Red Tractor Chicken Thigh, Water, Salt), Aioli (Mayonnaise (Rapeseed Oil, Water, Sugar, Modified Maize starch, Acetic Acid, Egg Yolk Powder, Xanthan Gum, Salt), Yoghurt (Skimmed Milk, Cream, Skimmed Milk Powder, Starter Culture), Double cream, Garlic puree, Lemon juice, Sea Salt), Topper (Parsley, Mint, Toasted Seeds (Sesame, Linseed and Sunflower)), Lemons

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Energy (kcal) Per portion 435
Protein (Grams) per portion 37
Carbohydrate 18
Carbs (Grams) per portion 18
Carbs of which sugar (Grams) per portion 6
Glycemic index 12
Glycemic loading 2
Fat 23
Fat (Grams) per portion 23
Saturated fat (Grams) per portion 4
Mono-unsaturated fat(Grams) per portion 9
Poly-unsaturated (Grams) per portion 9
Salt (Grams) per portion 0.6
Total portion weight (Grams) 287
Allergens
Mustard
Gluten
Crustacean
Fish
Molluscs
Soya
Sesame
Nuts
Peanuts
Eggs
Milk/Lactose
Celery
Lupin
Sulphur Dioxide

10 out of 10 to Leon for providing such detailed nutritional information about their meals.Leon 2 The Leon near the office is in a huge building but it is set out in a way that doesn’t make it seem too cavernous and noisy.Inside Leon 2 It has quirky touches such as this bread tin quite randomly place on a shelf on a high column.Inside Leon 1 I enjoyed the salad  but did not love it.  I doubt I would order it again.Leon lunch 1 I enjoyed sitting at this little table today, having the solitude to look around and eat slowly, chewing carefully.Leon table I sat on the bench seat, looking out at the restaurant.Leon seating I am discovering that if I eat something with sugar in it, I want to eat more food than if I do not have any sugar.  I actually looked up the ingredients of this meal because I wanted more to eat when my salad was finished so I was suspicious it contained sugar.  It was not huge and when I make a salad I include far more vegetables and some more carbs so I feel full and remain sated.

I wandered to M&S thinking I would buy some lean meat – all their pre cooked meat has sugar in it, even roast chicken.  M&S, what are you thinking of?  I left empty handed.

I popped in to a Japanese take away thinking a small sushi box would do the trick but having checked with the staff (and had an argument with them as they insisted eggs were dairy – grrrr), I was told all Japanese sushi rice has sugar added.

So I went to Starbucks and bought a 75 g packet of almonds and a very large Spearmint Green Tea.  That did the trick!spearmint tea and almonds When I got home, supper was ready.  I took my ‘lunch’ out of the fridge and made a dressing with Za’tar, lime and olive oil.  It needs tweaking so I won’t share the recipe until it is improved.salmon salad and dressing Hot smoked salmon, pea shoots, spinach, celery, red pepper and cherry tomatoes.  I had also added the other half of the baked potato I ate last night which I ate, skin and all.dinner 8-1-14 2 I enjoyed it very much.dinner 8-1-14 1I think I will take myself out for lunch more often.

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I Lost 8 Pounds

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I gave up sugar.  I gave up dairy.  I gave up alcohol.  I gave up wheat.  1 week later I had also given up 8 pounds of fat.  Yes, I weighed 8 pounds less tonight than I did this time last week.  I am so delighted.  The diet mojo is back 🙂

Breakfast; leftovers from dinner last night.  I could have eaten all of this last night but I am trying really hard to eat less so I put a portion aside for breakfast today.  Brown Basmati rice, mushrooms, red pepper, spinach, kale and roast pork with a little soy sauce and Cholulah.  Nothing weird about eating stir fried pork, rice and vegetables for breakfast !

Breakfast 7-1-14 The sun was out briefly at lunch time.  Still windy though which is becoming very annoying.London buildings Lunch was a salad.chicken and prawn salad 2 Chicken and prawns with lettuce, roasted peppers, bean sprouts, cashew nuts and a spicy Thai dressing.chicken and prawn saladBefore dinner I went to the Leisure Centre to be weighed.  I knew I had been good so I was very optimistic.  It was still a huge relief to see those numbers coming up on the scales.  I raced home to share my good news with my supportive family and had a celebratory sweet treat – an apple 🙂
apple bittenDinner; half a baked potato, a large dollop of my homemade hummus, some minced beef cooked with onion, red pepper and lots of spinach plus a side salad made with pea shoots, salad leaves, celery and tomatoes.
dinner 7-1-14 2 Delicious.Dinner 7-1-14

I am very happy.

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Successful Diet Day 6

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I have done it again.  Stuck to my diet.  Woo Hoo 🙂  First day back at work after a 3 week break and I went in well prepared.  Sorry the pictures are all a bit samey but all my meals today had brown Basmati rice, vegetables and protein.

Breakfast; brown Basmati rice, tomatoes, 2 hard boiled eggs and rose harissa paste.

rice and tomatoes and harissa Remember this from yesterday’s blog? This is the tin of mackerel fillets.

mackerel fillets with oil

I added them to a salad.mackerel salad 3 My salad had brown Basmati rice, tomatoes, cucumber, celery and mixed baby leaves.mackerel salad 1 Plus the mackerel which I drained of oil.  No dressing.  Just the salad, mackerel and rice.mackerel salad I had a very modest sized portion of rice, stir fried in coconut oil with left over lean roast pork, red pepper, kale, spinach, onions and mushrooms.  With some soy sauce and Cholulah for spice.pork stir fry

I drank black coffee and many herbal teas.  Another bonus was that I took all my food and drinks to work so I didn’t spend any money in coffee or sandwich shops either.  This is the way to diet.

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Sticking To My Diet

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I got up to discover an amazing sky this morning.  It was a splendid mackerel sky and the tree branches and trunks, which are now definitely without any leaves, stood out as stark silhouettes.  Quite stunning.

morning sky 5-1-14 This is currently my favourite breakfast.breakfast 5-1-14 Kale, spinach, brown Basmati rice and eggs.  Very simple but nutritious and delicious.  Served with a little soy sauce.  Quite a modest bowl of this kept me completely sated for 5 hours which is great.breakfast close up 5-1-14 I was spoilt with some fab presents this Christmas.  I really like these packets which contain tinned fish which I am looking forward to sampling.  They look too pretty to open though!3 boxes of fish Thank you Lucy for the fish and this gorgeous Tisane.  It is lemongrass and purple bachelor button which I have never heard of before.  I had not heard of Hands On Earth before either and they have some intriguing products which I hope to become better acquainted with this year.Amalia Tisane This was lovely.  The smell of lemongrass alone was delightful and I enjoyed this mild flavoured tisane.lemongrass tea I had a very light lunch as were having a roast dinner later on.  I made up a large bowl of raw veggies; it was mainly mixed leaves to which I added celery, cucumber and tomato.salad bowl 5-1-14 As a simple dressing I mashed half an avocado with the juice of half a lemon and some salt.avocado,lemon and salt I stirred the dressing in to the salad and enjoyed it very much as it all tasted very fresh.  I didn’t add any protein as I intended to eat meat later so decided to save the calories until then.salad lunch 5-1-14 James cooked diner tonight which was a very pleasant surprise as I do nearly all our cooking.  It was great to have an evening off.  I had roast pork with roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots and peas with a small amount of gravy.  It was really good.roast pork dinner

That was it.  No sugar.  No Dairy.  No Wheat.  No alcohol.  I drank herbal teas, black coffee and water throughout the day.  I am very pleased with today’s efforts and am well prepared already for tomorrow, the first day back at work in 3 weeks!

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Temptation Resisted

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I finally got together with all my sisters and their families today for our Christmas celebration.  Knowing I was out for the day and would be tempted multiple times, I had a substantial but very healthy breakfast.

A quick forage through the fridge provided pak choi, kale, spinach, 3 egg whites, a cup of cooked brown basmati rice and a Sea Bass fillet.  I also added an onion.  This quantity was for 2 of us.breakfast ing 4-1-14 I stir fried it all together in coconut oil and served it with some Soy sauce.  Very tasty.breakfast 4-1-14

We all contributed food for lunch and I was providing the starters.  I was given a wonderful cookery book for Christmas by Ottolenghi and Tamimi – ‘Jerusalem‘.  Thanks Anne!

I went for a mezze style starter and had a go at making hummus, following the recipe in Jerusalem.

chickpeas and bicarb Hummus (from ‘Jerusalem’)

Ingredients

  • 250g dried chickpeas
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 270g light tahini
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 100ml ice cold water
  • salt

Method

  1. Wash the chickpeas and place in a large bowl
  2. Cover with twice the volume of cold water and leave to soak overnight
  3. The next day, drain the chickpeas, place in a saucepan with the bicarbonate of soda
  4. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly
  5. Add 1.5 litres fresh water and bring to the boil
  6. Cook for 20 – 40 minutes, skimming off scum from the surface as it forms
  7. The chickpeas are cooked when they can be crushed easily
  8. Drain the chickpeas and place in a food processor
  9. Process until you have a stiff paste
  10. Add the tahini, lemon juice and garlic and 1.5 tsp salt
  11. Slowly add the cold water
  12. Mix until creamy (about 5 minutes)

The hummus was delicious and is definitely worth making.

