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Diary of a Metabolic Detox – Day 11
Day 11 – Motivating results!
What a relief to have other people doing the catering yesterday! Much as I enjoyed the 3 days of juices, and felt fantastic at the end of it, my kitchen has become a serious mess and the washing up seemed endless. I have made multiple portions of soups and juices though, so there’s plenty in the freezer for busy days.The great motivating news was that when I stood on the scales on Tuesday, I found I had lost 10lbs of body fat, increased my muscle mass by 8lb (purely from lots of walking and one swimming session on Sunday), and my metabolic age has dropped by 12 years; all in 10 days. Wow – that definitely makes it worth it! Also, friends and colleagues over the last few days have been commenting on my clear skin, glowing complexion and the fact that apparently I look younger. (I’ll pay them later!)
That was all helpful feedback to set me up for Day 10 back on proper meals, and the challenge of both lunch and dinner out. Both, in the event, proved to be really simple to navigate, and really enjoyable.
Lunch was over a meeting at English’s in the Lanes – a fabulous fish restaurant, so really not hard to find plenty of delicious options, and I settled on a large mixed salad starter and grilled Dover sole for my main course, with spinach and mash on the side, which was quite sublime. I didn’t feel too hungry before lunch, so avoiding the bread sticks wasn’t an issue, and I also happily resisted the wine in favour of lime soda.Supper was mid evening at Sussex Cricket Club as part of a networking quiz and curry night. Again this wasn’t a big problem – a lovely chicken curry with rice and just a poppadom and naan bread to resist. What I discovered yesterday that my appetite has shrunk, so I really don’t need the portions I would have previously gone for, and my taste buds also seem to be sharper. I really noticed all the flavours.
Back to the kitchen today but so far leftovers are working wonders, and I had lots of mixed fruit and seeds for breakfast, and another portion of the squash and beetroot soup for lunch after an invigorating walk along Hove beach. Tonight I’m going to have a go at making some gluten free crackers to go with the soup and will share how that goes in due course!Salmon beckons for supper; I probably need a bit more essential fat over the next few days, so I need to come up with
something creative to do with that and the assortment of goodies in my fridge. There are so many amazing recipes online (in fact it can be a great time waster), but one of my favourites in Big Oven where you can select your preferred ingredients, put in details of anything you want to avoid, create shopping lists and then store your favourite recipes. There’s a great app as well.If you are enjoying my detox journey, please visit my Facebook page www.facebook.com/LGMNutrition and tell your friends!
The delights and temptations of market shopping.
I was reminded of the joys of fresh produce on a visit to Borough Market in London at the weekend. Having only ever walked past it when closed, curiosity got the better of me and we finally made the effort to make a trip, coming away with a bag full of treats – all healthy and delicious.
The sights and smells which hit you there remind me of the adage that we eat with our eyes; and having been seduced by a feast of colour, that was certainly the case. Digestion literally begins when we see foods and then smell them, and this stimulates the secretion of pancreatic enzymes to support the digestive process.
As well as being great fun, market shopping can be a significantly cheaper way of buying your fresh fruit and vegetables, with the added bonus of no wasteful packaging. The produce is usually locally sourced and tastier than you are likely to find in most supermarkets, and it was noticeable that only seasonal produce seemed to be available, so it’s a great way of supporting your local farmers to survive against the multiples. The only downside to ‘budget’ market shopping is the temptation of the treats which weren’t on your list but the ever-persuasive traders draw you towards. The mushroom pate was divine and so far this week has adorned a jacket potato and stuffed a chicken breast; and the Vietnamese chicken curry was mouthwatering.
Fresh spices were abundant offering an array of amazing ingredients for my next curry. Turmeric (or ‘poor man’s saffron’) is one of the healthiest spices available, containing curcurmin – a powerful chemical which has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties; great for supporting arthritis and allergies,and fantastic when added to basmati rice with pine nuts, onions and raisins to make fragrant rice. As for the L’Ubracio ‘Drunken Cheeses’ soaked in Italian merlot and cabernet wines, well – all in the cause of vital research!
Local Sussex traders were well represented. Sussex Fish from Seaford had some beautiful fresh cod, sole and pollock – all caught sustainably off the south coast; but Flax Farm Linseed Whole Foods from Horsham won the day with their FlaxJacks ®; all wheat free and some even gluten free, using quinoa and millet instead of oats – a real treat for the Coeliacs amongst you.
For their delicious recipes visit http://www.flaxfarm.co.uk/linseed_flaxjacks
Next time you are in London with some time to spare, go and visit Borough Market to savour the sites and scents, and in the meantime try exploring your local farmers market to see what there is to tempt you.
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