Rise and shine...

Hey,

Just a short note from me today to post my daily intakes and also to give you a little recipe for a morning pick me up that has been working for me for some time. I hope it helps you rise and shine!

Nicola’s Morning Mint Mojito

Ingredients

1 cup Coconut water Kefir, plain coconut water or filtered water

Half cucumber with skin

I-2 peeled and chopped limes Pinch of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

2 Handfuls of mint leaves

1 handful of parsley

Xylitol, stevia, honey or agave to taste

1-2 tablespoons of flax, omega or olive oil

a 5cm slice of Aloe vera peeled and rinsed thoroughly (no traces of skin as this is what will give it a bitter taste.– use the gel left in the aloe skin to rub on your skin)

Optional extras

1/2 a ripe peeled and chopped avocado

1/2 cup of Irish moss paste

1/2 cup Elixir tea

Green powder of choice

Method

Place all in a high-speed blender and mix until smooth.

Serve and drink straight away for maximum nutrient value. This is a great drink for a summer’s day served with a small amount of crushed ice with extra lime and mint leaves.

Food 26.01.10

Breakfast

1 x large glass same green smoothie and 1 x bowl of millet porridge made with water, coconut milk, spices and xylitol.

Lunch

steamed broccoli, hemp seeds, few sunflower seeds, nori flakes and aioli

Early Dinner

butternut soup and a side serving of buttered kale from the Riverfront Bar and Kitchen in the BFI London and a piece of coconut buckwheat bread I had in my bag - handy!

Snacks

chocolate ginger cake-cuit

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

walking around London

Water Intake

Still rubbish 1 and 1/4 litres water and about x 4 large herbal teas

Sleep

woke up at 7.09am

bed 4.20am - say nothing...I know!

Feeling

Bit tired but in good spirits

A Guided Foodie

So I recently had the good fortune to happen across a copy of The Foodie Guide at my local health food store.  It is full of lovely places to eat or buy lovely food....of course I had to try one, and so a trip to Beckworth Emporium was made.

Food 25.01.10

Breakfast

1/2 litre of green smoothie - cucumber, lemon, parsley, mint, liquid chlorophyll, barley grass powder and probiotics

Lunch

lentil burger in buckwheat bread with a green salad, alfalfa sprouts and a kind of coleslaw made from  last nights steamed cabbage, chopped parsley, mint and a bit of aioliand a touch of jerk sauce

Dinner

Needed a protein meal to be able to have some almond cake...imagine organising your dinner around cake - well I did.  So I ate a 2 egg omlette - and now I am egged out with 2/3 large head of broccoli steamed, nori flakes and a bit of aioli

Snacks

Almond lemon cake x 1/2 slice..So much fun I had making the above film clip that I forgot to eat the said cake until late but when I did...bloating - my own fault really too late and I insisted on having a bit of oat cream.  Protein and a bit of cars no matter how small is never really going to work for me is it? 

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

1 hour yoga and 7x20m lengths, jacuzzi, 20 mins in the steam room. 

Water Intake

1 and 1/4 litres of water and 2 x herbal tea

Sleep

woke up at 9.20

bed 1.00pm 

Feeling

Not bad at all - except for the chocolate cake-cuit headyness is the afternoon.

Grow it in your Window

I am a firm believer in the school of make your own but have yet to venture into the foray of growing my own.  Windowfarms is an excellent idea for a little DIY project and I just saw another little film clip on Daily Candy (http://www.dailycandy.com/new-york/video/79514/Windowfarms-Urban-Gardens). By the way I love this site as it has loads of great ideas and features many inspiring companies.  

Growing stuff in your window is nothings new, but a farm in your window - such a fab idea and what a great way to get people moving toward self sufficiency in the city and more urban areas!

I would certainly like to undertake  a growing garden project this year and change our garden and home into somewhere that helps feed and nourish us as well as contribute to doing our bit for the environment.

