This weeks story is Fiona who at 58 wanted to lose weight and feel more energised. She didn’t feel that she had any major health issues, but I did identify some metabolic imbalances which made it a bit more difficult of her to lose the weight she wanted to. We decided that she would follow my 21 day detox programme and I think Fiona’s own testimonial speaks for itself:

“I am truly amazed at what a transformation in only 3 weeks.

My grown up family had suggested (not too subtly) that I needed to lose weight and cut down on my alcohol intake.  As a widow, in my late fifties and working full time within the field marketing industry, I had got into the habit of coming home from work, heating up something quick and easy to eat and settling down most evenings to either a few gin and tonics or a bottle of  wine to help me unwind. Whilst I accepted that my weight was on the high side and I was now buying larger sizes of clothing I had convinced myself that this was all part of the aging process.

With a winter sunshine holiday on the horizon though, I really wanted to feel more energetic and look better so, encouraged by my family, I decided to follow the 21 day detox programme.  Not only have I lost half a stone in weight, lost 2 inches on my waist and hips and my waistline seems much lower down now, but most importantly I certainly do have more energy, vitality and focus and no longer find myself waking up on the sofa to find that I have missed the end of the programme that I had been watching.

I have never been one for faddy diets and this programme is certainly not one of those. However the discipline of following the programme has taught me that fresh, simple foods can be so delicious as well as far more nutritious. I cannot state that I followed the meal plan religiously – however I did not eat anything that wasn’t on the list, I never felt hungry and the biggest surprise of all for me was that I did not feel the need to have that gin and tonic!  I really loved the nutritional shakes and will probably continue having these on a regular basis as part of my new eating regime.

I now feel fabulous and can’t wait for my holiday.” Fiona, 58, Oxfordshire

For more information please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition on 07775 582 332 or ange@fabulousnutrition.co.uk. Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk

The first one is from the World Cancer Research Fund, and has some really tasty sounding, well balanced ideas;

This second is Fat Free Vegan; again, lots of tasty and healthy ideas and seems to be updated quite regularly

Enjoy!

Enough for two:

• Two Mackerel fillets
• Two or three carrots cut into batons
• One can of chickpeas
• Olive oil
• Tablespoon of honey
• Half a lemon
• Clove of garlic
• Teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Sprig of rosemary

Steam the carrots lightly, then place on a baking tray with the chickpeas, drizzle with some olive oil and place under a hot grill for 5 minutes.
Mix up some more olive oil (about 2 table spoons), honey, lemon juice, garlic and cayenne pepper. Brush some of it over the mackerel and put the rest to one side.
Place the mackerel over the carrots & chickpeas then put back under the grill for another 5 minutes or until cooked. Serve with the rest of the dressing with some steamed vegetables and a small portion of rice if needed.

You can replace Mackerel with sardines, both of which are ‘best choice’ on the End of the Line campaign widget

Where to buy your fish? The main message from the campaign is to ask about the source before you buy. In the supermarket, look out for the Marine Stewardship council sticker . In the independent fishmonger and health food stores then always ask.

• Eat when you are hungry. Real hunger (rather than just habit) is a sign of healthy digestion (agni). If there isn’t hunger, then digestion of food will be inefficient. If that means missing the occasional meal then fine, but if hunger is always low then if can be stimulated for example a glass of warm water and fresh ginger may help.
• Have positive feelings toward the food you are about to eat. Digestion starts with the smell and anticipation of food, which stimulates saliva that starts to breakdown the food before it reaches the stomach. If you are relaxed and positive about the food you are about to eat it will help digestion.
• Avoid talking or other distractions while eating. TV dinners for example are a distraction from digestion; the emotions elicited from the TV or a conversation might disturb the positive and relaxed feelings towards food & eating.
• Rituals before eating can help; the Indian ritual of washing hands and face before eating for example is to promote relaxed emotions prior to meals (as well as for hygiene reasons)
• Chew each mouthful thoroughly, Ayurveda recommends 32 times per mouthful. Think about it this way, your digestive tract has no teeth!
• Eat enough to fill the stomach ¾ full in other words, stop eating just before you feel full. Everyone’s body is different, the Ayurvedic guideline is generally two handfuls of food, but learn to listen to your own body.
• Eat at regular times during the day. Ideally lunchtime should be the main meal, as this is the time of day when agni is strongest.
• Sip warm water while eating, avoid cold water before a meal as this will suppress agni