Kelly Martin Speaks

Review: The Raw Chocolate Company

2013-05-17T08:54:00.001+01:00

WARNING! This post can cause adverse drooling.

(And everything in moderation of course)

Three months ago this carb-aholic, sugar addict could not go a day without her chocolate refined sugar cruddy milk fat chocolate bar.

I ate weight-inducing chocolate, blood sugar nightmare bars, and now I am a recovering sugar addict I prefer quality in my chocolate habit.

So you have been warned - look away if you are a chocaholic!

A friend introduced me to 'The Raw Chocolate Company' on the 17th of April 2013 (my birthday just in case you want to buy me a gift next year). She was kind enough to buy me a packet of chocolate-covered raisins from this extra special company. She, I admit, is very specific about her food choices for herself and her young daughter, only wholefood, pure, healthy food. I thought she was just extra fussy until I gave up refined sugar, and 4 months later I am a convert to really good quality food.

And so after feeling a little low one day I took my packet of organic chocolate covered raisins down to Gloucester Docks and sat looking at the water, and within 15 minutes I had put the world to rights, in my head of course. I suddenly felt that nice uplifted feeling you get from coffee but without the dehydrating affects of coffee. I sat mesmerized at the packet for a while, trying to dissuade myself from indulging in the whole lot at one sitting, and read a little about the product and company. I knew then that I had to contact this company to discover more.

I had never heard of them before, and maybe you haven't either?

The Raw Chocolate Co. Goodies

So that day I wrote to 'The Raw Chocolate Company' to see if they would like to work together with me, and if I could review their products. Much to the chocolate-induced happies inside my head they said 'Yes' and I received a fabulous box of goodies to try out and review. Not just chocolate but some fabulous cooking ingredients which I have been putting through their paces on my blog and in my kitchen.

Who Is 'The Raw Chocolate Company'?

The Raw Chocolate Company is UK based and is a very ethical company. They have a low carbon footprint, and love the planet so much they wanted to provide chocolate and other products that did not impact the environment in a negative way. A socially conscious company that believes in the goodness of life and feel it is important to add love to the planet, thus supporting a more sustainable way of doing business and being a positive ripple in the world. All of their ingredients are ethically sourced and the only ingredients that are not organic come from small-scale growers who use traditional, pesticide-free growing methods. For more information click HERE.

Why RAW?

According to raw food experts, raw food retains more nutrients than food that is excessively heated. With raw chocolate for example, the heating of the chocolate does not go above 42 degrees C.

Raw Chocolate is:

High in antioxidant flavanoids, sulfur, magnesium.
Incredibly rich in magnesium.
Contains more antioxidant flavanols than green tea, red wine or acai.
Contains protein, fat, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, beta-carotene, thiamine and riboflavin.
It can be mood enhancing because it contains anandamide and theobromine.

Let the taste test begin.....

Goodies I had the pleasure of tasting:

Out of their Supreme Foods selection (which also includes Organic Raw Cacao Nibs, Lucuma Powder, Freeze Dried Acai Powder, Raw Chia Seeds, Organic Raw Hemp Protein Powder, Organic Shelled Raw Hemp Seeds) I indulged in my new health dessert hobby and got to try out:

Fairtrade Organic Virgin Cacao Butter

Organic Raw Cacao Powder

Organic Coconut Palm Sugar

Chocolate, Walnut, Date & Peanut Butter Fudge made with
The Raw Chocolate Company ingredients I received.

Being totally sugar free for 4 months I was pleased to try out coconut palm sugar. I had heard about it from other people but never had tried it before.

Coconut palm sugar is a great alternative to refined sugar. It tastes a bit like brown sugar but contains nutrients (unlike refined), is high in potassium and is low GI so suitable for diabetics and those of us wanting to manage our blood sugar.

I used the coconut palm sugar, cacao butter and cacao powder in the easiest, tastiest Chocolate, Date, Walnut and Peanut Butter Fudge you can ever imagine. If you want to try this out for yourself click here.

Cacao butter is also a new ingredient in food for me. My first impression was the heavenly scent that came out as I opened the pot. It was beautiful. I can still smell it just thinking about it. It comes in a solid form and needs heating to use in cooking and is brilliant for making fudge, and The Raw Chocolate Company even encourages you to try making your own chocolate. Now that is a good company that thinks about the customers' enjoyment and needs.

The cacao powder was a beautiful light brown colour and worked perfectly in my fudge. I look forward to trying a hot chocolate some time soon, maybe when my womanly hormones kick in and I need that extra comfort that we women often require.

The next on my list to try out was raw chocolate bars. They sell a smaller 22g mini bar perfect for popping in your bag on a trip out or a cheeky indulgent moment on a break from work, or a larger 44g size bar for doing the happy dance when someone really nice gives you a bar of chocolate.

RAW - VEGAN - CANE SUGAR FREE - DAIRY FREE

My first taste test was the Organic Goji Berry & Orange

Organic, Raw Chocolate 72% Cacao (contains coconut palm sugar)

My Tongue Test

This is a rich dark chocolate that is perfectly complemented with the taste of orange and goji berries. Unlike my normal response to pure pure pure dark dark dark chocolate my mouth made the sound MMMmm.... with this combination. The flavorsome orange and goji just made the dark delicious to me. Thumbs up!

Next... No Added Sugar Mint Raw Chocolate

Raw Chocolate 70% Cacao (contains Xylitol).

My Tongue Test

Normally, not a mint-chocolate lover, or mint-anything lover. If someone offers me mint chocolate, I turn my nose up, this is my honest response, BUT, I was pleasantly surprised with this mint raw chocolate bar. The mint was really refreshing and cooling in my mouth. Glad to be surprised and the xylitol added a perfect amount of sweetness. I am familiar with Xylitol because I have it in coffee and it is one of a couple of sweeteners I will use as it is bio-identical to the xylitol found in the body.

Next... Organic Pitch Dark

Organic, Raw Chocolate 72% Cacao (contains coconut palm sugar)

My Tongue Test

Honestly? My tongue did not like this one. BUT... I could tell from taking my time sampling it, that this packs a super punch kick of dark chocolate fix. This is one for those real chocolate connoisseurs, those tough strong espresso-coffee lovers for whom nothing but a strong black coffee will do. The caffeine kick was too much for my sensitive taste-buds, but I can see that a lot of people who love dark chocolate will adore Pitch Dark.

Next... The Darker Side of Delicious No Added Sugar Dark Raw Chocolate With Orange & Xylitol

Raw Chocolate 70% Cocoa (contains Xylitol)

My Tongue Test

One of my favourite chocolate combinations is orange and chocolate. This is a deliciously creamy dark chocolate. The orange offsets the pure rich cacao flavour, and the xylitol sweetens it to perfection.

It is one of those melt-in-your-mouth experiences. The great thing about raw dark chocolate is you do not need to eat the entire bar in one sitting to experience the uplifting qualities of cacao. Synergy at its best.

Next... The Vanoffee Series

Crossing over the chocolate pond from milk chocolate? - want a healthier confectionery? - but not quite ready for DARK dark chocolate?... this is the range for you!

Vanoffee...

Contains: Cacao butter, Lucuma, Coconut Palm Sugar & Vanilla (no cacao powder).

Described by The Raw Chocolate Company as:

"Our 'White Chocolate' - Vanilla-toffee flavoured treat."

My Tongue Test
Creamy, smooth, buttery, lip-smackingly tasty. My eyes felt deceived that this looked like brown chocolate tasted like white - confusion in a good way though. Loved the vanilla after taste, I love vanilla! This is the best switch over from dairy-milk chocolate to something that has better ingredients and more nutritional value.

Next... Vanoffe Dark

Contains: Virgin Cacao butter, Coconut Palm Sugar, Cacao mass, Lucuma, Vanilla

Described by The Raw Chocolate Company as:

"A smooth and luxurious temptress. Not too dark, not too light, just right."

My Tongue Test
As lovely as the 'white' chocolate treat above but with the added benefit of raw cacao. I love the addition of lucuma. I had never heard of this before looking at these chocolate bars. The Raw Chocolate Company hit the nail on the head with their description - a great taste balance in this chocolate bar. A great introduction for anyone making the switch over to darker chocolate.

The RAW CHOCOLATE BERRIES selection
(available in 100g, 200g pouches and 32g snack packs).

After first being introduced to The Raw Chocolate Company I must admit I was looking forward to trying these most of all. I received a packet of Raw Chocolate Goji Berries and Raw Chocolate Mulberries.

My first taste of Raw Chocolate Goji Berries
(74%cacao)

My Tongue Test

I love goji berries. They look all cute and wrinkled and when you bite into them they are both sweet and sour at the same time!

Top this off with a coating of raw chocolate and raw cacao powder and it is one of the foods you like to indulge in. A great balance of flavour.

I discovered having a bowl next to me was pretty lethal, but one day when I felt uninspired with my writing I had a few goji berries and I was suddenly clear again (like a lovely shot of coffee without the side effects).

These come in pouches and snack-packs, ideal for trips out and would make an excellent alternative nibble food at a party.

My first taste of Raw Chocolate Mulberries
(74 % Cacao - these are also sold in a 150g Gift pack).

My Tongue Test

At first look these made me smile. They look in appearance like little wrinkly old men (but in a cute way - I am not ageist - grin!). The taste was very different from the goji berries. These are chewy, a bit like the texture of toffee chews and much harder than goji berries. I found I enjoyed them more as I held them in my mouth a little longer. But overall, for me personally, not as good as the goji or raisins.

And so ends my Raw Chocolate Company tasting session. Sad to see it go (but I still have more to eat - sticks out tongue!).

My Overview

My favourite review product I tested was the goji berries, and coming second is the goji berry and orange. The range is great at The Raw Chocolate Company and I hope to test more in the future. For anyone on a sugar detox, and once the detox is over, wanting to re-introduce chocolate back into their diet, The Raw Chocolate Company offer a more healthy alternative. The ingredients are so pure and ethically sourced, you genuinely feel you are eating products filled with a whole lot of love.

My only negative I have about raw chocolate in general is that anyone with a caffeine sensitivity may want to stay away from the higher cacao bars. And I recommend everyone to eat chocolate in moderation. Chocolate is a treat, not a daily staple food item in a diet. Also because everything is ethically sourced it is a bit pricey but as you don't need to eat a lot to feel satisfied, this balances out.

Hope my review has tantalised your tastebuds and a great big thank you to The Raw Chocolate Company for supplying me with the goodies!

Check out their site if you are keen to try raw chocolate or any of the other products they sell at:

www.therawchocolatecompany.com

Have you ever tried raw chocolate before what did you think?

Have you tried anything from The Raw Chocolate Company before?

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Post Disclaimer: I received a selection of raw chocolate and cooking ingredients from The Raw Chocolate Company in the UK for review. All opinions are my own.

RECIPE: Sugar-free Chocolate, Date & Walnut Fudge (and Peanut butter!)

2013-05-14T17:32:00.002+01:00

After 4 months being sugar-free, I have been keenly trying out lots of different treat-type recipes and I adored fudge as a sugar addict and I am happy to say you can still enjoy fudge when you go sugar-free or are diabetic (in moderation of course!).

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Date & Walnut Fudge

'Diabetic Friendly'

(Totally sugar-free OR you can use LOW GI Coconut Sugar)

This recipe makes around 40-50 pieces of fudge

depending on how generous you are with sizes.

It is very similar to peanut butter cups but a fudge.

Next time I am going to add even more peanut butter (YUM!).

Ingredients

180g peanut smooth peanut butter (or any of your favorite nut butters)

240g cocoa butter (melted)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

120g of refined sugar alternative - sweeten to your taste gradually,

as everyone is different

(you can use Xylitol, honey or I used coconut sugar a low GI sugar)

120g Cocoa powder (I used raw cacao powder)

A handful of dates soaked for 30 minutes in water before chopping

(chop to required size)

A handful of walnuts

(chop to required size).

I have never used cocoa butter before, so this was a new experience for me. Smells heavenly!

You can melt the cocoa butter in a large glass bowl over boiling water or do it a quicker way like me. I used the microwave. Break it up into small pieces and keep an eye on it. As it's a fat it can burn. Melt until partly liquid, then stir until the solid bits melt. This way it doesn't get too hot.

Heavenly scent of cocoa butter. Fairtrade Organic
Virgin Cold Pressed Cacao Butter from The Raw Chocolate Company

Melt in microwave and keep a watchful eye on it.

Once liquid add the vanilla extract and stir. And now you can simply add the rest of the ingredients. It could not be easier (I like easy!).

Fairtrade Organic Raw Cacao Powder & Organic Coconut Sugar from The Raw Chocolate Company

Adding coconut sugar

Before adding the dates and walnuts (and whatever extras you would like to add) check the consistency of the mix. If it has a slightly grainy look to it, it may mean (if your using coconut sugar) that the alternative sugar has not dissolved properly. I remedied this by heating it a little more in the microwave which worked well.

Add your lovely additions. And spoon or pour into a baking container lined with grease-proof paper or if you're like me and don't need it to be perfectly smooth, line a plastic container with tin foil (aluminium foil). If you want it extra pretty you can also pour it into candy molds that will be easy to pop out once it has been refrigerated.

Once all poured in you let it cool, and then put in the refrigerator. I left it for a good 2 hours but it's probably ready in 1/2 an hour, so long as it is firm enough to cut. It is quite firm once it comes out, but if you leave it to stand at room temperature it's that lovely soft squishy fudge that I personally adore.

Turn container over onto a plate. My tin foil easily came away and hey presto yummy fudge. Now just time to slice into edible portions. I was quite good and made them quite small.

Enjoy!

And as this is either no-added sugar or using low GI coconut sugar, your blood sugar does not go haywire like other chocolate products and fudges can do to the blood. So no major mood swings after a sugar high. So really, it's healthy fudge, so go on, give it a go - you know you want to.

And as I say with everything, have this in moderation (says me with a container of fudge by the computer that I keep refilling - oops!).

The key with this fudge is it is easy!

HURRAH for easy recipes.

For more sugar-free recipes check out HERE

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Ho'oponopono - When The Whole World Is Inside You - A Beginners Experience

2013-05-13T18:22:00.001+01:00

Shared & edited via Creative Commons public domain dedication
from pixabay.com

Ho'oponopono what? Yes, it is a long word, a word I often have to think about when I try to spell it, but a word that describes an ancient Hawaiian healing process. As many of my readers will know I have been experimenting with many different spiritual techniques and healing practices over the past 10 years and more. Ranging from Shamanism, NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Law of Attraction - create your reality visualisation - vision boards, scripting, affirmations, angel meditations.. well, you get the drift. I have probably been to most classes, workshops, read so many books and bought many a t-shirt.

But, you get to a point where you realise that nothing works. EFT helps with releasing tension, is great for phobias, BUT I was always craving something else. The spiritual seeking was taking me in a direction of coming home, to myself, to love, the Universe, God, whatever name you choose to label the source of 'All That Is'. I found many of these techniques encourage attachment even though a part of the teachings say 'let go'. I was no longer wanting to feel the suffering that came along with attachment, heightened expectations, and a need to control my life. So Ho'oponopono arrived into my life.

I came across this ancient form of healing practice a few years ago, but I was not ready to take responsibility for my life, my choices, my inner reactions to what I perceived was outside of me back then. I intellectually got Ho'oponopono, but another part of me was in the background saying "Well just do this and you will manifest what you want." WRONG! This is not what Ho'oponopono is about. It is not a fast track approach. It is not 'The Secret' where you sit in your armchair imagining you're driving a sports car and suddenly it appears. No. Ho'oponopono is much more.

My experience of Ho'oponopono has been a challenging one, not in a bad way but in a confusing way. There is a lot of material online on Ho'oponopono, some of it conflicting in that some people use it alongside the Law of Attraction to attract what they want, and some that use the real core teachings which are starting to work for me.

I say starting to work but not in a "What I want has manifested" way, but more that my life path is changing, opening, in unexpected and not intended ways.

What Is Ho'oponopono?

So what is Ho'oponopono and how does it work? Well, I am new to this so bear with me. I could be wrong, but I am just going to say how I understand it. This may change with time.

To me the whole concept of Ho'oponopono is that we are 100% responsible for everything that appears in our reality. Now I used to believe in the whole 'life is a reflection' analogy, but did not get it, and often used it to blame people (wide grin) so it's not like that, not at all. Instead, everything I see, feel, experience through my eyes and senses, that I perceive to be 'out there', is in fact 'in here'. It is all inside me. This goes for mother earth, animals, nature, people, wars, rape. Basically I am responsible for all those things I can see or experience.

