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I woke early to fit in a 20 minutes spa and a 20 minutes steam session. In the spa I aim the jets at any wobbly bits and make my plans for the week. In the steam room I do my meditation – that is called multi tasking! I am not too sore after my big cardio session yesterday but I think that is due to the Epsom salt bath last night. Being high in magnesium Epsom salts relax muscles as well as reducing lactic acid build up.I had fruit, sheep’s milk yoghurt and LSA for breakfast followed by a mid morning smoothie of berries, banana and soy milk. Lunch consisted of a beautiful quiche with fetta, spinach, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs. As this dish is so high in protein it keeps me feeling full for ages which is unusual for me. At 6pm when I finished I jumped in the car and drove home from the Hunter, spending the driving time to return phone calls.I am rather excited as I need to book plane tickets to Thailand for August – I haven’t had a holiday for over 2 years so I am dying for some sun and relaxation. I can imagine now, afternoon cocktails by the pool, massage on the beach, oh I am there already!Dinner was light – miso, almonds, black sesame crackers, white nectarines and an apple.  More like a picnic than dinner but occasionally I like to graze and have a few different flavours. Do you know how shiny my hair is – it’s amazing the subtle changes detox causes. I love it!

As it was the weekend I made my weekly early morning run to Bondi beach and although the water was icy it was incredibly refreshing. I usually take the Sunday magazine to read between swims but I forgot. The nippers provided plenty of entertainment instead, they look so tiny with those big yellow boards almost as big as they are! I had a decaf soy flat white on the way home – I figure 3 weeks in that I can have a treat!I was starving by the time I got home as I only had a white peach and some hot water with lemon when I woke up. As I wanted to head to the gym I made a smoothie with 2 bananas and 1 cup of berries with all my other usual ingredients. I added extra banana for the energy and bananas are also high in potassium which is great when you sweat it out at the gym.Now, get ready to cheer – my time on the rower today was an incredibly 10 minutes and 4 seconds! I use music and my HypnoBirthing training to get through the pain threshold but I have to admit that I felt like vomiting when I finished – my heart rate was up at 171 so no wonder! I then used the cross trainer and did a hill session which almost had me crying. I missed the yoga class this morning so I did some stretching instead.I had a fresh juice of pineapple, apple and mint which is one of my all time favourites – it’s perfect on a hot day if you blend it with ice and make a frappe. Lunch was once again from a […]

So, this morning I weighed myself at the gym and it seems that my weight is the same as when I started. I haven’t used these scales before so it will be interesting to see what Jess has to say at my reassessment in 10 days. I know my body is much more toned and my muscle mass has increased. My wobbly bits are less wobbly and in fact I feel good at the beach now. I wouldn’t like to do a Pamela run across the soft sand but none the less I could do a stroll comfortably!I went to the gym and hit 10 minutes 43 seconds on the rower so a little behind my best time. My technique with all the exercises is much better and I really concentrate to get that right before I go for repetitions. Once I finish this detox I may ask jess to split my program so I can do upper body one day then lower body the next. This makes for a very efficient workout as it is quicker but harder.I had a breakfast of gluten free muesli with a heap of summer fruit (love passionfruit right now), sheep’s milk yoghurt and apple juice. I then went to the organic markets and picked up some fresh produce for the next week. I found those little Abbas apples again and they are just gorgeous. I also bought two big bunches of flowers for myself – I have a tradition to make sure I do this regularly. I am a herbalist after all and flowers make me smile – both visually and olfactory.Lunch was on the run – a shop bought salad of spinach and pumpkin – I […]

