Time To Give Up Sugar? Mentor Me Off Sugar Day 18 & 19

get off sugar, no sugar diet, should i give up sugar, is sugar bad for you, the white stuff, is sugar evil,This programme is hard, but with all hard things, the pay off is always worth it. I can now taste the sweetness in things I would never have before. I am slimmer, going from an 8-10 to an 8. And that is without any exercise as I haven’t had any time to do so. I have also been eating more than before, just healthier stuff with no sugar.

What I do find hard is snacking. I am so busy and I feel unable to just grab something. I know this is actually not true and Laura has given me some great suggestions, but the inability to just grab a biscuit or some fruit is very annoying. The no sugar programme is time consuming but when it comes to your health all the time you put in will pay off later. We abuse our bodies too much and take them for granted. We only have one and when it goes, you die. Puts it into perspective, doesn’t it?

I miss drinking tea all day and I see stuff all the time I want to eat but the benefits keep me going. I am glad I embarked on this programme.

Laura send me some great articles that I want to share with you.

Sugar is causing major health problems in today’s society, The sooner we take responsibility for our own health the better for us and the country as a whole. If we all eat healthily it would ease the strain on the NHS.

I know when I am finding the diet restrictive I am just not using my imagination. I have 9 more days to go and I decide to become more imaginative. I have been eating a lot of wholemeal bread, cheese, meat and vegetables. I have also been drinking a lot of herbal tea and water. The herbal tea is more enjoyable than it was but it still does not compare to normal tea. Sometimes I think that healthy things taste horrible and unhealthy things taste great, but I know it is not true. I love kale chips and have also been eating a lot of parsnips and carrots. I even spent four hours baking a pie and have not had any white pasta.

I have not weighed myself as I am always heavier than I look- friends are surprised when I tell them how much I weigh, I flatter myself by pretending it must be muscle which weighs four times more than fat- but my measurements are lower. All-in all: I am happy.

Happy Sugar Habits.

 

Honky Tonk Chelsea Offering Customers 50% of Food Bill For Their Birthday | News

HONKY TONK CHELSEA CELEBRATES ITS FIRST BIRTHDAY!


Honky Tonk Chelsea, a New York-inspired restaurant and bar, will be hosting a three day extravaganza to celebrate its first birthday. On the 5th, 6th & 7th September Honky Tonk will be offering its customers a massive 50% off their food bill for any bookings before 8pm, plus a free brunch per diner if you bring in your bill from one of the above dates. There will be live music and entrainment every night of the birthday bonanza. So come and wish your favourite American diner a big happy birthday this September!

Honky Tonk is the brainchild of Mark Cutler, one of the founders of Notting Hill institution, supperclub London and has readily become West London’s destination diner of choice. supperclub London is well loved for its innovative performances and creativity and Mark has developed this in Honky Tonk too. There is regular live music and entertainment, with a particular emphasis on a variation of the blues, jazz and rockabilly played over a hundred years ago when the first honky tonks sprung up in the Southern and Southwestern United States.

This autumn a little slice of the big apple will also arrive in Clapham in the form of a second Honky Tonk. Following on from the success of Honky Tonk Chelsea, the venue will offer an American-inspired restaurant, late night bar, and live performances.

HONKY TONK 1ST BIRTHDAY
5th,6th & 7th September

Honky Tonk
6 Hollywood Road,
London
SW10 9HY
Tel: 0207 351 1588
W:
www.honkytonkchelsea.com/

Opening Times: Tues- Sat, 6pm-12.30am

Leonardo | Restaurant Review

Leonardo Italian Pizzeria in Putney is a rather quaint and distinctive pizzeria. You can take out or eat in. If you eat in you will love the restaurant area. It is upstairs, has wonderful homely decoration and looks out to Putney High Street.

But what about the food? For starters we had Classic bruschetta, this was the best bruschetta I have ever tasted in my life and the helping was very generous. If you go in and share one as a couple you will be given a cute heart-shaped bruschetta. A good personal touch.

For mains I have the lasagne and my colleague has a Campagnola pizza; mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce, with chicken marinade with balsamic vinegar. The pizza is very good and is huge. Enough for three or four people. The lasagne is also good but could do with less pasta and more bolognaise. Again the portion is good and it really fills you up. The lasagne is very good but I actually make the best lasagne in the world and nothing else has ever been able to compete. In fairness I will say the lasagne is very good.

