Kai Chronicles

Eating, exploring and enjoying life


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Got a fussy eater in the house? 5 ways to smuggle healthy options into their food

How to be a Smuggler

Making healthy choices is usually not a top priority for children ( or some adults either). People who refuse to see the faults of the white stuff really shit me but it’s their health, eh? And by white stuff, I mean refined foods like white flour, pasta, bread, rice and sugar.

I do try to eat less sugar but that doesn’t mean I never have it or  the other whiteys (and sometimes that shits me but nobody’s perfect). Thankfully, I raised my son on wholemeal bread so when he gets white bread he knows it’s a “treat”, kind of like a chocolate bar. He also readily eats brown rice, wholemeal baking and pasta sauce with vegetables. But aside from the bread, he didn’t  always accept the healthier options (wholemeal or vegetables either). At first, I had to be a bit sneaky about it. My advice is to ease into a change and don’t ban the white stuff for good. I used to think moderation was unachievable but my choices seem to sway towards that notion these days.

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Detox in Bali: Day 2 Feeling light and hungry

Sorry it’s taken so long for me to post the accounts of Detox in Bali Day 2!! Click here to read about day 1.

For the second time, I awake to laughter and squeals before 7am. There’s a school beside the Yoga Barn guest house and boy, they start early! It’s hard to get upset about waking up to happy children though.

7am

I sit up and reach for my water bottle and herb capsules. I must drink a litre of water before anything else enters my system. After a couple mouthfuls, I’m forced out of bed and to the toilet. Elimination is key to a good detox.

A few scrapes of my tongue is next up in my morning regime. Rinse with filtered water. Bali is like Mexico: Don’t drink (or brush teeth with) the water.

In my room fridge is a bottle of coconut kefir. It’s a probiotic – great for good gut health. I have my morning shot then jump in the shower.

detox day 2_c

9am

I have a busy schedule today so once showered and dressed, I wander to the cafe for a coconut water,  green juice and more plain water.

green drinks

I feel satisfied with my liquid breakfast now it’s time to get naked.

10am

I head to the Spa for my infared sauna booking. I like saunas because they make me sweat. I’m not a huge sweater (unless nervous or anxious which is just embarrassing). Another litre of water is downed during my 25 minute stint in the tiny wooden heat box. A cool shower feels heavenly afterwards.

11am

No rest for the wicked now though; I’m off to a Yin Yoga class. I’ve never been to a yin class but I choose it for its gentleness. During a detox, there’s no point pushing the boundaries on your energy levels. Slow and easy does it. There’s a lot of hip openers, which is not easy for me so the 90 minute-class is not as easy as I would have hoped for. I do my best to relax into the poses and enjoy the pain. Hahahahahahaha

detox day 2_b

1pm

From class, I race to my room for a quick rinse and more peeing then back to the Spa for my Kati Basti massage. Now, this is more like it. All I need to do is lay face down and let some Indian man pour oil into a donut  (hmmmmmm donut) shaped clay mould on my lower back. It’s warm and relaxing. The entire treatment is focussed on my lower back, which in Ayurveda, it’s said to house excess Vata. I won’t go into the basis of Ayurveda now but it’s a very interesting way of life from India. My dominating dosha is Vata so this was a valuable session for me. But, what massage isn’t awesome?

detox day 2_a

230pm

Believe it or not, another appointment but I will keep the details private. I have my second coconut water during this one and of course, more water. During the day, there are many trips to the toilet – to pee. Contrary to what many people think, there is no diarrhoea during a safe detox.

PS. I cheated a little by scraping the inside of the young coconut with my straw. The gel-like meat gets stuck in the straw. It feels like a may suck my eyeballs into my skull as I try to get at that coconut meat.

530pm

Each Wednesday at the Yoga Barn, the American yoga teacher, Levi holds a free community talk on Astrology. Levi does this as a way to promote that fact that he is an astrologer and does readings. Even though I’ve already booked a session with him for tomorrow, I attend the free seminar where he answers general questions about the stars, sun and moon. Afterwards, I stop in at the cafe for the last of my liquid meals for the day: herbal tea and green juice.

730pm

My last appointment for the day: Sound Medicine. I feel like I’ve walked into a 1960s hippy commune when I enter the room. There’s all sorts of musical instruments – everything from drums to Tibetans bowls as well as colourful silks and pillows. There are 3 hosts: 2 are bearded and one’s in a flowing dress. We start off with a sing-along. Now, I really feel like flower power is upon me. Peace man. Once we lay down on our mats we are to be still for the rest of the session. It’s easy at first but then my entire body and soul aches and screams for me to shift and fidget. The girl beside me (who is also on the detox) stomach is growling. Sometimes, there’s a drum or cymbal sounding right over my face. Then, a piece of material is placed on my stomach. Suddenly, my body relaxes and I am calm again. When we are told to open our eyes, I see the red silk on my tummy and I’m amazed at how this was able to still me.

