1. Diary of a Metabolic Detox – Day 11

      Day 11 – Motivating results!

      iStock_000019276692XSmallWhat 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.

      Grilled Dover SoleLunch 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.

      2013-10-17 12.27.12Back 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 autumn vegetablesomething 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 Power of Eleven: Eleven Top Tips for Weight Loss

      Eleven is the magic number today being 11.11.11, so here are eleven top tips to help you plug into the magic and lose weight.

      1. ‘Break the Fast’ and start your day with a good meal. Porridge and wholegrains are in the news today and will give you great slow releasing carbohydrates to fuel you through the morning and help avoid that chocolate biscuit fix at elevensies.

      2. Avoid sugary snacks and choose options such as a piece of fruit with a handful of nuts or an oat biscuit with hummus.

      3. Cut back on your starchy carbohydrates. Meals packed with pasta, potatoes, biscuits, cake and too much bread can quickly pile on the pounds.

      4. Try eating 5 portions of vegetables and two portions of fruit a day. These are packed with nutrients, will fill you up and help you avoid reaching for the more fattening snacks.

      5. See if you can break those bad snacking habits. If you always reach for a biscuit or chocolate at a particular time of day, distract yourself, do something else at that time (go for a walk, tidy a drawer) and tell yourself you can have it in half an hour if you still want it. Chances are the moment will have passed!

      6. Cut back on your alcohol intake to help do up your trousers! Alcohol is effectively pure sugar and empty calories so can encourage quick weight gain; particularly around the waist.

      7. Don’t eat whilst watching the TV. If you are distracted when you eat, you are likely to miss your body signalling that you have had enough and will therefore eat more.

      8. Watch your portion size. Try eating off two side plates rather than one large dinner plate, with vegetables/salad on one and your protein on the other.

      9. Grate cinnamon on your porridge. Cinnamon can help regulate your blood sugar to moderate the peaks and troughs of energy which can send you running for a sugar hit.

      10. Add ginger, spices or mustard to your meals. These are thought to increase your metabolic rate and help burn fat more quickly.

      11. Drink more water. We often reach for food when we think we are hungry and are, in fact, really thirsty. Green tea is also a good alternative to black tea or coffee since it is also thought to help burn fat.