 

restaurant review, review, pizzeria, Londonfood, restaurant, pizza, restaurant review, London, magazine, foodrestaurant review, food, restaurant, pizza, London, restaurants in London

 

The only dessert Leonardo’s does is homemade chocolate cake. However we could not manage it as the portions are so big. We will go back another day for it.

Leonard’s is a beautiful little pizzeria. The menu is small- though with plenty of pizza obviously- and they also do free delivery on orders over £10 and all day Sunday. Leonardo’s came to Putney after running a family business in Bari, Southern Italy for 30 years. Their food is traditional, inexpensive and good value. Highly recommended.

Leonardo
161 Putney High Street, London, SW15 1RT
020 8789 0605
www.pizzaleonardo.co.uk

Price: Low to high.

Time To Give Up Sugar? Mentor Me Off Sugar Days 10 & 11

Still going! Which is quite surprising to me. Yesterday went well. I have been trying to get my taste buds to like tea without sugar. I’m not there yet but Laura is confident that one day I will be.

It hasn’t been completely no fun. I had a roast chicken for dinner and I still had champagne left over from my birthday which I drank in the evening. I still had some grapes left over and I had a few because I have an ability to throw out food. I know it breaks the diet for week two but it was three grapes. Well, that is what I am telling myself anyway.

Although I find the diet hard I am also quite enjoying it. I like to push myself and do hard things. My energy has returned, in fact, I seem to have more than ever. The headaches come and go but with less intensity.

20130815-130327.jpg

I have been eating a lot of vegetables which makes me feel healthier and I am sure there is an improvement in my skin and hair. The truth is; in the past years I have read a lot of books and articles about the dangers of sugar. But sugar tastes nice and is addictive and I never thought I would have the strength to get off it. I am shocked at how well I have been doing during the diet. I miss sugar, to be perfectly honest I might love sugar, but when something is bad for you, you need to find the strength to cut back. I am not saying I will never eat sugar again- that would actually be impossible- but I will always be vigilant and watch my sugar intake, even after this diet has finished.

There is great food out there that is actually good for you as the two pictures show. Vegetables do taste nice and can be cooked a variety of ways. Cheese and bread are great. Although I am getting sick of the latter.

20130815-130346.jpg

Sugar gets a lot of bad press. Yesterday’s Daily Mail had this blaring headline:

Is sugar an invisible killer? Even ‘safe’ levels of the sweet stuff could lead to an early death, scientists warn

Scary stuff indeed but read this article from NHS Direct before completely freaking out.

Another point to make is that we are in an obesity epidemic and the reason so many people are overweight is because of sugar. A calorie is not a calorie, sugar tends to covert quickly to fat and spikes your insulin levels. No wonder over three million people in the UK now have diabetes. Sugar has also recently been linked to a higher dementia risk.

Our diets are killing us and if we exercised the power of ‘no’ we would be living longer, healthier lives. I am going to be researching sugar and bringing you my findings along with recipes and my progress. Please add your own comments and any recipes below.

I have managed to do well until day 11 but I am not perfect. After a piece of devastating family news yesterday I had a cup of tea, two sugar. That along with the grapes means I could definitely be doing better, something I promise to do for the rest of the week. Wish me luck!

 

Time To Give Up Sugar? Day 6 and 7

get off sugar, no sugar diet, should i give up sugar, is sugar bad for you, the white stuff, is sugar evil,I am at the end of week one and Laura is happy with me. Laura is a reformed sugar addict and Mentor Me Off Sugar is her programme. She also has an excellent website.

My first call was with Laura today and she talked me though what I could and could not eat. I filled in a questionnaire and she has gone through all of my eating habits. My weakness is tea and fizzy drinks. If I skip a meal when eating out it is usually dessert. I do love chocolate, biscuits and sweet treats though.

Week one is the easiest of the four. In week one and four you are allowed fruit and dark chocolate. You are eased into the programme but week two and three are harder: no fruit apart from avocado, tomatoes, lemon and lime. No chocolate and no white bread, pasta or cousous. Sob.

Yesterday was relatively easy despite it being the weekend. I had a cup of tea because of the weakness, fainting and headaches but apart from that, and a square of the Green & Blacks organic dark chocolate I had in my goody bag from the Sure Improve Rooms, I don’t break despite a long walk with lots of temptation. I feel very proud of myself. Even better, a lot of my friends have sent me emails of encouragement and articles about sugar. I feel happy and healthier. I now have a 26 inch waist in just a week. I have also lost weight from my hips and my stomach. I still have a headache but the intensity is less. Both Laura and I agree that I have gone through a strong detox because of the headaches – which were so bad they made the migraines I had as a child feel easy- nausea and weakness. Another reason for the strong detox is the lack of caffeine. I just cannot drink tea without sugar.

