Breakfast ‘on the go’ muffins

If you read my post ‘Food for thought’ you will know I try not to eat on the go wherever possible, especially breakfast but sadly life throws us curve balls and sometimes we just can’t help it! So how about keeping a couple of these close by for a healthy breakfast on the go – and yes they are really healthy!

On the go muffins (makes 12)

175g wheat free plain muesli (i.e. no added sugar so try to avoid the Alpen or Jordan type mueslis) – or even better why not use your own (see recipe for crunchy granola!)

250g rye or spelt flour

250ml orange or apple juice (not from concentrate if possible)

2 handfuls of your favourite nuts and seeds

Optional – chopped dry fruit (try apricots or cranberries)

250ml of manuka honey

1 tsp. of baking powder

1 egg

2 tbsp. of your favourite oil

Now the cooking bit

Pre heat the oven to 180 (centigrade, can’t find the symbol on my new laptop!) . Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Pour mixture into 12 greased muffin tins or muffin tray and cook for 20-25 mins. Once cooled, enjoy! They last about 3-5 days and are low in GI, high in protein and have no refined sugar!

Here are some of the flavours we have tried at home:

• Walnut and apricot
• Cranberry and macadamia
• Dark chocolate and orange (for a naughty but nice treat)
• Lime and pecan
• Medley of mixed nuts
• Coconut and mango (don’t add too much coconut otherwise they become very dry)
• Apple and cinnamon (use dried apples as fresh doesn’t work!)
• Cherry and almond (tastes like a cherry bakewell!)

So there you go – make them up on a Sunday and have a healthy start all week – and my kids (all three of them) love them.

Enjoy!

Namaste

 

Dear friends

As the end of the week draws near I want to thank all of you who are following me, thank you for making this process so cathartic and giving me an outlet for my thoughts, hopes and dreams. This week we have looked at what I put in (and take out!) of my body as well as some tasty recipes, spiritual moments and of course we’ve dabbled with greasy hair! I’d love to know what you thought of the posts, as well as your experiences so please do leave comments.

So what lays before us as we enter another week of opportunities?

I will share with you my visit to a burlesque workshop and will try to strip this growing fitness craze bare in a reveal all article! Plus you can expect more healthy and sunshine filled recipe’s, reviews of recent products (unsolicited) plus is it really possible to live in a chemical free house?  I try it for a week: will I switch or ditch?

All this plus loads more ideas and of course I hope something that will make you smile and keep you reading.

I’ve shared a peace of my life with you, thank you for taking the time to share yours with me

Namaste

Colonics – a load of crap?

This post is about poo (sorry if you’re eating!). Its not often as adults we talk about poo, although my 4 year old son finds it the most appealing topic of conversation particularly in the most formal situations. Like dying and taxes, having a poo is just one of those things we do. But did you know there is more than  one way to poo, or more accurately there are many different types of poo and your type can tell you a lot about the health and wellbeing of your digestive system. For more on this visit the Food Hospital.

There’s even a measurement for poo! Known as the Bristol stool scale (for those who don’t live in or near Bristol this is an unfair label!) it documents the 7 (yes 7!) types of poo produced by human beings.

As you can see it covers the whole rogues gallery of human waste from bullet to oil slick! And yes you can even get it on a t-shirt!

Well I found this fascinating and began a quest to document not just my own poo but those of my LOs (easy enough as one is in nappies and the other one refuses to flush the toilet despite much nagging!) and I even broached the subject with the hubbie to be. Bottom line (excuse the pun) was that yes we were pretty much experiencing the middle of the bunch (with occasional bouts of harder poo) and seemed to have good working digestive systems. Not surprising given our recent change of lifestyle (see post of Food for thought). But could it be better?

As you will soon realise I like experiencing new things and as it happened, not long after our Bristol stool chart revelation, I came by chance across a colonic irrigation clinic not far from my work and thought what have I got to lose (well actually lots, I think that’s the point!) So I booked an appointment and nervously counted down the days until the big push so to speak (I’m sorry but this subject just gives itself to puns – I mean its poo and according to Goob and his friends that equals belly laughs and hours of fun!)

Before I go into the detail let me stop for the science bit – what is a colonic and what are the health claims?

According to Wikipedia (so therefore completely true):

Colon cleansing (also known as colon therapy) encompasses a number of alternative medical therapies intended to remove feces and nonspecific toxins from the colon and intestinal tract. Colon cleansing normally takes the form of colon hydrotherapy (also called a colonic or colonic irrigation).

Some forms of colon hydrotherapy use tubes to inject water, sometimes mixed with herbs or with other liquids, into the colon via the rectum (ouch) using special equipment (rather than a garden hose then I am guessing).

The experts (pro) say:

The activity of colonic irrigation is said to clean up toxins present in intestines and remove hardened waste materials. The immune system grows stronger after performing it. Passage of nutrients into the blood stream becomes much easier as the impurities obstructing its path are removed. The colon cleanse process also helps strengthen those muscles that line the colon. It is said to make the process of peristalsis smoother. The bowel movement becomes normal which thereby, helps in relieving problems like constipation. Improvement in the complexion of skin is observed; the skin also becomes smoother.  Ok I’m sold!

But the experts (ney) also say:

No scientific evidence supports the alleged benefits of colon cleansing^[2] and it “has no known medical value and risks damage to the rectum or bowel.” The bowel itself is “not dirty” and, unless disease or medication interfere, “nature does a fine job of clearing out wastes.”^[3] Certain enema preparations have been associated with heart attacks and electrolyte imbalances, and improperly prepared or used equipment can cause infection or damage to the bowel. Frequent colon cleansing can lead to dependence on enemas to defecate and some herbs may reduce the effectiveness of prescription drugs.^[4]     

Shit!

So the reviews are more mixed than a bag of jelly beans – well it was too late now, the day arrived and I packed myself off a little nervous, I won’t use the obvious pun, but yes literally!

I had spoken about all of this to my mum who informed me that with all four of her pregnancies she was ‘shaved from the waste, covered in iodine and given a colonic’ she didn’t say any of this with love, in fact she seemed to think this was the worst bit of giving birth, what was I doing?!

But as I say the day came and I filed in to find a bed, a chair, some tubes and a smiling nurse with a friendly hello and (hopefully) warm hands. The little room looked the part – clean and sterile but not cold, no smells (I don’t know why I thought it would be smelly) and as I would find out later the appropriate distance to the nearest toilet.

The appointment started with my nurse, Diane, taking medical details including height and weight, poo type (out came the chart) for which I was able to regale her in worrying detail, the reasons for attending and any questions. She reassured me that only a small part of the tube (about 1/2 an inch) would actually be inserted and generally tried to make me feel at ease.

