Day three. Done!

So far so good. Almost! Yesterday I had sixteen portions of fruit and veg but there was a slight hiccup. There is an indian themed evening at my house. V or Father India as he likes to be called is making two different curries  for his family gathering. My job is to make these lovely mango cheesecakes. I decided to do it yesterday to keep out of father India's way in the kitchen today (not pleasant, he's not an even tempered cook).
I set about in the afternoon and before I knew it I had eaten two of the gingersnaps that I was using for the base of the cheesecakes. Oh no! On the bright side though I am still alive and nothing bad happened.
I like a detox as much as the next pilates teacher but try not to take it too seriously. I'm not a masochist.
Also yesterday I noticed my skin was looking better and my eyes are more like Beatrice's (the dog). Thats a good sign, bright, shiny eyes.
You may have noticed I'm not recording weight loss. I dont believe in scales. It can become obsessive. Unless you have an obesity issue I'd steer clear. Topshop jeans can tell you all you need to know and if mine aren't hanging off me by this time next week I'll be raging. Actually I wont because I am really enjoying all this juicing and can feel my energy coming back. Also had a great workout this morning and felt really strong. Onwards...

Day Two. Done!

an interesting way to up your veggies

Day two is done without much in the way of fuss or pain. There was a major stumbling block however. As this was a spur of the moment decision I was ill-prepared and ran out of fruit and veg by two o'clock. I had juiced everything juicable.
All that was left in the house was a bag of frozen broccoli and some tinned tomatoes so I made soup. I was disappointed but philosophical. If not fantastically nutritious at least fantastically fibrous.
After work last night I found myself in the fruit and veg isle in tesco. You cannot buy avocados after half nine it seems. So I have had to deviate slightly from jason's recipes this morning. Pineapple, apple Lime and blueberries. Later melon, lemon and cucumber. I had a slight hungover feeling when I woke but it's gone after drinking the juice. Excellent. Back on track.

Day One, Done!

not me! Jason Vale 

Started the juicing yesterday. Had three juices plus a salad throughout the course of the day. This was the equivalent to sixteen portions of fruit and veg. The idea is to flood your cells with easily absorbed nutrients which helps reduce the horrid detox symptoms you might expect. The only symptom was an almost headache in the afternoon but I skipped around it with water and a quick rebound (did you know that according to nasa rebounding is the most effective form of exercise there is- all to do with the push and pull of gravity and the effect that has on every cell in the body)

Results after one day are happily noticeable. Flatter stomach and increased energy this morning. I used Jason Vale's (also known as the juicemaster) super juice recipe.
2 apples
half a lime (peeled)
quarter a medium pineapple
quarter a ripe avocado
You are also meant to add a teaspoon of spirulina and a shot of wheatgrass (I never had any in as it was a spur of the moment decision). So far so good.
ps. dont try and juice the avocado, you need to blend it into your juice at the end with a few ice cubes. It's nice. I promise.

Lose 7lbs in 7days

It's not even one o'clock and already I have had ten portions of fruit!

I cannot tell a lie. It has been a heavy few weeks. Lots of socialising, parties etc. It all came to head this weekend when I attended two parties in one day. That means two buffets in one day! And two (too many) glasses of wine!

I actually felt nailed to the floor in this morning's yoga practice. Either gravity has got heavier or I have! Plus a few too many toxins kicking about.

Time for the big guns. In times of need I call upon Jason vale and his juicing detox. It has worked a treat in the past. All you have to do is have juice instead of solids for seven days and hey presto, you lose weight, your eyes, skin and hair shine and you feel strangely holy and blessed.

So far I have had two juices, loads of water, yoga and rebounding. I use the recipes from 7lbs in 7days, you can get it as an app for your iphone or buy the book. If you stick to the plan you can't go wrong.  I am planning on three full days then my own modified version. Will let you know results.

A quick word from Joe

"We retire too early and we die too young, our prime of life should be in the 70's and old age should not come until we are almost 100."

Joe Pilates was a true force of nature. Outrageous, eccentric and brilliant.

"Were man to devote as much time and energy to himself as he has devoted to that which man has produced, what astounding and almost unbelievable progress would be made; a progress eclipsing all he has so far successfully accomplished, miraculous as that is! Just think it over my friends"

toe sox for people with scared feet.

There was loads of controversy and hulabaloo when these adverts for toe sox came out because naked sexiness was being used to adverise a yoga product. I didn't realise you were meant to be celibate and prudish to practice yoga. I've seen the male athletic form used in loads of advertisments for sports gear. And the poses aren't exactly passive. And check out her muscle definition. I think these are fantastic images. However I do have one PROBLEM. Toe sox are good for yogi's and pilates students with slippy or scared feet (that means you are scared of having bare feet in a room where others have trodden with bare feet. Quite a scottish phenomenon). They've got tiny little grips on the sole but still allow full freedom of movement through the toes. None of the actual photos show the model using the socks for the purpose they were designed! She doesn't seem the type to suffer from scared feet either. They seem to simply be keeping her warm...(unless she just doesn't like people looking at her feet- but something tells me that's not the case!)

I want to come back as a dog

We all think our pets are special. Some of us have been accused of projecting personalities and feelings onto our animals that they simply don't have (not guilty!?)
In hinduism it is believed that gods are the messenger of Yama, the god of death and that dogs guard the doors to heaven.
In Zoroastrianism the dog's gaze is seen as purifying and able to ward off demons. Have you ever stared into the empathetic eyes of a dog when you've been ill (or hungover?). It will heal you.
The bridge to heaven is also said to be guarded by dogs.
This all makes perfect sense to me. I have Beatrice, the living proof. look...

look into my eyes

The Front Cover of My First Novel!

It has long been an ambition of mine to write a novel. I have started two in the past but got no further than the first few chapters. I never had a clear idea of what I was writing about and the structure was poor.
 I did manage to write a complete screenplay. It was called 'You're Dead'. The story of a young boy who along with the help of his sister fakes his own death. People love you more when your dead. The scenario is so convincing that in the end he is faced with the dilemma of whether he can actually come back or will he have to die for real...

I managed to get people who wanted to turn it into a movie but unfortunately they never managed to raise the funds to make it. You need a shed load of moola to make a film.
So why not have a crack at a novel? Books are much cheaper and if no-one wants to print it for you, you can always self-publish, stick it on amazon, force all your friends and family to buy it, make them write rave reviews and voila! before you know it you've got a bestseller (it really is that easy, isn't it?)
The photo above was taken at The Cannes Film Festival in 1962, where half of the novel is set.
I've only written the first paragraph but already have the cover. I call that forward planning.
There are three characters in that image. Can you guess which one is the protagonist? Here is a clue.