So what do you do?

Back in 2014 my journey to better health and wellbeing began. I didn't know it at the time but that desire to simply 'lose some weight' would cause a complete new way of life for me that has evolved, and continues to evolve, ever since. And because of those changes, along with my passion for knowing and understanding more, I often get asked the question 'so what do you do?'...well this is what I do!

Where shall we start? Well let's go with the obvious...food! Back in 2014 I started off with a low carb/keto approach to eating which gave me the weight loss I'd been wanting for so many years, but since then my approach has changed as I learned more and more. So whilst the ethos of low carb/keto is still there I think the easiest way to describe the food I eat today would be to simply say 'real food'. By which I mean we cook whole foods all the time. We avoid ultra processed food (I urge everyone to read Ultra Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken it is eye opening and will put you off packaged foods for life!). If we do occasionally buy any packaged foods then we follow these simple rules...does it have more than 5 ingredients? If the answer is yes put it back! Does it contain ingredients that you have never heard of or that you wouldn't find in a kitchen cupboard? Again if the answer is yes put it back!

So what do you eat I can hear being asked? Well a typical day for me can look something like this;

I'll start the day with a black coffee (fully caffeinated) and will usually have my first meal of the day around late morning/lunchtime which tends to be bacon, eggs and mushrooms (breakfast foods are my favourite!). Dinner is around late afternoon/early evening and will be some type of animal protein (chicken, ground beef, steak, salmon etc) with either green veggies (stick to veggies grown above ground) or salad. To round out the day I will have an evening dessert/snack of greek yogurt & berries (raspberries & blueberries are my go to) with a drizzle of honey. If I do feel the need for a snack at any point then this is where my favourite dark chocolate comes in, I prefer 90% cocoa but will always aim for a minimum of 70%. But other options can include a couple of dates, an apple, small amount of cheese, hard boiled egg, small amount of nuts or deli meats. And for drinks I will stick to black coffee or black tea which after our first morning coffee will mostly be decaffeinated.

A couple of caveats to the above;

Protein (animal based is preferable...more satiating and more nutrient dense) should be your primary source of food, not only does this keep us satiated it helps to maintain our muscle mass which becomes so important the older you get.

Alcohol - I try to avoid alcohol and only have a small glass of red wine occasionally. To be honest I like the taste of red wine but I don't like the effects of over indulging and the less I drink the less I want it.

Treats or cheats - these do happen occasionally and we aim to stick to the rule of 80/20...as in 80% of the time we keep to our regular foods and routines (although I suspect this is probably closer to 90%). Treats may involve indulging in something carb focused like bread or potatoes if out for a meal or maybe having a sweet treat with a coffee (but we do tend to buy just one thing and share it between us!). We make sure to really enjoy any treats that we have while at the same time not letting those treats define us...all too often I hear people indulge in something they know they perhaps shouldn't have which then gives them the green light to throw all their good work away and revert back to their old habits. Have a treat, enjoy it and then get back to what you know you should be doing.

So with food covered let's move onto exercise. Now I need to start this by saying that I have never been sporty; poor coordination, lack of confidence and an aversion to getting sweaty and out of breath always meant that I just simply didn't have any interest or desire to do any sort of exercise. In the early 1990's we started going to a local gym; this was in the days before big franchised gyms, it was relatively small, friendly, supportive and non-judgemental. We made a great group of friends and we sustained going for a good number of years (even during both my pregnancies)...although I would often remark that sometimes the muscle that got the most exercise was my jaw muscle from all the talking I would do! But at that time our diet wasn't great and so all the effort I put in down the gym had very little effect on my weight or body composition.

With the addition of children and Simon working away from home we gradually slipped out of our gym routine. In 2014 when I started my initial weight loss journey I was introduced to body weight exercises - squats, lunges, press-ups etc - and along with my new way of eating I began to see a change in how my body looked and felt. Fast forward to around 2018/2019 and we re-joined our old gym (although by now it was much, much bigger and much busier) and we were even able to enrol the kids along with us. Then the pandemic and all the various lockdowns hit; having no gym to go to we invested in some basic equipment and converted our garage into our home gym, and it was the best thing we ever did - no more gym subscriptions, no more having to drive to get to the gym, no more looking for some where to park, no more having to turn out in all sorts of weather, no more excuses on why we couldn't get to the gym and no more waiting around for machines. 

We still use our garage as a garage but have bought equipment that we can store easily and make the best use of. This means we now workout with weights three times a week for about an hour each time...and the 'non-sporty me' now schedules gym time into our calendar so that we never miss a session! But the other thing that we do is walk; we aim to get in excess of 10,000 steps per day and it is very rare that we don't get outside and get our steps in. It has become an integral part of our routine so much so that the day just doesn't feel right if we have not gotten those steps in. The effects of walking are tremendous; it is low impact, it is free, it keeps you mobile and active, getting outside you get the benefits of sunlight, the therapeutic affect of being outside and the chance to 'blow those cobwebs away' as well as a chance to destress and re-connect with nature. For Simon and I it is a great opportunity for us to connect, to chat about our plans, to have the time to talk and simply be together. Walking in our local community means that we have made connections with local businesses and with people we see on a regular basis, and simply seeing others out and about and saying 'hello' provides those social interactions which are so important.

In addition to food and exercise we try to ensure that our sleep patterns are consistent. I'd like to say that we aim to get good quality sleep but I'm not really sure how you do that and how you would prove it?! As a menopausal woman I will suffer from night sweats (although these are a lot better and much less frequent than they have been!) and these will obviously disrupt my sleep.  But we try and have a regular(ish) bedtime routine and are pretty consistent with the times we go to bed and the time we get up in the morning. 

We are also very fortunate to have our own infra-red sauna and try to use it for 30 minutes every day. We may even use the time getting sweaty to meditate as well...after all we have no where to go so why not multi-task and make best use of the time!

But with all of this the key to success is consistency. Almost 11 years after my initial weight loss I have kept the weight off and continue to learn more and adjust but I keep on going. I keep on doing what works.

My goal is to live as long as I can, to be as healthy as I can and to be in the best physical shape I can be. I want to be able to enjoy the life that I have ahead of me in the best way possible for the longest time possible. To live my life to its fullest unencumbered.