Ok, so my aim for this detox was to get back on track with my exercise after a very lazy Christmas period. I also aim to include a complete gut repair program which includes a parasite cleanse. Then I will do a heavy metal chelation program towards the end. So for the first week or so I focused on making sure my bowels were working really well and taking anti parasite herbs with probiotics as well as liver herbs ( and a few dozen peripheral things as well!).  Then i moved the focus onto gut repair and a liver cleanse.I also journal my dreams as often I receive intuitive messages via them. Once I was told to take a B vitamin in my dreams, I had pathology done and lo and behold I was deficient! I definitely do an emotional cleanse – I think about the last 6 months and what has negatively affected me. This detox I wrote a letter, posted it and immediately felt lighter and that the issue was resolved.So here is a list of what I take (you will never again ask me why you need the 5 different things I give you!)Liquid detox herbs, individually formulated amino acids that upregulate detoxification pathways in the liver, probiotics, aloe vera juice, anti parasite tablets, high potency antioxidant, zinc, magnesium, a multi, CoQ10, fish oils, a powder for gut repair ( glutamine, slippery elm etc), powdered greens for alkalising and of course chlorophyll. I am sure I have forgotten something but I guess you get the idea.Detoxing must be individually formulated in order to get the best results. A 23 year old girl is going to have completely different requirements to a […]

This morning I did Pilates from a DVD at home. I stayed up till midnight working so am feeling a little jaded and not up to an intense cardio workout. Breakfast was my gluten free cereal, oh wait a minute. I forgot to tell you what I add to this. So, into the big jar with the cereal go goji berries and nuts and seeds that I toast with shoyu, a Japanese soy sauce. It is similar to tamari but milder in flavour. By doing this I am increasing the antioxidant properties and protein levels of my breakfast. Then on top I added fresh blueberries, nectarines, sheep’s milk yoghurt and apple juice.I felt like a coffee today – perhaps because I was up late but I haven’t even thought about coffee for at least 4 days. I often hit a mental slump 2 weeks in and I think I may be suffering from that now. I start to feel that I need to look outside or elsewhere for food. Perhaps it is because I am not eating any starchy carbs except for the occasional bowl of cereal.I will make sure I eat quinoa (keen-wah) tonight and focus on that for the next few days. I adore this ancient grain and give out thanks to whoever decided to commercialise it. Quinoa has been grown in the Andes for 5,000 years and it reputedly kept the Incan armies strong and robust.  It comes from Bolivia and is a Fair Trade product which means that there is no middle man and the people who grow and tend to the crops actually receive a fair amount for their work. This alone will give you warm fuzzies when you […]

I had my usual hot water with lemon when I woke up and I tend to sip it as I check emails. I had an achacha and a white nectarine to start and then my breakfast smoothie which was just amazing – wait for it! The ingredients were oat milk, probiotic, passionfruit, banana, berries, pureed apple with cinnamon and flaxseed oil. I love this start to the day as it provides energy as well as protein.I have noticed in the last few days that I am starting to get bruises again. My ferritin levels are always low (max 33!) so it is something I keep an eye on. I need to take iron supplements with digestive enzymes during my period and I forgot this month. As I am not eating meat either, my levels must have dropped and the symptoms are returning. Mainly I have easy bruising and dizziness. My energy levels are still great but I am putting so many incredible things into my body I am not surprised! I will focus on more iron foods such as parsley, figs and prunes.I took some more fruit to work to snack on as I love lychees and white nectarines at the moment. Lunch was at the ever faithful IKU and I always enjoy their food. You can feel the goodness making its way into your cells. I become very sensitive during a detox, both physically and energetically. It feels like my body isn’t clouded with excess “stuff” and is operating the way it did 2,000 years ago when we were running from dinosaurs! I think with caffeine, as much as I adore it, my adrenals run overtime and I tend to thrive on nervous […]

I can’t believe it but I am officially on fire! My did my usual weekly morning power walk around the bay with a friend, sorting out many business and personal focus points along the way. Then I stopped in at the gym to do a cardio session and nailed the rower – 10minutes and 24seconds! I asked Jessie what I should be aiming for and she burst my bubble and said less than 10 minutes. Oh well, there is definite improvement.There was very little in the fridge for breakfast so I managed some gluten free cereal with fruit and I love apple juice on it instead of any type of milk. I have limited my dairy and wheat since I was about 11. I had intolerance testing done then and came up strongly for these. I am fine if I only eat a little but if I overindulge I become horribly bloated and sluggish. So I grew up with rice and oat milk and rarely had wheat. It was much harder back then as we didn’t have all the wonderful alternatives that are available now. I love spelt pasta and being such a foodie I am fussy when it comes to these things!Lunch was on the run and consisted of fruit, tamari almonds, rice cakes with avocado and herbal tea. I have been looking at dragon fruit a lot lately so I must try some. I just had an achacha and it would make a wonderful sorbet – very tangy, slightly sour and full of bite. I will leave a couple on the window sill and see if they become sweeter. My tomatoes are growing at a dismal pace but I check them daily […]

