Over the last few months I have felt happy, calm, settled and in control of most things...especially my anxiety. Now this may be due to the medication I have been taking, the CBT that I had a few months ago, the gorgeous weather or a mixture of all of these things.
One thing that HAS happened is that I have become lazy and greedy! I only have myself to blame for that. I have always been a grazer and really struggle to not wander to the fridge at any time of day and eat whatever may be in there...and I mean anything. A slice of ham, a slice of cheese, a few grapes, a yoghurt. Whatever there may be in that lovely chilled fridge that doesn't need prepping is what I will eat and I have been doing that more and more. The same goes for bowls of cereal, biscuits and toast and butter, especially the latter when I am at work.
On Monday morning I was up early, had walked the dog and was at a loss as to what to do. I found some dried apricots and decided to use them in recipes. I googled 'apricots in cooking' and found that I had the ingredients to make apricot chicken, some apricot biscuits and some really lovely apricot and coconut sweets that needed no other ingredients and no cooking. Perfect!
The chicken dish was nice, although a bit sweet, the biscuits were ok and the sweets were, well, SWEET. I loved them.
Once I had done the cooking that was it. Over the course of the day I ate most of the chicken, at least half of the biscuits and 6 of the 14 sweets. See what I mean about greedy? I ate most of those things without even thinking about it and certainly not because I was hungry.
I went off to work, ate even more there and then came home and felt bloated and fat.
I also tend to overindulge if things are unsettled or causing anxiety at home and things are certainly a bit on the fraught side due to a financial conundrum that is surrounding our proposed house move. At one time I would have overindulged in a bottle of wine but luckily those days are behind me I think. Food has taken its place. I have even been buying chocolate which is not something that I do with any regularity.
Anyway, last night, after the apricot overload, I realised that I really need to address these issues and decided to have a healthy eating blitz - for 4 days to start with. I looked on various websites to read about detoxing and decided that I have nothing, apart from bloating and about 1 and a half stone, to lose.
Armed with my usual determination to rise to a challenge, I set off to Sainsbury's with a clear list of items that I wanted to buy in my mind. The list comprised mainly of fruit, veg, porridge,fish and chicken and I managed to get what I wanted with no problem. I even got green tea so that I won't be having milk.
So, for breakfast I had tinned grapefruit in natural juice, for lunch it was reduced fat feta cheese, peppers and beetroot followed by a fruit bar ( no oats or added sugar, just fruit) and for tea it was baked cod loin with wholegrain rice, carrots and mange tout followed by fat free Greek yoghurt and raspberries. I've had a couple of cups of green tea and a mini pack of oat cake bake bites and that's it.
While I am aware that that doesn't sound particularly impressive, compared to what I have been eating it's a vast improvement. Tomorrow I intend of having porridge with blueberries for breakfast, a similar salad to today and then chicken and veg in the evening. Thursday will be more of a challenge as I am out all day from 6.30am until about 10 pm visiting Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge.
So, day 1 has been pretty good and I don't feel hungry. I could eat a bowl of cereal and a few biscuits but that's because of habit and not because I'm hungry. A cup of green tea will have to suffice and then I'm off to bed where, hopefully, I'll sleep a little better than last night and then we shall see what tomorrow brings.
I'm going to save this entry and not publish it until I have completed 4 days of eating healthily and I hope to make an entry each day to record how I'm doing. Hubby and son are doing it with me. Son enthusiastic. Hubby not so as he's fretting about things. Let's see how we get on.
Day 2
After spending a fruitless couple of hours last night trying to uninstall programmes from my now working laptop ( I use the term 'working' loosely as it's become the slowest laptop in the world) I was later going to bed than I intended. I fell asleep just before midnight I think and did wake once as I was feeling very hot. The next thing I knew hubby was getting up for work. That would have been about 5.45 am!
I got up about 6.45 and fed the dog, put the kettle on and popped a slice of lemon in a cup. I added boiling water to the cup and then drank the ever so slightly sour drink which is apparently an important part of the detox process. I think it helps to kickstart the system or something! This was followed by a bowl of porridge made with water in the microwave and with a few blueberries added for sweetness. Just off to walk the dog and then get on with my day. Laters!
9 am and dog is walked and I am peckish. I also have a slight headache. Going to have a cup of green tea and a slice of gluten free brown bread toasted with marmalade - no margerine or butter - and then a bath and off to see father in law.
12.30
Had a cup of tea with a splash of milk with the old chap. Home now and very hungry...genuinely. Still have a bit of a headache (tired?) and tummy is rumbling so going to knock up a salad with some reduced fat feta again. It was lovely and followed by a cup of green tea and a cocoa mint bar (gluten free,dairy free - dates, raisins, cashews, cocoa and mint, that's it). Feel better!