Now this is hard to get the head around, so it's best to not overthink it like I did. Responsibility is not blame. We are not to blame, but our memories that we replay are responsible for creating the world we see. Often these memories come from our ancestors, there are often million's of memories that we are totally unaware of in our unconscious. This is the reason why affirmations and visualisations do not work. They may appear to work in some cases, but only if you are clear of the memories that may block your life unfolding in the way you are inwardly guided to. So if you have blocks to money and visualise having plenty, but you have some deeper unconscious memories of lack or non-deserving that you are not aware of, you could visualise till the cows come home and nothing would change. This is where Ho'oponopono comes in - but not to manifest the money!

Now, with experiences like rape, abuse, war, famine etc. etc., I am fairly new to Ho'oponopono, so here is a link to a more experienced teacher who may answer your questions on this. I know the very thought of feeling that responsible for everything can cause so many questions, anger and resistance, so Mabel's blog may be able to help you understand further.

I am truly open to understanding this fully and if you are more experienced and see Ho'oponopono differently, please do share. I am very interested in hearing your experience too.

Longing & Envy Drove Me Back To Ho'oponopono

What got me interested in Ho'oponopono the second time around was, I had reached a period in my life where despair, longing, jealousy and resentment were beginning to grow in me. I had become so sad to see so many people I knew, receiving easily and effortlessly, those things I genuinely desired at a deep level. I was so attached to these desires and no amount of 'trying' to let go was working. I grew frustrated because intellectually I thought that the reason my life was not turning out the way I wanted it to, was my fault because I was unable to let go and if I could just let go it would work. Of course there is no 'should' letting go. You cannot should yourself to do anything; you cannot make yourself let go; letting go is an inner thing; it's a deeper surrender to what is; an acceptance and surrender to the natural flow of life. It does not walk alongside attachment or needing things to turn out a certain way. It's about trust; deep trust that whatever is happening or not happening is doing so for a higher purpose. Love always knows the way.

So I began investigating Ho'oponopono again. I re-read Joe Vitale's book 'Zero Limits', which was an okay introduction, but left me with more questions than answers. So I wrote to Mabel Katz to see if I could review one of her books and was blessed to receive 3 to review from her very generous company. 'The Easiest Way' and 'The Easiest Way To Live' really helped me to understand this further. But I still had more questions and through trial and error I am beginning to understand Ho'oponopono more.

So what do you do? How do you do Ho'oponopono and how does it work?

Well, from my novice experiences of this you simply say 1 or all of the following:

I Am Sorry
Please Forgive Me
Thank You
I Love You

These are statements that can be pretty much repeated like a mantra. You don't have to feel anything, you don't have to intend anything; in fact from my experience, intending simply does not work.

These statements are cleaning statements. They clean the memories. Both the conscious and unconscious. Cleaning gives permission to God/The Universe to transmute and clear the memories that are not who we really are. As we are not our memories.

Shared via Creative Commons taken by Sean Mcgrath

How do the statements do this? I have no idea, they just do. According to Dr Hew Len, Ho'oponopono is not from this earth and I must admit my inner skeptic did frown at this, BUT I cannot judge the results since I began cleaning. What I got from Dr Hew Len is that everything needs love. Even the walls of my home, my toilet, everything. As everything is inside me, I need love. So in loving everything, giving thanks for everything, including those problems I have with others that I have projected 'out there' everything needs love.

Dr Hew Len healed an entire ward of criminally insane patients through the use of Ho'oponopono and without tending or treating any of them. He simply sat in his office; went through the files of the people on the ward and took full responsibility for the people, the ward, the experiences - knowing that everything is inside of him. Take a look at the story of Dr Hew Len and the healing here.

And all he said was I'm sorry, I love you.

Can it be that simple?

I feel it can. I think as human beings we like complicated, many of us on the spiritual or metaphysical path do not feel a process or technique will work unless it has some significant complexity to it. We also expect instant results and so we go from one technique, training, workshop, teacher, to another. But Ho'oponopono is that simple. It is about love. I feel that if we are all honest, then most of what we gather on the spiritual path comes down to love and Ho'oponopono connected the dots for me.

The Inner Child

Shared via Creative Commons licensing
from mamboz

An important part of Ho'oponopono is forming a relationship with our inner child. Most of us have rejected and neglected the inner child for decades or even lifetimes. Our focus on the negative, on replaying those memories over and over again, has made that small voice inside us quiet, and caused a lot of suffering. From what I understand regarding Ho'oponopono and the inner child is that the inner child is responsible for creating our reality as it is the inner child who experiences the memory, or data, as Dr Hew Len would say. If we believe, replay those memories, do not clean the memories, allow them to perpetuate within us, the inner child will create experiences that fulfill those beliefs and memories. So we need to begin talking, soothing and comforting the inner child.

How do we do this? I am new to this, and for me I followed this meditation here and began simply holding my inner child's hand, stroking her hair, simply to reconnect. I am told that the more we do Ho'oponopono, the clearer we become and we reach a point of zero where life/God/the Universe fills us, and from there we are inspired, with no intent or expectation, simply divine inspiration, as and when we are ready to hear (or know) it.

Is That It? We Only Need To Say Those Statements?

Well, there are more 'in depth' ways of doing it, if you choose. However, it is not necessary. I thought it was in the beginning. In the beginning I had to clean on the fact that I did not believe Ho'oponopono was going to work for me, so before I even started, I had to clean on that belief.

I have discovered over the past 2 months that for some, going in more depth is helpful and for others it is not. Use your feelings as a guide. This amazing blog promotes great understanding of Ho'oponopono and if you want to go into greater depth with the statements, it gives good examples. I also realise, since doing the Inner Child meditation here,that more in depth is good when connecting with the inner child. Since reading Mabel Katz's blog I realise it is not necessary to do this all the time in the cleaning. A simple, Thank you, I love you does it all. She says that 'I'm sorry', 'Please forgive me' is inbuilt into Thank you or I love you. This works for me.

I did the more 'in depth' version described in this blog for the first 2 months and just this past few days I have realised that the words "I'm sorry" "Please Forgive me" are not good for me to say on a regular basis (unless I am spending time connecting with my inner child or it seems to work well when I am out walking).

The more I used the more descriptive statements like "I am sorry that something in me has created this problem, I am sorry that a memory is replaying and causing you suffering" etc.. the more sad and despairing I felt. I realise some of us may have used these words for a very long time in a negative way. For me I was always feeling sorry for my very existence. I was sorry for being such a failure in life. And when I said please forgive me I felt I was back in my inner child space where I was the inner child experiencing the suffering speaking to the inner child experiencing the suffering, which just brought up so much conflict. My human need to understand got in the way.

Shared via Creative Commons from kubina

So now, as of last night, I simply say "Thank you, I love you" most of the time. This brings me a feeling of relief, of lightness, of blessings. So this is what is working for me now. I use more in-depth statements when I talking directly to my inner child or when it feels right to do so.

What has happened since I began doing Ho'oponopono?

I did not expect what happened; I did not think it would work but it has. The first thing that began to happen was that people began to respond differently to me. People wanted to connect more with me (and being a practical loner for 3 years now, this was a big thing). I then noticed people I had difficulty with in my home life began to change. One major change was a person that would cause a lot of noise and was very ungiving, began to give and share and be more kind. I had known him for over 10 years and suddenly he began to offer help and support in ways I had always hoped he would but didn't. I did not speak to this man, I simply cleaned when the feelings of anger and resentment came up. I said: 'I love you, I love you, I love you'. I took responsibility for his place in my world and it changed his place in my world. I did not intend this to happen. And it happened within 2 days of doing ho'oponopono.

Life flows, when I ho'oponopono!

I suddenly began to get more opportunities related to my blog, more ideas and inspiration. Life flows when I ho'oponopono.

So this is just the beginning of my journey, a journey of surrender and letting go.

What do I want out of this process?

To feel free, to feel clear. To accept myself, to love myself. To embrace my life with gratitude. To allow myself to be divinely inspired and to no longer need certain outcomes in life to make me feel good. To be present, in the now.

And this is a big turnaround for me. Before Ho'oponopono I wanted to travel the world, write, teach. I still have some yearning to do with this, and I clean. The difference now is that day by day I realise that love (divinity) knows me better than I know myself, that what I think I want or need is not necessarily what is for my highest good in life. And yes, I still have wants; I want to be in the flow. I look forward to sharing my journey further with you and please share yours.

If you are looking for more resources or more information on Ho'oponopono, drop by Mabel Katz's site. This is an affiliate link so if you order from this link I also benefit but there are also free articles, videos and interviews if you are interested in learning more.

Hooponopono resources, books, videos and more...

Please share with me your experiences?

How has Hooponopono changed your life?

How do you do it?

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Book Review : The Easiest Way (Including The Easiest Way To Understanding Ho'oponopono)

2013-05-11T16:18:00.003+01:00

Title: The Easiest Way

(Solve your problems and take the road to love, happiness, wealth and the life of your dreams)

Includes The Easiest Way To Understanding Hooponopono.

Author: Mabel Katz

Published: 2009
Pages: 179

Price: $19.95
Genre : Psychology/Self Realization

Buy 'The Easiest Way' Special Edition - Includes The Easiest Way To Understanding Ho'oponopono

I came across Mabel Katz by some synchronistic online search, not intending, and I still have no idea how I found her, but I am glad I did. I had dabbled in Ho'oponopono many years ago but I was not ready to take responsibility for my life back then and I did not understand the true meaning of Ho'oponopono which is the ancient Hawaiian Art of problem solving. In my past I used the statements "I am sorry,please forgive me, thank you, I love you" as an attempt to get what I wanted and control my life. Not to surrender and let go. I had not understood Ho'oponopono. 'The Easiest Way' clarified my thinking and understanding on this amazing mode of healing.

As I turned the first 2 chapters of 'The Easiest Way' by Mabel Katz it felt like I was turning the delicate petals of a flower, their scent so alluring, the velvet feel between my hands, drawing me in. My hands tingled and I knew this was going to be no ordinary book.

After reading other articles and material on Ho'oponopono I was keen to digest more. I found 'The Easiest Way' refreshing and in keeping with the title the ease at which the words flowed across each page was easy and graceful to read. It was not so much a book teaching me but a chat with a friend imparting some forgotten wisdom to me, that I had lost some time ago. The feel of this inspired book was soft, gentle and very soothing.

'The Easiest Way' gave me a deeper understanding of how to live and the best way to view my reality. It shifted my perspective from blame to taking responsibility. It reminded me that my way of living had been an attempt to control my life through well known techniques like affirmations and visualisation, something I had been thinking was the case for some time. It was great to get confirmation.

Reading 'The Easiest Way' reminded me and helped me realise that I have millions of patterns, memories in my unconscious that have been creating my reality, and that my need for control through affirming and visualisation was not even touching the millions of memories that were having an effect on my experience of reality. This really gave me great peace to understand and know this, and a deep release and relief.

My Favourite Quotes:

"Affirmations are treating God as a servant, giving instructions to God because you think you know what is right and perfect. With Ho'oponopono and the cleaning, you are giving permission, to God who knows better to bring you whatever is right and perfect." (Page 157)

"It is important not to have expectations. The secret is in being open and flexible, because we never know where it is going to come from. We have to trust that the right thing for us will come. Perhaps it won't be what we were expecting, but it will be the right thing." (Page 113)

With wonderful storytelling the meaning of Ho'oponopono was easily understood and as I reached the back section of the book many questions I had asked about Hooponopono were answered including the book/movie 'The Secret' along with affirmations and visualisation and the difference between all those and Ho'oponopono.

Questions like 'How do I clean?' 'What happens when I clean?' 'Should I have intentions when I clean?' among many others were very helpful to a newbie Ho'oponopono practice.

'The Easiest Way' helped me to understand that life works more easily when we let go and surrender. It gave new meaning to the words 'I love you', 'Thank you', 'I'm sorry', 'Please forgive me' and motivated me to make this a daily practice of self-love.

A small book and a great, easy to read, introduction to Ho'oponopono. Easy to understand, no difficult concepts; a book to be read time and time again to allow a better life based on love.

Overview

Extremely soulful and heart opening. Not just a book about Ho'oponopono but a way to live life.

Some may find it too short and not in-depth enough. I would like to have seen examples on how to do Ho'oponopono in particular situations or when emotions arise.

Who Would Like This Book?

Anyone looking for a deeper meaning to life, where other methods or spiritual practices have failed.

Anyone frustrated that their conscious effort to affect change has not produced positive results.

Anyone wanting to begin the process of self-love, acceptance and appreciation of life.

Most of all, people willing and ready to take 100% responsibility for life, their reactions, the outer world and more.

A Taster of 'The Easiest Way'

For more information on Mabel Katz products

including seminars, video, audio and more click here!

Post Disclaimer: I received 'The Easiest Way' by Mabel Katz from MabelKatz.com in the USA for review. All opinions are my own.

Is The Deadly Nightshade Family Good For You? Tomatoes, Potatoes, Eggplant, Pepper

2013-05-08T16:04:00.000+01:00

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by Soil-Net

I like tomatoes, especially cherry tomatoes. The only thing is, if I have tomatoes for a few days in a row, I come out in an itchy painful whitehead rash on my cheeks and chin. So maybe tomatoes don't like me.

Well, I recently discovered tomatoes are part of the deadly nightshade family which also includes: potatoes, eggplant (aubergine), peppers, goji berries, gooseberries and TOBACCO.

Now, I'm not a big fan of egg plant, and peppers are okay occasionally in salads and stir-fries, but potatoes are a major staple food item in many people's diets and so are tomatoes.

Shared via Google labele for reuse by Michael Newman

I love potato, but again too much, and potato does not like me. If I have potato, especially jacket, mashed or large chips (thick-cut fries for my USA followers), I feel heavy in my stomach and bloated. They give me gas and make me feel uncomfortable physically. I also can have additional aches and pains in my joints. So why is this happening?

Well, from researching online I found out that before we began eating foods from the deadly nightshade family they were classed as ornamental foods and were in fact considered poisonous. Some of the problems associated with consuming large amounts of this food group can include arthritis symptoms.

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by fatal error

And what shocked me even more was that the nightshades contain a level of nicotine. Yes! Nicotine. This could explain my propensity to wolf cherry tomatoes down as if I was eating candy. These things can be addictive.

Research has shown that if you eat them in excess they can reduce wound healing. This is a tough thing to swallow, literally. When we consider hot peppers, their very pain-inducing flavour may indeed be telling us "don't eat me, I am warning you!".

Well, since reading about the studies online, I did cut back on tomatoes and potatoes and my body certainly feels it if I re-introduce them into my diet. This may not be the case for everyone, but it is worth considering if you suffer conditions like arthritis or exercise a lot and need to recover pretty fast. Try going a month without any of them and see what happens and if you notice a difference in your health.

Nightshade plants are a cause of joint troubles as well as many other problems including migraines and digestive issues. The source of most of the trouble is solanine in nightshades, solanine is in other plants as well such as huckleberries, and blueberries. To see real results you must eliminate them 100% percent. Most, folks will try to reduce them from their diet, and become discourage when results do not follow. All the way is the only way with nightshades! -Michael Fowler from nightshadefree.com

Many writers talk about the importance of eating foods which are in season. And perhaps it makes sense that foods are in season at only certain times of the year so that we do not overindulge and experience food-related health problems. For example, eating tomatoes in the summer and root vegetables in the winter or autumn. This sounds easier said than done when many of our foods are imported into the country from overseas. It's difficult to know what is in season. I for one love asparagus and in my local area local farms only seem to have them in season around 3 weeks of the year, so what are we to do?

I guess like everything, moderation is key, and we should listen to our bodies.

Check out the comments HERE to see other people's experience of giving up deadly nightshades and the affect it has had on arthritis.

What is your experience of the deadly nightshade family?

Do you have any reactions to this food group if you have them regularly?

Have you cut them out of your diet and noticed a difference in your health?

General Season Food Guides Throughout The World

UK Seasonal Food Table

USA & CANADA seasonal food

ASIA Seasonal Food Guide

South Africa Seasonal Food Guide

Australia Season Food Guide

New Zealand Season Food Guide

Focusing On Lack Is Like Searching For Lost Keys

2013-05-06T09:56:00.000+01:00

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Alessiaizzophotography

During an extra long EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) session some time ago, something dawned on me about desire and focusing on lack. It could be lack of anything, money, love, health, physical beauty, anything we feel we have a lack of in our lives.

We may crave connection, love, friendship, money and yet it eludes us like a carrot on the end of a stick being dangled, always just in front of us.

Brad Yates, an EFT teacher, wrote in an e-book that when there are clouds over the blue sky we don't doubt that the blue sky is there, we just trust and know it is there. This made me think about how frustrating it can feel when we lose something like keys, or something we feel we really need in that moment. We scurry around frantically searching in boxes, cupboards, shelves; we search every nook and cranny and we simply cannot find it. And so, we give up, sit down, make a sandwich, do something else, and suddenly a light-bulb moment and we walk right over to where the object we have lost is, with no effort or thinking process involved.