9pm 

I’m so tired and hungry that I don’t even attempt my enema. I shower and go straight to bed. I try to read but there’s no point. I can’t stay awake. Day 2 is over. Bring on Day 3. I’m already planning my return to food on Day 4 (breaking the fast).

 

 


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DETOX: If it’s green, go for it!

It’s that time of year when most of us have over-indulged on food and booze over the Christmas holidays. I certainly did.

Just when I thought my body was at a point where I could have my cake and eat it too…

All was great. I was eating and drinking whatever, whenever. I was still exercising daily and felt great.

Then it happened.

I woke up the other day…BLOATED as hell. Yes, woke up that way.

It seems it all caught up with me.

And fair enough. I should have known.

So, when I saw Food Matters promoting a 3-day detox, I jumped onboard.

I’ve done many detoxes and restriction diets in the past so a 3-day one was not scary to me. Although the FM’s site is hosting it from Jan 3-5 inclusive, I am doing Jan 4-6 inclusive because of the time difference (they are based in the USA).

I’ve made a few minor adjusts to the menu as well but nothing I think is too drastic.

I’m in the middle of day 2 now and feel great. Mr M is also on it with me although he refused to give up coffee. He’s addicted and likes it that way. Me, on the other hand, have been virtually caffeine free for over 2 years now so I’ve had no pain or withdrawal symptoms from anything I’ve been going without. Proof that my healthy lifestyle and commitment is working!!

I’ve imposed my own detox rules for the 3 days. If it’s GREEN, go for it. There are a few exceptions like lemon, ginger, red onion and tomatoes (which are in a recipe supplied by Food Matters).

I’ve been loving the green diet – seriously good.

Here’s a look at my intake for the 3 days (each day is the same):

ginger water

On rising have a glass of ginger and lemon water

water glass

drink at least 1 litre of water before anything else

Green smoothie

1 large glass of green smoothie: coconut water, avocado, lemon, spinach, herbs, supergreen powder and protein powder. NOTE: this is not part of the FM detox.

Optimum juicer

Mid-morning: 1 glass of green juice (made in my new Optimum slow juicer!!). Celery, cucumber, parsley, spinach, kale, lime or lemon – anything green! Sometimes ginger too.

green salad

Lunch: green salad. I love love love this and will incorporate it into my summer salad menu. Greens (any), avocado, celery, cucumber, spinach, salt & pepper, 1 TBSP olive oil, 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar and a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice. I’ve also added a bit of red onion for extra flavour. It’s simply divine!

green juice

Mid afternoon: another green juice or herbal tea

soup 1

Early dinner: Green soup. Doesn’t this look delicious? Zucchini, celery, garlic, green beans, tomatoes, fresh herbs, spinach, miso paste and water. Boil for 30 minutes.
soup 2

Soup’s up. This smelled so good cooking. It was awfully good and another recipe that I will add to my collection. Food Matters calls it Potassium Soup and you can get the recipe from their site.

day 1 tummy

Belly on day 1

day 2 tummy

Belly on day 2

As well as the above, I am drinking lots of water throughout the day and peeing heaps!! In the evening (and during the day) herbal tea is allowed. Chamomile is recommended at bedtime, which I drink regularly anyway.

I like this detox. I can see myself doing this again. And with another holiday coming up in 3 days, it may not be too long before I schedule the next one!

Btw, I am still exercising daily. Besides needing an afternoon nap on day 1, I have not felt any ill effect from this detox.

Do you give your body an internal cleanse/detox regularly? I’d love to hear about some healthy methods. 


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What a 32-day commitment looks like

On October 1st I started yet another “shape up” commitment and today the results are in.

My health kick consisted of daily workouts and healthy choice eating.

Here’s what I did:

  • The first 10-days of the Tracy Anderson 30-day Method
  • Running 7 days – 2 – 3kms after body shaping workout
  • Tracy Anderson’s mat routine video most days
  • dance cardio some days
  • boxing cardio a couple of days
  • extra ab work some days

Here’s what I ate and drank (sample of):

  • smoothies – almost daily
  • fresh juice
  • coffee decaf black
  • coffee soy flat white (sometimes)
  • decaf and herbal teas
  • lemon and water daily
  • salmon
  • rice
  • salads
  • fresh veg
  • fresh fruit
  • natural yoghurt
  • rice crackers
  • organic peanut butter
  • hummus
  • BBQ chicken
  • beef stir-fry
  • butter chicken with pappadoms (YES, I did)
  • chocolate (YES, I did)
  • homemade muffins (twice only)
  • pasta (2 small portions during the last week)

This month-long kick wasn’t tough. Sure, I missed a few workouts and I ate some chocolate and a tiny bit of wheat but I still got 95% of the results that I wanted. The best thing is that I want to continue this. I want to do daily fitness and steer away from wheat, dairy and processed foods.

