Get the Skinny: Wellness Expert Trials 10-Day Cleanse

Whether you’ve read about them in the glossy pages of celebrity magazine, or your friend at work is trying one out in preparation for the big Christmas Do, everyone has heard of detoxing. This weight loss technique is a huge favourite with dieters trying to get in shape in a hurry, but is it actually going to benefit your wellbeing long-term? Luckily, wellness expert Nicola Conville, creator of myhealthyfamily.com, recently trialled the Dietlicious 10-day Cleanse, and now we’re passing her findings on to you.

 

Conville enthuses, ‘I do love a good detox plan. I have been doing detoxes once or twice a year for the past 10 years and have been amazed how much they have evolved in that time. Forget subsisting on carrot sticks and repackaged laxatives, the modern cleanse features clean, delicious, wholesome food. With some careful planning, it’s possible to go DIY, but if you want a plan that’s easy to follow and stick to, there are some fabulous companies that will deliver healthy meals to your door so you don’t have to do a thing.’ So, how did Conville get on with the Dietlicious 10-day Cleanse?

 

Day One: Conville recalls, ‘I wake up with a sore throat and thumping headache – not a good start. I consider postponing the cleanse but then remind myself that all that fresh food will probably help me recover faster. I drink a delicious watermelon, mint and acai smoothie for brekkie and feel much better. While the food is yummy, I do find myself feeling hungry through the day so I snack on cashews and bananas to fill myself up.’

 

Day Two: ‘The temptation to order a coffee is strong,’ Conville admits. ‘So I cheat a little and get a decaf. My mouth waters at the sight of some delicious cakes at my local bakery but I know it’s just a case of wanting what I can’t have! For lunch I have spinach chana dhal with basmati rice and dinner is barramundi with fresh veggies.’

 

Day Three: Conville relates, ‘This is the hardest day so far as withdrawals really kick in. I miss coffee, I miss wine, I miss chocolate. The mango and chia seed smoothie I have for brekkie gives me the sweet hit I need. My daily cup of ginger tea is proving very addictive too.’

 

Day Six: ‘I am really in full swing now – and more than halfway through the plan,’ Conville notes. ‘The food is yummy and so easy to prepare and I don’t feel as hungry as I did at the start of the plan. It seems my body is readjusting to eating lighter, fresher meals.’

 

Day Eight: ‘Only a few days left to go and I am feeling light and fresh,’ Conville asserts. ‘I am moving quicker and my skinny jeans are feeling a little looser. I no longer have a 3pm craving for chocolate; instead I snack on mixed nuts or fruit and have a peppermint tea. I love the feeling of having good energy levels all day long and I am sleeping like a baby.’

 

Day Ten: On the last day, Conville details, ‘I have a frittata for brekkie and enjoy my last meal of salmon with chermoula and sweet potato mash. I have no real desire to drink wine or wolf down a pizza, but I am looking forward to cooking and preparing my own meals again and eating with my family.’

 

So how is life after the Dietlicious 10-day Cleanse? ‘While a detox is not for the faint-hearted, it’s a great way to get your health back on track and develop some good habits,’ Conville comments. ‘I have found that if I bring nuts and fruit to work with me I don’t even think about hitting the vending machine at 3pm. It really is all about the planning. I’ve also cut my daily coffee to two to three times weekly, and am drinking more tea instead. If you do go on a detox, plan it well, let everyone around you know what you’re doing so they’ll be supportive (no nicking your food!) and phase in and out of the cleanse gently rather than indulging before and afterwards, however tempting it might be!’

Categories: 10-Day Cleanse, Cleanse, conville, day cleanse, detox, feeling, Food, nbsp, nbsp day, Planning, wellness expert

Get Started on Your Dukan Diet with Our Four-Day Plan!

If you want to lose weight and take care of your wellbeing, the Dukan Diet can help you do it. However, if simply getting started is sending your wellness in a spin, fear not; we’ve got a four-day meal plan just for you.

 

Day One: For breakfast, you can have two scrambled eggs (made with skimmed milk) with as much chopped smoked salmon as you like. At lunchtime, mix of finely chopped 175g extra-lean ham, 225g fat-free quark, finely chopped chives and marjoram, four finely chopped shallots and Tabasco, and roll into small balls – this serves four. For out dinner-for-two Vietnamese beef, combine 400g sirloin steak (cut into small cubes) with two tablespoons soy sauce, one tablespoon oyster sauce, one big piece of grated ginger and a little black pepper. Let this marinate for 30 minutes or more. Brown four crushed garlic cloves in a pan, add beef and stir over high heat for 10-15 seconds for medium-rare.

 

Day Two: At breakfast, sprinkle 200g fat-free yoghurt with oat bran, one drop of vanilla essence and sweetener. Lunch on day two is an oat bran pancake, made by stirring together 1½ tablespoons oat bran, 1½ tablespoons fat-free quark, dried herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper, two egg yolks and 175g of either flaked tuna, smoked salmon, ham or chicken. Beat the leftover egg whites until stiff peaks form, and then fold into oat bran mixture. Cook it as you usually would pancakes. For dinner, preheat oven to 220ºC and season 800g white fish fillets before you wrap them in greaseproof paper. Bake for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 180ºC and remove the fish from the oven. In a blender, blitz the fish, 300g fat-free fromage frais, four eggs and five tablespoons chopped herbs. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, place this dish into a bigger dish and half-fill the bigger dish with cold water. Bake until cooked through (roughly 45 minutes).