We discover they are often somewhere we have already looked, but were so impatient, worried or frustrated that we were not receptive to them. The same I feel goes for feeling a lack of anything.

My friend Andy wrote in his blog that when we stop looking for love, love finds us. When I stopped caring, stopped looking, the lost object just appeared as if by magic.

This needs to be applied to the subject of money, abundance, everything. To stop searching for those money keys and to recognise that those keys will find us when we relax and when we are ready.

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Created by art.of.adrian.serghie

Now, admittedly this sounds easier said than done and I know personally I have had ingrained money beliefs (memories) about abundance and how it comes to me or doesn't. I am slowly loosening my grip on trying to control my life, more recently through the ancient Hawaiian art of healing called Ho'oponopono. So I know this is not a quick-fix solution, but I feel that knowing the memories are there will allow me to begin the process of clearing them out, so that day-by-day I can stop looking behind the sofa for those lost keys.

Most of us have thought patterns we carry. Some of the lessons and topics we may be struggling with now, and the understanding we gained from overcoming them, may be exactly what we need to share with others in the future.

We have so many memories, thousands if not millions, floating around unconsciously and consciously affecting how we perceive our reality. My own have been observing the women in my family be the caregivers while the men earned the money. Others may have relationship difficulties based on the memories they took on board from their parents' relationship when growing up. The list goes on. So I feel that many of us are realising it's now time we stopped carrying these old beliefs of generations of family and start a new era where we clear out those conditioned beliefs.

Growing up, throughout my childhood, I was given the belief that anyone that was blessed with good fortune was to be resented. I had this re-occurring thought pressed into my mind by most of my family that "It's alright for some!". In other words it was not alright for me to have wealth or money of my own. This was passed down through generations of family, like some treasure or jewel everyone needed to be made aware of. But, what my family missed was that by viewing the world this way they were carrying the burdens of the past so my family would never amass fortune or material wealth and would always struggle because of these beliefs.

This belief was one I carried for a long time, one I am clearing on now. A part of me would not allow my light to shine or to even consider wealth or abundance because a part of me felt if I did maybe I would be resented too, so in essence I held myself back.

The money, abundance, love, health beliefs we may carry have been hidden behind the clouds of the unquestioned, but now it is time we collectively question and allow change to take place through deep surrender and love.

Other Posts On This Topic

Can You Be Happy Without Money?

Are You Addicted To Affluence

The More You Want Less Changes

Smile And The World Smiles With You

Love what you read at Kelly Martin Speaks?

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My Sugar-Free Journey : 3 MONTHS and Counting - From Addiction To Change

2013-05-03T11:45:00.000+01:00

Image created by Deviant Duality Shared via Google 'labeled for reuse'

If somebody had told me last year that I would not be eating anything with refined sugar in it, I would have said they were crazy. I wasn't able to go 2 days without my bar of chocolate, my sugar in coffee, or my slice of cake. My meals consisted of shop-bought sauces full of sugar, my sandwich spreads the sweetest you could find, and my after-dinner treats my extra sugar laden sugar high for the day. I started my day sweet, continued my day sweet and ended my day sweet. My tastebuds were sugar sensitive and needed sweet food.

"I was officially hooked on the sugar drug"

I consumed sugary foods for comfort, for energy, when bored and because I was just plain hooked. Much like most of the western world. I was officially hooked on the sugar drug, encouraged by food companies to indulge, advertising claiming the health benefits of the foods I ate while not declaring the detrimental effects of the sugar in the food. I was sucked in, thought it was the norm, everyone was doing it. Until, issues related to my hormones cropped up and I began to look into my heath.

"...refined sugar is the anti-fountain of youth."

This is when I discovered the horror that refined sugar is. From blood sugar hikes, to diabetes and other diseases, BUT, what shook me to my core came from pure vanity. I had noticed the skin beneath my eyes had become more crepey. It did not spring back like it used to. This horrified me as I looked in the mirror. It was then that I discovered refined sugar affects the collagen in the skin, so in fact refined sugar is the anti-fountain of youth. And so began my sugar-free journey and what a journey it has been.

Shared via Creative Commons taken by laurenlionheart

Was Giving Up Sugar Easy?

No and yes.

In the first few weeks it was actually easier than I had expected it to be. I had read that many people suffer withdrawal symptoms like headaches and huge cravings. I went through a relatively easy first month coming off sugar. For me it was after the first month that cravings kicked in. I think my mind thought I was joking and did not believe I was going to follow through with it. It was convinced its artificial high was going to return. It was wrong. I was determined to keep to my commitment.

My First Challenge

SWEET BBQ
shared via Creative Commons taken by jeffreyww

My first challenge came 2 months into my sugar detox journey. I had arranged to visit family and planned to take my Mum out for lunch every day, as well as coffee and cake.

Eating out can be problematic when giving up sugar as its hard to find out the exact ingredients in a dish. However, I planned ahead and made sure I followed a fairly strict plan. I didn't feel like I was missing out in fact I felt quite liberated by the choices I was making.

My action plan when away from home was :

Do not succumb to dessert. Eat a starter like soup, try not to have bread as white bread can hike up the blood sugar much like chocolate or cakes. Ditch the sweet sauces like ketchup, BBQ, sweet and sour etc.. If you need something on a burger and they have a mustard, sometimes they are low in sugar or sugar free.
Choose Indian food, English or some other protein rich food source. Choose the less sweet options (not korma or tikka). Chinese food is pretty much a no-no as most western Chinese restaurants have an absolute buffet of sweet and sugary savoury meals and desserts. Apart from plain soup it's a challenge to avoid refined sugar.
Make your main course protein or dairy, and fat rich. If there is sugar in the meal, protein and dairy slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. And when I say fat, I don't mean dripping with fat options, but I do mean as good a fat as you can get.
Drink water before the meal. Try and have a full glass as this will fill you so you may not feel you want to over-indulge. If you would like an alchoholic drink when away (which I did) choose wine over beer and water over fruit juice (fruit juice has all the good fibre taken out of it and is high in sugar and can cause blood sugar hikes).
Avoid bread, especially white. If you really want some have it with cheese or protein.

How Do You Stop Craving?

When a friend is indulging in the tastiest looking cake in the whole world.

Plan ahead. Make sure you are satisfied and full enough before dessert comes around.

My Mum and I visited many coffee shops on my trip away, I often sat and watched her indulge in heavenly looking pieces of cake with her coffee. I was not sure if I would be able to handle this so I planned ahead. I used a tool called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). EFT is an acupressure point, tapping technique (click here for a great introduction video on this by Brad Yates).

Share via Creative Commons licensing from FreeFoto.com.

Before my trip I printed out lots of pictures of the most heavenly cakes, ice-cream chocolate (the kind of cakes that when you're craving, make you panic if you do not get a slice!). I then followed the EFT technique. I tapped those cravings out. I first tapped on the craving feeling, how I was feeling desperate, on edge, anxious without the sugar and after a few days of doing this I tapped on what sugar does to the body, the side effects of too much sugar. This is how I dealt with those cravings. This worked so well. In cafes I would make myself look into the cake cabinet and they all looked like cardboard to me, either that, or not good food. I saw health issues, skin issues and all the problems associated with sugar addiction. I no longer saw yummy, scrummy cake.

My Second Challenge - Hormones

Later into my sugar-free journey I found the hardest times when I crave sugar sweet foods is before and during menstruation. I discovered later that many women have blood sugar issues at this time, so I simply upped my food intake with more protein, fat and extra fruit for that desperate sweet desire (like apples,bananas, grapes and, when really in need, plums).

Blood Sugar -TIP

Don't ignore your blood sugar. If you feel extremely tired and cannot focus, shaky and anxious, especially during hormone time you probably need to eat something. Life-enhancing food does just that; it enhances our well-being, gives us fuel for energy. If your exhausted for no reason, eat. My food of choice was sliced chicken or sliced apple smothered in peanut butter.

But, if you have gotten to a point where what you have eaten has not helped you feel better, an occasional glass of pure fruit juice will not hurt you. Yes the fibre may have been taken out but sometimes you need a blood sugar hit. You will know when you do, follow your instincts. And if you have that glass of apple or orange juice you can always follow it up with protein or another food to level out the blood sugar.

My Overall Advice

Don't give up at the first hurdle. You can do this. The benefits are huge. I gave up sugar when I had a neural injury to my back, I was in a lot of pain for months and I could have easily succumbed to refined sugar and super sweet foods to comfort me but I didn't. I always say if you can manage a life change during the hardest time, then you will do it long term. It takes 21 days to create a new life habit, get over that 21 days and your body will adjust more easily.

Physical Benefits Of Quitting Sugar

More energy. Instead of wanting to stay in bed past 9am I now often get up before 8am and often before 7am now.
Better skin tone. It may not revamp you back to your early twenties when things are nice and springy but it will prevent any further faster deterioration that can happen from too much sugar.
I have lost over 1 stone in weight. This is without any effort and included snacking in between meals.
Food tastes sweeter naturally. Fruit, vegetables, milk.. you will taste sweet like you have never tasted it before.
Better mental focus. You will find you can concentrate more because you have more energy.
Hormonal moods swings will lessen considerably.
If you have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) this is said to lessen symptoms also.

Emotional and Spiritual Benefits

Giving up sugar for me was more than just a physical journey. The emotional and spiritual benefits have been huge.

Whereas before I had stuffed down difficult feelings like anxiety, anger and stress with sugar, because I did not want to face the pain, I was able to face this pain more easily. I was able to confront old memories and doing so has been truly transformative.

Before going sugar-free I found staying positive a real challenge. My mood swings went up and down like a yo-yo. I went from extreme highs to deep dark despair. My blood sugar going up and down was the cause of this.

Now, I feel more balanced.

"The biggest benefit is change."

I have been able to mentally and emotionally make inner and outer changes that I was not even aware I needed to make before. And those changes that I was resistant to have become much easier to take.

Life seems clearer now and I feel stronger and more steady in who I am. I value myself more, have more confidence and have realised how I need to take 100% responsibility for my inner world and how I react or respond to my outer life.

I feel incredibly focused, more passionate and more deeply connected to source energy, the divine within all things. I feel more heart connected, open and receptive to God, the Universe, Life, whatever label you choose to give to that special meaning of life.

And all because I gave up refined sugar.

So this is my journey so far.

3 Months on.

Now I can introduce a little sweetness back into my life (in moderation), not refined sugar, but a little more fruit, a little honey or coconut sugar when baking cakes. I have started having a little xylitol (sweetener natural to the body) in my weekly decaf coffee when I go out to cafes. And I even enjoy a treat of dark chocolate during those hormonal times when chocolate is a healer (yes I still believe chocolate is good - smile - just make sure it's good chocolate).

We are predisposed to want sugar, it is in our nature. From a young baby wanting milk to an adult wanting sweet foods, but we can make the decision to eat balanced sugars, better sweet foods, more life-giving not life-depleting sweet foods.

Overall, sugar no longer controls my wellbeing. I choose my own inner balance. I choose to feel stronger, not swayed so much by external circumstances because my inner balance is coming from a place of power not addiction.

"Clarity, strength, balance."

I highly recommend this journey if you are wanting change to take place in your life, your spirit and your well-being.

Please share in the comments below if you are taking or about to take this journey and good luck!

Kelly x

For more articles on sugar-detoxing check

out earlier posts on Kelly Martin Speaks HERE

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Disclaimer
The author of this blog is not medically qualified. The information contained in this blog is provided as the author's personal opinion, based on personal experience and research, for your information, education and interest. In no way is it offered as medical advice, as a diagnosis or as a treatment for any physical or mental condition I recommend that you consult your healthcare professional for advice should you consider using any of this information.

Under no circumstances should you make any changes to any medication regime that your physician has prescribed without the knowledge and permission of that physician, who is legally responsible for your primary healthcare.

The author's responses, if any, to any comments made by others, are not, in any way, to be considered as expert moderation. Any such responses are the author's personal opinion, and are not offered as advice.

The author is not responsible for the content of any external site that may be accessed via links contained within this blog.

Book Review & Giveaway : 'Heart Thoughts - A Treasury of Inner Wisdom' by Louise L Hay

2013-05-01T17:51:00.000+01:00

As a huge Louise L. Hay fan, I was really pleased to get the opportunity to review the new gift edition of the well known book 'Heart Thoughts'. And even more pleased to be able to offer someone the opportunity to receive a copy of the book as a prize in my giveaway.

Title: Heart Thoughts - A Treasury of Inner Wisdom

Author: Louise L. Hay

Published: 2013
Pages: 279

RRP: £12.99/ $19.95
Genre : Inspirational/Self Help

Buy Heart Thoughts - UK
Buy Heart Thoughts - USA

This gift edition is the updated version of her best seller Heart Thoughts, however this edition is not only packed full of Louise's classic inspiration and wisdom but decorated with Katie Daisy's powerfully uplifting artwork.

Overview

Short, easy to understand and follow nuggets of daily wisdom. Sunshine on every single page. Allows the reader to dip in and out when needed or to find an area that may be challenging them and transform their thinking.

May be a bit too girly for very masculine men who are not into hearts and flowers.
Not as 'in depth' as her other books.

Heart Thoughts is like an uplifting rainbow after a challenging storm. Life can be like a storm at times and many of us simply don't have the inner resources to deal with the difficulties or the self-love necessary to change our lives. Louise, in her beautiful and nurturing way, takes the reader on a journey into self-acceptance and self-love.

This new gift edition instantly brightened my spirit and mood. The entire book is a work of art. As Louise guides the reader through topics such as abundance, healing relationships, grief, the inner child, weight, health and more, you begin to feel Louise really knows who you are. She seems to be so adept at understanding the human condition. Her warmth and kindness made me feel like I had a really loving grandmother, holding me tenderly, as I went through some challenging thoughts and difficult experiences.

The artist Katie Daisy's creativity complements the book brilliantly and really brings the words together until they have a lovely life of their own leaping off the page to soothe the spirit. The artwork made me want to return to the book time and time again and it's definitely a keeper.

'Heart Thoughts' can be read in the ordinary way from beginning to end or you can dip into the book when you have experiences you find challenging by looking at the categories and reading exactly what you need to hear. Or you can do what many people do, close your eyes and let the universe pick a page you may need to read in that moment.

At the back of the book there is a section where you can write your own unique heart thoughts, something I recommend everyone to do.

My favourite quotes from the book:

We do not have to know how to forgive. All we have to do is be willing to forgive. The Universe will take care of the how.

Just as all the stars and planets are in Divine right order, so are you. The heavens are in perfect alignment, and so are you.

Who should buy this book?

Mothers, grandmothers, daughters, friends - anyone that wants to change how they see themselves and others.

Anyone needing a special thank you or needing to cheer someone up. This is the perfect gift for anyone overcoming a period of ill health (mental or physical).

A perfect gift for a teenage daughter going through the challenging teen years. When life seems difficult and peer groups are not a support. A daily guidebook for change.

Louise offers the reader hope and upliftment in a time when people are going through a lot of change and uncertainty. A highly recommended read and gift.

I would like to give a big thanks to Hay House Publishing

for sponsoring this giveaway.

To enter, follow the instructions below and Punchtab

will take you through the entering process.

Good Luck!

The competition is open worldwide

Post Disclaimer: I received Heart Thoughts by Louise L Hay from Hay House publishing in the UK. All opinions are my own.

Change To Commenting - Disqus

2013-04-28T09:43:00.002+01:00

UPDATE: Disqus has a lot of traffic at the moment and is taking longer than usual.

Hi All,

I have just installed the Disqus commenting system. All old comments are currently importing to the new system and will appear within 12-48 hours. You can start leaving new comments in the meantime.

Disqus has many advantages and you can still post anonymously without a user account, but you do need to provide an email address.

I am currently testing it out and if it works I will keep, otherwise I can revert back to the old system. Let me know if you notice any bugs.

Thanks for your patience,

Kellyx

Smile And The World Smiles With You

2013-04-24T13:32:00.000+01:00

Image by MarkoMarko

Walking into my local Marks and Spencer's today, I crossed paths with a lady shopping. I smiled warmly at her and she responded with a grimace. My first initial reaction was to judge her, calling her names like 'miserable grumpy sod', and more inside my head. This was just an old memory being replayed, and within a few minutes I stopped myself in my tracks. It was not her job to make me happy; it was not her job to smile back.

I think many of us give to other people with conditions based on past programming, even when we don't mean to. Life reflects what is taking place inside of us. It may not be an exact mirror but my expectation of a non-positive response, based on similar experiences in my past, gave me just that.