So, to sun it all up eat real food, lift some weights, walk, connect with others, sleep well and repeat!

Day 718

Day 718...

It was a slow and lazy start to this Saturday, for some reason it felt like the last week had seen each day have an early start although it hadn't really been any different to usual. But suffice to say I allowed myself a much more sedate approach to the day.

With breakfast out the way our focus was our upstairs bedroom that used to be Molly's room but will be turning into a study come craft room. Whilst we have cleared the room of all the unwanted furniture and had painted the walls it is now time to start the transformation.

On Monday we are having new wood floor laid and so today we needed to clear the room of the items that we have been storing up there, the mattress (soon to be replaced with a sofa bed) and of course the carpet. It didn't take us too long to move everything...well I say we it was mostly Simon as I was finishing off our online grocery shop order ready for collecting tomorrow. We lifted the carpet and the underlay and then Simon prised up all of the gripper rods. This then necessitated a hoover round as there was dust and bits of underlay and splinters of wood all over.

Next it was time to load all the carpet and underlay into the back of the car and take a trip over to our local recycling centre. By about 2.30pm we had done what we had set out to do and the room is now already for wood floor to be laid on Monday.

The afternoon was a relaxed affair. After a spot of lunch I moved a few more jigsaw pieces into place while Simon made progress with his latest piece of digital art. Towards the end of the afternoon I decided that the bananas I'd bought over a week ago were ripe enough to make a low carb banana bread. As this contains no sugar it is best to use very ripe bananas so that the natural sugars from them provide the sweetness.

Low carb banana bread

And with that all that is left to do today is see if we can find a stream of RuPaul's Drag Race season 14 to watch!

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 675

Day 675...

Well today didn't turn out quite as expected.

I was supposed to be having a days holiday in lieu of time I'd worked extra before Christmas covering for a work colleague. Normally when I have a day off I will still be up early to check my phone just in case something has happened and I'm needed in work. But today I didn't do that for the first time in like forever.

I'd just got out the shower and Simon said 'I'm sure I can hear your phone ringing'...now that's never a good sign; a ringing phone before 8am. And sure enough on looking at my phone I'd got one missed call and a couple of WhatsApp messages.

To cut a long story short one of my team had tested positive for 'you know what' and therefore I was needed in work. The member of staff who tested positive is absolutely fine and only has a runny nose. I got myself sorted and arrived in work about 30 minutes late but before we opened the doors to the children.

Once all the children had arrived we looked at the number of staff to children and I was able to head home around 10.30am. I managed to get a couple of small admin jobs completed so my short amount of time in work was put to good use.

Once home I actually did a little more work as I now needed to amend our time sheets to allow for staff being off for the next few days, for staff working extra to cover and then to calculate sick pay. The annoying thing was that our government website which provides information for employers in relation to staff being off ill with covid was quoting sick pay rates for the last tax year rather than the year we are in now. Thanks to a Google search I was able to find the correct ratesm and while the difference was only penniesm it really wasn't good enough that a government run website is quoting out of date figures!

Simon and I managed a brisk walk out at lunchtime with 2.4 miles in 43 minutes being completed.

 After a spot of lunch Simon was back to work and I had the afternoon to myself. I got caught up on a few household tasks and then spent some time with my latest jigsaw.

And while Simon jumped on the exercise bike this evening for his 45 minute, zone two, workout I set about making tonights dinner; low carb moussaka.

Yummy, just what was needed on a cold winters evening!

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 414...Thursday...

Day 414...

Another day with the morning in work and the afternoon at home, as well as day two of our new flooring being fitted.

So it was up early to be all sorted before our fitter arrived. Just as I was leaving for work I received a text to say that my butchers order had been delivered...now we had not had a knock at the door but I know the last couple of times the delivery company have just left the order on the doorstep and then send through a photo to say it's delivered. I opened the door expecting to see a very big box and there was nothing! Simon and I investigated and found two boxes that had been left by the gates to where we live...no where near our front door. I appreciate that the boxes were on the heavy side, and there was a little bit of a walk from the van to our door but isn't it a delivery company's job to 'deliver' to the door?!

Simon, thankfully, was able to carry the boxes into the house while I dashed off to work. The morning was the usual mix of banking, admin, emails and chatting with staff about the remainder of the academic year. We have leavers celebrations to plan as well as a Summer fundraiser. Ordinarily we would hold a Summer Fair but with some restrictions still being in place and having to wait for the next steps in the 'roadmap' to actually happen it doesn't give us much time to organise anything. So we have decided to opt for another 'virtual' raffle and a special fun week for the children with lots of games and special treats.

I came home via a local supermarket; I went in for about five items and must have come out with about fifteen. One of the benefits of lockdown had been relying on just one grocery shop per week but I have slipped back into the habit of just 'popping' in to my local when really we could have survived till the next shop. Oh well, best get back into my new habits rather than pick-up the old ones that caused me to spend more money than I should!

Once home the floor fitting was in full swing and although we have a couple of issues it is going remarkably well. Simon's work area is a little awkward and has lots of nooks and crannies to work around so that has taken a little more time than anticipated but now we are onto the two main rooms so things should be a lot easier. Although there was a moment when we suddenly remembered about laying the wire for our speaker system under the floor...thankfully we remembered just in time!

My main job this afternoon was to sort the butchers order out into meal sized portions. We had delivered; 5kg chicken, 6kg steak mince, 20 burgers, 100 sausages, 4.5 kg bacon and 4 packs of steak. It must have took me well over an hour to bag it all up, sort out the freezer and get rid of all the packaging, but we are now good to go for the next few weeks. Adopting a keto/low carb, almost carnivore, lifestyle means that all our meals are focused on protein and fat. Cooked breakfast every morning with lunch and dinner being focused around a meat based protein, lots of black coffee, small glass of red wine and some lovely extra dark chocolate to enjoy. No bland carbs, no beige fillers just great tasty, and filling, food. It will be seven years in a few weeks time that I adopted a low carb lifestyle; I lost the weight, dropped the dress sizes and most importantly have maintained those losses. See my page 'Eating Well, Staying Healthy' to find out more about the changes I made.