Today I feel more energetic. I am slimmer and feel happier. I still miss tea, fizzy drinks and cakes but I am determined to get through to the end of the programme. My body is already changing and I want to give my all. I can feel myself being converted to a healthier lifestyle and I start to think of what else I can do. I am using bread, butter and cheese as a crutch for sugar and Laura says she did this too. The next step is also to get off bread. I love bread but we will see what happens. I have also decided to take up Pilates and yoga. I am almost surprised at this new and improved me. I can’t see a future without sugar yet, but I can see one with moderation. Another benefit is that amount of work I get done: anything to distract me from sugar and how great it tastes.

What do you think? Would you give up sugar?

 

Grilled Goat’s Cheese and Roasted Peppers on Corn Cakes Recipes

Grilled Goat’s Cheese and Roasted Peppers on Corn Cakes
Makes 3 loaded rice cakes

Create a wonderfully warm snack by topping your rice cakes with grilled goat’s cheese
and roasted red and yellow peppers. Just joyous!

 2 large red peppers
 2 large yellow peppers
 4 tbsp extra virgin
 olive oil
 200g soft goat’s cheese
 Salt and pepper
 3 Kallo Corn Cakes

Place your cored and deseeded peppers in a roasting dish, cover generously with olive
oil and roast for 20 minutes.

Cut the goat’s cheese into rounds and place under a moderate grill for 2 to 3 minutes.
Layer onto your rice cake, before seasoning with salt and pepper and another drizzle of
olive oil.

Great Summer Recipes To Get You Into Shape

 

Bikini Friendly Recipes For The Summer Season

 

We love food at Frost Magazine. We love it so much that no diet in which you need to deprive yourself will work for us. That is why these recipes caught our eye. Great food you can eat while being healthy and losing weight? Yes please.

There is no denying that the British love a good old fashioned barbecue! So with body conscious Brits preparing to don their bikinis and swim shorts this summer Dr Dukan has answered our dieting prayers.

 

This easy menu, boasting a delicious range of sides, mains and desserts, means you can indulge in all of your summer favourites whilst losing those extra inches fast!

recipes, recipe, summer, diet, dukan, dr dukan, lose weight, health,

Spicy Chicken Kebabs

spicy chicken kebabs, kebabs, diet, recipe, recipes, how to make

Serves: 5

Preparation time: 30 minutes (plus 2-3 hours marinating)

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

25 small wooden kebab sticks

1kg (2lb 4oz) chicken breasts, cut into cubes

250ml (9fl oz) fat-free natural yoghurt

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground tumeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp grated ginger

1 garlic clove, crushed

 

Prepare the marinade with the yoghurt and all the spices, ginger and garlic. Thread the chicken pieces on to the kebab sticks and place them in a dish, covering them completely with the marinade.

Leave to marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Place the kebabs on the barbeque andcook for 8-10 minutes until the meat is browned and tender.     

Asian Style Beef Skewers

asian food, beef, skewers, diet, food, recipe

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes
4 thin-cut sirloin steaks or minute steaks, trimmed of any fat and each cutinto 3 long strips
100ml of soy sauce
1 tbsp of sweetener
1 tbsp sesame seeds (tolerated)

For the salad:

1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 cucumber, cut into small chunks

3 spring onions, sliced

1Ž2 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Handful coriander leaves, chopped

Heat grill to high. In a bowl, mix the steak strips with the soy sauce and sesame seeds. Thread onto 12 skewers, then grill for 12 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and sticky.

 

For the salad, mix the vinegar and soy together, then toss with the cucumber, spring onions, chilli and coriander. Serve with the beef skewers.

 

 

Dukan Burger

dukan burger, healthy burger, diet, food, recipe,

Serves : 2

Preperation: 10 minutes, cook 10 minutes (or more according to taste)

Ingredients

3 tbsp oat bran

4 tbsp low fat fromage frais

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

2 low fat beef burgers (5% fat)

2 sliced onions

2 red onions sliced

2  gherkins

Tsp Dijon mustard

Dukan ketchup and Dukan mayonnaise

Mix half of the oat bran, egg, half of fromage frais and half baking soda. Pour in a circle mould and cook it in the micro wave for 4 minutes. Remove the bread and slice it in to pieces. Repeat the operation a second time to make another bread.  You can toast if you wish.