Next I had to strip my bottoms (my good pants) off and lay on the bed on my left hand side, with my modesty covered by a warm towel, or was that me sweating?

Once on the bed Diane explained that she would now examine my bottom to check for any fissures (eh?), hemorrhoids and other unwanted things plus the responsiveness of my anus. What this meant really was she inserted a finger into my bottom, which no matter how deep a breath I took had me shooting forward as far away from her as I could in a second – yes it appears to be quite bloody responsive thank you!

Next she got out the tube and I began to feel quite queasy and light-headed (and that’s before anything actually happened). Once again she asked me to take a deep breath and relax and once again I held my breath and clenched my buttocks with all my might. And then it happened – it wasn’t painful and as she promised although immediately I tried to wriggle free I soon forgot it was there and she attached the tubes.

She explained there would be two tubes attached. One to feed the water in and one to drain the water and waste products out into an enclosed bucket. Attaching the tubes was fine and I began to relax.

Diane then turned on the water. It was warm and created a weird sensation in my tummy, like I had an internal hot water bottle. Not a completely unpleasant feeling but the thought of what was happening still made me a little light-headed so I was glad to by lying on my side. Soon I got into the ‘flow’ of it so to speak and began chatting to Diane about her training and background.

An ex-nurse, Diane has worked with people with all sorts of digestive problems and has seen the full gamut of ’embarrassing body’ type ailments including people vomiting whole poos – yuk! She seemed at peace with her life and at 57 could be the poster girl for colonics with smooth skin and glowing eyes that shouted health and wellbeing.

Time passed well and then I was warned the ‘flushing’ process would begin. In layman’s terms this meant Diane holding the drainage tube to enable the feeding tube to continue to fill my bowls to really, in her words, ‘break away the old matter and give it all a good old clean’. Tube squeezed and immediately I felt the pressure in my bowls. It felt like chronic diarrhoea and for a few moments I was speechless. I signalled with a little yelp when I had had enough (it wasn’t painful just uncomfortable – like that sickie feeling before you explode after a bout of food poisoning). She then let go and to my embarrassment I emptied my bowls down the tube in front of a complete stranger. It came rushing out and my natural reaction to try and hold it could not turn the tide. It was really hard for me to come to terms with the fact that I was doing in front of a complete stranger what I have only done in the privacy of my own home (give or take interruptions from the LOs). The more I fought it the more it seemed to pour. And Diane’s reaction – ‘ah that was a good one!’ And I thought my daily poo check was weird!

A few more of these ‘flushes’, which did get more bearable, and the process was over – taking about an hour. The tube was removed and Diane explained what she had seen – most importantly that I don’t chew my food enough (something I had discovered myself and was addressing) because she saw identifiable food items that had been lodged in my bowls for who knows how long – no wonder I complained of constipation!

I dressed and she recommended I visit the toilet before I leave just in case. I just about made it to the toilet before once again the gates opened and I evacuated more warm, unchewed debris. Given said good pants, I waited a little longer before I decided it was safe to drive to work!

So what of the outcomes? Well I certainly felt lighter and cleaner for the rest of the day (could be psychological but I did) and I had lost 5lbs in one day (thank you – could Diane come on holiday with me?). I made a special effort to chew my food that day and interestingly when I did finally poo again (the next day) it was bang in the middle of the stool chart – a happy, healthy, and not quite sweet smelling but certainly not smelly, poo.

So there you have it. Would I have it again? – Yes probably, particularly if my digestive system became a little sluggish again or perhaps as a spring clean after Christmas. On reflection, whilst a little uncomfortable and embarrassing no more really than a smear test and certainly not painful. Diane made me feel welcome and relaxed and clearly loved helping people. My only warning is that if you do choose to have a colonic seek out a reputable nurse and clinic – your bowls are not to be messed with. Oh and definitely don’t wear your good pants!

Diane is a member of the Association and Register of Colon Hydrotherapists and more information about her and her clinic can be found at Colonic Therapy .  Check out the ARCH website for details of clinics in your area. The treatment cost £65 and the whole appointment lasted about 90 mins.

Namaste  

Mediterranean frittata and summer slaw

With the hot weather promising to stay with us for a while how about a nice, fresh and healthy summer salad that ticks all the flavour boxes!

For the Frittata (feeds about 4/5)

1 aubergine

1 courgette

1 red onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 Red, orange or yellow pepper

5 Mushrooms

Tbsp. of balsamic vinegar

2 tbsps. of coconut oil or your favourite nut oil

Handful of pine nuts

8 eggs

3 tbsp. of rice milk

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Handful of fennel seeds

Black pepper to season

For the summer slaw

Half red cabbage (finely chopped)

2 carrots (grated)

1 grated beetroot

2 celery sticks chopped

Handful of raisins

Handful of walnuts

Slices of orange for garnish

Juice of two lemons

A good splash of your favourite nut or olive oil

2 tsp. of mustard or mustard powder

Now the cooking bit

Chop all of the frittata vegetables and place in a high-sided frying pan or griddle pan with the Coconut oil, fennel seeds, garlic and cayenne pepper

Fry off for 5 mins and add the balsamic vinegar and pine nuts. Fry off for a further 10 mins or until the vegetables are golden.

Whisk the eggs and rice milk in a bowl and add some black pepper to taste. Spread the vegetables out so they are even in the pan and pour in the egg mix. Circle the pan until the egg mix just covers the vegetables. On a low heat cook for 5 mins. Using a butter knife separate the edges of the frittata from the pan and gently shake to prevent sticking on the bottom. Turn on the grill and place under the grill until golden. Then return to the hob until the frittata is solid. Leave to cool and slice.

To prepare the salad.  Place all vegetables, fruit and nuts in a bowl (apart from the orange).  Mix the lemon juice, mustard and oil in a bowl and then pour over the top. Garnish with slices of orange.

Serve with lashings of sunshine, preferably with loved ones x

Enjoy!

Healthy granola crunch

How about a breakfast cereal that is low in sugar and high in taste – and as always is gluten and dairy free.  Well wait no longer!

You will need

500g gluten free oats

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

3 handfuls of your favourite nuts – I use almonds, brazil, walnuts and peacans

2 handfuls of your favourite seeds – pumpkin, sunflower etc

Juice and grated zest of a lime

At least 3 pinches of cinnamon

Now the cooking bit

Preheat the oven to 180°C 

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix

Spread out on a shallow baking tray

Bake until golden (stiring as you go) – usually takes about 20 mins

Wait until cool and serve with dairy free yogurt and your favourite fresh fruit. This can be made and stored in a glass or plastic container for up to 5 days so you always have a healthy snack to hand!