And talking of good food dinner was a late one tonight as our floor fitter worked as late as he possibly could; bless him he has worked so hard and although we have a couple of issues that need sorting he is on the case. So we are having a quick dinner this evening of steak, burger and bacon with maybe a few fried veggies on the side and cheese on top!

Take care out there.
xx

A Blustery Day

Day 358...

Well the wet and windy Wednesday kept on going and turned into a very blustery Thursday. So much so that my first thought this morning was to pick up one of my work colleagues who doesn't have access to a car as I think her usual walk to work may have resulted in her sporting a rather bedraggled look!!

The main focus of my morning was to not only get all the usual banking, emails and admin up straight but to find time to chat with my deputy about the cash flow forecasts I'd completed yesterday so that we could discuss and plan a way forward. We had a very productive 'chat' and have a clear vision for where we are going and how we are going to get there.

It was then time to head home as I have just changed my working pattern from having all day on a Thursday off to just the afternoon. And my time this afternoon was spent doing a spot of baking. I have made another low carb banana bread and this time I have added some dark chocolate chips...

...I also made some low carb avocado chocolate truffles, a combination of dark chocolate, avocado, lime and vanilla...

Very, very dark chocolate truffles!

...and these will both be going with me into work tomorrow as a treat for my team and to see what they reckon to some low carb goodness.  

And that was today...our Census 2021 form arrived and we had much discussion about vaccines and whether to opt in or not. Lots to think about and I think I will simply take my time to come to my own conclusions.

Take care out there.
xx

Shrove Tuesday

Day 335...

Well today was Shrove Tuesday (or better known as Pancake Day) and it was another quiet day.

First thing this morning we had a local flooring company stop by to measure up for some new flooring. When we revamped our bedroom last year with new built-in wardrobes the other thing we had wanted to do was to get rid of our carpeted floor and lay a new wooden one. But various lockdowns and 'tier' systems had all put a halt to that as we didn't know how, or if, companies were able to visit let alone install flooring. But an email or two later and we have been able to get a local company out to measure up and now await their quote!

Then my next job was to dig out the 'Crock Pot' from the back of the cupboard, dust it off and set about creating something for dinner this evening. I had decided to make a beef bourguignon which I have not done for ages. Although between not being able to find the operating instructions for my 'Crock Pot' (that's how long it's been since I've used it!) and then my scales not working (three changes of battery later and we were back in action) I did begin to wonder whether it had been such a good idea! But it was all sorted and cooking away by mid-morning and the kitchen was filled with lovely red wine infused aroma's all day.

That did mean that I had the rest of the day to devote to getting some paperwork and accounts completed for pre-school. It's one of those jobs that has to be completed at the end of each half term and I was determined to get all the work I needed to get done, done by the end of today. I haven't done too badly and while I have a little more to do tomorrow it shouldn't take up too much of my time.

In between the pre-school work we took a short two mile walk out at lunchtime and ventured out over the fields completing one of our regular circular routes that we haven't done for a fair while as it has been just too wet. But thankfully with our wellies on we were able to navigate our way around and avoided any stuck in mud disasters!

I've been chatting with Molly on and off all day as she has been busy creating some custom artwork for a new client. It's great to see her getting a little more work for her business venture; Shutter Studios.

And of course it was 'Pancake Day' which normally means that Molly makes traditional pancakes for us all but as she is not at home we decided to go down the low carb route instead. This is Simon's speciality that we call a 'sweetie pancake', but is more like a sweet omelette...

...a couple of eggs, splash of cream, a little baking powder and then spices of your choice (I like cinnamon and nutmeg). Cook it like an omelette and as the second side is almost cooked sprinkle in some dark chocolate before folding over into a triangle shaped parcel. And voila an oozy chocolate pancake/omelette creation - yummy!

Right, think it's time to stop now...stay safe.
xx

Day 255

Day 265...

A day in work today and the focus was on cashflow forecasting - whoop!

The morning was taken up with the usual admin tasks, updating the banking, responding to and sending out emails before putting figures to paper as we begin to look forward over the next few months.

These are interesting times for early years care and education as we have seen a dramatic reduction in the numbers of children attending which we surmise is a knock-on effect of COVID. Parents may be struggling financially, or working from home and so don't need the childcare or simply haven't thought about sending their little one to pre-school. 

Our usual way of life has been disrupted and therefore the chain of events that would lead a parent to sending their child to us have simply not happened. All the usual places where parents of young children meet and chat like parent and toddler groups, soft play centres and parks haven't been open or have had restricted opening. So missed conversations has meant that parents, especially new parents, haven't given pre-school a thought or may not even know about pre-schools.

But the knock-on effect means that a lot of other pre-schools have struggled and some have even had to close. Thankfully that is not the case for us but we do need to make sure we are prepared and plan for whatever the coming months may hold.

Once home I had a little more work to complete before I turned my attention to baking...not something I do very often as following a low carb/keto diet means that cakes and sweet treats are a thing of the past, not that I actually miss them. But there was a reason for baking which will become apparent tomorrow!

Interestingly, talking about low carb and keto diets, there is a lot of evidence now emerging that poor metabolic health and high blood sugars are not conducive to contracting COVID and impact on the ability to fight the virus and recover from it. Our modern day western diet is so full of highly processed foods and sugars that we find ourselves running on the wrong fuel which in turn is affecting our ability to combat illnesses. Our bodies are supposed to run on protein and fats...put the right fuel in and the body is in a better position to run smoothly but load it up with too many carbs, sugars and highly processed foods and it's going to find it tough going.

Check out my page 'Eating Well, Staying Healthy' to find out why I changed my diet, how I did it and more importantly how I am still doing it.

Take care out there,
xx

Sleepy Sunday

Day 179...

Today has been a pretty ordinary and quiet sort of Sunday.

The day started with my usual online grocery shop, updating it ready for collection tomorrow. Along with an online butchers order that will come later this week.

I have been watching some of my Ebay listings as a fair few finished over the course of the day which now means I have more items to package up and take to the post office.

We had a little catch-up with Molly sat outside enjoying the sunshine with a coffee. Her boyfriend has gone back home today so we were filling each other in on what we had all been up to the last couple of weeks while she had been away.