Last night I had a detox bath. That involves 10 minutes of dry body brushing followed by ½ hour soak in an Epsom salt bath with lavender essential oil. I always sleep like an angel afterwards but also wake feeling alert and refreshed. I took the opportunity while I am at Golden Door to utilise the spa and steam room – 20 minutes in both. I do the spa first and put a jet on my thighs and butt, taking it in turns to do both sides. The steam room is where I meditate as I can maximise my diaphragmatic breathing in there. One day I will have a therapeutic steam room where I can steam herbs for their health benefits as well. I love this therapy and believe that the effects can prolong and enhance quality of life.In my shower I turned the setting to jet and gave my thighs and butt another massage then a blast of cold to make me really feel alive! My skin is so smooth today I can’t believe it. It must be the combination of all the omega 3 fish oils I take and the spa like treatments I have been doing over the last 24 hours. I have only ever felt like this once before and that was after a whole day at the Ginseng Bath House in Sydney where I was scrubbed and pummelled within an inch of my life!I have been taking shots of the herb dandelion root to help my bowels and the huge breakfast serving of fruit with lots of figs will also help. I was at Golden Door today so I had to resort to my frozen casserole for lunch. I […]

Thanks goodness for the cool change as I was beginning to have difficulties sleeping. I went to Bondi again early morning but it was really rough and I had to skip the swim. Instead I walked the beach twice, had a laugh at all the boys working out and marvelled once again at how individual the human body is – so many shapes and sizes!I then went to the gym and again beat my record on the rower – it now stands at 10minutes and 24 seconds. Rachel came with me and it really helps to have a “row off” as it does make me competitive. My thighs and butt were aching but I need to focus on them as I think they have dropped a bit – oh dear, must have been when I wasn’t looking!II am really starting to feel my fitness get to the next level and that makes me happy. One of my goals this year is to be as physically healthy as possible and I have made a fantastic start to the year so far.Lunch was on the run and consisted of a tuna salad and fresh juice of lemon, pineapple and mint. I haven’t felt like much juice on this detox but that may kick in during week 3 as I get sick of the taste of water. There are so many options for fluids though – I love my tea as it makes me feel so relaxed and refreshed.  Then there is dandelion leaf tea which is wonderful for fluid retention and also a liver tonic. Chlorophyll adds a nice minty flavour to water and I love it really chilled for a workout.Question for the day – […]

What a way to start the day – I was at Bondi by 8am and it was already 30C! The water was bracing and so refreshing. We stayed in until I started feeling cold and I just kept thinking –this is cooling my blood down! Olivia was hysterical and every time the water touched her, she would suck in her tummy, pant and wriggle every limb. The humidity is getting to everyone and lack of sleep is starting to show. We all went for coffee afterwards and I played with Olivia while everyone sipped on their caffeine.Then off to the gym and despite the soaring temperatures I beat my rowing record – best time is now 11 minutes 8seconds. I think if there was someone rowing on the machine next to me my competitive side would come into the fore and I am sure I could get the time under 10 minutes. My brother and I have organised a staff competition involving the bike, treadmill and rower so hopefully my training will pay off.The breakfast smoothie for everyone: berries, banana, flaxseed oil, aloe vera juice, oat milk and probiotic. I topped it off with an apple then made tracks to clinic. My appetite has decreased and I am not sure if it is because of the heat or because I am feeling bloated and sluggish today. It is very unusual for me to feel constipated and not a good thing on a detox as you tend to reabsorb the toxins from the large intestines instead of excrete them. If things don’t improve I will go for a colonic.I have some watercress soup for lunch and I had forgotten how beautiful it is. Dinner was […]