The nuts and seeds are a good source of protein for breakfast and balance the sugar in the fruit. This crunchy mix is a great start to the morning!

Enjoy!

Chocolate muffins with peanut butter icing

A healthy version of your favourite chocolate muffin: wheat and dairy free (and no E number nasties) and most importantly tried, tested and approved by the LOs!

For the muffin mix (makes 12 muffins):

38g cocoa powder

135g rye flour

250g organic sugar

1 teaspoons baking powder

118ml coconut oil

120ml lactose free sour cream

180ml water

1 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 organic eggs

For the icing:

350g icing sugar

100g smooth peanut butter

Bananas and coco poweder to decorate

Now the cooking bit

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C (gas mark 2).

2 Mix together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the oil and sour cream, all the while whisking together. Gradually add water, then vinegar and vanilla extract. Finally, add the eggs.

3 Grease a muffin tin and divide the mixture between the cake wells. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (or until dry in the middle). Leave to cool (be patient!).

4. For the icing, mix all the ingredients together – lick the spoon ; )

Spread the icing on the individual cakes, making sure you do a spoonful for the cake and a spoonful for yourself (Goobs favourite part of the cooking process!). Add fresh banana slices to decorate and sprinkle with cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles if you’re feeling really naughty!

Enjoy!

Food for thought

Let me start by saying I am NOT a trained nutritionist, doctor or health professional , the following is based on my experiences alone and should be read as more of a diary extract that may give you some thoughts as to how you might achieve your goals.  If you really want to be sure seek professional help! Ok, caveat over let’s go…

I have never really been FAT per see but like 1 in 4 women in the UK my BMI (and this isn’t always the most accurate guide to fat but nonetheless) has dipped over and under the overweight mark since I hit my mid-20s.

In fact I would only have to look at a bar of chocolate and bang on went another few pounds. Christmas and winter in general was worse for me with the added temptations and opportunities to drink wine! I kept much of the problem at bay with a rigorous exercise regime including running marathons, triathlons and rowing up and down Bristol docks but no amount of exercise could shift the spare tyre around the middle and prevent the evening bloat I became to think was just part of me, growing up and being a woman (funny enough I soon learnt that rather than being good for your body too much cardio puts your body under stress which is bad for you – but how to exercise I feel is another post in the making so for now let’s stick to the food).  

Then along came baby number one and the issue was further compounded with less time, more stress, erratic eating patterns and of course just a flabbier and less toned appearance due to the inevitable stretching to accommodate a 10lb baby!

It seemed to me I had always been on a diet in some form or another.  I have tried weightwatchers, slimming world, detox diets, atkins, cabbage soup (ahem), paleo diet, the fasting diet and many others and with discipline all would shed a few llbs to dip me back into the normal BMI range and see me off on holiday or to get into that dress for the office party. None however tackled my association with food, that spare tyre or the bloating feeling which soon became obvious to the doctor was some form of IBS (the new buzz word for a poorly digestive system).

To be fair to some of the diets mentioned above some were far better than others at maintaining my weight.  In particular weightwatchers and slimming world worked and gave me a better understanding of the amount and types of food I was eating but they didn’t tackle the tummy issues, the cellulite and many other things that continued to plague me and in retrospect it is because they still enabled me to eat the rubbish – just less of it! So please if the following is too much for you do look at either of these two diets as a good way to lose weight.  What they won’t do is change your life forever!

Then about two years ago I started researching and learning more about nutrition with the able assistance and guidance of my friend and long-suffering food guru Jamie Richards. With his help I was able to see that not all food is created equal. In fact most that are created shouldn’t be considered food at all for the lack of nourishment and support they give the body. Finally I saw that if I wanted amazing results – not just a bit of a weight drop – I needed to rethink the way I looked at food, eating and nourishing my body.

Gradually over the next two years I started to experiment with food.  I kept a food diary and worked out quite quickly that the bloating was worse after eating starchy carbs particularly wheat, dairy products, refined sugars (cakes, sweets etc), alcohol (sorry but that one stays) and leafy green vegetables and some fruits, particularly the dry variety.

So I began to slowly eliminate these from my diet. It was tricky at first; particularly eating out or on the go but I persevered and saw some change in my body shape and general wellbeing. But I couldn’t stop the cravings for a nice bacon buttie or bar of chocolate and would ‘reward’ myself with said things after a hard workout or at the end of a stressful week. It seems laughable now that I used these things to ‘reward’ myself given the damage they were doing to my gut!

I kept going back and forward to see Jamie (who must have despaired of me so little attention was I paying to his advice) and would try anything new on the market that ‘claimed’ to reduce the bloat, burn fat fast etc (you’ve seen the adverts!)

Then baby number two came along and the diet well it went south along with my breasts : ) I piled on the llbs and once again my body was thrown into chemical disarray and I was back to constipation, spots, furry and bitten tongue and just general rubbishness (if that is a word, which my spellchecker assures me it is not!)

I gave birth just over a year ago. And what a year! So here’s what happened for me to finally see the light and eat right.

Firstly my husband to be was diagnosed with a dairy and wheat intolerance – so out went those. Secondly a friend of mine was diagnosed with bowl cancer (a chilling wake-up call to the sensitivities of the gut) and finally I saw myself in the mirror and hated what I saw – not just the baby fat but the sallow skin, the bloated belly,  the constipation dilemma, the general feeling of being out of balance. So I embarked on a new journey to really discover how to eat myself well.  You will notice I didn’t say lose weight – no I decided I knew how to do that, I had been doing that off and on for nearly a decade – no this time I decided to explore what food did to me and how I could structure my diet to feed my body properly. You can’t expect a car to run well on the wrong fuel yet I had been pushing my body across finish lines on the wrong fuel for years – no wonder the fuel tank (i.e. my stomach area) was knackered!

I’d like to say it started with an epiphany but it didn’t. I searched the inter-web and looked for eating patterns that fit what I already knew about my body.  Once I had the information I began, with solid and professional advice and support from Jamie, to devise my own way of structuring my eating (and I must apologise to my poor work colleagues who got all of this on a daily basis!) – how, when, why and lastly what.

 Make a big deal of your meal

 So let’s start with the how:

I have a very demanding job and once I had really sat down and thought about it, kept a diary and looked at how I was eating I realised I wasn’t ‘eating’ at all! I was throwing food down my throat as quickly as possible because I had skipped a meal and was starving, had work to do and had to get back to typing, had to change a nappy, pick the eldest up from nursery, dash out etc. How could I expect my stomach and digestive system to do the job my teeth were supposed to do! No wonder I had so much ‘crap’ stuck in the system. Also how did I possibly taste anything – could that be why I ate chocolate until I felt sick because I wasn’t really savouring it? Add to this the wisdom from Jamie that stress raises cortisol levels which slows down the metabolism (or something like that – but it’s not good!)  and I knew I had to slow the eating down, take time out to eat (so not on the go, not at my desk, not when I was about to go out) and really chew and enjoy my food – look at it, smell like, taste it.  The result I ate less, and felt less stressed! Bingo – but it’s not just me, the hubbie tried it and he too noticed he was eating less, felt fuller quicker and enjoyed his food more. So this was a quite simple and easy change to implement but others would be harder.

Keep it regular

 

Now to do all of the above you have to plan when you eat to avoid needing to eat at the wrong moment and this takes me to the when. Having kept a food diary I noticed that I had to schedule my eating around my life if I was to avoid rushing it and feeling stressed. Easier said than done with two children and eating around work.  But what really liberated me in terms of my thinking was that I realised I was already planning meal times for my two little ones  – they didn’t just eat when they felt like it – they had meal times that were at a table, unhurried and with proper food . So if I could do it for them why not me?

The first meal to be properly scheduled in was breakfast, which I find the hardest meal of the day. Not because I am not hungry in the morning but because I automatically want to grab a muffin on the run. The problem was I normally got up, went to the gym and then into work which meant it was 9am before I could eat anything and that was sat at my desk, which is not ideal. Plus I would be so hungry I would grab whatever I could find! When I wasn’t at the gym I was normally sorting the kids out and therefore the same pattern occurred. Time to get organised!

Firstly I switched my tea for a cup of hot water, lemon and ginger.  I had been told about its merits for years and had tried it off and on but I was determined to make this a change for life so I stopped buying tea! It was hard at first as without the initial caffeine rush I wanted even more to grab for something sugary but I stuck at it and soon the thought of a hot, milky drink in the morning made me feel a bit queasy (BUT it did take at least 4 weeks to make the switch so please keep trying!)

Secondly I started planning my breakfasts as I do with the boys.  On the mornings I had the gym I grabbed a smoothie (sadly ready-made innocent one as I am just not that organised) first thing, enjoying the sweetness of the fruit to wake me up and then I’d be off to the gym knowing I had something inside me with the promise of more to come.  Then once at work rather than grab something on the way in I would have something stashed in my desk ready for me – something healthy and nutritious such as some rye bread and organic nut butter, home-made nutty cereal (recipe to follow) with fresh berries and alpro yogurt (dairy free) or even home-made fruit muffins made with rye or buckwheat (recipe to follow). Like I did with Teddles, the home-made items were made on the weekend whilst I was preparing baby food and other meals and put in a plastic container and taken to work ready to surprise me when I got in.

I then ate said breakfast whilst reading through the morning papers, checking emails or chatting – anything other than actually working so that I could really enjoy my food.

On days when I wasn’t dashing off I would have a cooked breakfast along with the boys.  Omelette (with rice milk), organic bacon on rye, smoked salmon and scrambled egg with asparagus; yes it was still hectic at home but if I could feed the boys I could feed myself and if it meant getting up the same time as I would for the gym it didn’t matter because not only did I have a nice hot breakfast inside me I got to spend a little longer with the kids before I headed out. So breakfast nailed.

And what did that do? Well it meant come 10:30am I was still suitably full that I didn’t feel the need to reach for a mid-morning pick me up.  And if I did it was a handful of nuts rather than a chocolate bar as I didn’t need the sugar rush (thanks to the lack of caffeine in the morning which meant I hadn’t buzzed and then slumped!)

Of course that then set me up for lunch at the proper time of between 12 and 1. Again as I do with the kids when I look after them I ensure whatever it is I have on in the day, whatever meetings I have planned I keep at least 30 mins between 12 and 1 to myself (or with the boys) so that I can eat something quietly and slowly as described above.

I don’t want to get into too much detail about what I have for lunch as we can cover that off in the ‘what’ to eat bit but I did have some rules to help me get through the day.  Firstly, I make sure whatever it is has lots of healthy protein – meat, fish, eggs, nuts etc. Protein helps you to keep fuller for longer and that’s what I needed to stretch out the afternoon.  I also make sure I don’t eat fruit without some nuts or seeds to accompany it to avoid the sugar ups and downs of 3pm (but more on that later). Finally I made it look nice.  I get loads of compliments at work about my meals – not because they are necessarily anything special but because I presented them as if I was serving them to someone special – and I guess I was, ME!  So I take care with presentation, add herbs to garnish and generally keep it as bright and colourful and therefore appealing as possible. Soon I was making lunch for everyone in the office : )

With a nice (not too sugary) lunch in the bag I can normally last until I get home to eat again, carrying a handful of nuts with me just in case (with a little bit of dark chocolate for a real treat).  It meant however by the time I got home at 6:30 I was hungry – so dinner switched from 8pm to 6:30pm and I got to eat dinner with the boys!  What’s more eating early meant that by the time I went to bed I felt a bit peckish but not full and bloated and this meant a better night’s sleep (children allowing) and waking up really hungry ready to face a planned out and scheduled in breakfast and the process starts again. Above anything else I truly believe getting this pattern right has made me lose weight.  I am eating like a child in terms of planned, regular and sustained food (rather than messy walls and general sulking) and this gives me the energy to get through to the next meal without a slump in sugar levels. Sugar levels are an interesting one, which I will talk about a bit later (from personal experience not with any professional advice).  I finally have my eating habits on track (mostly – some days throw you a curve ball such as hospital visits with little ones etc but in general I have it sorted) and this has certainly reduced the bloat at night and given me meal times back with the family as an added bonus. Suddenly all of the diet gurus and their insistence of a good breakfast make sense – it really does set you up for the day.

This schedule won’t work for everyone as people work different shifts, stay at home with the kids and various other possibilities. From personal experience however I would say sit and think about your average day and work out what schedule fits you and try and structure proper eating times – after all eating is fundamental to survival so why do we give the time to do it such little respect.  I was discussing this with my hairdresser today and he said; “I have such bad eating habits but between the dog and work I just don’t have time to eat something properly and grab whatever I can, when I can.” I suspect most people feel like this.  Then no more than 10 mins later he regaled me with the story of his addiction to spray tans – he has one every day! So he can find time for that but not to eat  – I felt pointing that out might  be a little rude but it did make me chuckle.