And so walking away from the experience, I sat by Gloucester Docks and did some Ho'oponopono, the ancient Hawaiian method of forgiveness, acceptance and love. I cleaned this judgement out of me and continued my walk into town.

I realised that all most of us want is to be seen and heard. Some are frightened of rejection so don't put themselves out there with a smile in case it is rebuffed by a stranger. To give for the simple act of giving is something I am learning more about each day.

After an attitude adjustment, I walked into a new gift-shop in town that sells beautifully arranged, feminine, pretty gifts. I was overjoyed by the beauty and the obvious thought that had been put in to the shop. After a while of browsing, I locked eyes with the shop owner and struck up a conversation. What a gift to connect with strangers, embracing the world through another's eyes. I complimented her beautiful shop, listened to the story behind its creation and left feeling uplifted by the connection.

As I walked a short way up the street I saw another new shop, a local resident running it and was so pleased to see the area opening up to independent shopping areas. I was beaming a big smile. As I continued my walk I looked to my left and saw this elderly gentlemen, dressed in his best suit, sitting outside a pub drinking a beer. He locked eyes with me and said loudly "SMILE AND THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU!" and "Money can't buy you happiness!".

I was wowed! Not having had a synchronicity of this kind in some time I knew it was a message to listen up. So I stood and listened to this wise stranger express his heart's passion - making people happy!

He continued to tell me that too many people are unhappy, walking through the world with eyes turned down. I realised this is something I had noticed too. I am someone who possibly looks too many strangers in the eyes, but it's just part of who I am. He explained to me how his family did not like him because of his positivity and how it takes no time at all to cheer someone up and that is what he likes to do.

Smile and the world smiles with you!

It certainly does, when your open to it. Thank you wise stranger for your phenomenal gift. May you be blessed by many more smiles and much laughter!

If you enjoyed reading this post you may like to check out:

The Unfolding River Within

Inner Wealth

Recipe: Sugar-Free Chocolate Cake

2013-04-19T13:07:00.000+01:00

Can chocolate cake and sugar-free actually come together as one, and taste really good?

OH YES INDEED! THEY CAN!

As most of you know I have been on a no refined sugar journey for the past 3 months. I have not even had honey or sweeteners in my diet. I decided for my 37th birthday I wanted a birthday cake and I wanted to see if I could bake a tasty cake like I once enjoyed when I ate sugary sweet foods. And I am totally surprised at how lovely this turned out.

Now, I have finally introduced sweeteners into my diet. Not many and not often. I bought myself a box of xylitol sachets for my 1 decaf coffee a week when I go into town. So this cake has a little sweetener (a really small amount).

You will be surprised at the ingredients and amazed that this tastes so good (well I hope it tastes good to other people, it tasted divine to me).

So here is an amazing sugar-free chocolate cake, borrowed from my good friend Sharon, who got it from her friend and it has been slightly adapted with a delicious topping I borrowed off a site online.

You can also make this cake gluten-free with gluten-free flour so you could have a super healthy cake that tastes as good as any shop bought cake BUT with the added benefits of nutritious ingredients.

SUGAR-FREE Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Topping

Makes 1 large cake for a 20cm cake tin (half ingredients for a small cake).

Preparation time: 1 hour maximum with a food processor. I have not got a food processor, and this was my first time baking a cake like this so it took me around 4 hours (grin), but I had a lot of fun and that is what matters to me.

Equipment needed : 1 x 20cm loose bottom cake tin, grease-proof paper, food processor if using one, coffee grinder if you have not bought already ground oats. Wooden spoon, fork, knife, sieve. Electric whisk (or you can do it by hand).

Ingredients:

Cake Base

120g Rolled Oats (ground)
370g dates (soaked overnight)
6 ripe bananas
250ml of olive oil (or rapeseed)
360g of flour >>> I used 240 grams of kamut flour and 120g of 100% cocoa powder (my friend used a mix of brown rice flour, quinoa flour and spelt - BUT you could mix your flour in any way you want. I personally wanted a chocolate cake version).
6 tsp of bicarbonate of soda

Sugar-Free Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting
Borrowed from Just A Pinch Recipes HERE

With the ingredients for the topping I would say you can play around with the measurements to get the sweetness level right, I found 1 teaspoon of xylitol not enough but 2 was just right. This recipe uses 4 tbsp so that to me would be too much, adjust to your tastebuds as you mix.

60g unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled (My chocolate had xylitol added as nowhere in my local area sold unsweetened)
1/3 cup of whipped cream
125g unsalted butter softened
4 tbsp fine xylitol (I used 2 teaspoons as my chocolate has xylitol in the ingredients)
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract (not essence which is synthetic)
1/2 tsp chocolate extract (I did not add this)

Cake Base (with processor)

Process the dates and bananas then add the oil. Once processed add the ground oats. Process all together and then add the flour/cocoa and bicarb. Grease your cake tin and/or add cut greaseproof paper to fit the tin. (If you are using a non-stick tin, I recommend that you grease it and coat with flour, as non-stick often sticks.) Pour the mixture into the tin, smooth out the top of the cake so it is fairly even when it is finished (I dipped a knife into the left over date juice from soaking, this helped with smoothing it out) and add to the middle of your oven.

Cooking time: 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes on 160 degrees C. Adjust temperature if using a fan oven as oven temperatures can vary (I set mine to 150 degrees C for a little over an hour).

Cake Base (without food processor)

My friend laughed when I told her it took me 4 hours to make. She had originally said she did not know how I would do it without a food processor. I informed her during our united laughter that in the good old days they never had food processors and so I used a bit of elbow grease (not literally, might I add, that would not be good for the recipe!).

So if you do not have a food processor make it the old fashioned way and be prepared to enjoy the whole process. If you are not new to baking it will probably take you a far shorter time than it did me.

Once it is baked take it out let it cool down and after a while pop it on a cooling rack.

My process

After weighing out all the ingredients into bowls and plates (aka cookery programmes), I took the dates and placed them onto my wooden chopping board. I mashed them with a fork and once they were mashed fully I then took a large knife and chopped finely across the entire board (see photo below). I then placed this into a large mixing bowl. I kept the juice from the overnight soaking to use as a sweetener in other recipes.

I then took my 6 bananas and mashed them with a fork and placed them into the mixing bowl along with the dates.

I was a bit shocked at the oil measurements, a bit scared it was wrong, that seemed an awful lot of oil but I followed the recipe and mixed the oil into the dates and bananas using a wooden spoon.

I then processed the rolled oats in the coffee grinder section of my smoothie maker which did a great job at grinding the oats finely. I added the oats to the mixing bowl until well mixed.

I then sieved the flour and cocoa and added that and the bicarbonate of soda to the mixing bowl. I added this gradually and took my time to make sure it was fully mixed in. This was quite time-consuming and used a lot of energy but it is worth it.

Once I had finally finished, I greased my cake tin with butter, cut circular piece of grease-proof paper to fit the base of the tin and cut a piece of grease-proof paper to go around the sides. This was not really necessary, you can just grease the tin. I then added the mix to the tin, used a knife that I dipped into the left-over date-water from the night before to smooth the top of the cake down so it was even for cooking. I then popped it in the oven and began making the topping mixture.

Once the base is baked take it out let it cool down and after a while pop it on a cooling rack.

SUGAR-FREE Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

I enjoyed making the topping a lot. I am such a novice still when it comes to baking and cooking that simply whipping the cream brought out the giddy child in me. I used an electric whisk so if you did this part of the baking by hand this would increase the preparation time.

First I melted the chocolate in the microwave (you can do this in a pan). Cut it up into pieces first and add to a microwaveable container. Add this to the bowl or jug you are mixing into and allow it to cool.

Whip the double cream until it is goes firm and peaky but don't over-whip or it will go back to liquid. Then whisk this into the cooled chocolate using an electric mixer.

Beat on a medium speed and then add the butter (make sure this is quite soft has been standing a room temperature or you can warm a little in the microwave - but not to runny, just soft).

Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and xylitol. You may want to gently fold the cocoa in before whipping, otherwise you may end up with a face full of cocoa powder (yes this newbie baker did just that!). Continue to mix until the consistency is perfect for topping, taste test the sweetness level and add more if necessary.

Now at this point the recipe says it should be watery and can be placed in the refrigerator for easier spreading but mine was just the right consistency. So I would not put it in the fridge if yours turns out the same. I made the mistake following the instructions and having to re-whisk the cream topping so I could spread it again (I think our fridge is a super cool fridge to be honest).

FINAL PROCESS

Once your topping is ready in the bowl and your cake base is cool, now you can spread the delicious frosting on the cake. Add any extra toppings you would like. I added a few walnuts.

Hey presto your done! (WELL... not exactly hey presto the old fashioned energetic way but still yum!).

I left my cake out for one day as I indulged in several birthday slices and I then put it in the fridge. This made the topping mega yum! To me the topping tastes a lot like the topping you get on a really lovely gateaux when on holiday in the Med.

Hope you thoroughly enjoy it like I did, would love your feedback and alternative recipes.
My friend used a maple syrup and cocoa powder topping (this was too much sugar for me but when I had sugar it was tasty).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

For more updates on sugar-free recipes, inspirational posts and more follow at

BLOGLOVIN or NETWORKED BLOGS

GUEST BLOGGER : MICHAEL DOHERTY - Prostate Awareness

2013-04-18T13:39:00.000+01:00

WELCOME MICHAEL DOHERTY!

It is with great pleasure that I would like to announce a new guest writer on Kelly Martin Speaks - Michael Doherty.

Michael will be writing guest posts on the topics of men's health, relationships & ageing.

At 75, he has a wealth of life experience and a lot of knowledge on men's issues. He was a teacher for 15 years in both independent and local educational authority schools. He taught physics and mathematics.

He has also counselled on the subject of health, run circles on women's issues (hormones, self-assertiveness, etc), has done distant online healing and has written a book on the I CHING (yet to be published). His scientific background and metaphysical awareness bring a new element to Kelly Martin Speaks, bridging science and spirit, so thank you for joining us Michael.

The Michael Files (Michael's new blog)

Prostate Problems

PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THE DISCLAIMER AT THE END OF THIS POST.

I'm writing this blog to help guys understand a bit about their bodies, especially the parts that affect their manhood. I'll start off with my own story, or at least, my story so far.

My Personal Experience

I'm 75 and have developed an enlarged prostate, which was interfering with me peeing, pooing and possibly contributing to erectile dysfunction. I checked for the swelling myself. Yep, finger-up-bum job.

In my case, even if I had prostate cancer, I would not undergo chemo, surgery or radiation. The cancer might be slow growing, in which case I'd be happy to agree to stay out of its business if it stayed out of mine. If it were the aggressive type, it would probably have spread anyway, and I'd only have a short period to live.

All these medical interventions destroy quality of life, and may only extend life for a short time. Surgery often causes impotence and double incontinence, meaning you wet and mess yourself and have to wear nappies(diapers), taking away your pride and dignity.

I'd prefer to be dead. I would choose to live out my remaining time with the best quality of life I could manage, only seeking medical help for pain control at the end.

I'm not suggesting that anybody else should follow what I do. But, I am always aware that modern medicine hasn't been around for that long, about 70 years, and that the human race has survived without it for thousands of years. Consider Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic (Indian) medicine. Also, aboriginal peoples all around the world (Inuit, Australian Aborigines, American Indians, Bushmen, Amazonian Tribes, etc) have survived since the beginning of time without western-style medicine.

All these earlier forms of medicine work in harmony with the body, whereas western medicine just controls symptoms, but that's another story.

What I have done is to take the following supplements, which have reduced the symptoms, and my prostate has reduced in size.

Selenium. This is an essential trace element which is almost non-existent in modern foods, due to artificial fertilising in modern farming. Research suggests that selenium can limit the growth of cancers, especially prostate cancer.

Saw Palmetto. An ancient remedy for many conditions affecting the urinary system.

Grape Seed Extract. There is evidence that it can help reduce the incidence of prostate and colorectal cancers.

OK, that's the personal stuff over.

Now for the information:

Shared via Creative Commons Licensing from wikimedia

The prostate is a small gland about the size of a walnut, which lives under the bladder, and surrounds the tube that takes your pee from the bladder to the outside.

Its job is to make semen. When you ejaculate (cum), you produce a white liquid (semen), which is a carrier for your sperm. It's the stuff the sperm swims in to get to the egg in the woman's body.

One of the problems with our bodies, both male and female, is that we live too long. Our ancestors were lucky to live much beyond 30. As far as evolution is concerned, we don't matter as individuals, and the only reason we are alive at all, is just to pass on our genes to the next generation.

So, once we've reached our physical peak, around 30-35, and start to slide downhill, we've outlived our usefulness to evolution.

In other words, our bodies aren't designed to live to the 60s and 70s and beyond. That's why as we age we can suffer from all sorts of chronic health problems, and even though modern medicine is helping us live longer and longer, we've got to die of something.

For men over 50, one of the common problems is with the prostate, which has almost certainly outlived its usefulness. Yeah, I know some guys can make babies well into their 60s and 70s, but the quality of their sperm has reduced, and who wants to be a teenager when your Dad's a really old fart of 80 or 90.

Symptoms of Prostate Problems

Peeing difficult (Have to force it out. Days of firehose in pants long gone)

Peeing painful (Hurts as you go)

Peeing feels like burning (Can be infection, cystitis)

Peeing frequently (Especially at night)

Unable to pee (Very serious – immediate medical attention needed)

Can't stop dribbling after peeing

Blood in pee (Serious – see doctor)

Blood in cum (Serious – see doctor)

Difficult to get or keep erection (Hard-on)

Painful ejaculation (Cumming)

Frequent pain and stiffness lower back, hips or thighs

If you have any of the above symptoms, get a checkup.

These symptoms can be caused by other conditions, such as:

Sexually Transmitted Infections (Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia)

Bacterial Infection (Such as E-coli)

Yeast Infection (Candida. Often called Thrush – yes, guys get it too)

Urethritis - Inflammation of the urethra (Pee tube)

Prostate Cancer (More on this below)

As said before, get a checkup so your doctor can diagnose what's causing the symptoms.

There are 4 problems that can happen with the prostate:

Enlargement

Acute Prostatitis

Chronic Prostatitis

Prostate Cancer

Enlargement

Shared via Creative Commons licensing from Wikimedia

Very common in older men. The prostate gland swells, squeezing the pee tube (urethra). This can cause difficulty in peeing, dribbling, pain on peeing, frequent need to pee, especially at night. Your doctor will poke his finger up your bum to feel if the prostate is enlarged. (He'll wear a rubber finger sleeve and use a lubricant, so it's not so bad, even if it is a bit embarrassing and uncomfortable, since for most people their bum has always been a one-way street).

Your doctor calls this: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Benign Enlargement of the Prostate (BEP),

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (not correct, but often used)

Benign means not cancerous.

Hyperplasia means increase in number of cells.

(This is what happens in BPH)

Hypertrophy means increase in size of cells.

(This doesn't happen in BPH)

Acute Prostatitis

This is an infection of the prostate, caused by bacteria (germs, bugs, NOT viruses)

It comes on fast, usually with fever (check temperature – normal is 37C, 98.4F), chills, pain in lower back and between legs, hurts to pee.

You'll need antibiotics for this one, so off to the doctor. You can help by drinking plenty of fluids.

Chronic Prostatitis

This is an infection that keeps coming back, time after time. It's not usually as severe as the acute prostatitis, but it can last longer, and usually does. It's not so easy to treat, and antibiotics don't always work, because it may not be caused by bacteria (germs, bugs).

It can be an inflammation of the prostate. Cause not known. Treatments offered by doctors usually don't work. There are alternative/complementary treatments that can help.

Herbs such as 'Saw Palmetto', 'Quercitin', 'Cernilton' have been tested by regular doctors and scientists. They have been shown to help control the symptoms and improve quality of life. If you can't get them locally, they are available on the internet (check out Amazon)

There are other treatments available – acupressure can help. Chinese medicine can help a lot. Get a consultation with a registered Chinese health professional, or try the over the counter Chinese patent medicine Qian Lie Xian Wan [Prostate Gland Pills].

Prostate Cancer

This is one of the most common cancers affecting men. It's more common in black men than white men.

There are different types of prostate cancer. It usually grows slowly without symptoms, and many older men die of something else never knowing they've got it.

But there is a more aggressive form which spreads quickly, and which can be treated if caught early, but the treatments available, chemo, radiation, surgery, can have very serious side effects, but for some people, these side effects are a price worth paying.

There is a test for this, called the PSA test, but many doctors don't approve of using it, as it can give a lot of false positives. This means that the test can say you've got it when you haven't, which can lead to unnecessary and harmful treatments. Also, screening for prostate cancer doesn't reduce the mortality (death) rate.