There were a couple more bags of unwanted clothes and shoes to drop off at our local hospice clothes bank as well as a courtesy stop by our other house to make sure all is well and pick up any relevant post, which there wasn't.

Another coffee outside in the sunshine to soak up some more vitamin D while I carried on reading some more of Dr Aseem Malhotra's 21 Day Immunity Plan explaining why sugar and carbohydrates are so bad for our health and how reducing or eliminating them can have profound affects to our metabolic health.

The afternoon...early evening...was rounded out with our usual Sunday Disney quiz hosted by the podcast I co-host (Disney Dream Girls). It was, as it always is, great fun and simply a pleasure to chat with like-minded individuals from around the world. Paul did an amazing job with his questions and although me and Molly only got 5 points we learnt loads of interesting Disney facts!

A quiet day before a very busy week ahead!

Stay safe out there, whatever you are up to. Keep you distance, wear a mask and take acre.
xx

Day 131

Day 131...

It was the usual start to a Monday morning, off to collect our weekly grocery shopping and happy to see Marky Mark back manning the lockers.

It was then home, unpack, wipe everything down, wash the fruit and veggies, get rid of the packaging and put everything away...followed by a large coffee.

I was then able to finish off painting the garden furniture that I had started yesterday. Everything could be turned upside down and the places I couldn't get to yesterday could be painted. Thankfully the furniture was in the garage as the weather today was not great which meant it could get painted and dry while it rained off and on.

After a bit of tidying around and Simon getting all the beeps and boops working for his R2D2 we took a short walk out to get some mail for work in the post before heading down to our 'other house'. Okay...this is the house that belonged to Simon's mum who died at the end of last year but I can't keep referring to it as her house as, to be frank, it is not her's anymore it is ours...so hence our 'other house'. I don't mean this to sound callous but let's just say there was not a lot of love lost between me and his mum!

Anyways we are in the process of clearing the house and tidying the garden. The weather being a bit unpredictable today had stopped us tackling the garden but we decided to bring home a garden bench as it is something that we can make use of. So after a bit of manoeuvring we were able to fit it in the back of our car to bring home and store in the garage so that it can dry out and then hopefully this week I will be able to sand it down and repaint the wood and ironwork.

When we got home we decided to move our patio furniture out of the garage and back to the patio where it belongs and it looks so much better for a lick of paint but as we put it in place the heavens opened and although we were only outside for a couple of minutes we got drenched through.

My afternoon was rounded out with a little jigsaw time which got interrupted with a pre-school phone call! But can't complain as it was a parent looking for a place for their child, so I was happy to chat and sort them out.

So today there has been two main news stories. Firstly, people returning from Spain now face a 14 day quarantine which is really unfortunate, but it was mentioned when we opened up travel to other countries that this could happen at any time for any country depending on case numbers. It can't be great for anyone out there and now thinking about their return we can only hope that the government will be better at giving notice and explanation on these things in the future. My heart goes out to one of Molly's friends who was due to travel to Spain tomorrow to see her boyfriend who she has not seen for 7 months and now can't go...that is just so sad and heartbreaking for them.

The second news story is all about how we, as a country, need to tackle our obesity crisis. It is now being recognised that being overweight or obese is not good for those that are unfortunate to contract COVID-19 so our government has decided it's time to do something about it. Which is great...in principal...but I fear that the message needed will not be the one that is delivered.

Today they announced a ban on junk food adverts before 9pm, which is good but is a mere drop in the ocean. It was great to see cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra being interviewed today and getting the chance to explain that the problem is the ultra processed food that we are being sold and putting into our bodies. Over the last 30 years or so we have moved away from cooking our meals of meat and two veg, from scratch, to buying pre-made, easy, cheap and nutritionally deficient food.

Just over six years ago I used to be guilty of buying all the various foods that went from freezer to oven without any thought and a simple read of the instructions. I would try to stick to low calorie and low fat options because I thought that was the right thing to do...I always said I was never a cook because all I ever did was re-heat things. But all the while I did that I was never happy with my weight and anything I ever did would see a few pounds disappear only to go straight back on plus a couple more when I went back to 'eating normally' or simply 'had a little treat'. See my page 'Eating Well, Staying Healthy' for my journey from your traditional low fat diet to a low carb/keto diet.

I now know that eating low fat was never going to work I was eating empty calories that never made me feel full and meant I would be snacking and grazing and always feeling hungry. Switching to a low carb high fat/keto diet now means I am a weight and shape that I am happy with, that has stayed pretty constant for the last six years and I never feel the need to snack. I now cook from scratch every day, I enjoy the food that I eat and do not miss all the bland, beige, boring carbs that we ditched. 

When you realise that the starchy, bland carbs that we all eat are just that...bland...and are simply fillers on our plate that ultimately leave us feeling hungry not long after we have eaten, it is very easy to give them up. We all know cakes, puddings, chocolate bars and sweets are bad for us but when you realise it's the sugars and the carbs in lots of other foods that are the main culprits you suddenly realise just what you have been putting in your body. 

For most people the idea of giving up these bland carbs...the bread, the pasta, the potatoes, the rice...is something they couldn't possibly give up but honestly giving them up is not an issue when I can eat meat, cheese, cream, butter, green veggies, berries, eggs, dark (very dark) chocolate and I even have a glass of red wine most evenings. See my post called 'But I Couldn't Give Up...' for more information.

So yes we as a nation need to tackle the obesity that we have, but simply banning junk food adverts till after 9pm will not do the trick. We need to change the information. We need to re-educate. We need to get back to eating real food and cooking again. We need to understand there is no magic wand, no fancy exercise regime, that calories are not all equal, that eating less and moving more does not work. We need to put the right fuel inside our bodies (just like we would do with a car)...put in the wrong stuff and the performance will be rubbish but get the right fuel and the results can be astounding.

Please go and read my previous posts as mentioned above to find out more about eating a healthy, satisfying diet. On my 'Eating Well, Staying Healthy' page there are lots of links to websites, books and interesting people to follow on social media.

So please take care out there, think about your diet (and please ask if you'd like help), look after yourselves and wear a mask.

xx

Day 126

Day 126...

Well today I was determined to not spend too much of the day doing pre-school work...but...