Don’t cry for me…

So why you might ask did I ask myself why I ate – isn’t that obvious, because I am hungry.  But am I? Or am I thirsty, bored, tired, sad, lonely, happy or a mix of emotions. If you are like me and have been off and on diets for years you will be familiar with the term emotional eating or comfort eating and we all do it to some degree (even now I find myself doing it).  The bag of crisps in front of the telly because you’re bored and they are there, the tub of ice-cream after an argument, the shared plate of chips with friends even though you’ve already had dinner! It’s easy to do and the opportunities to do it are vast, whether you’re at home or at work.  So I set about writing down how I felt before I ate anything outside of the regulated meal schedule – and this included drinking alcohol.  Quite quickly I saw a pattern of what I was eating to satisfy what emotional need. Wine made me relax, chocolate happy, sweets less tired, crisps or biscuits less bored.  Ok so how do you get around this. Here’s what I did (but this doesn’t mean it will work for you).

• I’m stressed, I need to relax – a bath, a walk, a foot massage, reading to the boys
• I’m sad, I want to be happy – a funny film , a cuddle, a run, looking at baby pictures
• I’m tired, I need a pick me up – a walk, a cup of herbal tea, fresh air, a cool shower
• I’m bored – read a book, write a shopping list, organise Goob’s room

You notice I didn’t even reach for healthy food – because to me that was still making the link between these emotions and food of any sort.  I wanted to eat when I was hungry and enjoy wine and chocolate because I had the room not because of the emotions.  This all sounds very virtuous but as I said at the beginning I still do it, mainly when I am socialising and mainly with wine! But I am more aware of it now and I think that has really helped cut my drinking down from almost every day to only when I am socialising or out for a meal etc. So this is one to watch for me and I am sure it will get easier over time.

Food not fodder (borrowed from Jamie’s own website)

So now the important bit – the what to eat!  I could tell you the minutiae of my meals over the last six months but I will stick to a list of things I avoided, combined or added to my menu and that seemed to work for me both in terms of capturing my love for food and losing the spare tire and bloat.  Hubby said to me last night, “you’ve actually got a six-pack haven’t you” – happy days! My BMI is now 20 and my body fat 20% – this is a very healthy weight and my tummy thanks me daily by staying flat and giving me regular toilet trips and a nice clean, healthy system (hopefully to be supported by a trip to the colonic clinic – but this is another post!)

So here it is (and this will be to most of you nothing new but let me tell you for me it really worked – I know actually worked!) I should also say this is not attributed to anyone other than my own experience and shouldn’t be seen as a professional diet plan (covering my ass yet again!)

• Cut out wheat – I could go into how bad it is for you etc etc but I won’t, I will just say for me and the hubby it made us feel and look crap so it went.  It was replaced with non-gluten varieties such as rye for bread and lentils or spelt for pasta
• Cut out dairy – or at least cut down – there are loads of alternatives on the market which are equally yummy and you can even make your own ice cream out of coconut milk!  Dairy was another bloater nightmare for me but occasionally I do have the odd bit of real cheese because ultimately we are all human. The best swap for me was milk to dark chocolate.
• Cut out anything with ingredients that just don’t sound like real food or where sugar or salt is in the first three ingredients (sugar is anything ending in -ose). This meant no longer visiting the aisles where packaged food was kept, to me this no longer looked or smelt like food (the smell of bread now is chemical and nasty yuk!)– It was man-made crap.  I read in one article, if your Nan wouldn’t add it to her cooking why should it be on a label.  The worst culprit was so called diet foods – absolutely packed with sugar substitutes of no real value so they were ditched! You see it’s not about the calories it’s about the nutrients those calories can give you and therefore the less likely you are to crave more food shortly after to fulfil that nutrient deficiency.  If I want cakes and biscuits (which the boys definitely need) I make them myself so I know what’s gone into it – this includes my own breakfast cereal which I will post the recipe to soon. If I can do this (and I am a real foodie) and the boys can do this (as young children) it must be something that can be done
• Cut out salt or at least added salt, it’s a bloater and so bad for you. Use fish and bacon to add salty flavours to meals instead
• Cut down on the caffeine – I was never a big tea drinker but caffeine just perpetuates the up/down feeling which then has you craving for another one and so the cycle continues – cut out or cut down and if you’re like me you soon forget about it!  Drink green tea as a substitute and go for the caffeine version if you just can’t kick the buzz. Green tea is a mighty anti-oxidant, one of many I have discovered and I think it takes pretty good
• If you can’t give up the booze (which I can’t) try cutting down to only weekends and choose healthier alternatives.  James Duigan’s Clean and Lean book has some suggestions including clear spirits and organic wine, the market for which is growing in the UK and I may cover this at some point being an organic wine drinker myself. The one I really have to avoid is beer or lager – the bubbles are just bad news for me on the bloating side.
• For me I can’t eat dried fruit – end of. It bloats me but it may not for others
• Drink loads of water – if you think you drink enough, drink more anyway! I don’t think I need to go into this as we’ve all had the lectures but I found the more water I drank the less hungry I felt – bonus!
• This is a weird one – never eat fruit alone.  I found once I had cut out the crap fruit was acting as my sugar buzz and making me swing from one sugar buzz to the next.  Combine it with some nuts or other protein and voila no sugar buzz but something sweet nonetheless
• Try to eat organic as much as you can.  I don’t bother with veg but since swapping cheap meat to organic I have really noticed the difference in flavour, texture and general fullness and what’s more it doesn’t contain nasty chemicals and steroids
• Eat one meal a week that really makes you happy – whatever it is.  But take time to enjoy it and see it for what it is: a treat (so no guilty feelings please)!  Mine is homemade chocolate cake with peanut butter icing (recipe to follow). 
• If you eat something bad get straight back on it at the next meal – you don’t have to wait until Monday to start again, it was just a blip – we’re all human
• No bubbles  for me– I cut out all drinks with bubbles, even fizzy water as the bubbles caused gas and that added to the bloat
• Leafy green veg is a problem for me when eaten with red meat – so I don’t combine the two
• I stopped counting calories, looking at fat content etc and just ate what my body told me it wanted (but healthy versions). If it wanted chocolate I went for dark, if it wanted a cake I made one but using rye flour and manuka honey to sweeten it – simples!

And that’s it (that’s it I hear you say, that’s huge!) – and yes it is huge and a lot, and I discovered what worked and didn’t work for me slowly, through trial and error. Over time each little change added to one big change to my waist line and my general wellbeing. As I say I lost 4 stone in 6 months and not once did I skip a meal, go hungry or change my exercising regime – in fact if anything I did less exercise!

As I keep banging on about I am not a nutritionist, this is all from personal experience and research I have done along the way. For proper nutritional advice seek professional help. But I do think we are a good barometer for what works and if you don’t feel right, you don’t like the way you look then perhaps something isn’t right. And for me it wasn’t so I changed it.  Maybe this all seems a little drastic and too much but if you found any of this interesting then maybe you could make a small change and that small change will be enough.

I have a lot of thanks to give to Jamie and I found a lot of yummy recipes and ideas from James Duigan’s Clean and Lean diet and recipe book.

