The East Coast Radio Big Walk

I need to tell you all this, because I don't know if I am stupid, crazy or just a little bit over the top ....... but last week myself, Andrew, Andy and Chantal entered this walk and we entered into the 20 km walking distance. I think I must be crazy. I guess it will take us about 3 hours to complete it, but there goes, I am seriously looking forward to this to see how I do. So for the next 3 weeks I am going to be doing some serious walking in preperation for this.

We went camping this weekend again, took Friday and Monday off work, Tuesday was a public holiday and the day that my father died 21 years ago. Did alot of walking, lots of hard work because of the steep hills to be climbed, was stiff all 4 days of walking, didn't even pick up a gram this weekend.

I also thought of all the years that I was as thin as a rake, and today I am sorry about how I treated my body when I was young. I couldn't put on weight, no matter how much I ate, just stayed thin, but then again, looking back at what I used to dish up for myself those years, the quantities did increase hugely over the years, at one stage it was hard to tell which was my plate and which was Andrews. So to warn you all, just be carefull of that.

I also remember how Chris, our minister, used to think I am anorexic, and always telling me to eat, I would laugh at him and tell him I'm fine, I eat enough .......... but I had a problem, I wasn't anorexic but I was pretty close to it with hindsight. I am short, and I always only weighed 42 kg. Today, later in life, I recall those days, and I also recall, being hectically busy and missing meals, going out on a friday night and not eating supper, and the next day, I used to feel ill if I tried to eat anything. I literally had to force myself to eat, I used to make custard and eat that, then later I could try and eat other foods, today I recognise it as being very borderline, I also recognise what I didn't when I was younger, that I was playing havoc with my body. My blood sugar was always very low, my blood pressure was always very low, and I did a fair amount of exercise those years. I would sometimes only eat a sandwich during the day and think it is enough, or a banana vetkoek, do you know, that sometimes I used to eat a half a can of condensed milk for supper sometimes, how very wrong I was, today I am paying the price for all of that, and this is my warning to you young ones, try and eat 5 meals a day, breakfast, lunch and supper then again a nibble (which could be fruit) at 10 oclock and another at 3 o'clock - you will be looking after your body for the future, you truly don't have to eat huge amounts of food, and secondly, exercise even if it is just for 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week. One thing that has always been on my side, is that at that time of my life, I didn't drink alcohol at all, or very seldom had any.

I can't stress it enough, eat but eat wisely........... will post more receipes later .........

I

My Diet

For those that have asked 'what I did?' I will do a few small posts and tell you.

Firstly, you need to stop eating any 'crap'. Firstly, salt - do not use normal salt, use Himalayan Crystal Salt, it is the highest grade of natural salt. I also use A. Vogel's 'Trocomare' or you can use Bioforce's 'Herbamare.

Second, remember I needed to stop eating 100 % sugar of any kind, cane sugar, and any other natural sugars that they make. The first 2 days are hard, your body is craving it for energy. Cane sugar is highly refined ...... and that is the main crux of what I eat. As much unrefined food as possible. The other very important factor is - LOW GI foods.

Second to the Bible, I have a little book that I carry with me everywhere still, it is "GI & GL counter" by Dr Wynnie Chan. It gives you all the foods that are high/med/low GI and GL indexes. It gives you kcal's, energy kj, fat g, sat fat g, protein g, carbs g and fibre. Must take note of the front pages as well as quantities, that is most important because 100 g of something could be Low GI and Low GL but 150 g can be Low GI and High GL - then you should stay away. I don't check the kcal etc, but I have come to understand food. In that book I stay away from anything that I know my body will react to - e.g. sugars even if they are low GI / GL. I won't have a good nights sleep otherwise.

We walk daily - rest day is a friday - chose which day is convinient for you. Try exercise 6 days a week. min of 30 min per day. You need to feel it - We walk along the beach, today is saturday, and so we walked dbl the normal, because we have the time, and we then include cardio e.g. a bit of running in between the walking. Work up a good sweat .......

Now for the food ...... this is the hardest part for everyone .......

High GI foods like 'White rice' - Potatoes (incl sweet potatoes) - pumpkin (not all - Butternut is exempt) I stay away from - Bread is a NO...NO... I only eat Low GI bread and that might be one slice in a week.

For breakfast I have 100 g Jungle Oats - look at purchasing the one that must be cooked and not the quick and easy ones that have all sorts of additives and precooked.

At 10h00 I have half a glass of Ultra Meal Original Low Kj Meal replacement made by Metagenics (from America) should find in Health Stores that sells any Metagenics products.

