To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Ten

Please excuse me if I write this in a slight state of euphoria. I feel like I should be wrapped in an aluminium sheet, glowing from my marathon-like exertions and grinning triumphantly at the aghast crowd.

But alas, I am alone at my laptop with a herbal tea. Well, a herbal tea and a rising sense of self satisfaction. I only went and bloody well did it. Ten whole days of wholesome, natural, purifying food. Lots of sleep. Lots of nurturing. And lots of education.

Breakfast: Eggs, strawberries & blueberries, Lunch: Veg stir fry with salmon, Dinner: Chickpea & tuna casserole, quinoa & sweet potato wedges

So what now? Well, to be honest, probably more of the same. I shall be making certain concessions (I think we all know what they might be) but mostly I am sticking to this 'eating clean' concept which Helen McCrea so brilliantly promotes. I am ecstatic with the results. I feel alert. I feel calm. I've lost a few inches and - most importantly - I've learned so much more than I could have imagined.

I'm not going to tell you it all. Helen's the one to do that. But I will tell you that what I've learned is enough to change the way I feel about my day-to-day eating habits. If nothing else, I am much more conscious about what I am putting into my body. I don't feel stressed about it. I just feel conscious.

Not an option folks

I think we've probably all giggled at that saying, 'My body is a temple' at one time or another. But hang on a second, isn't there something in that? I'm swinging round to the opinion (and yes, I have nicked this out of a personal development book) that my body really is a gift from my parents.

A gift. A treasure. In this body I can cuddle my sons. I can stroke a dog. I can see the sunrise. I can talk for an inexcusably long time on the phone to old friends (you know who you are). I can think, I can dream, I can act, I can love. This body is bloody amazing!

I have some very well-intentioned friends who gasped in horror when they found out I was going on this detox. I suppose that's because detoxes are related to extreme weight loss, and those friends don't consider me to be someone who needs to lose weight. But that was their assumption. Yes, weight loss might happen (although Helen will tell you inch loss is far more telling) but I wanted to give something back to my body after all its given me.

Bless it, the poor thing deserves to be loved and nourished. I think we'll get along far better if we can look after each other.

Thanks to everyone who has followed this blog whilst I've been detoxing . . . your support has been just the ticket. And well done to all the other girls on the 10 Day Body Boost . . . it made a big difference knowing we were all in it together.

And Helen, you lovely lady you . . . what an experience! Thank you so much and please keep doing what you do because us ladies need to learn how to give our bodies a bit of TLC.

Go well,

Abi

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Too Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Eight

Today I have assumed my role as professional-entrepreneur-type-person. And what a refreshing change. I love my kids, really I do. But sometimes it's just the tonic I need to get out of the house for the day and focus on my business.

I've been to a nursery trade fair in Harrogate really just to take a look around. The fair was a massive event and far bigger than anything The Cool Rule Company has exhibited at to date. But I can dream, can't I?

Silver Cross, Phil & Ted's, Trunki, Fisher Price, Tomy - all the big names were there. With eight different exhibition halls, I had quite a trek to get round the whole thing and after about five minutes I was cursing my choice of shoes. The highest heels I own were not having the desired business-like demeanour I'd imagined at seven o'clock this morning.

Anyway I was glad of my protein-rich breakfast because it saw me through to my very swanky lunch. No I did not sit making some crucial business deal over a glass of champagne and a complicated-looking sandwich in one of the exhibition centre's classy cafes (and honestly, I did see people doing just that). No, I was boosting my body thank you very much and that required a body-boosting meal which was simply not catered for in those cafes, no matter how classy they might be.

So I sat in the car with a box of Quinoa and veg. Now how glamorous is that?

Breakfast: Salmon fillet, blueberries & blackberries, Lunch: Quinoa & roasted veg, Dinner: Cod fillets with oven baked ratatouille, sugar snap peas & rocket salad

And bearing in mind I was charged £1.65(!) for a teeny tiny bottle of mineral water inside the exhibition centre, it's a small mercy that they didn't cater for my detoxing requirements.

Travelling home in the car, I chewed on a a celery stick (oh yes, I'd come prepared) to ward off any travel-related cravings. Imagine what I would have done before this detox! I would have most likely stopped at a garage for a Diet Coke, maybe some 'sucky' sweets or a couple of chocolate bars. All things I would not have any actual need for but there's just something about driving along a motorway which seems to warrant the absentminded consumption of sugary nasties.

The question that I'm dealing with now is: will I be able to keep this up? I wait with baited breath for Helen McCrea's Body Boost maintenance plan which I'm just hoping will give me further support past these ten days. We all know there's nothing wrong with indulging in your favourites now and again, but so far this detox has shown me I can break those habits I thought were unbreakable. I mean look at me now . . . I'm blogging away to my heart's content and there's not a hot chocolate with marshmallows in sight!

Your name's not down, you're not coming in

Go well,

Abi


Transform the life you share with your toddler at www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Discover the amazing talents of Helen McCrea at www.femalefitness.co

To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day One

Day one of the Body Boosting scheme and I still appear to be alive. I have enjoyed my meals, done my exercise and drank three squillion glasses of water. So top marks to me.