All the tablets that we use needed software updates and their storage cleaning up and as these hadn't been used since March there was quite a lot of updates to go through! I then had a mixture of phone calls from new parents looking for places for their children as well as emails from current parents requesting changes to their children's sessions. 

Before I knew it lunchtime had come around and it was time for Simon and I to have our daily walk. Timing was perfect as I had information to post out for the new parent enquiries so we took a slightly different route to ensure we walked past the post box. We managed 1.8 miles in about 38 minutes and despite a few spots of rain when we started out it stayed dry and surprisingly warm.

I also spent sometime organising another shop with an online butchers. We have found a very reasonably priced one based in Scotland and have been very impressed with the quality and they now have a much quicker delivery turnaround. So coming next week will be burgers, sausage, mince, steak, bacon and chicken - anyone would think we are a bit of a carnivore family!

Then I made some golden sesame keto bread just because I can and because it is so yummy...I also came across a recipe for low carb peanut butter cookies which I thought Simon might like as he is a big peanut butter fan.

Having cleaned the outside of both our cars at the weekend I decided that the inside really ought to be brought up to par so spent an hour or so armed with glass cleaner, cleaning wipes and a hoover. Both cars now look too good to drive, although as we are thinking about going down to a one car family it won't hurt to have them looking their best.

By the time I had finished it was time to take Molly over to her outdoor karate lesson which was a bit shorter than normal so I parked up, did a little reading and some internet searching until she was finished. When we returned home I could smell baking...Simon had found the cookie recipe and made peanut butter cookies, and very nice they are too even though peanut butter is not my thing usually.

But before eating cookes we had dinner of steak and eggs - yum! The advantage of following a low carb/keto diet means we don't have to bother with the bland, beige carbs of potato or pasta or rice but can just enjoy the best parts of a meal!

I seemed to have avoided the news for the last few days, I am aware of what is going on but I think part of me is trying to avoid it on purpose because it can be just too depressing and frustrating. Listening to what is happening in the US with the rising number of cases and deaths and never mind their idiot of a president really makes me feel for all my American friends. The lack of leadership and his apparent lack of compassion is just astounding, and don't get me started on his approach to law and order or his take on postal voting for the election. I just hope he is not voted in again and has the good grace to stand down but I fear that there could be strange times ahead. And don't get me started on our lot...signing trade agreements that put the future of our amazing NHS in jeopardy, brexit plans that no-one really understands and the handling of the virus that just leaves more questions than answers.

Right...moan over...where's my glass of red wine?

Take care, stay safe, look after yourself and wear a mask.

xx

Day 114

Day 114...

Well we have reached another Friday and another day in work for me. A fairly quiet day with a little more prep work for September as well as a little organising ahead of our last week of term next week. 

We are inviting all our school leavers in to visit next week; all organised at set times, held outdoors and observing social distancing at all times and so we have a few gifts that we are organising ready for them. We would normally be holding a leavers concert which would have been preceded by a couple of weeks of rehearsals but obviously this year that couldn't happen. But we can still give each of our leavers a book, some sweets, our leavers poem and this year we have managed to create a 'Class of 2020' photo. Thanks to the help of parents supplying individual photos and then Molly's creative talents to put them all together as sort of a mini year book collage!

Once home I had a very lazy hour or so. I was going to do some podcast recording with Michelle but she is still feeling a bit poorly so we have decided to try and record tomorrow instead. So I grabbed a coffee and sat outside on the patio and perused my latest cook book, 'The Reverse Your Diabetes Cookbook'. 

Now I am not diabetic but this book promotes low carb eating as a way to improve, and even reverse, diabetes and as a low carb advocate I picked this book up to find some new recipes and I was particularly drawn to the cakes and desserts section. So much so that after a little time spent on my jigsaw I decided to have a go at making an apple & carrot cake; no flour or sugar but instead using ground almonds and dates. It is still cooling as I type so I will find out later what the end result is like...but it looks okay!

And that has been my day, and now the weekend starts...whatever you decide to do this weekend please take care, wear a mask and stay safe!

xx

Day 80

Day 80...

Another weekend in lockdown and another quiet and slow start to the day.

Back in normal times we would have been taking Molly to her guitar lesson and enjoying a coffee while she 'rocked out'. But our new normal now means we get to hear her guitar lesson as she now gets it emailed through with sheet music and videos.

I had a bit of a clean through this morning while Simon finished a little project that he's been working on...a little project that I inadvertently caused! A couple of weeks ago while cleaning I decided to move some of my Disney ornaments to give them a good dust, but I forgot that one of them had a loose piece...a tealight glass holder...which as I turned the item around simply fell off, hit the ground and smash...glass everywhere!

This little Christmas scene (yes I do keep this out all year round!) used to have a glass tealight holder on top of the lamp post - oops!

So Simon said 'don't worry I can sort that for you...how would you like it made into a proper lamp post'. So by the power of 3D design, modelling and printing...

Model created in 3D

Split into sections for 3D printing

3D printing in action

Individual pieces printed and cleaned up

All pieces sanded, glued and sprayed with primer paint

Fixed to the lamp post (small screw & glue)

And the finished result with a freshly painted lamp post

Aren't I lucky to have a very creative hubby!

We spotted a break amongst the rain showers this afternoon and took a walk to my dad's house to check-in and make sure he was doing okay. Thankfully we only had one quick shower as we stood chatting to my dad through his living room window and despite the very dark sky on the walk back we remained dry.

Once home it was time for coffee and shopping...okay online grocery shopping so not very exciting but needed. I also decided to place another online order with a butchers that I'd used earlier in the lockdown as we'd been really impressed with them and my freezer is beginning to look a little empty.

Opted for making indian for dinner this evening and although I used a store bought korma sauce I was very proud of my efforts making low carb naan bread and some courgette fries to accompany; with a couple of dips made by Simon!

Low Carb Naan Bread

Courgette Fries

Spicy Tomato Dip

Mustard Dip

And that was Day 80!

I hope everyone is staying safe out there, whatever you are up to.

Take care,

xx

Day 46

Day 46...

Well today we should have been trooping at Emcon in Nottingham with our EMG (East Midlands Garrison) Star Wars cosplay family but instead we are staying home and trying to do our bit to keep the country safe.

