Kicking the sugar habit - take 2

I've previously blogged about the evil of sugar.  And today I've found out that sugar is more addictive than cocaine! With my holidays creeping up (and the intention to spend 3.5 weeks in a bikini at various beaches around the world),  The GOOP newsletter was a timely reminder to change my habits.


Sugar is also associated with many chronic problems that include decreased immunity, some chronic infections, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, diabetes, pain syndromes, irritable bowel syndrome, ADD, chronic fatigue, and candida. Research suggests that one of the main causes for decreased immunity is that sugars inhibit the entrance of Vitamin C into white blood cells, which then inhibits immunity. The more sugar, the less productive your white blood cells are and thus, the less immune you are. Furthermore, sugars stimulate insulin secretion in the pancreas, which in turn stimulates the liver’s triglyceride production. Triglycerides are linked to stroke, heart disease and obesity.


Sugar is my drug of choice.  I'm not a fan of carbs (I consume bread/pasta/rice once a month, if that).  And salt?  Did you know that I do not have salt at home?  I refuse to add it to food, as I know there's already more than enough in all the other food that I consume.   I don't drink or smoke but I'll eat sweets like they're going out of fashion!  Maybe that is the reason that when I get sick, I'm virtually on my death bed.  I'm so motivated not to consume sugar until the trip (hello High Tea at Raffles in Singapore) that I am no longer carrying any money with me to minimise the temptation to purchase a cupcake or a chocolate bar.  (that and to save myself from shopping temptations - what's with my addictive personality of late... sugar... shopping.. REHAB??) 

You can read more about the evils of sugar and tips to beat the addiction in the GOOP newsletter. But a disclaimer, it's a little bit scary.

image via habitually chic blog

Urban Remedy detox - day three part one

Last night after I had a shower I was applying rosehill oil to my face.  Nothing unusual there.  Except, I had a GLOW!?!?  I never believed in a glow before, namely because I've never had one.  But my face was really clear and smooth.. it was rosy.. I couldn't believe it.

I did go to bed hungry.  Starving in fact that it took me 30 minutes to fall asleep from the hunger pangs :(  The house is sparkingling clean which means that I can spend the weekend doing the things I want to be doing as I won't be feeling guilty about not having done all the housework.  B is away for work, so tonight I'm going to visit my friend A who had a baby last week.  I am so in love with him!  Can't wait to take some photos of the precious lil guy.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to sleep in until about 9.30 and wander down to the shops to read the papers and have breakfast at Las Chicas... hmm what to have as a post detox first meal???

And on Sunday I'm finally going to go to the European Masterpieces exhibit.


Anyway back to the detox. Juice #1 was a struggle this morning and I'm feeling kinda 'blah' now that I've finished it.  It contains - apple, lemon, cos lettuce, celery, silverbeet, parsley and cucumber.  But it smells and taste like cucumber :( Woe is me.  I hate cucumber!

I'm about to have juice #2 which is a lifesaver - pineapple, apple & mint.  YUM!  It's pretty much what I order for myself at the juice bar.

I pride myself on having a fairly decent diet, and I wanted to prove that to myself.  And boy was I wrong!  Over the past two days I've collected all the 'bad' foods that have passed by my desk at work into a container... I just took whatever I would normally take and still with a full day remaining of my detox and plenty of time to full the container, I am shocked at how much rubbish is in there!

Chocolate truffles, lollies, chocolate biscuits, shapes, chips, half a walnut and custard scroll... custard tart!  Yikes!

Urban Remedy detox - day two part two

Why does shopping feel so good? 

Tonight came home with me... a new dress from Scanlan & Theodore that I got at the VIP sale, a bunch of magazines, a candle (B loves fruity candles so this one is for him - Goji & Toracco Orange), a set of ceramic coasters from the wonderful Coco Lane store - they have images of the "fashion capitals" - New York, London, Paris and Milan!  As well as some magazines and cleaning products from the grocery store.  (I blame the Gourmet Traveller magazine purchase on the detox)

Since I can't make it to the gym tonight and since my dinner is a detox juice and an avacado (they said I could it if I felt like eating and I do!) I decided to walk home from the grocery store and surprise B by cleaning the house, lighting a candle and packing his bag as he's going away for a few nights for work!  I've felt so guilty as he's been so good to me lately and I've not done much in return.  And he's working late tonight.  Poor sweety.

The detox made me really grumpy this afternoon.  I couldn't drink more than two gulps of the beetroot juice (so a colleague skulled it to show me how it's done).  I was hungry and thirsty this afternoon.  But now I am feeling better.  I feel really energised and I never do after arriving home from work.   I'm looking forward to filing away all the tax paperwork thats strewn on the table.  Straightening up the bookshelf and scrubbing the bathroom.  Go figure!

Urban Remedy detox - day two part one

After the terrible afternoon, the evening got a bit better.  For the dinner meeting we went to a Mexican restaurant, and the food smelt divine.  I sipped on juice #6 throughout the evening which is the one high in good fats and protein (it has a yummy coconut taste).  No enchiladas and mojitos for me.