Breakfast: Eggs, tomato, cucumber & olives, Lunch: Mackerel, sugar snap peas, avacado & salad,
Dinner: Quinoa & roasted veg, homemade houmus, salad and boiled egg

But I think, actually, I also deserve a gold star. Or maybe even two. For today has not just been any day. Today has been my Mam's birthday and, being the wonderful daughter that I am, I decided to put on a little tea party for her.

I decided this master plan last week, when I had no idea I would be purging my body of all things naughty. I'd also decided to ask a few of her friends along, as a surprise, as I love an excuse to play the host and throw a buffet together. Little did I know I would be throwing said buffet together chiefly with foods my detox guru, Helen McCrea, would deem as 'toxic'.

So I think you get the picture. I made Thick, creamy coleslaw. Spicy pasta salad. Cucumber yogurt dip. Tuna mayo baps. Bread sticks for heaven's sake! I couldn't take a modest chef's taste of anything, not even a lick of the fingers for fear of sending my body into detox meltdown.

And setting it all out on the table . . . and watching everybody else eat it . . . and helping Little Tot spoon it into his mouth. Torture!

Luckily I'd sneaked in a few goodies I could eat onto the buffet table. Quinoa and roast vegetables. Homemade hummus. Eggs, olives and the like. So that got me through the savoury part of the meal. But how, oh how, would I get through a table laden with sweet birthday goodies? And what about the denouement of the event? The birthday cake?

My Mam's a Dog Show Fanatic, hence the decorations

And it was a beauty. Made by my good friend Claire, who runs a successful business taking various tasks off busy mums so they can get on with other stuff - Magic Mummies. I know her cakes are absolutely delicious and had, upon ordering the cake, been very excited about the prospect of tasting her wares. Sadly it was now not to be. And I made do with a bowl of berries.

Luckily, Big Tot ate enough cake for the two of us and ten minutes later was complaining of tummy ache. So while I did the whole magic kiss thing for him, I couldn't help but feel a little angelic because my own tummy was filled with nothing but purity and light.

Tomorrow I may well sprout wings and perhaps a halo will emerge.

I'll keep you posted.

Go well,

Abi


Find out about my fab happy living products at www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Check out what Helen McCrea can do for you at www.femalefitness.co

Discover every mum's best kept secret at www.magicmummies.co.uk

To Boost or Not To Boost?

Recently, the morning school run has become something of an anticipated event for me. Not just because Big Tot is still, thank the lord, young enough to give me goodbye smooches before he skips off to join his class queue. And not just because I get to palm him off on somebody else for the day either. I am loving the morning school run at the moment because I get to pick the brains of a very clever lady, a health and fitness guru no less.

Helen McCrea is a busy full-time mum (just like me) running her own business (just like me) and is an expert in women's health, nutrition and fitness (ok, not like me at all). We've been at a few of the same local business courses so I was kind of aware of what she was up to, but it wasn't until we got chatting at the school gates that I realised her guru-like status. This woman really knows her stuff. Forget your faddy diets and health-fuelled media frenzies . . . Helen helps women really understand what's going on in their bodies and change their thinking about nutrition forever.

The lady herself

Now I know I'm not really overweight, and I'm genuinely grateful for a fully functioning, healthy body. But we've all got our hang-ups, right? And it is widely known that I am more than partial to a custard cream. And that my best mates (who take up permanent residence in the freezer) are named Ben and Jerry.

And, like the rest of us, I am guilty of choosing the 'low-fat', 'fat-free' or 'no added sugar' options at the supermarket without really knowing what, exactly, they've replaced the fat or sugar with. Lord knows what I'm putting my body through under the guise of a 'healthy' option.

So with the intention of learning more about what my body really needs, and maybe having a crack at losing some of the jelly belly, I've gone and signed up to Helen's online ten day body boost programme. It's educational. It's physical, It's communal. It's got 100% success rates. Get in.

Helen's successful business

I figure, it's only ten days. Ten days of eating nothing but 'clean' food. Of learning why oh why I get insane sugar cravings. Of giving Ben and Jerry the silent treatment. I can do it, can't I? (Insert your own cooing, encouraging phrase here please . . . )

There may be a couple of complications along the way in the form of my undeniable faddiness (vegetarian, allergic to cheese, will eat fish but not seafood) and my medically-certified dodgy knees with complicated baby-related ligament damage. Factor in my daily commitments as super-mummy to demanding Tots, full-on housewife and crazed Mumpreneur and Helen McCrea just may have her work cut out for her.

Goodbye faithful friend

So tonight, the night before my ten day Body Boost programme commences, I am raising a spoon of Cookie Dough in a pledge to write a daily blog about my experiences. Now are you in or are you out?

Let's see . . .

Go well,

Abi


Find out all about what Helen offers at www.femalefitness.co

Transform the life you share with your toddler and start happy living today with www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk