Loving Yourself

What makes you feel good?
For me looking after myself the best way I know how.
More important I do this at the moment with the running I am doing but also for my emotional health.

Taking time to do the things I enjoy is essential and I am surprised I have managed to keep it up the way I am - running, pilates, reading, walking Olly, cycling, writing, enjoying a nice cup of tea, spending time with family and friends but also solitude.

Solitude is not the same as loneliness, for me it means time to recharge and replenish, meditate, gather thoughts and do something for myself, by myself :-)

Looking after my body includes eating healthily - more protein than carbs at most meals, black or herbal tea, a juice every morning, plenty of water, lemon in hot water first thing, a good nights sleep, using my Clarisonic regularly - looking after my skin. All these things help me to feel good about myself.

We all deserve time to love and care for ourselves - it enables us to love and care for those around us.

Then there are the  summer essentials that all help towards that feeling of wellbeing - painted toenails, tanned legs, a facemask, a mini spa night! More about those later :-)

How do you look after you?

XX

Fitter, Stronger, Leaner

Since October last year I have lost 2 and a half stones in weight.

This has been a slow loss, done sensibly, not a quick fix and definitely not a diet. More a lifestyle change. A combination of running and pilates, but also completely changing my diet due to a realisation I have a slight gluten intolerance, eating protein only meals for breakfast and lunch, juicing daily and cutting down my portion sizes.

Rewind to October and I felt tired, lethargic, bloated and had tummy ache most of the time. My BMI was sitting around 27 - I needed to do something and decided I wanted to do a detox - get everything out of my system and start again.

To kick start I read this book by Jason Vale, aka The Juice Master. It really made me think about the way I ate, what I ate and when. Written in a no nonsense, engaging down to earth way.

It also helped me to prepare for the next stage which was to complete a weeks juice detox, with the help of this book.

The detox went well, I didn't suffer any ill effects, headaches or feel like I wanted to chew my arm off!!! In fact by day 4, I didn't need as many juices as allowed, again normal as after all, Jason Vale's aim is to get you eating when you are hungry not because a book tells you or it is lunch time.

After the initial weeks detox, I then ate protein only for two weeks, using recipes from Turbo Charge.
My energy levels increased, I started running more, my skin was great, I felt motivated.

After the 2 weeks of protein only I slowly introduced my usual diet, but smaller portions, I then
realised the link between my bloating and belly ache and link to gluten/wheat products causing this.

Moving on I now have gluten free when it is the main ingredient, e.g. bread, biscuits, cake, pasta, pastry. Gluten free products tend to be expensive, so if I have biscuits I only have one, whereas before I could easily eat a full packet of Malted Milk!!

I start my day with a wholesome breakfast juice, eat protein only for lunch and a healthy dinner, usually a rice dish, pasta (gluten free), salad or sweet potato (in place of white potato). Dinner is a much smaller portion to what I used to eat, I also try to eat before 6pm although this isn't always possible. I feel so much 'better' - fitter, stronger, leaner.

So tell me....How do you stay healthy?
XX

Day Seven Juicy Detox

I had hoped I'd be able to post here as I did my 7lb In 7 Days Detox, time just runs away. I've thoroughly enjoyed a week off work and have to say this has helped me complete the detox.

I won't deny there have been a few cheats - literally the odd piece of chicken from Mr.L's plate - but I am proud that I have the end in sight & achieved what I set out to do. 

For me a kick up the a***!!

I didn't have my full daily allocation of juices because I was FULL!! 

My energy levels remained the same initially but towards the end of this week I would say they have increased. I didn't have headache as I expected.

Going forward I will slowly introduce food back into my diet, but in smaller portions and healthier snacks as this is where I have taken to eating cake etc. 

I need to organise my lunch for work and shall be eating slow release energy foods. As it says in the book, my body is looking forward to some healthy FOOD, not craving biscuits and cake at all - which I usually would.

I shall still be juicing -  replacing my cereal breakfast and one day a week I will be having a juice day.

I won't lie - it has been hard - when all the family tucked in to an Indian, gggrrr, but my reserve was strong ;-) Today in particular I am sick of juice haha! I was so happy when I got up on Day 5 and it was a different juice to start the day. There are variations of recipes to choose though :-)

But, the result's are definitely worth it. At the start the book advises measuring your arms, legs, waist etc. and weighing yourself. I didn't. We don't have scales and I forgot to measure, but I really don't think you need to. I know I have lost weight, my tummy is flat, my face is slimmer and so are the tops of my legs. Just the kick start I needed as I am not one to waste the hard work I have done this week!!

Have a wonderful weekend.
Thanks for dropping by.
XX

Juicy Lifestyle

Hi there! I've missed this place :-)

I have recently started to 'juice' having read this book by Jason Vale, 
also known as The Juicemeaster.

It's a great book that not only encourages a healthy lifestyle but looks at changing mindset too and I have read it from cover to cover. 

I am taking small steps and enjoying trying some funky recipes having bought a Fusion Juicer (again a Vale product) and have to say it is wonderful.

Some days I have forgone my yummy cereal for a juice and have to say I have felt satisfied for longer than I normally would - often I'm reaching for a sugar fix mid morning - but not when I have had a juice :-) 

The recipe I have been making instead of breakfast has apple, celery, cucumber, avocado and ginger in and claims you will see a difference to waistline in a week. Vale also advises having a slice of unwaxed lemon in hot water first thing (something I often do anyway) and then taking a short run, prior to having the juice. This fits in with me as I have the pup to walk :-)

I need to get organised and do this on consecutive days......below are some pics of my first juicing session with the lovely 'S'

I always prepare all my fruit or veg first :-)

Orange going in.....

Orange coming out!!

Cheers!

We had a bit of a juicing session - juice number 2!!

Anyone else juicing a the moment?
What are your favourite recipes?
XX