#1. Being that is was Father’s Day, what is your greatest memory about your Dad or about your husband when he became a Dad.

My Dad:

I used to enjoy going to The Glasgow Barras for a wee day Daddy / Daughter day out of a weekend!  The Barras is a famous indoor / outdoor market in the East End of Glasgow  City Centre, selling a wide variety of wares (new & second hand). My Dad liked to buy electrical goods and computer software, and I liked to spend my pocket money on button badges (Michael Jackson & Wham!)  Dad would always treat me to a candyfloss or toffee apple, while we were browsing the stalls!  We usually would bring home some new tropical fish for our aquarium from the pet shop across from the market.  I  loved those Daddy / Daughter afternoons! 

My Hubby:

Hubby was working away from home in Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands (about a 2 hour drive from home), throughout much of my pregnancy and when the girls were first born.  When I went into labour six weeks early, Hubby was up in Aviemore.  My waters broke at 00:30, and when I phoned Hubby he did not answer his mobile.  Fortunately his brother was working with him, and fortunately he answered his phone.  He was able to break the news to Hubby, who had to drive down to Glasgow (a two and a half hour drive) to meet me at the hospital. A couple of hours later I had my twin daughters by emergency caesarean section.

He often has to work long hours, weekends or away from home, but Hubby is a very hands-on Daddy who works hard to provide for his family.  He is always full of fun with the girls, and loves nothing more than taking the girls out on their bikes or to play at the swing park!

#2. How will/do you teach your kids about being healthy?

Ha!  The simple answer to this one is…

With great difficulty!!!

My daughters are such fussy eaters it drives me INSANE!!!

They eat quite a bit of fruit – strawberries, apples, tangerines, bananas, grapes, melon, raisins – but they eat very little vegetables!  As toddlers, they would eat peas, carrots, sweetcorn and cucumber, but now they point blank refuse anything but baked beans with their meal!! :S

There’s actually only a limited amount of things my girls will eat!  Fish fingers, fish cakes, chicken nuggets, spaghetti bolognaise, pasta in tomato sauce,  sausages, French Toast, potatoes (mashed, boiled, baked & chipped), minced beef , yoghurt, bread, cereal and not much else (except ice cream, jelly, cakes, biscuits, sweets and crisps – all in moderation, of course!)

I wish they would eat a more varied diet, and I certainly wish they would eat more vegetables!  However, they actually don’t eat a lot of sweeties or fizzy drinks.  Their favourite drinks are actually milk or water!

Thanks for stopping by to check on my diet progress.

Yesterday was the last day of my 28-day detox diet, and today I moved onto the maintenance diet.  I can now eat lean meat, poultry, white & oily fish, wholemeal bread and low-fat dairy.

I’m happy to report that I have lost 8.5lbs on the detox diet.  I would, perhaps, have liked to have lost more.  However, I’m confident that I will continue losing weight, as I follow the maintenance diet.

Today, I had a slice of toasted wholemeal bread with peanut butter and a cup of Redbush tea for breakfast.  For lunch, I had two slices of toasted wholemeal bread with a tin of sardines in tomato sauce, followed by a juicy pear.  I must say, even the smell of the toast was a treat! 

For dinner, I had stirfried chicken and vegetables in with garlic and ginger, with brown rice and a glass of my favourite Welch’s Purple Grape Juice.

Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for stopping by on Day 26 of my 28-day detox diet.  I’m almost at the end of the ‘detox proper’.  Come Thursday, I will be going onto the Maintenance Diet.

I’ll be following the Maintenance Diet right up until Christmas, with a break at the end of November, when I go to Dublin for a Hen Weekend.  (There’s no way I’d be able to stick to a detox diet that weekend!  LOL)

I’m looking forward to re-introducing the following foods back into my diet:

• Low fat yoghurt & fromage frais
• Semi-skimmed milk (I can’t abide skimmed – too watery!)
• Low fat cheeses  – I’ve really missed cheese!
• Wholemeal bread  – I can have sandwiches again! (and toast – woo hoo!)
• Wholegrain breakfast cereals
• Chicken, turkey and lean meat
• White fish & oily fish – (Mmmm sardines on toast, tuna sandwiches, mackerel fillets, yum!!)

I’ll still be avoiding the following foods:

• Coffee, tea & other caffeine drinks (including decaffeinated drinks)
• Sugar
• Cakes, buscuits, confectionery
• Eggs
• White bread & rice
• Ready meals
• Salt
• Alcohol
• Artificial food additives
• Fried foods
• Artificial sweeteners
• Hydrogenated fats
• Fizzy drinks
• Squashes & cordials

I’ve had several people asking me what book I’m following for this diet.  I’ve got Carol Vorderman's Detox Recipes, which includes instructions on how to follow the Strict Diet and the Maintenance Diet, as well as lots of mouth-watering recipes.

Carol has written other detox books, which you may like to try:

• Detox For Life

• 14-day Detox

• 30-Day Cellulite Plan


She also has a DVD available – Kick Start Detox and Exercise Plan DVD
.

Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for stopping by on Day 23 of my 28-day detox diet.

