Life's Journey

A blog about health, nutrition, fitness, personal development, spirituality, and other random things!

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Detox diet day 3-6

Over the past week I have really enjoyed creating (and tasting) new recipes for my detox diet! My favourites so far are stuffed peppers, which were just delicious, rice with vegetables and lentils, butter bean salad, and the homemade muesli - yum! All week I have been having food cravings, especially for cheese, feta cheese, eggs and olives. I have done well to not give in to these cravings (it took lots of will power to not grab some cheese from the fridge). I slipped once this week when I was at Nandos meeting a friend for lunch. I chose the Mediterranean salad, which had feta cheese and olives, and spicy rice. And yes, I really enjoyed eating the feta cheese and olives!

This is what I have eaten in the last few days:

Day 3

Breakfast: 1 pear, 1 apple, 1 Clementine, 2 tablespoons of mixed nuts

Lunch: 2 slices of rye bread with tahini and sliced cucumber

Dinner: stuffed peppers: 3 red pepper tops, filled with: brown basmati rice, brown lentils, onion, lemon juice, mixed herbs.

Day 4

Breakfast: half a cup of oats, boiled, with 2 teaspoons of honey

Lunch: brown basmati rice with turmeric, and vegetables with lemon and herbs

Dinner: butter bean salad

Day 5

Breakfast: 1 pear, 1 apple, and a handful of mixed nuts

Lunch: Mediterranean salad (feta and olives) with spiced rice and glass of orange juice (Nandos)

Dinner: Rice noodles with mixed vegetables (tenderstem broccoli, mini sweet corns, mange tout, french beans, onions, mixed herbs, fresh coriander, lemon and black pepper)

Night time snack: 2 rice breads with tahini and cucumber and a bowl of raisins (I went a bit over the top here whilst watching the big movie on TV, oops!).

Day 6

Breakfast: bowl of homemade muesli with oats, mixed nuts, mixed seeds, raisins, honey and rice milk.

Snack: 2 Clementines

Snack: 1 tablespoon of raisins (willpower was required to stop myself from eating more!)

Lunch: Rice and corn pasta with boiled vegetables (courgette, red pepper, peas and corn, onion, mixed herbs, black pepper).

Dinner: (tonight!) vegetable soup (leeks, celery, onion, carrot, peas, broccoli, sweet potato, mixed herbs, pepper).

Exercise

From the third day of being on this diet I have been a lot more motivated to exercise. Maybe it was to do with the fact that I lost a little weight early on? My energy levels seem to be more constant, which could be to do with the increased physical activity and the foods that I have been eating, not to mention the 6 + glasses of water I have been drinking daily. Being dehydrated makes you feel tired, so it makes sense that being hydrated gives you more energy! I have tried to vary my workouts so that I don’t get bored and have just done what I have felt like on the day, rather than forcing myself to do the toughest, longest workouts everyday that I feel will give me quicker results. If I don’t stick to it because I am being too ambitious, then I would not get any results! This has happened before! So, I think it is best to start of slowly and gradually build my way up.

Here is a rundown of the exercise I have done this week (minus walking)

Day 3

Step (in my room), 20 minutes

Day 4

Step and sculpt workout, 45 minutes (weight watchers video)

Day 5

Weight workout, 85 minutes (Karen Voight video)

Day 6

Aerobics, 45 minutes (weight watchers video).

Tomorrow I will do Pilates.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Detox diet day 1 and 2

In my previous entry, I mentioned that I started a detox diet yesterday. I have really enjoyed the food, though I have to take it easy on the nuts - they taste so good! I am taking a good multi vitamin and mineral supplement also, to make sure that my body gets all the nutrients it needs. I had a challenge today when I met my friend for (her) lunch at Pizza Hut. I have to admit, the pizza looked so good. I had to order a salad (without dressing) so that I did not feel so deprived! I also had mineral water, where often I would of had diet coke.

This is what I have eaten so far:


Day 1 (7 November, 2006)

  • Breakfast. fruit salad: 1 apple, 1 pear and 2 clementines
  • Afternoon snack: 100g natural unsalted cashew nuts (633 calories!)
  • Lunch: 1 slice of german rye bread with tahini and sliced cucumber
  • Dinner: large pot of vegetable soup with brocoli, carrot, onion, sweet potato, peas, celery, mixed herbs and a pinch of Greek saffron.
  • Drinks: 6 glasses of water, 2 herb teas

Day 2 (8 November, 2006)

  • Breakfast: 1 apple, 1 pear, 1 clementine, and 2 heaped tablespoons of mixed nuts (12 nuts)
  • lunch: 2 slices of German rye bread topped with tahini dip (tahini with lemon juice and water) and sliced cucumber
  • Afternoon snack: mixed salad
  • Evening snack: 5 mixed nuts (wanted more but stopped myself!).
  • Dinner (tonight!): brown rice with lightly boiled vegetables with herbs (red pepper, courgette, onion, carrot, peas and lentils)
  • Drinks: so far 5 glasses of water and 1 white tea, I will drink a few more glasses of water.