To go with the hummus we had cruditees (celery and cucumber) and also Koftas which are little meatballs.  In ‘Jerusalem’ they serve these with a Tahini sauce but I served them with hummus.

kofte ingredients Kofta b’siniyah (from ‘Jerusalem’)

Ingredients

  • 400 g minced lamb (preferably shoulder)
  • 400g minced beef
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • 50g toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped
  • 30g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 3/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients in to a bowl and mix together well
  2. Shape in to long torpedo like fingers, roughly 8 cm long (60 g)
  3. Press the mix to compress it and help it maintain its shape during cooking
  4. Fry in oil in batches until golden brown on all sides (about 6 minutes)

Ottolenghi's kofta

cucumber, celery and humous I also stir fried chicken, peppers and cherry tomatoeschicken and veg 4-1-14and brought along some olives.olives in scratchy bowl Koftes I had a small plate (literally) and did not overload it, even though I easily could have done.  It was all quite delicious.StarterHolly made a lovely fish pie which was made with stock rather then the usual milk based sauce so it was lower fat but just as tasty.  Served with green beans, peas and broccoli.Holly's fish pie I managed to resist Christmas pudding with brandy butter and a splendid cheese board and instead just had some pineapple and blueberries.  Yes, you read that correctly, I, the cheese lover, sat round a table and even passed cheese round but did not eat any.  I also resisted the wine, despite it being one of my favourites, Chateauneuf du Pap.  It wasn’t easy but I did it.  I felt very pleased about that.  I did have 2 bowls of fruit so too much sugar but at least healthier than cheese and crackers and wine.pineapple and blueberries The only other thing I ate was a bit more hummus with celery and cucumber.cruditees and humous I didn’t eat all that hummus – Harvey loves it too.H with cruditees The women and children played games and chatted.  I was again strong willed and resisted chocolates and Christmas cake.  And Baileys.

playing games

We left the men to their beer and footie.Jim and Richard watching footie

I had a wonderful day with my family.  I ate a lot of good quality and nutritious food and managed to have absolutely NOTHING I shouldn’t have.  A very happy day indeed.

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Juice Fast Day 3 and Fish

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I was a bit disappointed to not wake up feeling energised.  So I checked back to the previous time I did this fast (you can see the post here) and I felt the same.  I don’t know if I would feel better if I persevered with the juice fast for longer but my intention was to just juice fast for 3 days.  This is definitely my last day.  I decided mid morning that I wanted to eat some quality nutritious food so I went and bought some fish to have for supper.

Before then though, I stuck to the juice fast.  I started the day with hot water and lemon.

lemon and hot water Juice 1 was made with beetroot, 2 oranges and 4 carrots.carrots, beet and oranges I disliked it to start with but the flavour grew on me so I did enjoy it eventually.  Unfortunately it gave me a very upset stomach!red juice 3-1-14The coconut water seemed to help settle me down.

coconut water 3-1-14I persevered with juicing and made a huge batch of green juice from cucumber, kale, parsley, basil, celery, apples and watermelon.

green stuff and fruit I packed it in to 2 containers and took it to Lucy’s where I was having lunch with Michelle.  I would have enjoyed Lucy’s nutritious lunch but declined and instead drank half my juice.  I just did not fancy the other half so it is in the fridge.2 juice jarsAfter nearly 3 days juicing I was looking forward to eating some real food.  I enjoyed this dinner very much.  I oven roasted some carrots and butternut squash.  When that was nearly cooked, I gently fried Salmon and Sea Bass in coconut oil and Pak Choi, spinach and purple kale, also in coconut oil.  It tasted really good.Sea Bass, salmon and veggiesI am pleased I managed a juice fast to kick start this year’s healthy eating but I do not intend to do it again anytime soon.  My focus now will be to eat lean meat, fish and vegetables.  I will also eat nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and small amounts of fruit.  No sugar at all. No alcohol, dairy or wheat for January.

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Juice Fast Day 2

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Today is day 2 of the juice fast programme I am doing.  I am following Joe Cross’ Reboot and having a go at the 3 day juice fast.  You can read more about it here.  Some of you may have seen the programme he made called ‘Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead’.  It is very inspiring and worth a look.  I don’t plan to juice fast for 2 months as Joe did but I did want to get the weight loss off to a good start.

I began the day with hot water with lemon juice in it before getting out the juicer.  The first juice of the day has 2 apples, 3 carrots and ginger.apples, carrots and gingerThis is the pulp.
orange worms I always add ice as it makes them easier to drink (I think it does).orange juice in jug This one is very easy to drink and quite enjoyable.orange juice 2-1-14Mid morning I had a glass of coconut water and then a herbal tea.

Juice number 2 was made with a cucumber, kale, spinach, a pear, celery and a lemon.green juice veggiesGreen and frothy.
green juice and ice Quite palatable.green juice 2-1-14 Juice 3 which was also juice 4 as I made enough for 2 juices was made with oranges, celery, carrots, basil, lemon and purple kale.purple kale and veg It came out a dark purple colour with a frothy green top.  This one definitely needed ice to get it down!IMG_3714I am meant to have another juice but to be honest I can’t be bothered to make it so will have a glass of water and a herbal tea instead.

I don’t feel hungry but I do feel very tired which I suspect is partly due to giving up caffeine in tea and coffee and also due to the cold I am battling.  If I wasn’t having to make a certain little person meals, I would find this juice fast quite easy.  It may be harder if I was working but I plan to be on food again before heading back to London next week.

I am feeling quite pleased with myself for sticking to this fast.  2 days done, 1 to go.

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