At 12h00 I have a raw salad - tossed with at least 5 servings of fresh vegetables in, could have lettice, broccoli, cucumber, tomatoes, green/red/orange/yellow peppers, cabbage, carrots, spinach etc .... I also add Feta cheese (my protein) and as a dressing you can mix olive oil (cold pressed) lemon juice (must be fresh lemons) organic balsamic vineggar and of course ... Himilayan Rock salt. you can also add stuff like nuts, dates or sprouts. I also use regular salad dressings that are healthy.

At 15h00 I have 4 Provita's (Wholewheat) with either marmite or Organic Peanut butter that has no sugar/preservative/salt/etc added.

At night I have my supper ... sometimes fish with Salads, NO potatoe or rice salads or even beetroot. Chicken with some steamed veggies are also good. It is important to eat as much raw foods as possible, but within reason.

Need to include a bit of protein in all meals, remember veggies are carbs, so what I also do, is eat some nuts with the salads at lunch time. I cook brown rice with lentils (1 cup brown rice to 1/4 cut lentils with 3 cups water with my salt) and add to the salad.

Try use stuff like Tofu in Stir Fry's instead of meat: used stuff like Arame and Wakame Sea weed to flavour the Tofu and Braggs Amino (or soya sauce) so here is a receipe for Tofu Stir-Fry:

1 pkt firm Tofu, cubed.
Assortment of veggies (Broccoli, Onions, Carrots, Red pepper etc)
2 strips Wakame seawee, cut into 2 cm pieces with scissors.
1/4 tsp grated ginger
1 crushed garlic clove
6 Tbsp Braggs Amino or soya sauce.
2 cups cooked brown rice or rice pasta.

Heat the wok (use stainless steel preferably) with some ghee (butter fat) or olive oil. Stir-fry tofu until brown (hgih heat) Sautee the onions and all all other ingredients. Stir over high heat and cover for 2 to 3 min. Repeat stiring until soft but still crunch. Remove from heat and add Braggs amino. Service at once - serve with fresh srouts (it will add to the nutritional value of this delicious dish)

You need to vary the diet all the time and try and make sure that you eat various veggies and fruits daily. I am restricted to 2 fruits max a day. Good rule for all. Sugar content is high. When you are younger, in your twenties, your body can cope with all that you throw at it, but by the time we reach our 40's our bodies recon that they have had enough of what we shove down our throats, and recon no more now. Bad eating habits cause bad health.

Just a gentle reminder - when I arrive in Sacramento, Sharon had gone to have a colonop...... ( whatever) and I know that it is a very unpleasant experience, and I wonder what Sharon's body was saying to her then .......... Your colon is part of you intestines, a very important part. That means your diet is poor, food is lying in your body rotting away, place some food in a nice cosy warm body temp area for 3 to 5 days, and see what that looks like - it is in your body .......... lying there (Atri told Andrew that - his digestive system was a mess) Gillian McKeith is brilliant shw would show you what that looks like. A good digestive system should have a days food in your body not like most people who eat 'REFINED' foods, the food is there on average for 3 days min. That is where colon problems come from, or constipation (also lack of water) ........

I just drink 2 things now - Water - not tap water but purified water. I buy purified water now - not mineral water. Sharon has a good water purifier, use it. The other liquid I drink is 'Rooibos Tea' no milk - no sugar. Just like that.

Look at the food and check and use logic - is this good for me or bad for me.

Just to mention 1 last fact - if I eat crisps (potatoe chips) I wake up at 01h30 in the morning just like if I had eaten sugar ........ That means it is giving my pancreas and liver a tough time.

Till next time, need to do something for the 2 men in my life ......

Love and miss you all - to Sharon , I wish I was there to inspire, motivate and teach you, most that I have learnt has come from reading books, internet, Atri and I have used what I want and taken it from there, I used what I thought is good for me and didn't use what I deemed bad for me

most of all good luck ....
Ask if you need more info........

Goal weight

About two weeks ago, I reached my goal weight .............

and so now this is the new ME! To my hubby - sorry the cleavage is gone .......... hopefully never to return. It has just amazed me how the body readjust's itself. Yes, my body does look a little sad under the clothes, but it looked a whole lot more sad with all the extra weight.

These pants I wore on my flight to and from America in July/Aug 2008. Worse still is that in Sept/Oct 2009 these pants were to small for me - NOW JUST LOOK AT THEM.

It is simply amazing what daily exercise and good, healthy eating can do .............

I shed a total of 16,5 kg (36 pound) from October and my dear hubby, who looks so great, has lost 12 kg (26,4 pounds) in approx 6-7 weeks.

We are amazed at all our little health issues that have simply dissappeared since we are eating healthy food, and I thought I ate healthy, but today I know alot better. The right food is amazing and I do believe Gillian McKeith

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!