There is a more reliable test called EN-2 but I'm not sure if it's available yet. For a very good site with stacks of information go to:

http://www.medicinenet.com/prostate_cancer/article.htm

For information about alternative/complementary treatments for prostate cancer:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/canceralternativetherapies.html

Both these sites are run by medically qualified people so you won't be getting any airy-fairy new-age BS.

Do women have a prostate?

You might wonder why a woman has a gland like your prostate, called the Skene's gland. You must remember that for your first 7 weeks in the womb, you grew as a female. At around seven weeks. the male hormones kicked in and you were on your way to being a guy. This is why guys have breasts, and women have a clitoris (her version of your penis). Her ovaries are your testicles and so on.

Her Skene's glands are responsible for making lubricating fluid during intercourse, (making her wet), and are probably responsible for female ejaculation (when she may squirt). This is not urine, so don't believe everything you see on porn sites. There, they are peeing, (or so I've been told).

The Skene's glands may also be the so-called G-spot. Some women have small Skene's glands, and in extreme cases the glands just aren't there. So, if these glands are the cause of female ejaculation and G-spot orgasms, this could explain why many women don't experience either.

To Summarise:

If you are suffering from any of the above symptoms, before you make your mind up what to do, look at the websites above and go for a check up with your doctor.

_________________________________

If you would like to follow Michael on his own blogging journey check out his blog TheMichaelFiles.com. It is a relatively new blog at time of posting but will offer a lot of his own personal insights, knowledge, resources on health, the world and more.

Disclaimer

The author of this blog is not medically qualified. The information contained in this blog is provided as the author's personal opinion, based on personal experience and research, for your information, education and interest. In no way is it offered as medical advice, as a diagnosis or as a treatment for any physical or mental condition I recommend that you consult your healthcare professional for advice should you consider using any of this information.

Under no circumstances should you make any changes to any medication regime that your physician has prescribed without the knowledge and permission of that physician, who is legally responsible for your primary healthcare.

The author's responses, if any, to any comments made by others, are not, in any way, to be considered as expert moderation. Any such responses are the author's personal opinion, and are not offered as advice.

The author is not responsible for the content of any external site that may be accessed via links contained within this blog.

Goodbye GFC and Hello New Ways To Follow Kelly Martin Speaks

2013-04-13T18:15:00.001+01:00

Hi all,

As you can see Kelly Martin Speaks has been flourishing with new blog posts lately, the site has expanded and I recently discovered a change taking place.

Google Friends Connect, it is said on the blogging circles, is probably going to disappear soon. Google have already said Google Reader is going, so, to keep you up-to-date with the recent goings on at Kelly Martin Speaks you have several other options now.

You can follow & add KMS to one of your circles on Google + HERE
You can follow via email (see sidebar)
You can follow via my new Facebook page HERE
You can follow via Networked Blogs HERE
You can follow via Twitter HERE
Or you can follow via the blog-follow site BLOGLOVIN.

See you Soon!

REVIEW : BioBee's Fresh Royal Jelly Elixir

2013-04-12T13:24:00.000+01:00

Extra Potent Elixir with Korean Ginseng Extract & Guarana (12ml x 10 vials).

Dosage: 1 vial per day.

Great daily boost. Full of life-enhancing properties. Good quality ingredients. May bring pain relief. Easy to drink vial. Energizing kick. Better nutritional, vitamin & mineral content than a cup of coffee in the morning. Starts the morning with a nice zingy feeling.

Not suitable for pregnant women, those sensitive to caffeine or diabetics.

After being asked by Bioceuticals to review their Biobee's Fresh Royal Jelly Elixir, I was slightly sceptical by the claims made for this 'natural' product. But the company gave a 100% satisfaction guarantee on the website, so I felt encouraged and keen to test the benefits of this extra-potent elixir.

I was not disappointed.

The elixir contains:

Fresh Royal Jelly

Korean Ginseng Extract

Guarana Powder

Damiana Aphrodisiaca Extract

Bee Pollen

Ginger

Liquorice

Sarsparilla Extract

in a base of Sorbitol, Molasses, Honey, Glycerin and Potassium Sorbate.

Free from: gluten, corn, starch, wheat, nuts, lactose, soya, dairy.

Does not contain artificial colour or flavours

ROYAL JELLY
Shared via Creative Commons from wikimedia.org

"Royal Egyptians used it to beautify the skin & they believed it prolonged health & life, produced instant energy & enhanced both male & female libido." - Bioceuticals - Royal Jelly

GINSENG
Shared via Creative Commons photo taken by Brian Negin

The inclusion of ginseng and guarana make this elixir an excellent natural energy booster, and may help to overcome tiredness, to raise libido and be especially useful for those training for sporting events.
As many of my readers know, I gave up coffee around 2 months ago. I loved my daily coffee, the enhanced clarity and energy from my daily boost, but, due to a few sleepless nights, I discovered I had become overly sensitive to caffeine. I am one of those people who can only handle stimulants occasionally and in moderation. For this reason I made the balanced decision to trial the elixir for 2 days and then monitor my close friend and house-mate Michael who would continue the course on my behalf.

On the two days I took the elixir, I had an instant energy boost. It surprised me how potent the elixir actually was. And the increased energy I had, on the two days I took it, was enough for me, as it lasted the entire day. It had a quite distinctive ginger taste, so it was quite hot when it hit the back of my throat, but this gave it the added "HELLO, I AM NOW AWAKE" factor.

In addition to the extra zing in my tail, it did not have the dehydrating effects of coffee on my body. So to me this is a great benefit. That, and the fact that it is rich in proteins, amino acids, vitamins and essential fatty acids made it distinctly different from my daily coffee. The kick with value.

As my friend took over he informed me that the Biobee's Elixir gave him a daily energy boost and made him feel more clear-minded. And one major added bonus he found, when taking the elixir, was that he had a migraine prior to waking one morning, and, as he woke up it was starting to get worse. Normally, it would get worse and he would have to rest, but after he took the elixir, the migraine lessened, and within an hour he had completely recovered. After researching the ingredients, I discovered that the herb ginseng has anti-inflammatory properties, which added to the properties of royal jelly and ginger, has the potential to reduce pain. It was highly effective pain relief for Michael.

The effect on his libido was not noticeable on this short course, but I can imagine the extra energy and healing properties would have the potential for this over time.

Chinese medicine has always been something that has fascinated me, and as Biobees has many ingredients often used in Chinese medicine, and is of the highest quality too, I can see the potential for longer term use of this product.

Healing Properties

Anti-inflammatory Ginseng, Royal Jelly & Ginger.
Energising Ginseng, Guarana & Sarsaparilla.
May help to enhance the libido (Damiana Aphrodisiaca Extract)
Improves digestion (Damiana Aphrodisiaca Extract & Ginger)
May lower stomach acid levels (liquorice)

Who would Biobees Fresh Royal Jelly Elixir benefit the most?

For anyone who finds it hard to get going in the mornings, suffers low energy, is feeling run down or is training for a sports event, then I would say that this would support your healthy living regime.

"Amazonian Indians, famed for their strength and endurance were convinced that this herb kept them in superb physical shape. It contains approximately twice as much caffeine as coffee and it is this that gives it its stimulatory properties, .." - Bioceuticals - Guarana

If you are someone who suffers from recurring headaches or migraines, then this elixir may also benefit you too. The nutritional and healing properties of the elixir as a whole would probably support a healthy living lifestyle.

My Cautionary Advice

This is not a product you want to misuse and over take. It contains caffeine and other stimulants, so use it wisely. One vial per day. It is not recommended during pregnancy or for anyone who is allergic to bee related products. I would advise those with diabetes to check with their Doctor before taking this product because of the molasses and honey content.

From my personal experience, I would also advise that any of my readers who may experience ongoing daily anxiety, or panic attacks, may not benefit from this elixir due to its stimulating qualities, which could increase anxiety levels. Please be sure to read the disclaimers below.

Thank you Bioceuticals for an interesting and informative experience.

BioBee's Fresh Royal Jelly Elixir

can be purchased direct

from bioceuticals.co.uk

for £23.54

Post Disclaimer: I received the product BioBee's Fresh Royal Jelly Elixir from Bioceuticals in the UK. All opinions are my own and those relayed from Michael Doherty regarding his experience with the product.

________________________________

Blog Disclaimer

The author of this blog is not medically qualified. The information contained in this blog is provided as the author's personal opinion, based on personal experience and research, for your information, education and interest. In no way is it offered as medical advice, as a diagnosis or as a treatment for any physical or mental condition I recommend that you consult your healthcare professional for advice should you consider using any of this information.

Under no circumstances should you make any changes to any medication regime that your physician has prescribed without the knowledge and permission of that physician, who is legally responsible for your primary healthcare.

The author's responses, if any, to any comments made by others, are not, in any way, to be considered as expert moderation. Any such responses are the author's personal opinion, and are not offered as advice.

The author is not responsible for the content of any external site that may be accessed via links contained within this blog.

What Causes Sugar Cravings?

2013-04-09T13:31:00.000+01:00

Photo shared via Creative Commons taken by
Mrs Magic

Craving sugar is not easy to overcome. Not when we live in a world surrounded by sugary substances; in a world where the food industry creates food and beverages deliberately so we crave their products; when convenience foods, sauces and even bread contain sugar, yes, craving sugar can be a difficult experience.

Read the labels. Anything ending in -ose is a sugar - glucose, sucrose, dextrose, fructose and so on. The worst one of all is HFCS, High Fructose Corn Syrup. This causes massive swings in your blood sugar levels and is really addictive, which is one reason the food manufacturers use it.

I am 3 months into my sugar detox and still I get cravings, not as much as I initially did but they are still there. One thing I have noticed is that certain foods make the cravings worse (salty foods always make me want sugar after eating them) and alcoholic beverages mess with my blood sugar and causes my moods and energy levels to fluctuate. But there is often more involved in cravings than simply detoxing. Some people crave refined carbohydrates all of the time. It could be sweet cakes and biscuits, to bread and pasta sauce. If you have given up sugar and are still craving heavily, you may want to find out if something else is lying beneath your cravings, something biological. For me, awareness is key, once you know, you can do something about it. So let's take a look at what causes sugar cravings.

Adrenaline Overload

Are you stressed, irritable when hungry? Do you sometimes feel dizzy or lightheaded when you stand up? Do you get reoccurring swollen glands and sore throats? Are you thirsty and have to urinate frequently?

If this is the case you may be experiencing adrenal overload. When we are stressed or under pressure, the job of our adrenal glands is to pump out the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. However, if we are overwhelmed by the stresses of modern life, these adrenal glands become sluggish and when this happens we reach for something sugary to get energy. Unfortunately, the effect is not long term and so the sugar-induced high will always be followed by a low which adds to the already stressed system by causing us to feel anxious and jittery.

What Can I Do?

If you are experiencing adrenal overload it is important to start grazing on food. Focusing primarily on high-protein meals throughout the day (cheese, eggs, nuts, sliced chicken). This will help keep your energy levels in balance and this in turn will make it easier for you to cut back on sugar. Also try and reduce your stress levels through some form of 'me time' through relaxing massages, to warm baths, to meditation or yoga.

Photo shared via Creative Commons by Funkyah

Thyroid Issues

If you are super busy and you can't go without your morning coffee to get you going and you crave coffee and sugary foods and drinks throughout the day and are still tired, experience regular headaches and aches and pains, are putting on weight, you could have thyroid issues.

If this sounds like you, you could have an underactive thyroid. Speak to doctor and ask for blood tests.

Photo shared via Creative Commons taken by Marfis75

What Can You Do?

If you are overworked, stressed, tired all the time, and suffering from headaches, it would benefit you to reduce your caffeine intake. Gradually reduce your coffee, as going cold turkey giving up coffee can sometimes cause headaches and other side effects. Try gradually reducing your consumption until you are onto one a day. Choose alternative drinks like herbal tea or coffee substitutes that can be found in many good health food stores.

To flush out your system drink more water, cut out refined sugar and refined flour products. Cut out processed foods for a while. Instead, eat more whole foods like brown rice, wholemeal bread and pasta, and use flours like wholemeal, spelt or kamut in any baking you do. By changing your eating habits you will begin to level out your blood sugar preventing huge highs and lows from excessive sugar and coffee consumption

If you are stressed, find some kind of relaxation technique like meditation or yoga. The main thing you need to change is getting a better sleep, and reducing your caffeine intake will help you do that. If you get a better sleep you will be less tired and less likely to crave stimulating foods and beverages to provide you with artificial energy boosts.

Yeast Infection

Photograph shared via Creative Commons by Moyan Brenn

Do you have a strong need for bread or sugar? Have you taken a course of antibiotics in your life? Especially in the last 2 years.

Your digestive system is home to a wide variety of bacteria and funguses (yeasts). This is fine so long as they are in balance. The 'good' ones keep the 'bad' ones under control. Antibiotics kill all bacteria, so you lose the 'good' ones as well as those causing your infection. This allows the funguses in your body to grow out of control. One particularly dangerous fungus is Candida Albicans which can cause all sorts of health problems if it's allowed to grow unchecked.

Yeasts live on sugar - it's their food source, so if you are eating food containing high sugar levels, you are almost certainly suffering from the effects of candida overgrowth, and because the yeasts need sugar to survive, your cravings are triggered.

Also, antacids neutralise the stomach acid that would normally help control bad bacteria and funguses, so instead of popping antacids, and believing the adverts, just eat something. The best way to control acid indigestion is to eat little and often - grazing.

What Can I do?

The first thing you need to do is cut back on all forms of sugar, as well as caffeine. You will then need to transform your way of eating to a low-GI diet. There are many books and resources on a low GI diet and you can live very well on a low-GI diet. It is also one diet that conventional doctors recommend for most people anyway. And to get your body back into balance you can then take a probiotic supplement to support a healthy gut (speak to your healthfood store manager - sometimes the yogurts are not enough). Take this for the recommended time. It normally takes some months for the balance to be restored in the body and by then the cravings will be less and easier to manage.

Photo shared via Creative Commons by Marcel Germain

Menopause or PMT

Are you aged 35 or over; do you suffer from low mood and low libido? Have your periods changed or are getting more irregular? Do you experience insomnia, headaches, fatigue and hot flushes the week before your period comes?

If this is the case you may be experiencing the menopause or perimenopause. This is the category I fall into. And the perimenopause and menopause can occur a lot earlier than many people think. I experience hot flashes, hirsuitism (excess hair) and many of the symptoms menopausal women have. And this is one of the reasons I am changing my eating habits and lifestyle.

You could also be experiencing pre-menstrual tension, now called PMS, (pre-menstrual syndrome).

Women become prone to insulin resistance when the levels of oestrogen and progesterone drop. Every cell in your body uses sugar (glucose) as its source of energy, but to get the sugar from your bloodstream into the cells, to get through the cell wall, needs a key, and that key is insulin. If you have high sugar levels in your body, your pancreas pumps out lots of insulin to get this sugar into the cells and out of the blood, where it can cause problems. But if there's too much insulin floating around, your cells get tired and the key doesn't work, so the cells are starved of energy, and tell your brain to eat some sugar.This causes your sugar cravings to soar, leaving you tired, irritable and miserable when you eat sugar.

As the hormone levels change, the body tries to raise the levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin and since sugar triggers a serotonin release this can then cause you to crave sweet things.

What Can I Do?

When this is happening it is time to cut sugar out as much as possible, and if you have PMT you may benefit from taking the vitamin B6, which helps ease the lack of the feel-good hormone prostaglandin E1. And, prostaglandin E1, if low, can cause irritability and sugar cravings.

If mood swings are the main issue, you may have too much sugar blocking your ability to change the substance GLA (gamma linoleic acid) into DGLA (dihomo-gamma-linleic acid). This is needed to produce prostaglandins that improve your mood. By reducing or removing sugar from your diet, your body can then make prostaglandin more efficiently.

Summary

So while you may be chomping on that 3rd or 4th biscuit, shaking because you have not had that jammy doughnut or slice of bread you may want to take a look and see if there is something else causing your sugar cravings.

If you have enjoyed reading the above these may interest you too.

The Myth Of The Low-Fat Diet

Gurus For Health : When Health Writers Dismiss People On A Lower Income

Are You Addicted To Sugar?

What Is Hiding Beneath Your Sugar Addiction?

Review: Salt, Sugar, Fat - How The Food Giants Hooked Us!