Simon has been busy adding more, and more, layers to his new helmet mold while also doing some artwork for a retro gaming magazine. We are extremely fortunate that this lockdown hasn't really affected Simon's normal day job making video games nor has it affected his ability to create props or complete artwork commissions. In fact we had wondered if requests for helmets would be quiet this year or whether the lockdown would give people the chance to focus on projects that would otherwise have been sidelined. Or perhaps the knock-on financial effects would cause people to think twice before spending or would it free up cash for some? Then sure enough today someone has contacted Simon to say he can now afford a helmet because of the money being saved on petrol by working from home!

Silicone mold completed and ready for next stage tomorrow

Simon has also got a project underway to build a storage unit to house the trunk we use to store his stormtrooper armour in. This has so far involved us salvaging some wood, cutting to size, washing and then leaving to dry in the garage. The wood has now been brought inside so that it can dry out completely at room temperature...

Pile of wood now sitting in my hall!

...this does mean that I now have a pile of wood sitting in my hall...along with an R2D2 and mouse droid works in progress...that's what everybody else has in their house, right?

We took a longer walk out today, managing just under 4 miles in an hour and 20 minutes and despite the grey skies we encountered quite a few people but everyone was keeping their distance and everyone said hello and smiled.

This afternoon I baked a low carb blueberry and yogurt cake which came out pretty good; I left out the sweetener (not a fan of artificial sweeteners as they can often leave a weird taste or texture) but added some vanilla instead. I think next time I will add some cinnamon as well.

I have also made a keto chicken curry pie for the first time today. The pastry case is one I make quite regular for a meat pie recipe and uses ground almonds, sesame seeds and coconut flour as it's main ingredients. The filling is chicken, mayonnaise, eggs, cream cheese, green pepper, cheese and some seasoning...I even made my own curry powder!

Keto Chicken Curry Pie - yummy!

I will admit to feeling quite anxious today and am worrying about when we all have to go back to work and whatever the new normal will be. I am not sure that I am actually ready to go back any time soon and am having difficulty understanding how we can all just go back when this virus is still out there. I appreciate that everyone has work and financial considerations but I am struggling to get past the bigger consideration of health and life. We all have people in our lives who are vulnerable to this virus, we all have lives that we would like to live out to our fullest and get to do all the things that we have dreamed of or have planned and surely holding out a bit longer will enable all those things to happen. Personally I just think if we take it slow and steady and plan and re-engage with the outer world in a methodical and planned way it will be so much better and curb the chances of this thing coming back and hitting us harder a second time around. Let's beat it now rather than be living in a perpetual state of uncertainty.

Take care all,
xx

Day 31

Day 31 and this must be the first grey day we have had in a while, in fact we had rain for a good chunk of the morning and it seems an age since it last rained.

While Simon tinkered about with his droid building projects I decided to go through my cookery books and have a bit of a sort out. Over the years I have collected recipes out of magazines or printed them out from online and have stored them in a crappy orange wallet; so I thought I would go through them all and see just what I had got. Well suffice to say about 75% of it went straight in the recycling; most of what I'd kept went back a lot of years I was throwing stuff out from 2007!!

And most of the recipes were simply for things that I would no longer cook as they wouldn't meet the specifics of either low carb or keto that we follow now. Although I will confess to keeping some of the cake recipes and quite a few cocktail ones too...well they might come in handy for a special occasion!

I even threw out complete cook books after I'd gone through them and torn out any recipes that I thought I might attempt one day! Suffice to say the whole activity took me way longer than I'd anticipated and resulted in a complete re-organisation! From this...

 ...to this...

Two folders organised into sections...I just need to keep them that way now!

So the consequence of this lockdown malarkey is that I've completed a task that I hadn't really thought about doing, that was one of those 'if I ever have the time' jobs...guess what I had the time! And while it may seem a trivial task I at least completed it and feel as though I have achieved something and made the best of the day and I suppose that is all that we can do at the moment. Seize the day and make the best of it in whatever way we can no matter how trivial it may feel.

xx

Day 26

Day 26..

Well today had a very lazy start with breakfast becoming brunch!

Having managed to secure another click and collect grocery shop for this time next week I started looking at other online alternatives. There are lots of smaller companies, and local ventures, out there offering delivery services that I would never have looked at normally and I think I will be giving some of them a try. Although they tend to be more expensive than the supermarkets I am tempted to try them and support these small businesses and who knows perhaps I may discover better products, cleaner products and better quality.

I suppose the test for these companies going forward is whether people like me who discover them now will continue to use them in the future. It's a difficult one because looking for different options online gives you a massive insight into the bulk buying power of the supermarkets and the prices that they can offer and how we are all so used to finding the cheapest option that we can.

This also has an effect on the quality of the food in particular that we consume. Being an advocate for keto and low carb lifestyles as well as eating 'real food' rather than highly processed convenience food it is all too apparent why the vast majority of people still adhere to the standard western diet of high carb - it's simple, convenient, easy and cheap. Yet by adopting a 'real food' approach and ditching all the highly processed, high sugar, beige and bland foods can be such a liberating experience, never mind all the health benefits. Cooking real food from scratch means a satiated appetite and the need for constant grazing on 'snacks' disappears which in turn can reduce the amount that is spent on needless foods.

More and more evidence is pointing towards a diet that is void of highly processed, carb laden foods to not only manage your weight more effectively but is key to reducing and eliminating metabolic illnesses along with improving your immune system. We have all become too accustomed to quick, easy food options, to treats being an every day occurrence and forgetting how to cook. I will freely admit that until 6 years ago that was me, I always used to say that I never 'cooked' I just 'reheated'. I just did what was easiest and quickest but all the while adhering to the low fat mantra and keeping calories low and I thought I was doing what was right.

Flashback to six years ago and watching a film by Joe Cross called 'Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead' followed by a conversation with Molly's karate teacher and our way of eating changed for good - see my pages Getting Real and Eating Well, Staying Healthy. I can't recommend this way of eating highly enough and I now enjoy cooking everything from scratch, with real food, every day.

