We will look out for your updates from time to time. Enjoy your food, enjoy life and feel great!

Eilidh

No doubt I will be treating my colon to a bit soon, but Im not in any great hurry.  Once again, as I have said in my earlier blogs, the result of the detox so far has been a major improvement in my well-being and so every time I think about letting loose on a high fat, super salt, lactose laden, gluten binge ( with fries) I honestly just dont feel like eating that way again. Its not worth it.  I feel good, relaxed, mellow and happier than is normal for a northern Scottish presbyterian.

I am going to take a bit of time to learn some new recipes- some of the diet has been dull and tasteless, but some of it- mostly the soups are brilliant. Like any change I imagine it will take a bit of time and effort to ‘normalise’ and establsh new favourite thngs to eat.

Detox should not feel like penance and I think Heather and I have benefited from that outlook.

Ross

Its only been two weeks, and already I don’t miss most of the things that I’ve cut out of my diet: meat, fish, milk, eggs, coffee, tea etc.  But I’m really missing bread and cheese!

I used to be quite a big diluting juice drinker and I thought that drinking only water would be a pain, but I’m really enjoying it now.

I’m feeling quite good at the moment… my skin looks good, I’ve got loads of energy, I generally feel healthy!  The detox has changed how I view food as well… I now view food as primarily nourishment for the body, not just something to enjoy, and I’m more aware of what is in food.  Cooking everything fresh and from scratch lets you see exactly what you are putting in your body.  Pre prepared and processed food has God-knows-what in it, it takes a degree in Dietetics to decipher some of the ingredients!

Ross mentioned the ‘Cous Cous Incident’ in an earlier post, my fault completely!  For some reason I didn’t think cous cous had wheat, and didn’t realise until after we’d eaten it that it does.  I actually felt fine, a bit more sluggish than I’ve been feeling, but I felt really awful when Ross had to go to bed with a sore stomach!

Overall, so far the detox is going really well and I would highly recommend it!  If you are going to do it, be prepared to be cooking a lot, doing a lot of dishes, but feeling really great as a result!

The reason I share this expression of stupidity, is that I felt unwell; bloated and taking each way bets on throwing up.

I had never considered wheat an issue in my diet. It took a silly mistake and 2wks wheat free to make me realise that I seem to be better off without it.

Okay, so we need about a teaspoon of salt a day to keep us healthy and we get most of this from the foods we eat regularly, without having to add more to your diet. We know the scare stories around salt, strokes and heart disease. By replacing salt with lemon in your lentil soup, pastas and tatties and any other dish for that matter, you give it oomph and a zing and surprisingly good. And it does give that saltiness effect that makes lentil soup  satisfying. I have a Linda Macartney recipe book and wondered for years why she included lemon in her lentil soup, I thought it was odd – she knew then, what we are discovering now.

Lets experiment with replacing salt with lemon and let me know how you get on. I have a vase full of lemons and limes in my kitchen and use them in lots of dishes, how do you use yours?

For more information on salt in its impact on health, obesity, and other conditions visit, www.actiononsalt.org.uk

Im like a different fella- more relaxed (less grumpy!), clear headed, energetic and remarkably upbeat about the whole experience.  Today, I had at 2 comments concerning my demeanour, my youthful complexion and the lost few pounds.

There is a downside- peeling bloody vegetables. Its a labour intensive process and it shows how wedded I have been to shoving things in an oven. I make soup, curries, dahl, all sorts of things. Its a bit of a drag, but on balance Ill take it over the way I felt a fortnight ago.

Creating new habits isnt easy, but Ive enjoyed so much benefit that Im more than happy to keep it up.

I could murder some fish though- I really miss fish.

Oh, and if anyone from the gluten free bread product industry reads this: get a grip, these products are damn lousy. Thank goodness for the humble oatcake.

Ross

The first day was pretty hard.  I had raw veg for lunch with homemade hummus and fruit, and spent the afternoon with a sore stomach and a terrible headache.  I was surprised by the headache as I’m not a big coffee/tea drinker.  By the time I got home, Ross had tea started, and just looking at the vegetables he had prepared made me feel sick!  I had to go to bed and sleep it off!

But I woke up the next morning feeling really alert and ready to take the day on!  I had another mild headache on Day 2, but it passed, as did my aversion to vegetables!

Day 5 now, and I’m feeling really energetic, my mind feels more alert, and my skin is looking great.  I’m normally quite pale with dark circles around my eyes, but I have a rosy glow on my cheeks and my eyes aren’t as dark.

I have ulceritive colitis, and I was a bit worried that the detox might not be good for me, but so far, I’ve noticed no problems at all.

Organisation is key, make sure you’ve got lots of ingredients in your cupboards, so you can make a quick meal when you need to.  Planning meals/snacks for the next day seems to work for us.  I also think that having a detox buddy is good.  When it feels difficult you can remind each other of the benefits you are feeling.

Heather

Heather is well organised, which I think is the crux of the matter. Making such big chances needs planning, which in turn avoids turning the detox into a chore.

Ross

First stop, new make up, however no amount of new makeup was going to give me the natural healthy glow I wanted. You know the kind of glow that people just radiate when they feel good on the inside and they sure show it on the outside. My next challenge was how do I achieve this and it still be a WeightShed approach.

Here is my answer, I went to WeightShed’s nutritionist Tara Holt, we looked at the foods I eat and where I could make some changes. Now not everyone has access to Tara, I took my search further to find a detox that was natural, not gimmicky and was true to the WeightShed philosophy. And there it was, in my study, a book I had bought 9 years ago.

So here is the thing. I am three weeks in to a four-week detox, I have been through spots, headaches, feeling thirsty for most of the first week and peeing a lot. Has it been worth it, well, YES. I have more energy, my skin is looking so much better and I have dropped a dress size. For me, my motivation was to join the season and have a spring in my step and it has worked, and that is with a week still to go. I will do this each spring now to give my system and immune system the boost it needs.

Being a vegetarian, the detox was easy for me because the foods on the plan are foods I am attracted to and would normally eat. I decided to find some willing participants, who want to embrace WeightShed’s principles and join my programme, before they do I have asked them to detox. I have found them and they will note their day-to-day experience here.

Ross and Heather are a married couple with two children and they are on day two of the plan. They will introduce themselves and keep us up to date with progress.

Nicky is a busy executive, she will join the plan next week because she is pleasantly distracted by her new puppy, who arrived on Sunday. I am sure she will post a picture of him too.

They key principles they will follow for 28 days are:

*This is not about weight loss, so no scales for the month, we all know how the scales can sabotage our good work if we let them.

*No counting calories

*Never go hungry

*Drink plenty of water and herbal teas – Ross is a big coffee drinker so he will slowly reduce his caffeine – no cold turkey

*Eat foods as close to their natural state and organic if possible

*No wheat, no dairy

*No meat of fish

*No alcohol

*Skin detox – dry skin brushing to eliminate toxins and improve the condition of your skin

It’s not easy, detoxing has to be something you’re motivated to do because of the benefits it brings, good luck to Heather, Ross and Nicky, we look forward to reading about your thoughts and progress.

Keep reading!

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Lucy