Hope this has given you some food for thought….

 Namaste

Chill out and discover a new you

They bill it as “a family run business which offers you, as the name suggests,. the opportunity to relax, revive and restore yourself in in the most breathtaking and serene locations both the UK and abroad” so I was prepared for some much needed R&R as I packed the car up for a weekend  at Brooklands, West Sussex with Chill Out Retreats. What’s more I was promised a rare weekend in the UK – a full weekend of glorious sunshine – it was obvious something special was going to happen.

Those hopes were momentarily dashed as I sat cursing in rush hour traffic only 3 miles from my destination, so achingly close and yet as the time ticked on, even closer to missing that all important welcome and first yoga class to really get you into the weekend.

This was the first time I had been on ‘retreat’ and there was a part of me that worried I would be surrounded by a bunch of hippies ‘ohming’ all weekend in hemp clothing, smelling of wee (apologies to all you proud hippies out there but that’s where I went in my head – it was a long drive!). However when I did finally arrive, a little hot, tired and stressed out I was pleasantly surprised to meet 12 normal people looking for a chance of some rest and a bit of a giggle at the same time.

The weekend began with a real treat – an open air yoga class led by the wonderful Nat who with her patient and soothing tone eased all of the tension the last 3 hour drive had built up and set the tone for the whole weekend. Nat has yoga and healing in her blood as we discovered later that day, coming from a long line of spiritual healers and yoga masters – in fact her family history is so interesting it was the subject of a BBC documentary back in the 70s. She counts spiritualists, surfing champions, inventors and award-winning academics amoungst her closest relatives – a real hotpot of creativity, intelligence and spirituality stemming from her Grandpa’s (Pa) desire to leave his comfortable life as a doctor in Harley Street in the 50s/60s and enable the family to learn more traditional healing methods and lead a more self-contained life. But this is not my story to tell so I shall get back to the yoga!

I have never practiced yoga outside but what an experience – the smell of the countryside, the sounds of the birds, the blue of the sky  took me to a place I haven’t visited for the last five years – a time before children, a demanding job and a hectic life, a place I like to call my bliss! And this continued as we began our first of the weekend’s meditation practices.

Let me clarify; I have NEVER meditated and find the whole thing a little cringey so I was prepared for giggling and scepticism. Nat talked us through the first practice where we counted up to ten and back down again using our breath as a marker and trying as best as we can to clear our minds. I don’t know if it was the sunshine or the lovely surroundings but I did find myself just being in the moment and despite a little giggling as we closed the session with the optional ‘ohm’ (I am happy to say the giggles weren’t from me but they made me smile!) I thought perhaps I hadn’t given meditation credit and perhaps this wouldn’t be as ‘hippy’ as I thought. Being in the moment I may be but my stomach was definitely looking to the future and the promise of a delicious meal if the smells coming from the kitchen were anything to go by.

Before dinner was served we were free to explore the beauty of Brooklands and I unpacked in my spacious and beautifully decorated bedroom, which would be my home for the weekend.  Now as I have mentioned to many of you my diet has been a little ‘strict’ recently  -between trying to control the IBS, the intolerances of the family,  losing weight and getting healthy there has been a lot of food ‘dumped’ and this has led to a tricky situation when it comes to eating out. However despite this I hadn’t bought any fall back food with me (not even wine and chocolate!) so I had to hope the food served met the following criteria: wheat free, dairy free, unrefined sugars, free of chemicals and additives and packed full of nutritious vegetables and fruit.  Would I regret not bringing dinner with me?

Food for the weekend was under the strict control and delivery of Nat’s equally lovely sister Lucy.  I could dedicate a whole blog to her food and still not do it justice but instead I will keep it to this. Not only was it delicious, filling, meeting all the criteria described above but it was cooked and presented with a smile, care, warmth and (I may be getting a little romantic here) a genuine love for food and people. I enjoyed every meal and it energised and healed me in equal measure so a wholehearted thanks to Lucy – I even enjoyed the prunes ;  )

So back to the retreat.  Night one was spent getting to know everyone and not surprisingly all bar one of the ‘retreaters’ were women and it was nice to hear the yoga experience from a male perspective. What I was happy to share was the number of us with young children and on night one it was clear that we were all here for the same reason – to unwind from the stress of family life, enjoy each other’s company and have a good time.  That said we did dedicate a lot of the first night’s conversation to our beautiful children who we all clearly missed.

I struggled with sleep the first night for two reasons; firstly I was so excited about what tomorrow would bring, the promise of more of what we had already experienced in such a short period of time was energising rather than sleep provoking! Secondly it was so hot; the weather forecast clearly wasn’t lying when it promised a weekend of sunshine.

The morning finally came around and we started the day with a delicious super fresh smoothie and an optional, not so delicious wheat grass shot (of which I am not convinced!)  Then it was straight to the yoga studio for an energising meditation and yoga class.

Meditation focussed on repeating several mantras (see separate post on meditation mantras that worked for me). The idea was to repeat these until you found your zen or whatever it was you needed to find. At first I struggled to concentrate as I was so busy trying to remember the words but soon I relaxed and by the time I got to ‘I will make progress’ I was visualising a long winding road heading towards the sea with my family walking beside me. As we walked along in silence I felt the soothing sea breeze on my face and could actually smell the ocean – I did it, I was out of the room, I was in the zone – and that’s when I dropped promptly back into the room and realised I had had it for a split second only to lose it as soon as I had realised. It may have only been a short few seconds but the feeling was exhilarating and confirmed me as a true meditation addict – I wanted to feel that again but I just couldn’t recreate it and when Nat chimed to say the practice was over I felt frustrated, but had discovered something new about myself.

An energising yoga practice then followed, followed by a yummy buffet-style breakfast with something for everyone (and thank god as I was famished!)  Then it was free time (what’s that I hear you ask)! 

So what to do – hire a bike, go for a swim in the private Brookland’s pool, go for a walk down by the river, explore Arundel or just sunbathe in the Mediterranean – styled courtyard. With two hours of free time before lunch the temptation to do nothing was great (particularly as I haven’t read a book from start to finish in a few months!) but I took to the pool for an enlivening swim. 30 mins later and I was laid out sunbathing and reading – good intentions and all that but the sunshine was a call too far!

Lunch was an amazing mix of salads, frittata, fruit and veggies. Then it was treatment time – something I had been looking forward to! I had chosen three treatments for the weekend. Firstly reflexology; I have never had reflexology and I plan to write a separate post on the benefits and practice (watch this space) and it was a really lovely experience. The basis of it is that your foot represents your whole body and by stimulating part of your feet you can energise and soothe your internal and external body.  I thought it might just be a nice foot massage but I was wrong. As Louise (one of the therapists and a real people person with a genuine smile for everyone) rubbed and massaged my toes I felt a shiver up my neck and across my head. As she continued I forgot it was only my feet being massaged as my entire body followed what she was doing with my feet.  And as an added bonus I had sweet smelling and soft tooties for the rest of the day!