During this time of 'lockdown' it is now more important than ever that we look after ourselves both physically and mentally. It would be all too easy to comfort eat and over indulge and then when we get to the other side of this and it's Summer (hopefully) regret not being able to fit into those shorts from last year! But equally we need to stay mentally strong, we need to be able to express ourselves and talk openly and honestly and admit when we're having a bad day. But we also need to use this opportunity to spend time on ourselves; doing whatever it is that makes you feel good about yourself.

On a lighter note this time 10 years ago Simon and I renewed our wedding vows in Las Vegas at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Blue Hawaii style. We had a limo, we had my parents with us, we had Simon's best man join us from New York, we went for ice-cream after and then played glow-in-the-dark crazy golf; it was an amazing experience...

...and this was also the vacation that we got stranded in San Francisco because of the Icelandic volcanoe ash cloud!

Until tomorrow,
xx

But I couldn't give up...

Oh, but I couldn't give up....

This is one of those phrases that creeps into the conversation whenever I tell people that I follow a low carb/keto way of eating.

OK, so let me make a confession - ‘My name is Jayne and I follow a low carb/keto way of life and I apologise’.

But why do I feel the need to apologise? Why is it that I’m made to feel like some sort of weirdo or freak because I don’t eat carbs?

I have friends who are vegetarians but to the world at large that’s perfectly fine.

I have friends who are vegans and again to the world at large that’s perfectly fine.

But when I say ‘sorry no potatoes for me’ I’m made to feel like there’s something wrong with me!

I can go out and about for coffee or for meals whether that be in a small local cafe, a city centre restaurant or even when visiting friends or family and there are numerous concessions made for diets. Plastered on menu boards everywhere is ‘vegetarian friendly’, ‘vegan this or that’, ‘gluten free’ or ‘lighter options’ but never anything to say ‘low carb’ or ‘keto’.

Now OK I am a big girl and actually following a low carb/keto way of life is pretty straightforward; I have no problem asking a restaurant to substitute in some extra veggies or salad instead of the potatoes or asking for cream when ordering coffee. And to be fair there is now more and more places that will have on their menus (although often hidden at the bottom somewhere) that burgers can be ‘bunless’ or that rice can be swapped for salad.

But I do still feel that what I’m asking for is considered to be a bit weird, often met with a questioning ‘so you don’t want the potatoes?’ Well that’s what I’ve just said!!

I’m really not looking for any special treatment or a special menu just an acceptance that it’s perfectly normal to not want the beige and boring carbs!

Now don’t get me wrong I am aware that we are beginning to see some companies and small businesses that are catering specifically towards the low carb market; often providing a low carb alternative to those ‘western diet’ favourites of bread and sweet things. These items are not necessarily the cheapest but at least it’s good to know that this ‘low carb thing’ is beginning to get recognised. For me personally I am a bit wary of these low carb alternatives as I’m not a lover of the artificial sweeteners that can be used but I think it’s great that options for those that want them are appearing.

At ‘Real Food Rocks’ back in July I was able to try some low carb pitta bread (Low Carb Food Company) and some low carb dark chocolate and raspberry brownies (Deliciously Guilt Free) which were both delicious. And for both of these I would personally consider them an exception to my usual way of eating. In fact if I fancy ‘a treat', something that I would not ordinarily consume, like a cookie or a piece of cake then I will allow myself to indulge. But this is only a rare occurrence and often I will find that sharing a piece of cake or just having a couple of bites is enough to satisfy any ‘craving’ I may have. A phrase we like to use in my home is ‘rare and appropriate’ (a term coined by Penn Jillette during his weight-loss); so for example when I reached the end of my radiotherapy treatment I figured it was appropriate to mark the occasion with a coffee and a nice piece of ‘full on’ cheesecake! So I had a piece of ‘proper’ cake and enjoyed it and that was that!

So let’s get back to what I started with at the top of this post...but I couldn’t give up…

I think this happens to everyone who follows a low carb/keto way of eating as soon as we begin to explain what it means we have the standard response ‘but I couldn’t give up...’ followed by one (or all!) mention of potatoes, bread, rice, pasta. Interestingly the ‘naughty’ foods of cakes or cookies are never mentioned because everyone knows that these are not good for us but the complete indignation that can be met should I dare suggest that perhaps pasta is not all that great is really rather surprising.

For those of us that have found low carb/keto and have experienced the benefits, whether that be weight loss, general health improvements, skin improvements, better mood or reversal of type 2 diabetes and more, we find ourselves wanting to spread the news. I know that I have done a lot of reading and continue to do so. Names like Gary Taubes, Gary Fettke, Tim Noakes, Dr David Unwin, Ivor Cummins, Nina Teicholz to name but a few are commonly spoken about in our house. We actively seek out new information, podcasts and websites. I absolutely love dietdoctor.com for the vast amount of information delivered in an easy to understand way along with a collection of recipes to suit everyone’s budget, tastes and cooking ability.

I find myself feeling quite passionate about this way of eating, especially knowing that the traditional diet of low fat, eat less and move more simply doesn’t work and is actually completely wrong. We have been ‘fed’ information over the past 30 years, and more, that was wrong, that was never tested as it should have been and has never been corrected despite evidence to the contrary.

So when people do ask me about losing weight, or keeping the weight off or simply ‘what is is that you eat?’ I want to tell them as much as I possibly can. But I am constantly surprised that most people seem to stumble as soon as they hear ‘no bread, no rice, no pasta, no potatoes’.

Perhaps I need to change my approach and tell them about all the lovely things they can be eating; all the cheese, meat, bacon, eggs, full fat yogurt, cream in their coffee, green veggies, some berries and my favourite extra dark chocolate!

Everyone knows that cakes, cookies and anything sugary is bad for them but what they don’t understand is that some of our food ‘staples’, and foods that we have been led to believe are ‘good for us’ are actually also full of sugar. I can’t recommend Dr. David Unwin’s infographics highly enough where he equates those staples of our diet to the amount of sugar in them, such an easy and surprising way to get the message across.

Infographic courtesy of  phc.org

I also tell people to try eating the rice, the pasta, the potatoes or the bread just on its own with no sauce or seasoning to see how bland they actually are. These are after all bland and beige and I’ve never known anything that is bland and beige be ‘good for you’!

So ditch the beige and embrace tasty, satisfying and filling foods.