Keep it green!

Food 23.01.10

Breakfast

Millet Porridge with xylitol

Lunch

Kind of skipped it as I was working

Dinner

Carrots and humus followed by red skinned jacket potatoes with a bit of olive oil and a monster salad of green leaves, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, nori flakes and a bit of aioli

Snacks

A buckwheat ginger and choc chip (chopped up xylitol chocolate and cacao nibs) cake-cuit 

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

nothing today

Water Intake

not great...about 3 glasses water maybe a herbal tea

Sleep

woke up at 10.00

bed 1.30pm 

Feeling

Exceptionally tired today

Food 24.01.10

Brunch

3 egg Omlette with green leaves, alfalfa sprouts and nori flakes with bit of aioli

Lunch

Kind of skipped it as I was out and had late brunch

Dinner

Waitrose spinach and dahl curry with steamed cabbage with mustard seeds and coconut

Snacks

1 1/2 x slice of lemon almond cake...this cake is soooo good and I will post the recipe very soon

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

nothing today

Water Intake

not great...about 2 glasses water and x 3 herbal tea

Sleep

woke up at 10.00

bed 12.00pm 

Feeling

Exceptionally tired today and very grouchy, oh and a 3 spot break out - great!  I think it is the chocolate and maybe the corn chips too.  But I just has some cake-cuit (25.1.09) and got really heady from it...think I might need to dump my friend Choccy.

Blasted the Yeasty beasites

So, today I went to see Beverley the blood lady to assess where I am out with my yeasty stuff and general health...so the good news is, all the yeast and heavy metals appear to have cleared up in my blood.  The bad news is that my blood is totally acidic and I cannot understand why as I eat such a lot of alkalising foods.  Beverley has two thoughts about it.  I have some digestion issues and am either super low in essential fatty acids and minerals, which is causing havoc with my cell walls and they are not holding nutrients that I am taking in through food and supplementation or, well she thinks that it is possible that I may have methanogens.  Super nasties - related to the gas methane and living in the gut doing all kind of horrible things.  They can be helped by digestive enzymes and probiotics.  I will keep you posted as to what I find out about these beasties.

Gone are the yeasties but now I have beasties....doesn't seem right.

Nx

Food 21.01.10

Breakfast

A few cubes of xylitol chocolate whilst out buy materials for a workshop  - don't judge...

Lunch

Steamed cauliflower, broccoli and carrots from M&S that tasted bland - like zero flavour and some millet with cinnamon and cumin. Oh think I had a bit of ailioi or humus with it.

Dinner

Courgettes and greens, bit of  coconut milk and some jerk sauce with buckwheat pasta

Snacks

None I don't think as I got in late

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

2 hours of Capoeira training

Water Intake

Still rubbish 3 glasses water and about x 2 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 10.00

bed 12.30pm 

Feeling

Tired as usual

Food 22.01.10

Breakfast

Millet porridge made with water and sweetened with xylitol and spices with a bit of coconut milk

Lunch

Carrot sticks, humus and corn chips - I know...they are not my friend at all and now I have a skin break out!

Dinner

Ethiopian meal of ground chickpeas, lentils, cabbage and spinach - I didn't eat the injera

Snacks

corn chips

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

nothing today

Water Intake

1 x litre or more of water and about x 2 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 10.30 as I was exhausted and completely aching from Capoeira

bed 1.30pm 

Feeling

Super duper tired

Anthony, Gordon, Hugh and Jamie Oliver too

Did anybody see Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape on Channel 4 the other night?  I watched it on channel 4od and it is still there if you fancy a butchers.  I love watching cooking shows...no I really do.  I know it is sad and other people get their jollies from sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll - and I am not adverse to any of that...maybe the drugs bit but I love to watch a cooking show.  