Took a couple of paracetamol and had forty winks. Headache all better. Walked the dog and then got tea ready. Tonight was salmon, rice and veg followed by banana and fat free Greek yoghurt - with a very little sprinkle of sugar. A cup of proper tea with another fruit bar went down very well and that's should be it for tonight. Long day ahead tomorrow so hope I sleep well tonight.
Day 3
05.50 Well, so much for sleeping last night! Been awake since 3ish and have just watched an episode of The Great British Bake Off Extra Slice. Probably not the best thing to watch when you're trying to eat healthily is it? Anyway, just having a cup of lemon and hot water then tea and porridge, walk the dog and then drive to Cambridge. Also, it's bloomin' cold this morning. Have a nice day all.
Day 4
Yesterday .... an interesting day that included being stopped by the police on M11 ....but I pretty much stuck to my healthy eating apart from eating 10 chocolate raisins for which I feel no guilt what so ever.
After getting to Addenbrookes hospital an hour and a quarter late for our hospital appointments and after one daughter being diagnosed with having cataracts on both eyes (we knew about one eye but not about the other) that need surgery which she can't have at the moment because she is 36 weeks pregnant, we had settled down in a sunny courtyard to have a cup of tea and something to eat. I had already had an bottle of apple juice and a bag of baked mango slices but I managed to scoff a prepacked feta salad and a go ahead bar and the aforementioned chocolate raisins. I was quite impressed with myself to be honest.
When I had dropped off my passengers at the end of the day I got home and decided on my dinner choice. Salmon in the fridge needed eating so I popped it in the oven, cooked some corn on the cob and some sugar snap peas and, 20 mins later, enjoyed a lovely dinner with a little bit of balsamic dressing added. This was followed by one of the fruit bars and an orange.
This morning I had a glass of hot water and lime and a cup of tea, made some phone calls re yesterday's events and then had a bowl of porridge with blueberries.
Son went out for drinks last night and insisted he was only going to drink vodka and soda (healthyish?). When I came downstairs, said son was asleep on the sofa, still in his clothes and the oven was on. Fortunately there was nothing in the oven! What there was was the usual crap that we all think is good to eat after a few drinks. Son had been to Tesco on his way home, as he always does, and had brought 2 boxes of Pringles, 3 large bags of Doritos, a jar of cheese dip and a box of cheese straws. All were unopened. When he was able to speak he said that he brought it all, got home and then realised that he shouldn't be eating that kind of stuff for a few days and left it all. Hats off to him I say. I'm not sure I would have had some much self-restraint in those circumstances i.e. drunk!
What has amused me is hubby who was adamant that he wanted to do this detox thing with us, who then went out for a pre-arranged curry and a few beers last night and who was then was confronted by me after I had a found a receipt for a chicken and stuffing sandwich and a Cornish pasty which were purchased on Wednesday! I have no issue with what he eats or doesn't eat but he is obsessed with his food and weight. There's no helping some people!
So, today is the last of my 4 day detox efforts and I'm really happy with how it's gone thus far. Having a fridge full of healthy things is a real help and not having rubbish stuff in the house is making a huge difference. Quite whether I will be able to avoid those cheese straws today though is another matter!
So lunch today for me was 2 slices of gluten free brown bread toasted with what was supposed to be mashed avocado... which wouldn't mash because they were under-ripe... an egg fried in coconut oil and a splash of balsamic glaze. The avocado bit was a a bit of a disaster as they were too hard to mash but the coconut oil is my new very favourite thing.
I love all things coconut from body butter to sun lotion, from macaroons to cocktails. I adore the taste and the smell and this oil I have found is brilliant.
It's made by www.lucybee.co and I found it in Sainsbury's health food aisle. I have used it when baking chicken and salmon and for frying too. It is extra virgin organic and is fair-trade. It's 100% kosher,gluten and lactose free, zero cholesterol and suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Apparently you can use it on you face as a moisturiser and on your body as a body butter. I think there are loads of other uses for it so give it a try if, like me, you're a coconut lover!
The end of the day for has been hit and miss. I had an apple because I was hungry and light-headed and, quite frankly, feeling a bit peculiar. Then supper was prawns in ginger and garlic sauce with rice and salad ....all done by myself, not pre-packaged. It's Friday so I have allowed myself a couple of slimline g and t's and have also had a fruit 'bar' and a packet of low-fat, low cal popcorn. So the end of my healthy eating blitz has been a bit of a disappointment but, overall, it's been a good experience and one that I hope to do more of.
The weekend is here, I've lost a couple of pounds, eaten proper fresh food and enjoyed the challenge.
Happy weekend to you all. Have fun!
Much love xxx
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