I feel if I stick to my fitness, which I like to start by 6:30am so it’s done by 730am and I can get on with my day, I do not feel guilty about what I eat.

I’m off on holiday tomorrow so I hope all my work doesn’t unfold in 10 days!!!

My mindset in changing and that’s the hardest thing – if you can change the way you think, results will follow and your goals will be reached.

Oct 1 before side

BEFORE – Oct 01, 2013

Oct 1 before

BEFORE – Oct 01,2013

Nov 2 body

AFTER – Nov 2, 2013

Nov 2 body side

AFTER – Nov 2, 2013


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5 delicious healthy snacks

So, I’m 15 days into my health kick and I’m doing well and feeling pretty good. Sure, I ate pumpkin pie 2 days in a row and some chocolate but that’s just the way I roll.

Mostly though, I am enjoying eating better and saying no to alcohol. Here are my favourite top 5 healthy snacks.

honeycomb

Fresh honeycomb…yum

5. Honeycomb – loaded with enzymes and antioxidants, eating honey still in the wax is a great immune booster! Just chew the wax up and toss it when the honey is gone. Of course, I get this from my local beekeeper. One small piece daily is plenty.

choc PB

No added fats, oils, salt or sugar!! Gotta love that!

4.  Mayver’s All Natural Peanut & Cocao Spread – This is absolutely delish and now that chocolate is considered healthy, I eat usually only eat the dark, pure stuff! Just a teaspoon of this all natural spread satisfies a chocolate craving. It’s also great spread on banana slices if you’re looking for something sweet.

PB and apple

Lovin’ organic peanut butter at the moment

3. Organic peanut butter on celery or sliced apple. Nuts are a great source of protein, rich in energy and antioxidants!

hummus

Ok, so the hummus is not with crackers or veggie sticks but this is also a great snack or meal!

2. Hummus with rice crackers or veggie sticks. Comprised of chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, olive oil and spices, hummus is full of protein, calcium and omega 3 fatty acids!

Smoothie 2

Daily smoothie ritual

1. Smoothie – I’ve always loved a good smoothie after my workout. They are filling and yummy. The benefits of my smoothies are protein, probiotics, antioxidants, potassium, fibre, oleic acid, vitamin C, B vitamins, amino acids and they are quick and easy to make!

What are your favourite healthy snacks?

 

Btw, it’s Kai Chronicles’s 2nd birthday today! WordPress sent me this in honour.

anniversary-1x


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When it comes to food, health and looking fantastic, can one really have it all?

warning

This post contains graphics photos that may disturb some.

 

Now, I realise that “looking fantastic” will vary from person to person. MY version of looking fantastic is wearing a bikini without having to suck in a flabby belly.

I’m back on a “health kick” as I like to call it. From October 1-Nov 2 inclusive, I am forgoing alcohol, watching what I eat (no dairy or wheat) and working out daily. I’m on day 3 and so far so good.

I’m not being ridiculous with my diet. Sure, I’ve given up booze and have committed to stay that way until November 3rd but the dairy and wheat are optional. So far, I have not wanted them and the longer I can go without, the better, but if a pasta night comes my way I may partake. The thing with wheat is: it’s addictive. For me, it truly is.

I know I will not give up total food groups for good. I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work. What does work for me is what I am doing. And yes, I am specifically doing it to get my body ready for summer and my holiday to Bali in exactly one month. Is this shallow? Vain? Immature? Options will vary.

Last week, I bought myself a new bikini and a pair of apricot short shorts. They should be called extreme shorts because they are extremely short. I even thought, ‘Am I too old to be wearing these clothes now?’.

I know I do not look 42 and when I tone up my belly, I will be able to get away with wearing extreme shorts and a bikini top as daywear but I remember my own mother being much older wearing similar styles and  I was embarrassed to be seen in public with her. Now, as an adult, I must say my mother didn’t look too bad at 50, especially considering she had had 7 children.

When I was a child and teenager, I wasn’t into food. I was skinny and didn’t like to eat. I never gained an ounce until I was 18 and working at Dairy Queen. Then I made up for all whole life by gaining 20 lbs in two months. My relationship with food and alcohol has bounced frantically over the years and now I want it all. I want to have my cake, eat it, and wash it down with a beer whilst lying on the beach in a skimpy two-piece. I hate the fact that my body is changing. My belly takes all the excess baggage and I am not one who will prance around with a muffin top.

I’m sure once my November holiday is over, I will be back on the kick – until Christmas that is. Then in January I will join the millions of people around the world who think things will change because a new year means a new year. What a bunch of bullshit.

Here are my before photos just to shame myself into completing my daily fitness!!

Oct 1 before side

Oct 1 BEFORE

Oct 1 before

Oct 1 Front BEFORE – Could I look more grumpy?

Do you do anything special to get your body ready for summer or a beach holiday? 

Stay tuned for my next post about: Spicy Lentil Soup