So my all time favorite has to be Anthony Bourdain with his wry sense of humor and willingness to put literally anything - no I mean ABSOLUTELY anything in his mouth and give it a try.  I have to say my man Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall  follows closely behind with his upbeat cheery disposition and keenness to try the unknown.  He has an eagerness to partake in all kinds of customs near and far and through him I have developed a deeper appreciation for things local, hearty and farmed with kindness.

All that been said Jamie Oliver is such a go to man in times of a crisis.  Mom and Dad coming over for dinner and need a bit of inspiration - Jamie Oliver,  need to make your brother a batch of brownies to keep him happy and sugared up over the festive season - Jamie again.  You can't beat the simplicity of his recipes and the straight forward manner in which they are presented.

Girls, don't feel left out I will post my foodie heroines in the near future but I just wanted to make a note about the boys as I was watching Gordon in action yesterday.  The problem about the whole show was whilst the content was amazing and the recipes and access to culture that Gordon was exposed to was also amazing, he managed to continue to be overly familiar and coarse with the politest of people who all seemed to be left slightly perplexed by his oafish gestures.  We know the guy can cook but he was there to learn - surely a little humility in this situation would not have gone amiss?

Food 19.01.10

Breakfast

1/2 a litre of green smoothie with aloe, lemon, cucumber, blah blah the same other stuff I normally stick in, oh and some cranberries

Lunch

Sauteed spinach, garlic, mange tout with boiled red skinned potatoes with a bit of curry powder and olive oil on

Dinner

Sauteed spinach, garlic, mange tout with boiled red skinned potatoes with a bit of curry powder and olive oil on

Snacks

A slice of amazing lemon, almond essence and cacao chip buckwheat and xylitol cake-cuit a kind of a cross between a cake and a biscuit.  I had a biscuit intention but it came out cakey and oh so delicious that of course i had to have seconds and then got the gurgle tum!

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

1 hour of Body Combat - still cheesy but a really great work out

Water Intake

Still rubbish 3 glasses water and about x 2 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 9.40 

bed 12.30pm 

Feeling

Super tired! Didn't sleep at all well again - woke up loads and was really hot during the night even though the window was open - a first for me as I am usually the one that is cold!

Food 20.01.10

Breakfast

A mouthful of green smoothie but more importantly more cake-cuit...I know for breakfast! BUT i have run out of millet for porridge and had to go down to London and needed something to take with me and it was still oh so delicious!

Lunch

Sauteed spinach, garlic, mange tout with boiled red skinned potatoes with a bit of curry powder and olive oil on - cold still it did the job

Dinner

Sauteed spinach, brown lentil dahl and poppadoms from Masala Zone

Snacks

a few handfuls of naughty make me itchy corn chips, and a few kale crisps and flax crackers from Saf

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

Zip

Water Intake

Still rubbish 3 glasses water and about x 2 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 8.00 

bed 12.30pm 

Feeling

Rubbish...Super tired!  Didn't sleep at all well again - keep waking up and found it hard to go off to sleep.

A Bronner a day keeps the Dr. away....

I have been using Dr Bronner's  liquid soap for about 7 or 8 years and now that I think about it I can't exactly remember when and how I came across it or it became such a staple part of my skin care routine.  I say skin care routine like there is some type of orderly regime that I follow but I basically wash my face with Weleda Iris Lotion and then my body with Dr Bronner's - the rose one and the peppermint ones are my faves but you have to mind out for the peppermint in those more sensitive areas!  I had a number of favourite soaps before but now I am convinced that natural, organic and planet friendly are the way to go - and it smells really nice, you can use it as shampoo, you can even clean your teeth with it - I tried this and it is a bit soapy tasting so try this with caution but it does leave those little pegs pearly white.  You can get it from most good health food stores in the UK.

Wash well!

Nicola x

Food 17.01.10

Breakfast

3/4 of a bag of Waitrose roasted almonds...I was starving and we were shopping!