The meeting was productive and I was offered to be on the Board of Directors of a small welfare association.  My ultimate career goal is to be a CEO of a charity, so this has worked out perfectly and seems like an amazing opportunity and a great foot in the door.  I did tell them I wanted some time to think about it, but really, it's a no brainer!! A wonderful opportunity. 

The meeting got my endorphins pumping and I wasn't really hungry.  When I did eventually make it home at 9pm, I had a bit of a panic attack.  I felt hungry and angry at myself for starving myself!  I thought, why am I doing this?  We HAVE to eat as humans to survive! I have to eat or I'm going to die!  Such a drama queen.

But I relented and went to bed and read a bit and fell asleep.

I woke up this morning at about 7am, feeling fine.  No headache and not hungry.  I've just finished juice #1 (which I hated yesterday due to the cucumber taste) without much difficulty, totally oblivious to the truffles that are making their way around the office.

It's getting easier!  Big mug of warm water awaits!

Urban Remedy detox - day one part two

I have a headache.  The hunger pains have been minimal, but gosh I must be toxin-ed up if my body is reacting like this.  And juice #4 did not agree with me very well, it's mainly beetroot, which means it has an aftertaste of dirt :(

I only drank 2/3 of the bottle and topped it up with some green tea.  And I have a dinner meeting to attend tonight - I hope I'm able to concenrate.  Total torture talking business and drinking juice while the others enjoy steak and wine.  Hopefully a good night's sleep will help.  I seem to be thinking a lot about, and craving foods that I don't normally eat or crave. 

I still have two juices to drink before I get to bed tonight.  The last one to be drunk two hours before sleep!  That one is a thick cashew/coconut one, so hopefully it's nice and filling.

Urban Remedy detox - day one part one

So it's 11.30am on my first day of the Urban Remedy cleanse. I prepared well last night with a really good 65 minute session at the gym and 8 hours sleep. I woke up before the alarm this morning, which is very rare. I feel the cold awfully when I'm sleeping so I had the heater on timer during the night, on and off so it allowed me to sleep without shivering (and yes I sleep in long sleeved PJ's under a doona and an extra blanket).

I got into work at about 8am this morning and had a big mug of warm water with lemon juice. I usually have this anyway, so no big dramas.

At 9am I began to regret my decision to do this detox. Everyone was having their morning coffee and I wanted one too, even though I don't drink coffee! And I really craved a muffin too!  I took my first juice into a meeting and yes everyone was looking at like a lunatic because I was drinking a juice made from celery, lettuce, silverbeet, and cucumber.... I am not a picky eater but goodness me, I hate cucumber, it's the only thing I refuse to eat! And this juice tasted like CUCUMBER. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. But me, the princess, sucked it up and sipped it in big gulps in about 30 minutes ignoring the taste and listening attentively to the presentation.

The meeting was wrapped up and they served morning tea - meat pies, sausage rolls and ricotta and spinach quiches... I hightailed it outta there and went on a sneaky trip to the Scanlan & Theodore VIP sale instead, and yes, I did buy something lil for myself =o))

Upon my return to the office I actually felt thirsty!?!?! So I drank a big mug of filtered water. Now I am sipping my second juice (there are 6 a day!) but this one is fantastic! Pineapple, apple and mint. It's something that i would juice myself! There's only a handful of girls in the office here (hello finance), so I really hope the boys don't invite me out for lunch with them today, to Nando's or something equally delicious. Lucky I'm buried in work and don't have time to leave the office....

So far so good! I know there are detox sceptics out there, but I know when I do lent I feel so much better for it (and I still eat a lot of pasta and bread). I'm sure the break for the digestive system will help me feel better.

Detoxing one's life...

Well my internet at home is well and truly dead. I no longer even have a signal that drops out. 2 months later the ISP has finally decided to escalate it to level 2. Geez, thanks. Just send me a new modem and put me out of my misery! If it wasn't for my iPhone I'd well and truly be at internet AA. Is there such a thing?

I've also embarked on a dietary detox to go with the friendship detox I've been on of late. I'm on lent this week (to coincide with lent for St Peter and Paul, which ends on Monday), which means a vegan diet.

I don't usually drink coffee, don't drink soft drink and I don't drink alcohol, but I need to kick start my body and get rid of the toxins that inhibit it, thanks to my love of sweets and desserts (I'm speaking to you Lindt macaroons and hazelnut hot chocolate). Did you know that sugar is one of the main accelerators of aging?

It's amazing how much you crave the foods that you don't normally eat when you know that you cannot eat them.  My cravings usually last 48 hours, after which I'm fine.  Hunger pangs are eliminated with a tall class of warm water!

Next week I'm accelerating the detox and embarking on a 3 day Urban Remedy liquid only juice detox, beginning on Wednesday. I'm hoping to improve my skin and eye clarity and move the couple of kilos that have refused to budge!

Check back through the week - I'll be blogging about my experience a couple of times a day!

http://www.urbanremedy.com.au/