Cook the onion in a nonstick frying pan with a bit of water and then cook your burgers.  On one slice of the bread spread some mustard and then Dukan ketchup and mayonnaise according to your taste and then add your burger. Add the sliced onion and gherkin.

 

 

Tzatziki

Tzatziki, Dr Dukan

1 serving

Preparation time: 10 minutes (plus refrigeration time)

No cooking required

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cucumber

Sea salt

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

150g (51Ž2oz) fat-free natural yoghurt

Peel and deseed the cucumber, chop it up very finely, then sprinkle a generous pinch of sea salt over it and leave for a few minutes to extract any juices.  Then mix together all the ingredients and refrigerate for several hours. Serve very cold.

 

 

 

 

Dukan Coleslaw

coleslaw, , recipe, recipes, Dr Dukan

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes
4 tbsp Dukan mayonnaise
4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp of linseeds, toasted
1Ž2 white cabbage, shredded
4 carrots , peeled and shredded
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

Mix the mayonnaise, vinegar and fennel seeds and season really well. Toss with all the vegetables and leave for 20 minutes. Toss again before serving.

 

And finally, don’t miss out on those additional extras which always seem to find their way in to any BBQ spread – do away with fatty crisps and indulge in Dr Dukan’s vegetable snacks or simply replace with salted oat bran biscuits!

 


Please see Dr Dukan’s desserts selection below:


 

 

Iced Lemon Mousse

dessert, Iced Lemon Mousse, how to make mousse, recipe, recipes, diet, healthy, Dukan

Serves: 2-3

Preparation time: 10 minutes (plus freezing time)

No cooking required

 

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

500g (1bl 2oz) virtually fat-free fromage frais

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 5 lemons

 

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Whisk the fromage frais and carefully mix together with the lemon zest, lemon juice and egg whites.  Place the mousse in a dish and freeze until it has set firm.

 

Chocolate and Cinnamon Ice Cream

Chocolate and Cinnamon Ice Cream, how to make ice cream, ice cream recipe, diet, healthy

Serves: 6

Preparation : 5 minutes – Refrigeration time : 2 hrs

 

Ingredients:

500ml low fat fromage frais

1 fresh vanilla bean pod or two drops of Dukan vanilla flavouring

4 tbsp of 1% Dukan cocoa powder

5 to 7 tbsp of sweetener according to taste

1 tbs of powdered cinnamon

 

Mix all the ingredientstogether and pour into an icecream tub then pop into the freezer. Freeze for one hour and then remove, stir well and put back in freezer for a final hour. It’s ready! Can be kept two days in the freezer.

 

 

Strawberry Milkshake

 milk shake, how to make a milk shake, recipe, diet, healthy, dukan

Serves 2

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

·      50 ml skimmed milk

·      50 ml low fat fromage frais or low fat greek yogurt

·      1 or two drops of Dukan Strawberry flavouring

·      A few ice cubes

Mix all the ingredients in a blender and serve with a straw.

 

 

 

Vanilla Lollipops

Vanilla Lollipops, dessert, recipe, reciipes

Serves: 4

Preparation: 10 minutes; Freezing time: overnight

 

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons vanilla flavouring

300g fat-free fromage frais

4 Canderel vanilla sticks

 

Have ready four plastic lollipop moulds with sticks. Stir the vanilla flavouring in to the fromage frais. Add the sweetener and beat the mixture using an electric whisk. Fill the lollipop moulds and freeze overnight. Enjoy them the following day!

 

Smoked Mackerel Pate Recipe

Smoked Mackerel Pate

Makes 3 loaded rice cakes
A delightful dish with a layer of smoked fish! Easy-peasy, and perfect for a light lunch!
Finish off with a cooling layer of cucumber if you fancy…
200g smoked mackerel or other smoked fish
100g cream cheese
1 tsp horseradish sauce
Small bunch of chives, chopped
Zest of a whole lemon and juice of half
Salt and pepper
Sliced cucumber to decorate (optional)
3 Kallo Sea Salt & Balsamic rice cakes
Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until you have a rough paste, then smother
lovingly on your favourite seasoned rice cake and top with a long slice of cucumber if
desired.