 

Day Three: Combine two tablespoons of oat bran and a little wheat bran with skimmed milk and sweetener. Microwave for two minutes and that’s your breakfast! Rosemary beef burgers for three are on the lunch menu. Combine 750g minced beef, a chopped onion, two crushed garlic cloves, two tablespoons plum sauce, one tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, two tablespoons finely chopped rosemary, one to two tablespoons finely chopped mint or basil and one lightly beaten egg. Shape into burgers, grill until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, and serve with salad. For dinner, beat three egg whites until stiff, and add six tablespoons fat-free quark, one tablespoon cornflour, one crushed garlic clove, chopped herbs, one chopped white fish fillet and three thinly sliced crabsticks. Bake in a lined tin at 180ºC for 45 minutes and you have your fishcake dinner.

 

Day Four: These oat bran breakfast muffins serve four. Heat the oven to 180ºC and beat four egg whites until stiff. In a separate bowl, mix eight tablespoons oat bran, four tablespoons fromage frais, half a teaspoon of sweetener and lemon zest or cinnamon. Pour into cases and bake for 20-30 minutes. For lunch, make a vinaigrette with one teaspoon of olive oil, four teaspoons of cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix 600g lettuce, tarragon leaves and 200g cooked and shelled prawns in a bowl. Soft-boil four eggs for 5-6 minutes and serve while still very hot, on top of dressed lettuce and prawns. Finally for dinner, cut four thick pieces of salmon into thin slices, and gently fry these slices in a non-stick pan for one minute each side. Brown two chopped shallots, reduce heat and add one tablespoon of mustard and six teaspoons fromage frais. Simmer for five minutes and return salmon to the pan. Add finely chopped dill, cook until heated through and serve with asparagus (This meal serves four.)

Categories: 4-day plan, crushed garlic, Dukan Diet, egg whites, finely chopped, free quark, fromage frais, nbsp day, oat bran, pan add, tablespoons finely, Weight Loss

How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen Everyday in 20 Minutes

Although cleaning up is the unquestionable downside to cooking at home, a clean kitchen is a huge part of complementary wellness and very important to your family’s wellbeing. You may embark on a deep-cleaning marathon every now and then, but who wants to waste their weekend being elbow-deep in marigolds and cleaning products? Instead, why not try our technique of cleaning the kitchen in manageable chunks of time? In fact, all you need is 20 minutes out of your day to keep your kitchen in wellness-shape. First, however, you need to take into account two important tips:

 

• Adjust cleaning to fit your schedule: If there’s two of you living in the same house, fitting in the cleaning around your own schedule – rather than setting aside a whole Saturday to do it – can work wonders, as anyone, if you try hard enough, can set aside 20 minutes to clean, especially if there’s two of you doing it. If you don’t have 20 minutes all together, try doing tasks in parts so that you do 10 minutes in the morning and another 10 after your evening meal.


• Set a timer: It’s easy to get distracted, especially at home. There’s always someone at the door, someone texting you, kids calling your name, work emails appearing in your inbox – is it any wonder you and your partner feel buried under chores?! Sometimes you just don’t get around to doing everything, but setting a timer can help to keep you on track. Set a timer for five minutes once you start an activity, and, if you get derailed during that time, the timer going off will bring you back and help you to refocus. Set the timer again until your 20 minute stint is over and done with.

 

Now you’ve got those helpful hints under your belt, it’s time to see how you can spend 20 minutes deep-cleaning your kitchen, and end up with a gorgeous sparkly room in no less than one month’s time:

 

Day 1: Wipe down the fronts of your large and small appliances.

 

Day 2: Clean your rubbish bin both inside and outside.

 

Day 3: Tidy cookbooks, aprons and towel and linen drawers.

 

Day 4: Wipe down any containers that you use for baking, such as flour and sugar storage boxes.

 

Day 5: Clean out your fridge, wipe down the shelves and tidy up the freezer.

 

Day 6: Give the fronts of your cabinets a wipe, dust and polish.

 

Day 7: Mop the floor.

 

Day 8: Wipe down the fronts of your large and small appliances (again!)

 

Day 9: Clean the top of your fridge and the inside of your utensil holders.

 

Day 10: Clean under your fridge and oven.

 

Day 11: Clean the seal on your dishwasher.

 

Day 12: Clean your kitchen windows, including the windowsills.

 

Day 13: Wipe down accessories and pictures.

 

Day 14: Mop the floor (again!)

 

Day 15: Wipe down the fronts of all appliances.

 

Day 16: Tidy your pantry, including canned goods, boxes and bags.

 

Day 17: Clean cleaning items, such as towels and sponges.

 

Day 18: Wipe down the shelves inside your cabinets.

 

Day 19: Wipe down the walls.

 

Day 20: Clean cabinet doors and range hood.

 

Day 21: Mop the floor.

 

Day 22: Wipe down the fronts of all your appliances.

 

Day 23: Organise your pots and pans.

 

Day 24: Scrub your sink and taps.

 

Day 25: Clean out your fridge, wipe down the shelves and tidy the freezer.

 

Day 26: Clean the inside of your microwave and oven.

 

Day 27: Wipe down the baseboards.

 

Day 28: Mop the floor.

 

Day 29: Wipe down the fronts of all your appliances.

 

Day 30: Dust your light fixtures and clean your switch plates and vent covers.

Categories: 20 Minutes, appliances nbsp, Deep Cleaning, floor nbsp, freezer nbsp, fridge wipe, nbsp, nbsp day, One Month, oven nbsp, small appliances