Last night I went out for dinner with my best friend, Audrey.  We are both busy ladies and don’t get to see each other as much as we’d like to, so I didn’t want to postpone our get-together just because I’m on this detox diet.

We dined at the wonderful Riverhouse Restaurant on Stirling’s Waterfront.  It’s a favourite restaurant for us.  The food is delicious, and the service is great.  The location is ideal for us too, as it is quite central for us, with us both living at opposite ends of Stirlingshire, and with being close to the motorway.

I had already selected my menu choices before we met up, as I had checked out their current Early Evening Menu on their website.  I had chilli, coriander and chickpea hummus with warmed pitta bread and a side salad, followed by pumpkin-stuffed cannellini with a tomato and cumin coulis, topped with mozzarella cheese.  For a drink, I simply had sparkling spring water.

Now for all you lot that are paying close attention to my diet, you might have noticed a couple of ingredients in my meal that don’t quite fit in with the detox rules (pitta bread and mozzarella cheese).  For the record, I only had a couple of bites of my pitta bread.  There was so much tasty hummus and salad that I really didn’t need to eat the bread.  As for the cheese, I had envisaged that the cheese would just be sprinkled on top of the pasta.  However, in the end the pasta was actually baked in cheese.  Therefore, I confess that I did, in fact, digress from the diet with that dish!  However, I must say that it was really tasty!! 

You’ll also be happy to know that I resisted the temptation of having a latte at the end of my meal.  (Audrey and I usually enjoy a sweet and a coffee at the end of our meal.)

Today, I stuck faithfully to the diet.

Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for stopping by to check my progress on Day 19 of my 28-day detox diet.

It was a wet miserable day here in Stirlingshire today, so the girls and I had a lazy day at home, drawing lots of pictures, playing games and watching TV.

I watched the Madrid Masters this afternoon and was delighted to see Andy Murray win the title.  (Well done, Andy!)

I had my favourite honey and raisin porridge and a cup of Redbush tea for breakfast, and oatcakes with humous for lunch.  Mid afternoon I had a lovely juicy pear, while watching the tennis.

For dinner, I had quorn mince with red onion, courgette, yellow pepper and mushrooms with a jacket potato, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.  I washed it all down with a large (wine) glass of my favourite Welch’s Purple Grape Juice.

If you are thinking of joining me on this detox diet, here’s a list of the top 12 detox foods:

1. Apples – containing vitamin C, quercetin & pectin.  Apples can protect from cancer, help lower blood-cholesterol and maintain healthy intenstines & bowel.
2. Avocados – rich in powerful antioxidants, vitamin E & alphacarotene and also containing monounsaturated fat & omega-6 fats.  Avocados help prevent furring of the arteries, lower blood cholesterol and are good for your skin.
3. Beans & Lentils – containing sterols, soluble fibre, B-vitamins, magnesium, zinc, iron and a good balance of protein and complex carbohydrates.  These pulses provide sustained energy and help lower blood cholesterol.
4. Broccoli – containing phytonutrients called glucosinolates, which are powerful detoxifiers that can help fight cancer.  (Other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage & brussels sprouts also contain these detoxifiers.)
5. Carrots – containing antioxidants, alphacarotene & betacarotene.  Carrots can help protect against cancer, boost immunity, maintain good eyesight and promote healthy skin.
6. Fennel – containing potassium.  Fennel helps rebalance the body’s fluid levels and stimulates the body’s natural detoxifying organs.
7. Garlic – containing allicin.  Garlic has antiviral and antibacterial actions and aids excretion of toxins from the body.  It also protects the body from high blood pressure, high blood-cholesterol, heart disease and cancer.
8. Kiwi Fruit – containing vitamin C.  Kiwis boost the immune system, strengthen the blood vessels and help fight cancer and harmful free radicals.
9. Mango – containing betacarotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, fibre and potassium.  Mangoes can help to ward off colds and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
10. Pumpkin Seeds – containing omega-3 & omega-6 oils.  Eating pumpkin seeds can help protect against heart disease and strokes, reduce joint pain and stiffness, promote healthy skin and improve immune system.
11. Strawberries - containing vitamin C & ellagic acid.  Strawberries can boost your immune system, fight free radicals and help fight against cancer and heart disease.
12. Watercress – containing chlorophyll, vitamin C, iron and betacarotene.  Watercress can improve immunity and heart health, boost circulation and help to make healthy blood cells.

Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for stopping by on Day 13 of my 28-day detox diet.  I’m almost at the halfway mark.

I had my usual honey and raisin porridge with Redbush tea for breakfast, two bowls of my yummy home-made lentil and vegetable soup and Purple Grape Juice for lunch, and a delicious juicy pear mid afternoon.

A colleague brought some biscuits into the office to share today – some scrummy yummy chocolate cookies.  James, Katy, Rosie and Liam all eagerly devoured the tasty treats.  They looked sooooo good – sooooo moreish!  However, I’m glad to report that I did not yield to temptation.

For my evening meal, I had another bowl of my home-made soup,followed by a jacket potato with roasted vegetables (red onion, yellow pepper, courgette and tomatoes) with a glass of Welch’s Purple Grape Juice.

So that’s me, almost at the halfway mark and feeling fine.

Thanks for visiting!