When I got up this morning, I weighed myself. I weiged 2 pounds less than I did the previous morning. I am wondering if this change may be due to the diuretic affect of some of the vegetables I had eaten!? it certainly is not fat, not at this stage. Also, your weight tends to fluctuate day to day, though not usually by that much!

I am feeling calmer in myself. This may also be to do with me making time for myself yesterday. I took time to sit down and read my detox diet books that I got from the library, with a Rose quartz lamp on and a lavender candle burning in the background; both are good for relaxation.

Rose quartz lamp. Source: http://www.fengshuifusion.com/index.php

I had a nice relaxing bath with oats in it, which is supposed to be good for the skin - my skin felt so soft after!

I have got rid of quite a lot of things that I have kept for years in my bedroom, such as tapes and clothes that I will never wear again! So, my room has had a little detox as well!

Time to detoxify!

Detox diets are thought to result in:

· Clearer skin
· Reduction of acne
· Brighter eyes
· Increased energy levels
· Improved concentration levels
· Weight loss
· Reduced bloating
· Reduction of cellulite
· Improved mood
· Better sleep

In fact I have read several true life stories of people that have experienced these benefits after being on a detox diet. I really could do with ALL of the above results!

I started a detox diet yesterday (which I will write about in the next blog entry) as I was fed up of the way I was feeling and looking and decided it was time to detoxify! I have had low energy, lack of motivation to exercise, acne, dull, tired looking eyes, dull looking skin, food cravings (especially for sweet foods) and have been finding it hard to lose weight.

Principles of detox diets:

The main principles of detox diets are to eliminate foods that are known to cause food intolerance and foods that are quite toxic that make the digestive system work harder and to eat natural, unprocessed, highly nutritious foods that will also aid your digestion, so that the body will get rid of a lot of the built up toxins. The duration of detox diets usually varies from 2-28 days.

Non-organic fruits and vegetables contain pesticides, a build up of which can be toxic to the body, so it is best to buy mainly organic produce when going on a detox diet. However, if you cannot afford organic foods, you can wash the fruits and vegetables with water (no soap) each for at least 10 seconds which gets rid of some of the pesticide residues, or you can buy a fruit and vegetable washer from most health food stores. Even if you do not include any organic foods in your detox diet, you will still gain some of the benefits – and it is better than eating a diet full of processed foods! When going on a detox diet you must make sure that you are eating a variety of foods each day so that you consume all of the nutrients to meet your body’s needs. There are some good detox books that contain lots of highly nutritious, delicious looking recipes, which have been balanced for nutrient content. It is also important to drink plenty of water, at least 6 glasses per day.

When is it a good time to detoxify?

You can detoxify at any time you like! Of course some times will be better than others, for example it is probably best to not go on a detoxifying diet during a stressful time such as just before and during exams. A good time to detoxify will be just before or after a holiday period. Many people go on a detox in January, after the overeating and drinking that they do at Christmas! You should not go on a detox diet for longer than a month, without the advise of a nutrition therapist, nutritionist or dietician, as you need to ensure that you are getting all of the nutrients that your body needs

The things I really like about the detox diet

The things I really like about this kind of diet are that you don’t have to count calories (even though in my head I do anyway!), no weighing of foods is required, you get to eat a variety of delicious natural foods – which taste far better than processed foods, you can experiment with foods and create new dishes, and you don’t feel hungry!

Foods to eliminate on a detox diet include:

· Caffeine (coffee, tea, colas, chocolate)
· Sugar (table sugar, sweets, chocolate, cakes)
· Salt
· Artificial additives, preservatives and sweeteners
· Carbonated drinks
· Oils, hydrogenated
· Ready made meals
· Fried foods
· Wheat products (wheat bread, pasta, noodles, wheat crackers, cakes, biscuits)
· White rice
· Dairy products (eggs, milk, cheese, yogurts)
· Alcohol
· Meat
· Fish

Foods you can eat on a detox diet include:

· Fruits
· Dried fruits (without added sulphur is best)
· Vegetables
· Fresh herbs
· Nuts
· Seeds
· Pulses (better dried than canned)
· Bean sprouts
· Grains: brown rice, buckwheat, millet, rye, quinoa
· Non-wheat bread: rye, pumpernickel, oat cakes, rice cakes
· Dips and spreads: tahini, home made hummus
· Water (preferably mineral or filtered)
· Herbal teas
· Fruit and vegetable juices (pure, freshly squeezed)
· Home made smoothies
· Oils, cold pressed
· Plant based milks: almond, rice and sesame

Links:

Detox diet in wikipedia

The detox diet in About

Detox special in ivillage

Deepak Chopra

Wheat-free.org

Detox.org

Friday, November 03, 2006

The Raw Food Diet

I am not sure if it is mainly the winter, or my diet, or lack of regular intense exercise, but lately I have had less energy than usual. All year round most days there are times where I feel so tired, I could just go and lay down on my bed in the middle of the day for a little cat nap!