Detoxing My Life : Coffee - Sugar - Alcohol

You Only Live Once - Healthy & Whole

My Sugar Detox Journey So Far

Disclaimer
The author of this blog is not medically qualified. The information contained in this blog is provided as the author's personal opinion, based on personal experience and research, for your information, education and interest. In no way is it offered as medical advice, as a diagnosis or as a treatment for any physical or mental condition I recommend that you consult your healthcare professional for advice should you consider using any of this information. Under no circumstances should you make any changes to any medication regime that your physician has prescribed without the knowledge and permission of that physician, who is legally responsible for your primary healthcare.

The author's responses, if any, to any comments made by others, are not, in any way, to be considered as expert moderation. Any such responses are the author's personal opinion, and are not offered as advice.

The author is not responsible for the content of any external site that may be accessed via links contained within this blog.

Gurus For Health : When Health Writers Dismiss Lower-Income Consumers

2013-04-06T12:29:00.003+01:00

In my quest to improve my standard of living and to bring balance to my health, I investigated many different eating plans. Not calorie-controlled, low-fat diets but those that made sense to me for a more sustainable way of healthy living. I educated myself on the Genotype Diet by Dr Peter D'Adamo and the extremely popular Paleo Diet.

One thing I noticed in the above two eating plans, were expensive recipes and food options. With the Genotype diet, the best meats section included bison and buffalo, and for my Genotype of Teacher, my best food choices were goat and mutton, neither of which are readily available in UK supermarkets. Included in the poultry options were emu and ostrich, and in the fish section were fish I had never seen before in my local supermarket or market. My friend had the Gatherer Genotype and he had the selection of buffalo, bison and caribou. Now either the author of the Genotype diet wrote his book for the US market and in the US these meats are something you buy regularly in the supermarket (American readers please share if this is the case) or he was writing the book for a certain type of person.

Most of the options I have looked into, for both the Genotype and Paleo diets, involve trips to the local and more expensive specialist delicatessen, out of town farm markets and choices not readily available to the general public that have to shop in supermarkets for cost reasons.

The Paleo diet was probably the most expensive in that it encourages a largely protein and meat based diet. Not only protein, but the best cuts of meat, grass-fed, organic meat and vegetables. With it being largely meat and protein based, it is not very encouraging for vegetarians and vegans, making many of the eating plans unhelpful for those on a different diet or a low income. As it does not include grains or dairy, expensive alternatives are an essential part of the diet. For example, I looked into coconut flour and discovered it was 15 times the cost of my normal bag of flour. (500g Coconut Flour £5.99, 500g Plain Flour £0.40)

Many health gurus who teach about ways of eating, encourage people to buy organic, grass-fed, free-range, farmers market bought, meat and food. Not the cheaper cuts, or non-free range, non-organic products on the market.

While I understand, and ideally would love to eat all organic, free-range, grass-fed meat, I simply cannot at the moment. These eating plans come across as very elitist.. Some people pride themselves on being 'more healthy' and 'better consumers' because of the diets they choose. I understand it is a choice people make, but when it becomes a movement where if you eat this way you are doing the right thing and if you eat another way you are doing the wrong thing, I have to stand up and say NO! This is not acceptable to me.

I would love to have my entire kitchen stocked full of the foodie-loving delights of organic farms, and to support my local shops, and spend more to encourage local shopping, but until I am able to do so, I must accept and 'high five' those who are making the effort to be healthy and eat food based on what they are able to afford. No judgements on what you eat. If you choose expensive food, fine; if you love it, great! Just don't expect everyone else to want to be told that they are not eating correctly by someone who 'knows' the best way to eat.

Arrogance

Even metaphysical teachers are becoming health gurus. I remember being put off recently by a well known angel lady on Facebook who became very much involved in promoting organic and healthy food. Her followers all 'chimed-in' with how important it was. If one person commented they could not afford that food, some of the followers had the arrogant audacity to come back with: "Ask the angels. They will help you by bringing you the resources to buy organic." This is pure spiritual arrogance. Yes, if people are on a low budget, it may be taking them time to release any blocks to financial abundance, but in the meantime, while they make choices based on the best options available for them at the time, they certainly do not need fingers pointing and being told they 'should' do anything.

Unique Choices

I love animals, I adore animals. I was vegetarian for a few years. Not because I did not want to eat innocent animals but because my body told me it did not want to eat meat for a while. A few years later I went back to eating meat because my body told me that I must, because the vegetarian diet had depleted a few of the essential B vitamins I needed. I was following the advice of those vegetarian teachers BUT some people are not able to get B vitamins from non-meat products. My health improved, and my vitality and energy returned; so eating is indeed a personal experience. We are all unique.

For this reason I would love to eat organic meat but I am not going to beat myself up, or anyone else, if they cannot afford it. I honour the animal as best I can and give thanks for the food I eat and I have made my peace with that.

Sometimes healthy-eating gurus can be like politicians, not in the unpleasant lying way, but in the way that it would be great if they began to consider the everyday person and prioritise a segment of their teaching for those on a budget also.

Supporting Those That Are Obese And Want A Better Way

With obesity on the rise, people dying from food related diseases (diabetes, insulin resistance, heart disease etc), I would love to see the health gurus of the Paleo diet, the Genotype diet and many more, to see how worthwhile it would be teaching to those who really want it and need it, but who are on a low income.

I hope that those teaching healthy ways of eating of any kind do not consider those who currently eat convenience foods, experience obesity, and may have their senses dulled because of the high sugar intake, to be a lost cause.

There is a growing awakening taking place and awareness is growing about what is not good for the body. The body knows the way. If something makes us feel tired after eating it, it's not life-giving food; if something makes us feel wired after drinking or eating it, it's not life-enhancing food. But some people need education, so why not educate everyone, not just those on middle income or above?

For now, I am listening to my body, taking elements of the paleo diet and other ways of eating, incorporating what I can into my budget, but also seeing what represents 'balance' for me.

If you want to eat in a life-enhancing way, simply listen, listen to what your body is telling you and make choices from where you are.

I welcome your thoughts.

If you have enjoyed reading the above these may interest you too.

The Myth Of The Low-Fat Diet

Are You Addicted To Sugar?

What Is Hiding Beneath Your Sugar Addiction?

Review: Salt, Sugar, Fat - How The Food Giants Hooked Us!

Detoxing My Life : Coffee - Sugar - Alcohol

You Only Live Once - Healthy & Whole

My Sugar Detox Journey So Far

*Photos taken from Free Digital Photos.net

Book Review: 'Salt, Sugar, Fat - How The Food Giants Hooked Us' by Michael Moss

2013-04-01T18:23:00.002+01:00

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There comes a time in life when you no longer want to have the wool pulled over your eyes. For me, that time has been steadily approaching regarding the food we eat; the way it is presented to us, and what it all means to the state of the world. One such book pulled the wool away from my eyes, and that is the newly published 'Salt, Sugar, Fat' by the Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, Michael Moss.

On my quest to understand the food industry, and my horror at how much unwanted sugar is pumped into foods as cheap fillers, I stumbled across his book on Google and knew I just had to read it and share it. So I wrote to Random House requesting a copy to review and I was not disappointed.

I would say 'Salt, Sugar, Fat' is not only an expose on what is really going on in the food industry as a whole, but is a Bible for anyone wanting to know how marketing operates and how we, the consumers, are readily hoodwinked into buying so many things based on very deceptive marketing and extremely false advertising.

Mind-blowing expose on the foods we eat, the food industry as a whole, the way we as consumers are manipulated. Clear, concise, well investigated. A wake-up call!

A very in-depth book, brilliant for those wanting a thorough knowledge base on what is happening. However, those wanting knowledge and a more general overview this book may be too long. You need to be very interested and passionate about the topic.

This book is a real insider view, a long book, so you have to be extremely passionate about this topic to delve into the inner dark seedy world of the food industry, but if you want information, a worthwhile reference book, and a way to discourage yourself from buying into the media marketing tools used extensively in the advertising of most convenience foods, this book is for you.

The very fact that many heads of these huge corporations, like Kraft, General Foods and other top convenience food producers, would not eat or feed their own families the food they sell, is enough for me. But, add to this the dangerously scary marketing to children, this really brings it home. In many ways, I am glad that in the UK we have not been as brainwashed as the US population regarding these food products. Yes, we have many in this country, but from the vast amounts of money spent on advertising in the USA, it is no wonder that it is one of the main countries suffering from the obesity epidemic that is affecting the developed world (including the UK). When I read that certain sugary cereals were marketed to parents in a way that suggested that they would improve the school grades of their children, which was completely false advertising, and to companies adding tiny amounts of fruit to sugar-filled drinks so that they could loudly claim "CONTAINS FRUIT", to make consumers believe they are buying healthy natural drinks, leaves me horrified.

When one of the top heads of Coca-Cola was happily made redundant when he realised that the company was so brutal that it was happy to market Coca Cola to certain areas of South America that needed prosperity, food and shelter - not Coca Cola. These companies need their symbolic hands slapping hard. The Advertising Standards Authorities are clearly not doing enough. I would like all convenience foods, sugar-laden, saturated fat full, salt driven foods and drinks products to be clearly labelled "WARNING, this item, if consumed regularly, WILL LEAD TO HEALTH PROBLEMS": and for all advertising of these foods to be taken off TV. I would like to see children from an early age educated on the information in this book in schools. People need to be made aware so that they can make informed choices.

These food corporations do not take responsibility. They still blame the consumer for choosing to buy their foods & beverages, even though they have made them so thoroughly addictive by using trained chemists to create a 'BLISS POINT' in these products, that, much like crack cocaine, you will 'need' this food. They have done everything in their power to make the consumer addicted to their products, much like illegal drugs or cigarettes, for profit. They are responsible for marketing and creating products that have caused obesity and health issues. We, the consumers are responsible in that we need to investigate and become more aware.

'SALT, SUGAR, FAT' lifts the lid and blows the whistle on the food industry.

An excellent wake up call!

If random house are to do another publication of this book I would also recommend they make a short book, half the size for the general consumer. With key points, summaries of what is happening and has happened. While I found this book riveting I feel the only thing it lacked was the interest factor. A general consumer wanting awareness wants to know in a more general way what is going on but for those into marketing, writing, teaching, this book is an epic investigation and thoroughly researched.

'SALT, SUGAR, FAT' can be purchased from many leading retailers including Random House UK £20 for the hardback edition.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of 'Salt, Sugar, Fat' by Michael Moss from Random House via Edbury Publishing in the UK. I specifically asked for this book because of my interests on this blog and felt my readers would benefit from my honest review.

The Myth Of The Low-Fat Diet

2013-03-26T14:15:00.000Z

Many many years ago I bought into the whole diet industries message of: "You must eat low-fat to lose weight." I get why many people still buy into this message as it is still so big globally. Yet around 10 years ago, I started to ask the question: "Why, if low-fat is the way to lose weight, are there so many low-fat diets still on the market?" And then it dawned on me. The diet industry is a multi-million dollar industry, they make money from the books they sell, the classes, the add-ons (specific labelled foods for example : Weight Watchers).

The diet industry thrives because they have created an industry that relies on people never obtaining their ideal weight, and more so, never finding a sustainable, enjoyable way of losing it and keeping it off. Many diets are aimed at losing weight, not on transforming your overall health. Their taglines are: "Lose weight in 1 week", "Lose weight in 2 weeks", "Lose weight in a month". But most of the time it's not sustainable weight loss.

If you truly want to lose weight you need to change your lifestyle and attitude to food. See it as a life-enhancing change, not as a way to lose weight. Not only will you naturally lose weight but you will also be giving yourself a good balance of nutrition and vitamins and minerals in your diet.

So why is low-fat a myth?

Well, firstly there are many good fats, absolutely essential fats we need in our diet. A friend of mine told me of a diet she did when she was younger, I think it was a Rosemary Connolly diet. She said it completely eliminated fat altogether. It was not a health giving diet, lacked all the good fat that actually leaves you fuller for longer, instead of the way many diets leave you in 'starvation mode', a mode that actually makes you gain weight. Yes, often diets encourage weight increase because the body thinks it is starving, so it switches to the slowest metabolism rate possible, to conserve energy. Any spare energy is stored as fat, so that the body can get through the starvation period. This is why crash diets never work also.

When you lose weight first of all you lose water, then fat, and then some muscle. When you put the weight back on, it's water and fat, mainly fat. When you reduce weight again, you lose fat, and a bit more muscle. So every time you lose weight you lose some muscle. Every time you gain weight you just gain fat. So on Yo-Yo diets, you lose muscle. Your body becomes less and less healthy as you replace muscle with fat.

And secondly, many of the low-fat 'diet' foods on the market today cut out the saturated fats, yet to bulk the food out and give it that tasty mouthfeel experience we all love when eating, they fill it with sugar. Refined sugar. The kind of sugar that promotes cravings for more food, the sugar that actually puts weight on you. Food contains protein, fat and carbohydrates. So, if they reduce the fat they have got to increase one of the others, but protein is expensive. Sugar and refined carbohydrates are cheap. Now if you stuck to the meagre-sized portions you get on the low-fat calorie controlled diet, you may lose some weight, but, it's not sustainable unless you calorie count for life, and there is no fun in that, is there?

When we eat, we need to feel full and satisfied. Low-fat does not do this. If you transform your eating habits, cut back on your high carbohydrates like sugar-filled foods, bread made from white refined flour, all those excessive starches, like chips and potatoes, you can not only lose weight (often by a side effect not by trying) but you also feel more satisfied, fuller for longer and you will have more energy and vitality to live and thrive in your life.

One of the things about low-fat dieting is that you don't feel full of energy, so the motivation to continue does not last. The sugar-full products encourage more eating. The starving yourself of what your body needs encourages more eating. The tiredness and low energy encourages you to eat foods that will give you a quick hit of energy but then you will have a slump of energy not long after and need coffee or more carb-rich foods to get your energy back again. Your blood-sugar takes a spike and then it drops, leading to all kinds of health issues in later life. It's a viscous circle.

So what can you do if you want to lose weight?

Well... I know it is hard but cut back your sugar intake, release those cravings. Cut out bread and cakes and all those 'naughties' for a while. Yes, it may be a shock to the system but it takes 21 days to build a new habit and if you can do this, your new life change will continue. Once you take a break from overly sugary foods, breads and starches, your tastebuds do change and you can enjoy foods in a whole new way. But yes, it takes a commitment.

You can increase your protein in your diet: meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nut butters.
You can have a lot of vegetables.
If you crave really badly enjoy sumptious fruit.

BUT.. do not buy fruit juices like apple juice, orange juice, for example. All the fibre is taken out in the process of creating it and it makes your blood sugar hike up and down as much as refined sugar does.

I Need A Plan

If I was to advise any plan, if you really need a method of diet to follow, steer clear of the low-fat calorie-controlled diets. Look out for diets like the GI diet or GL diet. These all encourage eating foods that keep your blood sugar balanced so you have no energy highs followed by slumps. They keep you fuller for longer and even conventional Doctors encourage a low GI diet. Other diets (which can be quite costly) include the Paleo diet. This involves eating like our ancestors used to, eating like paleolithic man. Lots of protein, little sweetness (as honey was a rare thing to come by and an occasional treat), and lots of lovely vegetables.

The key with any plan is balance. Make sure you're getting a balance of everything your body needs.

SNACKS

One thing I have discovered is I have lost weight by eating more. This goes against everything I was trained to believe by the low-fat diet industry. So long as your snacks are not cake, chocolate, burgers in white bread buns or excessive amounts of potatoes you can snack. I was told that eating little and often is key so I can eat every 3 hours and still feel balanced and have plently of energy. This wakes up your metabolism so it burns off fat more quickly too. A much healthier way to lose weight than starvation diet plans.

My snacks include:

Banana Cocoa Cakes

Sliced apple with peanut butter.

Sliced chicken or turkey in the fridge.
Boiled eggs.
Ryvitas with a little butter.
Apples sliced with peanut butter spread over the slices.
Bananas.
Sugar-free banana oat cakes from this recipe here >>> Banana Cocoa Cakes
Two ingredient biscuits here >>> 2 Ingredient Cookies
Warm milk (normal whole milk or almond).
My future treat I am going to make for my birthday >>>Raw food candy with no added sugar or sweeteners

I have also discovered delicious NAKD raw fruit bars. For those tasty treats when you just really need something sweet. I had my first Cocoa Orange bar last night and it was heavenly. And these have no added sugar, are gluten, wheat and dairy free. I am looking forward to trying more.

So it can be done. With Easter just around the corner, lots of people indulging in chocolate Easter eggs packed full of refined sugar, I am baking biscuits and may make some cakes. If you have tried diet after diet and are just frustrated that it either does not work or you cannot stick at it, consider a life change and change your eating habits but not your enjoyment of eating.

Any questions, do ask, I am not a nutritionist or a diet expert. I only know what has not worked for me and what does. I am interested in your tips and what are your low carb snacks of choice? What gets you through those craving periods?