Lunch

3 egg plain omelette and loads of green salad leaves with a tiny bit of aioli

Dinner

Green lentil burgers with red and yellow peppers, onions, smidgen of humus, aioli and buckwheat bread bap served with a huge amount of green salad

Snacks

A slice of amazing lemon, almond olive oil cake - recipe coming soon! Wow is all I can say - yes I do say so myself but my hubby vouched it top notch too!

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

20 mins fast walking on the treadmill as the yoga lady was sick....aggghhhh

Water Intake

Still rubbish 2 glasses water and about x 3 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 10.40 

bed 11.30pm 

Feeling

Super tired!

Food 18.01.10

Breakfast

1/2 litre of green smoothie with handful of cranberries, lemon, 1 x cucumber, barley grass, liquid chlorophyll, flax and hemp oil

Lunch

bit of buckwheat bread with smidge of humus and veg sautee of cauliflower, carrots, spring onion and sugar snaps and nori flakes

Early Dinner

Bit more buckwheat bread with smidge humus and veg sautee of cauliflower, carrots, spring onion and sugar snaps and nori flakes

Later Dinner

Green lentil burgers with red and yellow peppers, onions, smidgen of humus, aioli served with steamed savoy cabbage and nori flakes

Snacks

A slice of amazing lemon, almond olive oil cake - recipe coming soon! Wow is all I can say - yes I do say so myself but my hubby vouched it top notch too!

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

1 hour of yoga

Water Intake

Still rubbish 4 glasses water and about x 2 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 09.40 

bed 11.30pm 

Feeling

Super tired as I kept waking up in the night and was super dehydrated not surprising looking at my liquid consumption the last little while.  I was also really really hot all night.

Food glorious food

Food 13.01.10

Breakfast

1 x small bowl of millet porridge made with water, coconut milk, spices and xylitol. 

Lunch

Missed lunch today as I was driving home

Early Dinner

Portion of yesterday's biriyani

and a head of steamed broccoli

Snacks

chocolate-ish biscuit/cake thing with a fudge topping made from coconut oil, cocoa and xylitol and a bit of lemon and a bit of coconut milk as cream - I suffered for this the next day though as much as I enjoyed it my system did not and made every effort to get rid of it asap - need I say more?

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

chilled out

Water Intake

Still rubbish 2 glasses water and about x 3 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 8.30 

bed 11.30pm 

Feeling

Can't remember - sorry!

Food 14.01.10

Breakfast/brunch

1 x bowl of millet porridge made with water, coconut milk and xylitol - ate late

Lunch

I ate late breakfast so just had a smoothie of cucumber, lemon, mint, flax and hemp oil, barley grass and liquid chlorophyll

Dinner

Huge green leaf salad with chopped sauteed green beans with chilli, garlic, ginger and lemon served with small red skin jacket potato and a bit of aioli

Second dinner after Capoeira - I was starving! 

Green leaf salad with chopped sauteed green beans with chilli, garlic, ginger and lemon served with small red skin jacket potato and a bit of aioli

Snacks

A small slice of chocolateish cake and a drop of oat cream

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

1 hour 45 of Capoeira training - I was comfy at home and so it was a huge effort to travel the 2 minutes down the road but I was so glad I went and we did some nice moves - if you are lucky one day I may get a bit of film of us all in action.

Water Intake

total rubbish 3 glasses water and about x 2 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 8.15

bed 12.30amish

Feeling

Tired but cool

Food 15.01.10

Breakfast/brunch

small bowl of millet porridge

Lunch

I ate breakfast late

Dinner

Red skinned jacket potato with huge green leaf salad and cucumber with sauteed cabbage with onion and garlic and spices.

Snacks

chocolateish cake and a drop of oat cream - shouldn't have that really but what the hey?

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

chilled out.

Water Intake

total rubbish 2 glasses water and about x 2 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 09.30

bed 12.30amish

Feeling

Got a bit annoyed about a something that was no big deal really in the scheme of things  - could have done with a bit more communication but nothing to get my knickers in a twist about - but i did!