When I feel like this I often lack motivation to exercise and so avoid it.

My skin could be better. It is OK, and I do get some spots. Not good enough! I am not happy with this and want healthy looking, vibrant skin! I want the best in health and unless I eat the best foods and have a high quality, active lifestyle my health will never be more than just OK.

But I don't want just OK I want REAL HEALTH! I don't want to eat enough nutrients just so that I don't become deficient; I want to eat for OPTIMUM HEALTH!

So, in the last few days I have been thinking of ways to improve my diet for optimum health. I would concider my current diet to be pretty healthy, apart from the odd diet coke, coffee (OK, I have a cup or 2 of decafe everyday....) and packet of crisps!

Here is a list of what I have eaten today, which is fairly typical:

  • Breakfast: 3 ryvitas with 2 large, free range, boiled eggs
  • Mid-morning snack: I clementine with a large handful of sultanas
  • Lunch: Bulger wheat with vegetables and a green salad
  • Dinner: Quorn spaghetti bolognaise (with wholemeal speghetti).
  • Drinks: 4 glasses of water, 2 glasses of ribena light (tut tut - the additives!) and 1 decafe coffee.

Most days I eat about 1-2 servings of fruits and 5-6 servings of vegetables, which is more than the UK's recomended 5 portions of fruits and vegetables each day. However, I feel I should be eating at least 10 servings of fruit and vegetables per day and drinking more water. I need to eat more nuts as well as they are very good sources of protein and other nutrients - must not eat too many though as they are high in fat!

I have been wondering, if my diet was so great wouldn't my energy levels be better? Wouldn't I have better skin? Maybe if I eat more fruits and vegetables and drink more water I will achieve better health? With this in mind I remembered the raw food diet that I read about a few years ago.

Earlier this year a close family friend was talking about her experience with the raw food diet. Since she has been on it she had more energy, lost weight, and felt more vibrant. At the time I thought it seemed like a very healthy diet, so long as you make sure you get all the protein and energy you need, but it seemed really restrictive. I thought to myself: I could never go on a total raw food diet - I could never eat bread, or cheese, or pizza, or curry, or pasta again :( :( :(

So, although I did admire my friend's will power, and knew it was a very healthy diet, I decided it was not for me, I liked my cooked foods too much and could not live without them!

I have changed my mind!

Yesterday I typed in raw food into google video. I sat back and watched lectures on the raw food diet by David Wolfe and Paul Nilson - experts on the raw food diet. I was truly inspired by their stories! They looked so healthy and vibrant and full of energy. I want to feel like that(constantly) too! According to Paul Nilson, you should only eat foods that have these 4 elements:

  • Raw,
  • Ripe,
  • Fresh,
  • Organic.

The basis of the raw food diet is simple: raw, ripe, fresh organic foods have the highest nutrient and enzyme levels with the least toxins and so consuming these foods instead of non-organic cooked foods, will result in better health. This really makes a lot of sense!

I also checked out some raw food websites, I felt even more inspired, especially when I saw the raw food chocolate - it looks so delicious! I bet those Cacao beans taste yummy! I really can't wait to try some of those tasty looking raw food dishes!

Raw chocolate (yummmmmmmmm!). Source: http://www.detoxyourworld.com

So, that's it. I have decided I am going to gradualy increase my consumptions of raw foods until I have a 100% low GI, raw food vegan diet. Now that is what I call a strict diet!!!

I know it will take some time to get used as I will miss some of my fave cooked foods, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Have you ever tried the raw food diet?

Links:

The Raw food diet in wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_food_diet

David wolfe:
http://www.davidwolfe.com/

The Best Day Ever:
http://www.thebestdayever.com/

Living and Raw Foods:
http://www.living-foods.com/recipes/

Raw Food UK:
http://www.shazzie.com/

The Raw Lifestyle Coach:
http://www.raw-food.co.uk/

Videos:

The Raw Food Seminar Part One - with David Wolfe:
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=7487619717104560329&q=raw+food

David Wolfe - Raw Foods and Smoothies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge0kYHjXHL0&mode=related&search=

Raw for 30 Days - Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynXGA6fCEgU

Paul Nilson, Raw Life:
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=221362955412797330&q=raw+food