If you have enjoyed reading the above these may interest you too.

Are You Addicted To Sugar?

What Is Hiding Beneath Your Sugar Addiction?

Detoxing My Life : Coffee - Sugar - Alcohol

You Only Live Once - Healthy & Whole

My Sugar Detox Journey So Far

*Top 4 photos taken from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

You Only Live Once - Healthy & Whole

2013-03-23T11:57:00.000Z

While away up north with family 2 weeks ago, we tended to eat out most days. I was able to go sugar-free with the exception of a few glasses of wine and cider. I ate some deliciously stodgy foods, but realised that I could not live like that all the time. From beef-burgers in white flour buns, to roast dinner, potatoes, fish in batter and chips, it was nice, but I could feel that eating like that consistently would totally knock me off balance.

I would put on weight, sap my energy and mess with my digestion. And while I was away it did. The food made me constipated and tired, yet many people in restaurants and family said to me "Ah well... you only live once!".

This is a mantra said by everyone who believes that fatty, stodgy, sugary food is so tasty and is part of 'living'. I don't agree anymore. I don't want to just physically survive, but thrive in my body. I want to be full of vitality, and to experience my life journey energised. But, eating high carbohydrate foods and foods high in starch like bread, batter, desserts and potatoes is not life-enhancing food. Yes it tastes yummy, and yes it's nice occasionally, but as a regular diet choice, it's not going to support your life. You may only live once, but the cons of such a diet could mean that you live a tired, ill, full of aches and pains, arthritis, popping lots of pharmaceutical pills, kind of life. That's not my idea of living.

Many could say: "But you could eat healthily and be run over by a bus tomorrow, or still get sick". Yes, this is true, but who says that eating healthy is not tasty or satisfying? Once you kick the sugar addiction and the stodge addiction, your body yearns for healthy life-giving foods.

A good friend always says to me "Let the first mouthful be the banquet" and what he means is, enjoy a little taste but no need to eat the entire banquet every day. It's not so much of a joy when you have the opportunity to taste something different.

While sitting at the airport writing this blog, the cafe server asked me if I wanted the meal deal with a bag of crisps included, saying: "You only live once!". I nodded and sat down and ate my yucky stodgy bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich with gluten sticking to my teeth. And thought to myself "Yes, I only live once and I choose to live fully!".

What have you given up and have later discovered you no longer like?

How does food taste since you changed to a more healthy lifestyle?

*Burger photo from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Balanced Power - International Women's Day

2013-03-08T14:22:00.001Z

Woman as Goddess
Created by http://swaggoverload.deviantart.com/art/The-Fire-Goddess-124894550

It seems a really important time for women in the world. Since last year, women have begun rising up for women's rights more than ever. Some men have been supporting women in their challenge of abuse, violence and rape, and the general way in which women have been used and abused for centuries. Some very patriarchal cultures, for example India, have a very controlling way of viewing women; very behind the times of the changing cultural perspective on women, and in other cultures women are also seen as second class citizens. It is perfectly natural that the growing energy of anger and frustration of women, has been building, and now that energy has reach tipping point and women are voicing their needs more and more.

Patriarchal Structure
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Al_Quds_Patriarch.jpg

We are after all 50% of the global population, so this is our time. A time of more balance between the sexes and a balance of the feminine and masculine in society.

Women tried to bring that balance back many years ago when feminism was a new concept, and it did do a lot, but it also lacked the real feminine energy. It was more a masculine energy embodied in the feminine. It was a starting point to improve women's rights.

Margaret Thatcher An example of an unbalanced
masculine energy embodied in female form.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Margaret_Thatcher.png

Margaret Thatcher is a good example of the way feminist society came through in the UK, yet because politics is a masculine power structure, she too had to become very masculine through her female form to get where she did. Now I feel confident that a new way of being a woman has entered the world and it is emerging more and more each day.

I feel that with many new examples of group dynamics, like ladettes*, came an unbalanced power in women. Women have become the predators when for example out drinking with friends, preying on men. We need to swing the pendulum back towards the centre, and find our strength in the strong, gentle feminine energy; the intuitive and the receptive qualities of our essential natures.

Photo by J. Gimme™http://www.flickr.com/photos/young_socialite/7346527316/

I hope to see the porn industry change and for more women to say no to partners that have been brainwashed to think healthy sexual behaviour is what they see in porn movies. This is simply not true. Letting a man deep-throat you, or express his orgasm on your face is not healthy sex, it is dominance and power of the patriarchal energy. The porn industry is an element of the imbalance of masculine/feminine and I am glad that books like 'Fifty Shades of Grey' are allowing women to explore their sexual nature more, yet even then, the man has the power and control over the woman.

I can't be the only one who is deeply offended by the porn industry, and the education it is breeding in the men of the world.

So on this International Women's Day, I ask you,

what do you feel as a woman about the changes taking place?

What are your views on the porn industry?

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

*ladettes - a young woman who behaves in a boisterously assertive or crude manner and engages in heavy drinking sessions.

What Is Hiding Beneath Your Sugar Addiction?

2013-02-25T18:02:00.000Z

Beneath all addiction is pain or trauma of some kind. When we look at an alcoholic or drug addict we think they must be doing it to escape some trauma, but we generally don't consider that our own 'normal' addiction to sugar may have a lot of deep dark secrets that we too are trying to escape from.

With sugar addiction we may have had it for so long, perhaps a whole lifetime and have no idea why we started using sugar to soothe or comfort us but somewhere back there in the recesses of our subconscious are memories stored, often to be revealed as we let the sugar go.

Many may say "well my mother gave me chocolate" or "all my friends were eating it" but somewhere back in our lives we said yes to more than a little sugar. We said yes to a consistent drug habit, sugar is like cocaine, it's a habit we continue.

Sugar, before we discovered how bad it is for the body, was advertised as a healthy substance. The producers claimed it was a product that gave us energy, so it must be good. Unlike cigarettes you don't see warning labels on the side of a chocolate bar or a pack of sugar; we should, but we don't. In fact sugar can cause and create more health issues than cigarettes, but it's big business and is unlikely to be labelled a danger until more people die from obesity or other diseases related to consuming it.

I don't recall my first taste of a sugary substance but I know my taste-buds must have liked the taste. Since giving up sugar over a month now I remember reading somewhere that coming off sugar also is a far deeper healing than just physical health. For some reason I thought it would not happen to me; it would be clean, easy, graceful. I would let the sugar go and be super healthy. I was wrong.

Today, full moon, menstruation in full flow, I had some deep dark feelings arise from within myself. They had been trying to come up every day since giving up sugar but to a lesser degree. Prior to giving up sugar I knew these feelings were there, BUT like many addicts I ate cakes, chocolate and drank coffee with sugar to soothe that pain. I did not think anything of it, it felt normal, everybody else was doing it, so it must be 'normal', right?

What has been getting stronger and stronger for me each day is the emotion of jealousy. Jealousy of people having what I want, resentment towards them and then something deeper began to surface.

After talking to a friend online about the material jealousy and resentment, I started to think about jealousy in relationships, and for some reason some old memories began to surface. And so here I am sharing those memories. Not in detail, to protect the people involved, but in general.

I started eating chocolate and cake from an early age but more so in my teens. What began was a pattern of rejection in my friendships. As a shy child I found it hard to make friends, but my first friend in primary school was what you call a best friend. We were friends for some time; people called us 'little and large' as I was so tall and she was so small. What happened within that friendship began a cycle of suffering for me which I started gradually stuffing down with cakes, biscuits, chocolate, crisps and anything that would soothe and blot out the pain.

My first friend made a new friend. She then coupled up and try as I might to join in friendships at school they tend to come in twos. It's hard to be in a three. I am not sure if I was the only one that experienced this, but this was my experience. This hurt me to the core. I was around 8 years old. From this moment I began to feel very alone and an outsider. I was rejected. I felt not good enough. And I made a new friend, she made a better friend. I met a new friend, she made a better friend.

Until eventually I joined the dreaded high school.

I made a good friend in high school, but alas, she made a better friend. I made another friend, we spent a lot of time together, she met a better friend. And it got to the point in high school that I was afraid of lunchtime and breaks. The school yard seemed so huge, and most of the time I looked for someone to stand next to. I was painfully shy and I had a few friends but no-one I was close to anymore. I was always on the outside looking in. Whenever I spoke to make connections in this group of social girls, they often looked at me and sniggered as if I had said something wrong, or embarrassing. I think I spent a lot of time blushing and feeling stupid. So high school sucked big time, like I imagine it did for many people. A little way into school all of my friends joined the school production in the theatre group. Being shy I did not have the confidence to join. So I was left totally alone. I went from one rejection to another to another. Till I just felt all alone.

And then my sugar addiction kicked in. Cake, biscuits, chocolate, they were my comfort, they were the nurturing hands I felt I needed. I felt isolated, unworthy. All the insecure feelings someone with low self-esteem exhibits. When I telephoned friends to find out if they wanted to go out and they said they were busy, to only find out they had gone out with someone else and did not want to go out with me, it hurt. So I ate more and more. I was not obese as a child, but I did have tree-trunk thighs as my family called them and did not feel attractive. Bad acne, all the usual teenage symptoms. But yes that is when my sugar addiction began.

The more I was rejected, the more I lost trust in other humans, and had to come to rely on my own company. I developed coping mechanisms in food and watching television to zone out. When I was 13 my sister was born and my parents were so busy with her they stopped listening to me.

And so right now releasing sugar I am facing the pain of the past.

This is a big learning curve for me. It is a challenge to release the pain, resentment, jealousy and to realise that I am enough, that I deserve better and that I am lovable.

So where do I go from here?

Well, as you will know if you follow my blog, I have been unravelling layers of me for a long time. It's important to become aware of what holds us back in life, what we resist, what blocks we have so that we can grow into the whole human being we all really are inside.

What we resist persists, and although the jealousy began with the jealousy of what other people have that I want, it has taken me into older wounds to be healed. They had been festering for so long that I had been covering them with my sugar band-aid, but I can't do that anymore. It is now time to face these inner fears, these feelings, these insecurities.

I am reminded of a saying I read recently :

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Author Unknown

And it is true that we all have inner demons to soothe, to become aware of and sometimes we are not ready to see them and to heal. Ten years ago I was not ready to heal or face this pain and now I am. And for this I am grateful for being inwardly guided to give up sugar, and then coffee.

From this moment on I will be looking at these feelings, using EFT (emofree.com) to tap the energy centres to release any resistance to moving forward on this topic.

I know from the old relationship patterns, I will need to move onto jealousy at a more surface level (jealousy of people having what I want) but it is possible by allowing the old pain to be released, this too will fall into place and make more sense to me.

Sugar, over-eating, too much coffee, drugs, alcohol, work-a-holism, obsessive gossiping, all hides something we do not want to face.

There is nothing wrong with band-aids, they serve a purpose. They protect us from pain, they nurture our wounds, they cover up anything we are unable or not ready to handle at the time. When we are ready they will fall away or stay.

Good luck with your own release, whatever it is you are releasing. I know mine is going to be an ongoing process, a journey of self-love, self-acceptance and self-nurturing and support. It is time I supported myself now without sugar. It is time to support myself now without being dependent on others to do this for me. And it begins now.

Are you ready to remove your band-aids? And what is lying beneath them?

Excellent EFT tools for tapping on the issues behind sugar here :

Personal Peace Procedure
Tell The Story Technique

*Photos used with permission from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

My Sugar-Free Pancake Flower - No Need To Give Up On Life's Pleasures

2013-02-24T15:56:00.000Z

Sunshine Pancake Flower

Prior to Shrove Tuesday in the UK (Pancake Day) I sat on my sofa wracking my brain on what on earth I could do on pancake day, what could I eat?

It has been a month now on my sugar-free health detox and I realised that anything can be adapted for a more healthy lifestyle and we can still have treats.

Pancake Day was my most favourite foodie holiday. Before going sugar & refined flour free, I would have around 7 pancakes topped in acres of sugar and lemon juice. In essence I was a pancake fiend. As you can see from my more recent blog post 'Are You Addicted To Sugar?' I was indeed a sugar addict and it was having a detrimental affect on my health. So for this Shrove Tuesday I made a beautiful pancake flower.

My pancake, instead of being made with refined flour, used beautiful wholesome kamut flour, I had no sugar in the recipe & no honey or other types of sweetener (crikey?! No sweeteners?). Why did I do this? Well as a recovering sugar-addict I needed to get my taste-buds used to less sweet products, so this was my personal choice. You may add sweeteners to my recipe or not, it's entirely up to you.

So here is my Pancake Sunshine Flower. Lots of fruit made up for the lack of sugar and sweeteners, and I was satisfied by one pancake (instead of my usual 7).

I was using an adapted American recipe, so measure in cups (and to be honest I find this so much easier now).

I used:

1 Cup of Kamut Flour

1 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 1/4 cup of whole milk (I now use almond milk and its a lovely alternative)

1 tablespoon of natural yoghurt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Toppings: fruit, cream.

I heated the frying pan and placed a small amount of butter (I prefer butter to oil in the pan for pancakes, especially when your going sugar-free, it gives you that extra satisfying oomph!).

In a medium bowl I placed the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon (at this stage if you cannot imagine no sweetener, add 1 tablespoon of honey, agave syrup... whatever you prefer).

In another bowl mix together the milk, yoghurt, eggs and vanilla.

Bring together the wet and dry ingredients in one bowl (or a large jug - I found this helpful for pouring into the pan). Mix together fully until it looks like a good pancake mixture (I used an electric hand blender to do this). And add more milk if necessary.

Pour your required amount into the hot frying pan and cook until bubbly and then flip (or if your coward like me, carefully turn over with a spatula lol!).

And there you go, a healthy pancake alternative full of sunshine and happiness!

Once on the plate add your favourite fruit. I used strawberries, kiwi, mandarin oranges, melon and peaches. Many of my fruits were inexpensive and were bought in their own juice in tins. The others were in the reduced section of the supermarket (budget conscious a priority for me!). And as an added treat I poured a little single cream over the pancake, delicious!

This is my entry for the CONFUSED.COM's pancake challenge.

I love a good challenge and the prize is a fantastic health conscious Philips Airfryer

Confused.Com Pancake Challenge Competition

Detoxing My Life : sugar - coffee - alcohol

2013-02-18T17:48:00.000Z

Oats, cocoa, dessicated coconut & some other healthy ingredients
making a healthy banana cake.

So on January 20th 2013 I gave up sugar. And about 2 weeks ago I gave up coffee. And just over 1 week ago I gave up drinking wine. I am in awe of what I am being guided to do right now to experience optimum health and well-being, while surrounded by a sugar, coffee and artificial stimulant driven society.

I gave up sugar because I discovered the damage it has on the body & skin (check out these 2 blog posts for further info: Are You Addicted To Sugar? & Early menopause or Hormonal Imbalance? ). With mood swings, emotional highs and lows, skin changing and hormonal imbalance I knew I had to let sugar go. But coffee? This came as a complete surprise.

While having my final coffee in a cafe with a friend, my first coffee without sugar, I thought 'at least I have one 'naughty' still in my life.' Something stirred inside me when I saw her herbal tea. It looked and felt much better for me, but I listened to my mind telling me coffee is much nicer and so I had one cup of coffee at around 4pm. I thought nothing of it until I tried to sleep that night. One coffee and 24 hours later I finally got to sleep. Coffee had messed with my brain chemistry so much I was wired and felt like a rabbit in headlights. I was literally staring into the room the entire night until I decided to go online and surf the net for a few hours.

In my favourite coffee shop where I spent many morning with a hot
cappuccino I am now drinking herbal tea. This is going to take
some getting used to.

The next day I realised I could not drink coffee again. Not only had it completely disturbed me; it made me realise how sensitive I was to it. Even though I had to have at least 2 cups a day normally, this one day (after 2-3 days not having any coffee) had totally thrown me off balance. And one surprising and pleasing result of giving up the coffee is that my night panics have stopped. For around 2 years now I had been having panic attacks, well they felt like panic attacks, during the night. The doctor could not explain it as it was nothing like a normal panic attack as I was not thinking any stressful thoughts; in fact I was at the most relaxed you could be, in the moment where you are just about to fall asleep. I would then suddenly wake myself gasping for air as if I had stopped breathing. I gave up coffee and I have not had a night panic since!

And to add to coffee and sugar, I am now taking a break from drinking wine. I am not sure if I can drink cider. I am yet to discover this but I am taking a break as the tiny bit of rosacea I have on one cheek on my face came out in the thickest whitehead rash I have ever had. This was after 1 glass of wine. Somebody has recently told me organic is better, not so many chemicals in it. I may try it sometime when I have no prior engagements that week as it really messed up my skin. Cider may be okay occasionally, but still not sure.

