2 Litres of Water Each Day

It's recommended we drink 2 litres of water / fluids per day. It doesn't seem like a lot, but the discipline of it is something I'm finding really difficult.

When I was at home last week, I filled up a bottle each day and used to gauge my water intake. Even this wasn't as easy as it sounds. For example, for a cup of tea (caffeine free), I pour out a cup full of water, empty this down the drain, then re-fill the cup from the kettle.

Now I'm back at work, the system has gone to pot and I have no idea how much I'm drinking.

Does anyone have a solution for this?

Tuna in Soy Sauce with Ginger Sweet Potato & Purple Top Brocoli

I let Kate cook again tonight.

Staying healthy with this awesome Tuna dish. I love tuna fish!

I don't have a recipe for this, it was as good as ready when I got home from work, I just sat down and ate.

The ginger in the sweet potato complimented the soy sauce on the tuna perfectly. And the tuna was perfectly cooked. I really enjoyed this. Another triumph.

Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Before I continue, I must confess, this is not our own recipe, it's something Kate found on Pinterest and the original source is Say Mmm

Nevertheless, after a hard days work (my first day back following detox last week) this was delicious.

Hearing the chicken sizzling in the pan and smelling all the sweet smells wafting through the kitchen really got my taste buds tingling. And it did not disappoint.

The chicken was pan fried in a lime and coriander marinade, served with avocado salsa, spinach and brown rice.

The chicken was cooked perfectly; almost crispy on the outside, tender and juicy in the middle.

The avocado salsa is easy to make (Kate informs me), simply chop avocado, tomato and onion and mix with olive oil and lime juice.

You know you're eating healthy when you're eating brown rice. I'm still adjusting to the taste and prefer white basmati, but I'm not complaining. The dish as a whole with the spinach (which I think Kate improvised) worked brilliantly and I loved every bit.

Porridge

I tried porridge today! For the first time ever! That's right, I have survived 37 years without this globby substance which everyone tells me is soooo good for me. That is, I don't think I've ever tried it before. If I have I certainly don't remember, so I thought it was about time I gave it a go.

First impressions, it's OK. It's certainly palatable. The best thing about it is I made it in a pan with water, which tasted a bit boring, so now I'm thinking of all the different ways I can liven it up without adding sugar.

There must be hundreds of different preferences of making porridge around the world. I'd be really interested in hearing your favourites.

I think I'll be enjoying porridge for breakfast from now on and I could kick myself for not giving it a fair go earlier, but it looks so horrible!

I have a question. Bearing in mind I bought the Tesco Value bag in case I didn't like it and this cost me 60p, what's the difference between this and the other stuff on the shelf which was 3 quid? Surely oats is oats!

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The Last Supper

That's it. Our 1 week detox is over. We did it! A big pat on the back for Kate & me. Last Sunday, at dinner Kate joked it was our last supper. I went into this open eyed but not knowing what to expect. Now we've reached the end without giving in to temptation it's tonight that feels more like the last supper. Tomorrow is when the true safrice begins; I just hope we can keep it up.

Of course, the last supper is not the way to describe it at all. After all, it's not like we're suffering like Christ on the cross! It's not punishment being good to yourself, is it? Jesus would've been grateful for a detox! :-)

So, our 'last supper' (for want of a better phrase) was this lovely piece of cod -

The photo does it no justice, I assure you it was deliciously refreshing and simple enough to cook. All done in the steamer as follows:

• Place cod in steamer and start on 20 minutes
• chop spring onion, chilli, garlic and mix with lemon juice in a bowl
• At 10 mins add spinach to steamer and drizzle dressing over fish
• At 5 mins remove fish and spinach, and put samphire on to steam
• Serve with sliced lemon

Unwittingly, I didn't season this with salt or pepper, as there was a bit of general chaos going on around me in the kitchen. So much so that during dinner Lily, our 3 year old, came careering backwards into the kitchen with her toy pushchair and crashed into the dining table, knocking over my glass of water which spilled all over my plate (hence it looking a bit 'untidy' in the pic). Perhaps a fitting way to bring the week to a close.

And looking forward, the intention is not to now gorge on chocolate and crisps and stop at the next McDs for a Quarter Pounder Meal (large) with full fat coke, but to uphold a healthy diet and lifestyle as best we can and know it's ok to treat ourselves once in a while.

So, Exactly What Have I Given Up This Week?

 As a bit of insight I thought I'd list what I've given up this week and my usual intake:

• Alcohol - my relationship with alcohol is probably worthy of its own blog, haha. I used to drink a lot. I decided to stop drinking altogether around September last year, had the odd glass of wine at Christmas and this year I'd say I've been drinking roughly 2 bottles of wine per week.