My next treatment was an ‘It works’ wrap – a modern, plant-based fat wrap for those that remember the clay and cling-film type of old.  Louise body brushed my stomach and placed the wrap infused with plant extracts such as chestnut and then wrapped me in the pre-requisite cling-film.  I was to keep this on until the yoga class at 6pm – so 3 hours.

The ‘It works’ body wrap has been the talk of the town in Hollywood and it is now being pushed over here.  At £20 – £30 an application it isn’t cheap but then again it isn’t expensive either and if it worked would be well worth the money. According to the hype the ingredients in the applicator help with skin rejuvenation, reducing swelling and lipolysis.  What this means is I was promised a tighter, more toned stomach with little to no effort – in fact I spent the 3 hours flat on my back reading.  It felt nice – I thought it might be hot but it was more like a cold, menthol feeling and the only side effect was a constant thirst and the need to wee! After 3 hours (it can be left on overnight but I had yoga to do!) I took it off and on close inspection yes it appeared to have toned the area and it certainly looked tighter.  The measurements showed I had lost an inch on my waistline – an inch in 3 hours! – with the promise of more results in 72 hours. Whether this was down to water loss or simply sweating it out in the cling film for 3 hours only time will tell but I can see this as a perfect way to squeeze into that figure-hugging dress for that big event or just before heading out to the beach for the day for that perfect beach-bod. So all in all a big thumbs up for the ‘It works’ wrap – to buy please check out chilloutretreats.com or you can buy it on eBay or direct from the manufacturers.  Google ‘It works’ and there are loads of buying options.

My final treatment wasn’t until the Sunday – but we had one more night of open air yoga to enjoy, further group meditation (sending some of us into a deep and not-so peaceful sleep!) and another delightful meal cooked by Lucy. Unlike the night before where some had stayed up into the small hours getting to know each other, everyone was ready to hit the hay early as a day of relaxation in the sunshine caught up. I was no different and was scrubbed, coconut-oiled (see previous post) and fast asleep before it even got dark! And unlike the night before sleep found me quickly and kept hold of me for a full 10 hours!! Yes 10 hours sleep – unheard of in this household!

Day three arrived rather sadly and I promised myself to make the most of it. It started much the same way swapping static meditation for walking meditation in the grounds of Brooklands.  I struggled with this but enjoyed the feeling of grass beneath my feet and the sun on my back. Then came a full on Pilates class (as you know my favourite!) followed by more free time, which some of us decided to fill with a scenic tour of Arundel with our more than able tour guide Nat.

It was an intimate walk along the river and into the beautiful city of Arundel itself.  After a brief stop for ice-cream (or sorbet for me) and a few sweets for the children (and big child) back home we headed off to explore the cathedral – a must see if you are ever in Arundel. I love cathedrals – their air of spirituality, their reverence to a different time and the love and respect they reflect of those that still care for them today. As I always do when visiting a cathedral I lit a candle for those that have left us (my Dad for example) and to celebrate those that have just joined us on life’s journey (my little Goob and Teddles).

We then explored Arundel’s large and magnificent parks, with sweeping vistas, plenty of sheep and an electric fence or two. It was a hot walk but we discussed everything from motherhood to spirituality and in good humour and company we walked up an appetite. It was a great compliment to the stillness of the day before as well as a chance to visit outside of the retreat for those (i.e. me) who had been too lazy to visit the beach the day before. But it felt like a closing chapter on the weekend, even more so as we headed back to Brooklands to find some of the guests already leaving.

After lunch I had my third and final treatment – Reiki.  Again I would like to dedicate a whole post to this practice, particularly as I have booked another session now I am back as I found it so, well, indescribable. It felt like being in a dream state but awake, being present but not there and when I woke after half an hour I knew I had to do it again, such was the intensity of feeling and the profound sense of peace and creativity it had sparked in me – in fact it is one of the reasons for this blog!!

So that was it – over. Three of the guests (two sisters and a friend – the gigglers and a real joy to be with) had bought Nat, Lucy and Louise a leaving present of a sign that seemed to me to sum up the whole weekend if I can be just a little romantic once again.  It said ‘May our guests leave as friends’ and that certainly felt true in my case – in fact I have already been back in touch and am planning my next retreat in November!! Such a great weekend is rare in today’s bustling life – a weekend to really explore yourself amongst people that won’t judge or need you for anything other than for yourself.  But I want to focus on one moment that for me summed up the whole experience.

As we finished our last open aired yoga session on the Saturday night Nat read a beautiful poem about a bird souring on the breeze. As I listened, so sad that the experience would soon be over, I gazed up to see a lone bird circling above and for that split second I was that bird on the breeze and I knew it would be ok to go home and use everything I had learnt to create a peaceful space for me in my own nest surrounded by loved ones.

Thanks to everyone at Chill Out Retreats and I hope this post has done your fine work justice. For more information please visit chilloutretreats.com – until next time…..

 Namaste

Become a Coconut-ter

According to the experts the health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, cholesterol level maintenance, weight loss, boosted immune system, proper digestion and regulated metabolism. It also provides relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV, and cancer, while helping to improve dental quality and bone strength. Sounds a tall claim and I am no expert so I can’t say either way but I am a consumer and so I thought I would check it out and see why everyone is going coco for coconuts.

Cooking

So let’s start at the beginning. Cooking. I was a little sceptical about using Coconut oil to cook anything other than a Thai curry. Coconut oil is used extensively in tropical countries especially India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Philippines etc and I am familiar with coconut as a flavour for Thai and Indian cooking. But could it really fry an egg without changing the flavour? Well yes it can – it not only smelt great whilst cooking but left no real flavour in the egg other than a warmth that felt like sunshine : ). So cooking it does – but why is that important for our tummies? Here comes a science lesson:

The human body converts lauric acid (which coconuts have plenty of!) into monolaurin, which is supposedly helpful in dealing with viruses and bacteria that cause diseases such as herpes (ahem), influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV! It also helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and helicobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia (eh? see Organic Facts if you want to know more about the sciencey bit including the composition and use in traditional medicine). Bottom line is that its helps fight harmful bacteria and supports the liver (amongst other things) – and just as well given the lovely case of organic wine that arrived this weekend : ).  So adding it to our food is a quick and easy way of giving our insides some love. More importantly for me as a real foodie and mother of fussy children it does actually taste great and my eldest comments everytime I cook how lovely it smells (now if only I could get him to actually try something new!)

