Fruit Infused Water

All this sunshine has really set the bar for summer now. Bye bye boots, there's no going back - it's flip flops all the way till September now. 

Over the weekend I saw loads of girls with fruit infused water so I thought I'd have a go at creating my own. 

The beauty with this instant detox fix is that there's no set list of ingredients - go wild with that 5 a day!

In my old Yankee candle holder mason jar there is:

• Sliced cucumber
• Sliced lemon
• Frozen mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants)
• H2o baby

Pop it in the fridge and leave it to infuse 'till your heart's content. 

You know how some people say fruit tea smells amazing but taste of nothing? Not this. Obviously, the longer you leave it to infuse the stronger the taste, but I poured after about 20 minutes and it was really fruity. 

Pour into a glass or bottle (or drink straight from a straw), and top up the water as necessary.. bearing in mind the flavour won't be as strong, so you might want to add more fruit too.

I've left my second infusion in the fridge overnight, I hope it's really strong in the morning..

Apparently mint and strawberry make a cracking combination, so that's definitely one to try this weekend.

(Sorry about the blurred quality of the photos, it was dark! I don't know how this beaut manages to make mason jars look so good..) Plenty of more beautiful images to drool over on Pinterest.

Any other infusion combinations I should try?!

Detox Juice: Ginger, Carrot, Apple and Orange

I never used to like ginger. It stuck in my mind as a spice used to coat gloopy Chinese foods, dominating the flavour of all the dishes.

Recently I've been addicted. Smothered on top grated, fried carrot (recipe to follow), in stir fry, juices, you name it, I'm all over it. I can't believe I've been missing out for so long!

I'm feeling a bit under the weather and have been told (i.e. Googled) that ginger is good for helping to fight cold and flu. SO I thought I'd whip up a fresh juice to keep me on top form!

You'll need a juicer, but other than that it's just four simple ingredients:

I used...

• 3 carrots 
• 2 apples
• 2 oranges
• A hunk of fresh ginger (about four inches) 

Chop your apples into chunks, leaving the skin on (most of the goodness is in the skin, remember!). Do the same for the carrots and ginger too. I hate peeling oranges so sliced mine and cut out the segments.

Then, juice. DONE.

Mix with a spoon to stop separation, pour into a long glass and drink. You'll feel instantly better for it, promise. 

Health benefits

I am by no means an expert, but rumour has it that this little juice contains or can help with the following:

Natural energy and loads of vitamin C from the oranges, anti-nausea effects from the ginger (hello hangover cure), as well as helping digestion and fighting off flu. Carrots are full of anti-oxidants and vitamin A which helps the liver get rid of toxins in your body, and the apples can help reduce cholesterol because of the soluble fibre found in them.

I'm on the lookout for more detox juices, so send any of your favourites my way...

The Cabbage Soup Diet: part II

*** UPDATE: April 2015 ***

Naturally, as this is my blog the content is, as you'd expect, to be 100% my opinion. I'd say though, that opinions and views on things can change, especially as you educate yourself on a particular subject, learn and enhance your understanding of things - which is most definitely the case with healthy eating.

Therefore, I wouldn't recommend that anyone tries this diet for more than the seven days, or expect to be able to go on this diet every time they want to lose weight. It's not maintainable and certainly isn't too healthy for you, not to mention being very restrictive and anti-social. I wouldn't do this diet again.

The soup however, is pretty nutritious (full of vegetables), so it's a recipe I'd incorporate into a clean lifestyle.

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As I write this, I'm eating a Christmas sandwich with chunky chips at The Met so the diet is officially OVER people. And I lost 6lbs!

I really wasn't expecting to lose so much but it just goes to show the effect that changing your eating habits and cutting out crap can have in such a short amount of time.

Do you want to know how I got on after part one?

DAY FIVE

Food: Your soup with beef & tomatoes & 8 glasses of water

(you can have chicken or fish instead of beef if you like)

HOLY COW LOOK AT THIS MEAT:

http://www.steakandomelette.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Steak-and-Omelette-Bar-0056.jpg

I had my soup for breakfast and did all I could not to think about food. It was Sunday and I had nothing planned - which was a big mistake because it meant that I ended up just thinking about food. Very rumbly tummy.

I pottered about as best I could and watched LOADS of Christmas films on TV. I had two bowls of soup for lunch (the good thing about the diet is that you can eat as much soup as you want so I've been taking full advantage of that rule). 

Going out to buy my steak was definitely the highlight of my day (I know, sad). I chose a 21 day aged rump steak and bought a vine of tomatoes to go with it. I fried it up and seasoned to taste, popping the tomatoes in the oven for twenty minutes before hand. It tasted amazing. Best day of the diet so far. 

DAY SIX

Food: Soup, with beef (again) & any veg you want

I cheated with breakfast this morning and had a banana. I was off to the gym really early and didn't have time to cook any courgettes & mushrooms (what a shame...).

I snacked on carrot batons (sans hummous today!), and ate my soup for lunch. I'll be honest with you, I was getting sick of the stuff by this point. BUT, my dad was coming up for dinner and I knew just the place.

If you haven't been, The Grill on New York Street is lip-lickingly delicious. They do juicy steaks, crisp & fluffy fries, seasoned veg and plenty of full bodied red wines. My idea of heaven. I need to do a proper review post on this place when I'm not on a diet because it's soo good.

Obviously, I couldn't get the chips, the sauce, and definitely not the wine, but I was willing to compromise. 

I went for naked rump steak (again) and French green beans. Dad also persuaded me to have some wine, deeming the diet ridiculous and that I could "bloody well watch him drink the wine alone", so I caved. It affected me more than usual and after three glasses I was well on my way! Time for an early night....

DAY SEVEN (the last day!)

Food: soup, plus brown rice & vegetables

I gymmed it again this morning so had another banana. I know it kind of defeats the point of not eating certain food groups but I wasn't prepared to work out on an empty stomach. I weighed myself and was so surprised to see that I'd lost 6lbs! 

I could tell I'd lost a little bit, especially on my arms, shoulders and tummy but almost half a stone was an amazing result.

It felt so good to eat a carbohydrate at lunch. I'd cooked aubergines, courgettes, peppers & mushrooms up the night before (with a splash of soy sauce, shh!), and mixed it in with the rice so it tasted fantastic.

I wasn't able to eat my soup for tea as I had to work really late, so I kind of just stopped the diet then. I was happy with the result, felt good, and to be honest... wanted some chocolate!!

PROS

• Good for a detox - you'll feel cleansed after it
• It's also really good in terms of making you think about the food you're consuming and why we eat certain food groups. I'm definitely more snack-conscious now too.
• It makes you realise the difference between boredom snacking and hunger (and helps cure cravings the former)
• You can lose weight fast so it's perfect if you want to slim down for an event
• It lets you get creative with your food
• It's only seven days!

CONS

• Er, the name? Are they trying to put people off on purpose?!
• It can be expensive, especially if you need to buy a blender
• You need lots of distractions (that don't involve restaurants and bars)
• You need to find an empty social week in your calendar
• I got so sick of soup by the end

I'm pleased I did this. I wouldn't go so far as to say I enjoyed it whilst I was taking part, but I didn't find it awful. If you are going to do it, I'd recommend doing it with a friend for that added motivation.

Have you done the cabbage soup diet?