• Nicotine - I smoke occasionally (if I've had a drink). I've never been a heavy smoker, but I've smoked on and off since I was about 17. I quit the same time I stopped drinking last year.

• Caffeine - Fortunately, I took this week off. Next week will be tough when I return to work. At the office I have a cup of tea or coffee every 15 minutes (no joke). I'll be sure to take plenty of fruit tea bags! I take sugar in my tea & coffee, so I've also given up that 15 minute hit!

• Sugar - I actually can't believe I've managed this. Previously, when I've given up drink, cigs, or both, chocolate has been a great substitute for the cravings and because I'm not fat I've never considered sugar a health risk or anything like that, just went ahead and ate as much as I liked chocolate, sweets, cakes, whatever. It's surprised me where you find sugar too. We were in M&S today and saw a pack of Vanilla Pumpkin Seeds. Sounded like a healthy snack to me but thought I'd better check the ingredients. Guess what? Sugar. Another thing, it's been a discipline to open a pack of sweets for the kids and resist taking a few for myself.

• Dairy - I don't drink a great deal of milk, only in tea & coffee, so it's been no big deal giving it up. We've got too much milk in the fridge now though, haha. Cheese, however, is a different story. I loooove cheese! I include it in a lot of the food I make and it's left a big hole in my diet.

• Wheat Products - It seems wheat is in everything! and stuff I thought I couldn't live without.  I think I've had a wheat based lunch every day of my life; sandwich, burger, fajita wrap, pasta pot. I think it's the wheat intake that makes me full and the absence of it at the start of the week made me feel constantly hungry.

• Red Meat - I love a good steak! No further comment.

• Junk Food - Ashamedly, I confess to eating too much McDonald's (2-3 times per week), and liking it :-) I've learned this week it's easier than I thought to create a tasty healthy lunch, I don't need to go for the convenience option.

• Snacks - I snack a lot. I have a habit of opening a large bag of crisps while I'm cooking. This week I replaced crisps with nuts. Nuts are a great snack.

• Chocolate - We all love chocolate. The kids love chocolate. They ask for it all day long, which doesn't help. It's got easier as the week's progressed. At first, the craving was horrendous!

So there you go. I think that's the 'not allowed' list. It's a lot to give up cold turkey, but what's amazing is I've got a much deeper appreciation now of naturally occurring sugars in fruit and naturally occurring salts (although I've been adding salt to meals).

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How the other half is doing...

As you can see I have become quite the blog widow  over the last few days... if you can't beat them join them as they say.  So here we are both sat at opposite sides of the room on Saturday night, a little bit hungry, tapping away!

So how did I get to here?

I have an awards ceremony with work on the 6th March.  I've known about this since New Year - I thought that my massive health kick would get me into my size 14 dress.... It didn't go to plan!  I went through vicious circles of munching massive amounts of shite as I would be dieting on Monday.  I reckon I put a few lbs on!

So I saw the date last week and I panicked! One of my friends had done this Kate Troup detox she read on the Daily Mail website and had found it quite easy so I thought I'd try - I asked Matt to join me and was very surprised when he said yes!

Basically there's no dairy, no wheat, no refined sugars - no fun!!

For someone who eats at least 2 chocolate bars a day it has been a challenge to say the least! I have been very lucky this week as Matt was off work so I have actually prepared not one meal!  I must say they have been delicious! He's alright he is! He knows what works - I don't. A favourite has been the curry.

Snacking has been fruit - and hasn't been too bad!  Get what you like and pre-prepare so that you can munch when you feel like it.

Drink the water! It helps with the hunger - I haven't had the insatiable hunger Matt has!

I have struggled with the chocolate - I went the shops and came back with boxes and boxes of chocolate biscuits and cakes 'for the kids'. I have not had any!! I am very proud of me because on Wednesday I felt like I would sell my granny for a chocolate finger!!  I keep sniffing the chocolate frosting in the fridge. I was distraught when Matt's salsa masked the smell a bit. (worth it though the salsa was gorgeous).

So I have been weighing myself and it appears to be a lb a day-ish.  I'll let you know the actual total on Monday.

I am also doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred.

That's a completely different blog though... Oh and note to Matt - when I am sweating and grunting on the floor 'stretching' behind me is not great encouragement!!

So healthy eating - it wasn't as bad as I thought we've ate tasty and filling food.  I want to stick to it - with 1 day off a week.

I want to eat well - I want it to be an example to the kids!  I have noticed that they have eaten a lot more fruit this week - this is brilliant! I want us to be a healthier family, but lets take one step at a time!

Daily Mail Article source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3004/The-painless-detox-diet.html

Jillian Michaels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pc-NizMgg8

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