Finished banana cakes (slightly burnt - my first try!).

I feel sometimes our bodies are so over-toxified that they are literally screaming for a break, and mine sure was. My challenge will be when eating out, which I will be doing in March when visiting family. I have reduced my intake of refined flour and eat mainly brown rice and wholewheat pasta when I have carbohydrates now, mainly because white refined flour can cause blood sugar spikes much like sugar, not to the same degree but they do nevertheless. Also there is very little nutrition in normal refined flour so I am using Kamut and Buckwheat flour instead. Kamut for bread and other baked goods and buckwheat for breakfast pancakes.

Buckwheat pancakes, smothered in butter and banana.
No sugar, no sweeteners.

My cows milk intake has gone down too. I have never felt that having a lot of cows milk is good for me - it's not good for the sinuses and it doesn't make sense. Cows ween their calves off the milk at a certain age yet we still consume it, not surprising that so many people have lactose intolerances nowadays.

Instead I found a wonderful milk called almond milk by Almond Breeze. I bought the unsweetened version but they have other products too. I used to have rice milk and soya many years back when I was vegetarian. I did feel better not having cows milk, but these products (especially rice milk) have very little nutrition in them. And with cows milk the body finds it really difficult to absorb the calcium from the milk, far better to eat green leafy vegetables and have almonds for a source of calcium than cows milk. I guess we have been brainwashed to think 'cows milk is white so it must be good for the bones' but its simply not true.

Instead of these changes being difficult, I now see it as an exciting challenge to find alternatives. I realise that my way of eating now is growing very close to the Paleo diet . Not fully as its quite an expensive diet, but most of the way I eat and drink is leaning more towards it. And because it is so close to the paleo (who knows I may go full paleo when I am able too), there are numerous healthy food and beverage choices for me now. I do miss coffee and cream incredibly, and I do have some work to do on this, to release the attachment, but I have seen some no-sugar hot chocolate recipes online that include pure cocoa, coconut milk and dates, so I hope to try this soon. All-in-all it's been quite an easy transition. I am not sure how, perhaps I was just fully ready, perhaps I just felt so strongly that I wanted to be hormonally healthy that I would make this change easily, or perhaps my inner self, my spiritual self is helping me release any cravings, who knows? All I know is I am doing the right thing for me right now.

So it's nearly 1 month on and how do I feel?

I feel a lot less anxious, no night panics, less hormonally challenged (not fully balanced on this yet but hoping that as I continue my new eating plan this will change), my skin feels firmer and an extra bonus is that I have lost around 8lbs so far and this was not intentional. I would love to get to 11stone as I feel this would be an ideal weight for my 5'10" height.

Would I recommend a detox journey? Yes. If you suffer from anxiety, hormonal imbalance, are overweight, have skin issues, this could help you a lot.

Anything you think you couldn't do without is generally what you need to let go of and stop consuming.

Our addictions and food obsessions are red flags for the body. We have internal resources for a healthy balance; we don't need coffee for artificial energy boosts. Without coffee our bodies give us more than enough energy to live day-to-day. Good healthy food full of nutritional value gives you the correct form of longer term energy. Sugar is highly addictive and damaging to the body, dulls the senses too, especially over time.

So for me it was no brainer. I chose health above short term satisfaction.

Good luck on your own personal detox and let me know how you get on.

My Sugar Detox Journey So Far - 18 Days In

2013-02-06T12:04:00.000Z

I am amazed at how much time has flown by since I posted Are You Addicted To Sugar? I felt it would be important to share my journey so far.

As a recovering sugar addict, I know many people will wonder what it would feel like to come off sugar in a world where we are surrounded and encouraged to take in sugar every single day. My journey has gone amazingly well. I am surprised I have not fallen off the detox wagon, but I feel my investigations into the role sugar plays in so many health issues has really sunk in. Even if cravings arise and someone places a a cake in front of me, I would not choose the cake, I would choose my health.

So, 18 days now without eating sugary products.

My first week was probably the hardest. Also discovering throughout this journey that even cereals on a low GI diet that are recommended, are something I had to let go of. Instead of my usual cornflakes and a spoonful of sugar with milk each morning I changed it to All-Bran. I thought I was doing the right thing until I checked the ingredients and realised the amount of sugar that the company adds to All-Bran was equivalent to what I put on my cornflakes. This horrified me at the time, as I thought I had gotten really clear on products that contained sugar but I was wrong. Most commercially sold cereals have added sugar in them. And, I wondered why I enjoyed the taste of All-Bran a little too much. So no more All-Bran, and no more commercially produced cereals for breakfast.

Now, being on a budget, changing my diet has been somewhat of a challenge, but I have had to do what I can with the options I have, and in the future I hope to go more organic, but for now, I am making the best of it.

In the first week I craved chocolate the most. TV adverts were a challenge. And as I am on social networks a lot, companies sharing doughnuts, chocolate, cake etc etc... was slightly tormenting to the say the least, but something in me was very disciplined. I sought out alternatives to snack on, to help me through my cravings and they worked and help me a lot.

To add to my sugar detox, I have had a lot of back pain as I am recovering from neural tension right now and so with often-intense pain the cravings were bigger. It's understandable, any kind of the pain in my past, be it emotional, physical or mental, anguish resulted in my reaching for the chocolate bar or anything sweet, so I am very proud of myself that I have gone through this when in pain and still not indulged in my old crutch of chocolate.

Now, many sites say you can have side effects from letting sugar go, headaches, skin breakouts and other issues. I have not had any, but I think it is because my skin was in such poor shape from hormonal imbalance and from overindulging in sugar over the years that it is probably very relieved. I had a slight headache during menstruation but that is not unusual for that time of month for me.

So, you may be asking how on earth have I coped? What have been my coping mechanisms?

My main coping mechanism has been drinking plenty of water and herbal tea. I have not totally cut out coffee, but it really tastes different without sugar. Instead of having 2 cups daily, I am having one small cup every 2-3 days instead. I have also had plenty of protein and fat in my diet. And don't feel scared you will put on weight. I have lost around 5lbs which is a nice steady weight to lose and this was not intentional. So long as you eat in moderation and do not have huge meals, you can have very fulfilling meals during your detox.

For breakfast I have been having:

Porridge with sliced banana and walnuts.

Natural yoghurt with fruits and berries (I bought frozen).

Wholemeal toast and scrambled eggs.

I am waiting for a delivery of both Kamut flour and more Buckwheat flour so that I can have once a week pancakes or breakfast muffins. I also want to make my own bread as all shop-bought bread in supermarkets, even if it is says it is wholemeal in large letters, actually has white refined flour in it too. This is to make it extra fluffy and not so heavy for those who buy it. Personally I find it completely deceptive marketing to say it is wholemeal when it clearly is not.

I am cutting out refined flour also, as white flour is much like sugar in that it can cause blood sugar to go up and down.

You can also have savoury breakfasts, meat, bacon, eggs.. but I personally would not have this every day, just mix it up a bit so you don't get bored. It has been strange not having sugar in the morning, so I made a substitute with bananas. I have not gone into other sugar substitutes like agave nectar or honey yet. I wanted my taste-buds to get used to less sweet products and just to get that from natural fruit sugars.

For lunch I have been having:

Ryvitas (rye crispbreads) with a spread of cream cheese (I use Philadelphia) and a couple of slices of thin ham. Some ham has a lot of sugar added to it but some of the wafer thin ham has negligible amounts. As I said in my other blog post, food companies add sugar to pretty much everything, so read the labels when shopping. Also if you have fat, or dairy with anything that contains sugar, it slows the absorption of sugar into the blood stream. Again, moderation, I don't like to have a lot of dairy.
Hummus on oatcakes. I have around 6 oatcakes with around 70g of hummus, this way a single pot lasts me 4 days for lunch.
Leftover food from the main meal the night before.

Soft-boiled eggs and soldiers. Butter on toast, not margarine.

For dinner I have been having:

Pollock coated in an egg/milk mix, rolled in oats and fried and served with salad.

Roasted vegetable fritatta (you can have ham, meat, potato in it if you want, there are many recipes for this online and it's so deliciously filling) I have this with vegetables or salad.

Chicken Cordon Bleu - chicken wrapped in bacon and covered in a Swiss cheese and finished with Parmesan served with vegetables cooked in butter.
Fried breakfast - egg, bacon and mushrooms - sometimes sausages, but check the sugar and flour content (I grill the bacon).
Fish fingers, peas and carrots (yes, you can have this child-like favourite- just leave off the tomato ketchup or mayonnaise) I like to sprinkle it with lemon juice or vinegar and salt. Fish fingers do have some refined flour in the coating but its negligible and low GI.

Now for what I imagine most of you are asking, what on earth can I have instead of chocolate, cakes, sweet foods for snacks when I am going through the major craving phase or just feel a little peckish? (apart from liquids).

This has been fantastic to discover what is out there. My snacks of choice are:

If feeling emotional and you really cannot find a way to soothe yourself without anything digested, I go for a cup of warm milk.

Sliced apple, sprinkle cinnamon on the slices. This is a brilliant craving stopper and a twitter friend who recommended it also said you can heat it a little in the microwave and top with sliced almonds for a little makeshift apple pie.

Grapes (not lots but having some around the house helps)

And my favourite is sliced apple with peanut butter on top. With this snack you get all the goodness from the apple or the good oils, proteins from the peanut butter and this is not something I would have ever put together but it works really well.

BEVERAGES:

Water
Fennel tea
Camomile tea
Occasional coffee with cream
If dining out choose wine, dry cider instead of beer or sweet cider. Preferably red wine the experts say - I choose white wine as red gives me a rash on my face.

I think it's possibly too soon to measure the changes in me, especially as I am healing from a back issue, but I must say my mood fluctuations have been considerably less considering circumstances right now. And my bowel movements are more regular and easy, whereas before I was lucky to go once a day and was often constipated.

After a month I will do another update to share the changes taking place.

Good Luck and any questions just ask.

*Photos from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Are You Addicted To Sugar? Toxic Overload

2013-01-29T18:43:00.003Z

It is funny how health concerns really make you assess your life and eating habits. This past few months I have had some health issues and one of those is hormonal imbalance. I realised the skin beneath my eyes was beginning to lose its elasticity (I spoke more about this imbalance in my blog post Early Menopause HERE) and I was getting more facial hair on my chin, along with a number of other hormonal symptoms. Now I realise what a gift my body has given me because it has been seeking out what it needs and what is no longer healing or supportive for my human vessel.

Now Sugar. Well I would say I have been addicted to sugar since a child, even more so in my early teens and on. I hated school, so when I came home my indulgence was sweets, chocolates, cake and on weekends I even had half a gateaux all to myself, with a side selection of biscuits (cookies in the USA). Every evening my dinner composed of ready meals, chicken dippers, chips, lots of sugary ketchup, fizzy drinks... the list just goes on and on. So, I built up a routine of when 'feeling emotional' - must eat sugar.

After my dinner at around 7pm or 8pm my parents and would have had a sugar-laden cup of English tea with milk, and my parents would have a few biscuits and I would keep the biscuit barrel by my chair. I would say I probably had at least half or a whole packet of biscuits each evening. To me chocolate, sugary substances made me feel comforted. They were my emotional crutch when I did not know how to handle the pain of school or not feeling socially confident. And as most people were doing exactly the same, nobody seemed to notice why I was doing this.

Rats when offered sugar-water and cocaine overwhelmingly chose sugar-water.

In my late teens to twenties I drank sugar-laden alcohol as well, and binge drank a lot, again more comfort, which helped me to be social when my self confidence was low. To more recently, where I was sure I loved coffee so much, to realise once sugar was taken away, coffee was not what I was craving each day, it was the sugar I put into the coffee. With cakes, treats, intentions to be healthy followed by a moment of sadness or low emotion to a "oh just one time, a custard slice just for today" and back into the old routine of food equals comfort.

So here I am looking at the potential train wreck of hormones and realising I have a choice here. I can choose to continue food laden with sugar, and let my hormones get more imbalanced; let my skin lose its elasticity; age quicker, and let my body get all the sugar-related illnesses that this poison called sugar does to the body, or I can choose to let it go, be disciplined and change my eating habits. I chose the latter.

Now I know many of you reading this may also be addicted to sugar, or you may feel you are not addicted if you only have a little each day, but add that over a week or a month, place that sugar into a jar and you will be quite horrified at how much you consume.

Sugar addiction is prevalent in our western society so much so that we are even spreading our addiction into places like Japan and other Eastern cultures that may have had a healthier diet thus spreading the cycle of obesity to other parts of the world.

So why is it important to cut out sugar or at least reduce the amount of sugar we ingest? Well, these facts may shock you, or you may find your need for sugar outweighs the sheer horror of what sugar can do to the body. Much like smokers, we sugar addicts make excuses for why we cannot quit, but just like nicotine, sugar is a poison to the body.

EMPTY CALORIES: Refined sugar has no nutritional value whatever.

ACID/ALKALI BALANCE: Sugar taken everyday creates a continuous overacid environment in the body, which responds by leeching calcium from the bones in order to return to balance. Overacid environment in the body contributes to cancer.

OBESITY: Sugar makes you fat. When we were cavemen and women, there were periods of abundance and periods of famine. In order to survive the body learned to store the excess as fat to be drawn on in times of famine. So in modern day society there is only abundance.

SUGAR HIGHS & LOWS: Sugar causes your blood sugar levels to spike, causing the pancreas to release more insulin to bring the sugar level back to normal. But because this situation is not normal, too much insulin is produced which causes the blood sugar level to become too low, so you feel the need for the next sugar kick.

SYNDROME X: Frequently you will go through highs and lows as your blood sugar levels go up and down. This cycle can lead to what is called SYNDROME X where the body no longer responds to insulin. It is the first step towards becoming diabetic (type 2).

HORMONES: Sugar completely disrupts your hormonal balance.

SKIN & AGING: Excessive sugar intake causes cross-linking of the collagen fibres which causes the skin to lose its elasticity, so aging quicker than your body would normally do.

Sugar addiction can lead to a lot more but I would fill this page if I listed them all. Please check out this link 146 Reasons Why Sugar Is Ruining Your Health for further information. I found reading this has helped me stop taking in sugar.

Now, I know letting sugar go in Western society is very challenging. Many sauces, foods already have sugar in them, but you can always choose low sugar options. Check the packaging, and ideally don't replace sugar with alternatives like aspartame. These have been seen to have other damaging effects on the body.

Being a sugar addict can feel like coming off cocaine. It takes willpower and self-discipline. I am in day 9 of no added sugar, and today is the first day I have not felt a craving. This is not to say that when I see someone eating a creamy cake, or a chocolate advert on television, I will not salivate when watching, but it does mean I have the willpower to continue.

So, what can you do if you want to give up sugar?

Well personally, I could not reduce my sugar gradually. I had to go cold turkey. I also have had to take all kinds of overly sweet foods, sauces, fruits from my diet. Just temporarily, even those natural sweeteners coming from certain fruits. I had allowed myself a little sweetness, the occasional grape and a friend online mentioned slicing apple and sprinkling with cinnamon helps cravings, and it does. For me, having some sliced chicken in the fridge or when the cravings got too much a warm mug of milk. The fat content helps soothe the craving, I discovered. And this week I will be doing EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to tap away cravings. I will do this by putting up images of the most gorgeous looking cakes and chocolate I can find and look at the image while tapping the desire to indulge. This is my method and you may find your own.

I know when you have children and a family it can be more difficult, peer pressure to eat what their friends eat and drink, but if you have young children its a good starting point to go sugar-free. This way when they eventually taste sugar-laden foods they will probably be put off by the over-sweetness.

I wish you luck and please do share your tips on how you are giving up sugar, or how you have given it up sugar?

The list of foods and beverages I have given up are:

Chocolate
Cake
Biscuits
Icecream
Coke
Sugar in my coffee

Beer

Cocktails

Liqueurs

Tomato ketchup
Sauces that contain excessive sugar

Yes I know you may groan, "All the things I love gone! How will I cope?". I felt the same. But you have to ask yourself "do I want to be healthy or comforted?" And is there a more healthy way to comfort myself from within than through sugar substances.

I especially encourage women to consider cutting back, the effect this addiction has had on my cycle and skin really brought it home to me.

You will know you are addicted if you crave sugary substances regularly. And you will not be alone. A large percentage of the population is the same.

For more information on what you can eat check out the countless websites and books online with recipes and diets based on glycemic index. I am on a low GI diet at present to help me bring my health back into balance.

GOOD LUCK!

And soon I will be writing about the effects THE DEADLY NIGHTSHADE FAMILY have on our bodies if we have them in excess (tomatoes, aubergines, potatoes etc.)

*Photos from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net