Eat the right foods and your body will do the rest. There is then no need to worry about ‘how much’ or ‘how many calories’ or feeling hungry. Listen to your body, eat when you are genuinely hungry and eat foods that will leave you feeling satiated and full of energy. You will turn your body into a fat burning machine and you will never look back.

Five and a half years ago I took on a challenge to lose a bit of weight, little did I realise back then that I would be able to keep that weight off, drop 2 dress sizes and feel great. I have learnt so much since then and I just want to be able to give those who want to listen and are prepared to give something a chance all the help, advice and encouragement I can.

Taken Summer 2013 - Standard Low Fat Diet
150lbs

Taken Summer 2019 - 5 years low carb
131lbs

 Please go back and read my other blog pieces about how I discovered this way of eating and how I've managed to stick at it for five and a half years.

Eating Well, Staying Healthy
What's Wrong with Real Food?
Four Years On
Eating Healthy and Proud of it
One Year On
90 Day Challenge

Four Years On

And if any of this gives you cause to think then I urge you to just give it a try and you never know what might happen!

Real Food Rocks

If you've read any of my blog before you will know that along with my passion for Disney and tattoos I am also passionate about the way we eat.

My own personal story can be found in these previous posts and pages;

Eating Well, Staying Healthy
90 Day Challenge
Four Years On

But suffice to say I am now a strong advocate of the Low Carb High Fat approach to eating. As a family we eliminated carbs and sugars from our diet just over 5 years ago. We no longer have bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, flours, processed foods, grains or sugars in anything that we eat. Our cupboards and fridge are stocked with yummy cheese, butter, cream, meats, fish, green veggies, berries, greek yogurt and some very high cocoa dark chocolate.

I have lost weight and dropped dress sizes and have been able to maintain it. My skin is better and hopefully I am doing everything in my power to avoid the modern day diseases of diabetes and heart disease; both of which have affected my family directly in the past.

Whilst we do have the odd occasional treat; these are what we describe as 'rare and appropriate', I do find that the longer that we follow this approach the less I look for those treats...which as someone with a self confessed sweet tooth I never thought I would say!

I think the 'kids' find this way of eating the most tricky out of all of us; not because they are fussy eaters but I think simply because they are faced with a society that seems to revolve around social eating and drinking and one that means making good choices are tricky to find.

This past weekend Simon and I had the pleasure of spending a day at Brathay Hall, near Ambleside in the Lake District with about 800 like-minded people at a festival called Real Food Rocks.  This was a festival organised through an organisation called the Public Health Collaboration whose mission is to improve the nations health by changing the way we eat through adopting a low carb approach.

The event was organised by Dr Jen Unwin and was supported by a number of doctors, health care and fitness professionals. There were also plenty of stalls showcasing businesses who promote the use of real food, with real ingredients while also supporting a low carb approach.

Throughout the day there was the opportunity to listen to a number of experts talk about all aspects of a healthy lifestyle. We started the day listening to Dr Michael Mosley and his wife Dr Clare Bailey who strongly advocate the use of fasting, and a Mediterranean style diet incorporating fermented foods. Next we listened to Ivor Cummins the biochemical engineer and author of the book 'Eat Rich Live Long' who spoke about the modern diseases of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and the positive effects that diet can have on all of these conditions.

Dr Michael Mosley

Ivor Cummins

We than had a short break where we tasted some delicious low carb beef curry served with low carb naan bread from The Low Carb Food Co, followed by a coffee from The Little Blue Pig and a gorgeous chocolate and raspberry brownie from Deliciously Guilt Free.

Beef Curry & Naan bread by the Low Carb Food Co.

Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Brownie by Deliciously Guilt Free

Then it was back to listen to some more speakers. We heard Dr Peter Voshol from the Netherlands speak about his success with treating patients with Type 2 Diabetes through diet. We then heard from nutritionist Jenny Phillips as she spoke about the types of food we should be eating which resulted in me buying her latest cook book! After that we came upon Bridgette Hamilton who unknown to us is based not far from where we live; she specialises in helping people kick their sugar addiction and lose weight through her Breakthrough Weightloss program. We ended the day with Dr David Unwin who is a GP passionate about low carb and using lifestyle interventions to help patients fight obesity and diabetes and is one of the leading voices on this here in the UK.

It was so great to spend a day with people that all think the same way as we do. Time and time again it can feel almost alienating to follow this lifestyle. People who choose other lifestyles like being vegetarian or vegan can walk into shops, supermarkets and restaurants and are able to find all sorts of products on offer for them (although these are often highly processed and very far removed from being 'healthy' alternatives).Their friends accept their choice, they will make allowances for them when socialising and may even defend their choice...but choosing low carb does not always cause the same reactions.

Whilst shopping is straightforward as you simply only buy those products that you know are right i.e. real food! But dining out can sometimes be problematic and usually involves having to ask for 'insert name of bland beige carb' to be removed and replaced with veggies or salad but only to be met with a funny look and a question 'so...you don't want...?' Friends struggle to understand what being low carb means and the standard response is 'but I couldn't give up potatoes...bread...pasta...' Then throw into the conversation the 'wish I could lose weight like you', followed by me offering to explain but yet again to be faced with the 'but I couldn't' statement.

I know this way of eating is healthy, enjoyable, satisfying, yummy and easy to do and I just want to be able to help people to follow along and see the same weight and health gains that I have. But when everything that we have been brought up to understand about what is and is not healthy to eat is the complete opposite of eating low carb it is all too easy to understand why people have a problem grasping how this could be healthy.

I am angry that I spent the majority of my life following the 'official guidelines', doing what people in white coats told me or what was published through various media to then find I, along with everyone else, had been misled. It is so frustrating that the 'powers that be' are unwilling to change the dietary advise, that influence from the sugar, cereal and processed food industry is too entrenched with our governing bodies. That pharmaceutical companies need us all to be reliant on medications to keep their profits expanding and they have no interest in getting us healthy 'naturally'!

So I am determined to keep on doing what I am doing; sharing my knowledge, offering help where I can, continuously reading and researching more, learning more and then hopefully lead by example. I will continue to write blog posts about all that I am passionate about and hope that somewhere along the way I can inform and potentially change things for the better.