Food 16.01.10

Breakfast/brunch

chickpeas cooked with sage and thyme served with griddled courgette, onion and savoy cabbage

Lunch

JP red skinned of course with loads of brussel sprouts, nori flakes and a bit of aioli

Dinner

Buckwheat pasta with courgette, onions, garlic, chilli, and a large green salad

Snacks

naughty naught tortilla chips from M&S - they made me a bit itchy and grouchy I really must stop eating corn stuff as the sugar content is just too high...but they are so crispy and salty and crunchy and....ahhhh

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

A bit of fresh air and a walk to the park - nothing to write home about really.

Water Intake

total rubbish 2 glasses water and about x 2 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 10.10

bed 12.30amish

Feeling

Heady and a bit miffed at how boring and limited my food choices are - I would love to have some apple crumble and custard, a piece of deliciously moist carrot cake would be a wonderful diversion and a piece of rich chocolate fudge cake or a brownie with whipped cream - don't get me started!!

Body Combated

So this week is turning out to be way more busy than I had anticipated and has thrown my blog writing a bit off track.  Please bear with me as I will be back in full effect very soon.  In the meantime let me just say I went to the gym yesterday.  I thought I should try one of their non yoga exercise classes and decided Body Combat was the way forward.  Well...today I feel thoroughly combated but it was such a cheesy experience from the fully choreographed beat by beat tracks - to the tightly rehearsed words of encouragement even though I was doing great and I could punch and kick faster and sharper.  There is even a track that includes you hitting gongs and punching the nose of an imaginary opponent to a bloody pulp!  I mid blocked, upper cut and round housed my little heart out and whilst the cheesy factor of the whole experience was high - I think I might go back for more.

Nicola x

Food 11.01.10

Breakfast

1 x small glass of green smoothie - cucumber, lemon, mint, basil, flax and hemp oil, barley grass, liquid chlorophyll. 

Lunch

1 x very large bowl of sauteed cabbage, carrots and onions with jerk pepper sauce

Dinner

Red Skinned jacket potatoes served with a huge salad of fennel, spring onion, radish sprouts and a bit of white cabbage with a  dressing of basil garlic and olive oil and a bit of aioli on the side - I am trying to lessen the oil and fat intake day by day but it is a constant taste challenge!

1 x glass water with barley grass, magnesium, and liquid chlorophyll

Snacks

chocolate-ish biscuit/cake thing

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

chilled out

Water Intake

Still rubbish 2 glasses water and about x 3 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 8.30 

bed 11.30pm 

Feeling

Woke up less tired but still tired - if you know what I mean?

Food 12.01.10

Breakfast/brunch

1/2  x small glass of green smoothie - cucumber, lemon, mint, basil, flax and hemp oil, barley grass, liquid chlorophyll. A salad of 2 grated courgettes, 1 x chopped red pepper, some olive paste and lemon juice and the tiniest drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper served with a flat bread made from buckwheat and coconut flakes - very nice and tasty I must post the recipe for that it is so simple to make - anyway after I ate my bruncheon my belly completely bloated and I am wondering if coconut flakes are not for me as I eat the buckwheat flakes with no major issues and salad - is salad should be a breeze...?

Lunch/dinner

Amaranth, cauliflower, green bean and carrot biriyani served with sauteed spinach.

Snacks

chocolate-ish biscuit

Exercise/good stuff to encourage detoxing

1 hour of body combat

weighed myself today at the gym...I am 10st7lb with trousers, long sleeve t-shirt and a tracksuit top on. So somewhere between 10st5 and 10st7 in the buff i reckon.  I have a BMI of 22.1 and my parameters are 20-25 for my age range and height I think, so looking good!

Water Intake

4 glasses water and about x 4 large herbal teas 

Sleep

woke up at 8.30 

bed 11.35pm 

Feeling

Woke up 8.15 tired again.