So you can cook with it (and please check out some of my recipes for more details) but do I really dare use this oily substance on my body?

Hair

Coconut oil is apparently one of the best natural nutrients for your hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair and gives your hair a shiny quality. It is also highly effective in reducing protein loss (the technology bit in all haircare products today) which can lead to various unattractive or unhealthy qualities in your hair.

Sounds promising – so I took a handful and I rubbed it in my hair. This is not for the feint hearted. It was greasy, smelt oily (like cooking oil but with a coconut edge) and made my hair really heavy. In fact it was not a great experience – I looked a little like I hadn’t washed in weeks or had put my head in a chip fryer but all in the name of beauty I wrapped my head in a towl and left it on over night.

In the morning I washed my hair, and my pillows and sheets as they were an oil slick too and I would like to say I had beautiful shiny locks but alas my hair was still very greasy and dull and in fact it took four more washes before it even resembled clean! Now I have fine hair so perhaps this wasn’t meant for me but overall conclusion Coconut oil is best kept away from the head unless you like the unclean look (and very dirty bed clothes).

If you have really dry, thick hair this might work as a hot oil type treatment once a week especially with some essential oils added to make it smell a little less oily. Coconut oil is a key ingredient in the new Morroccon oil range that is sweeping the salons so it seems to have some haircare credentials but for me it is a no no. I don’t mind suffering for beauty but yuk!

Skin

The common understanding is that Coconut oil cures all manners of skin complaints from acne to old age – in fact some claim it can even be used as a sun protection. In the name of science therefore I tried it on my skin and have to say had better results this time. I started by body brushing and then applying a generous amount (starts solid but will soon melt) all over my skin. I then left it 10 mins and showered it off. It left me body feeling soft and moisturised and of course I felt virtuous knowing I had given it a lauric acid treat.

Feeling a little braver the next time I body brushed and applied it before bed and slept in it (my poor sheets really!). It was a little uncomfortable being so greasy but it soon sank in and the other half didn’t complain too much about the smell so it isn’t too overpowering – in fact it is more subtle than other body butters on the market. Once again my body felt very soft and smooth in the morning, even my feet (which is a tough area for me!). I also noticed my skin looked a little plumper – could it really be an anti-ageing cream too? According to many traditions around the world Coconut oil does just that and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and have continued to apply it all over, twice a week since and I have had many comments about how well I am looking so tick number two : )

Interestingly my biggest concern was the affect on my face.  I am prone to outbreaks and it felt unnatural rubbing oil into my face and leaving it there to fester but so far (touching lots of wood) my face hasn’t erupted into coconut flavoured pustules.My advice however is wear a headband and old PJs because it can get everywhere before it sinks in!

Finally I decided to try out the adage that it can be used as a sun protector so I bravely whacked it on all over and sat in the garden for 30 mins with no protection in 28 degree heat and waited to fry so to speak. BUT……. it wasn’t that bad. Yes I went a little red but I stretched it out to an hour and before long I had forgotten I had no other protection on and merrily went about my business. That evening my skin was a little pink but certainly not burnt and the best thing I smelt like holidays all day (the oily smell experienced on the hair is less present on the skin and you get more of the natural coconut smell).

Now I wouldn’t advocate using this as a long-term solution (the sun being young skin’s biggest enemy) and I certainly won’t be using it on the children as a suncream but overall my experience was good and I would certainly use it again just for hanging out around the garden. The next morning I had a lovely natural brown tone to my skin : 0

As a clarification I have less sensitive skin to the sun anyway and I am not advocating the use of Coconut oil as a suncream so please don’t blame me if you try it and burn – this is just my experience, I am not a professional!

Teeth

So the skin was a better experience than the hair but could it be used as a toothpaste as some websites suggest. Well after the initial gagging at the smell and texture of it I got brushing. I used it morning and night for two days (all I could stand!), adding some fresh mint to the oil to give it a semblance of normal toothpaste. It may have been cleaning my teeth but to be honest they still felt fluffy and there was certainly no minty freshness experience even with the mint. Going to bed with an oily mouth was probably worse than the greasy hair so overall I would give this one a miss but I didn’t lose any teeth so there’s a plus! I have since been told it can be used as a mouthwash – gag alert, I will leave that one to the experts!

So have I become a Coconu-ter. Well I certainly use it in my cooking now instead of olive oil and it has become a new addition to my weekly moisturising routine but that’s as far as I am comfortable in pushing it! Will it be coming on holiday with me? – yes probably but I will also be bringing shampoo, conditioner and a nice tube of regular toothpaste!

I used Groovy Food pure coconut oil available from Tesco at £7 a tub (in a solid form so it needs to melt in the sun or over a radiator to make it more of a liquid or at least paste) but there are loads of different types available on the internet. Just make sure you get pure coconut oil and if you really hate the smell of coconut you can add essential oils such as lavender (for sleep) and lemongrass (for energy).

For more information on the health benefits of Coconut oil please see Organic Facts, which is an amazing article on the health and science behind the stuff and is what inspired me to give it a go so thanks!

Namaste

Welcome and I can’t believe I am blogging!

This is the first in what I hope to many, many, many blogs about interesting things I have read, heard, seen, bought, visited and tried and I have many ideas buzzing around in my head so please bear with me.

But before all of that I wanted to get my first blog posted a) to see if I could actually work out how to and b) to get something, anything into print so my blog isn’t so empty and sad.

So this is what I have in store over the next few days so please keep on reading and I will update as often as I can:

Chillout retreat review – I have recently returned from an amazing yoga retreat in West Sussex and will share with you the food, yoga, meditation not to mention reflexology and reiki with links to the relevant sites if you like what you hear.

Some yummy, healthy and kid friendly receipes including wheat and dairy free chocolate cake with peanut butter icing, super summer slaw and home made wheat and dairy free children’s party food. Yum and good for the tum.

Why coconut oil is the new body must have and all of its uses (as tried and tested by me!)

Review of some of the best diets around (as tried and tested by yours truley) including some helpful tips and hints from a professional nutritionist and my own personal experience

Why hot yoga is the hottest thing in Bristol – a two week tour of the new hot yoga craze and what its really like to sit and sweat with strangers (that’s right I have even tried this out for you!)

And finally, when I get the time something on what it really takes to stay young and beautiful with expert words from a nutritionist, pilates teacher, cosmetic surgeon, beautician, yoga and reiki master – with so many opinions this I think will be a goodie!

So that’s whats planned – I better getting writing! Wow that’s a lot to do but I have done the hard bit and I have filled the first blank page, onwards dear reader onwards!

Namaste