As I sit here at my keyboard, sipping my lemon and honey water, I wonder if it’s a good idea documenting this new health journey I am embarking on. What if I fail? What if I can’t keep it up or I fall off the wagon? It will all be in such a public way… Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. So many of us start and stop this journey many times. Trying to lose weight, or get fit or eat better. Whatever the goal, everyone is trying something to improve themselves. So if my documenting my journey resonates with someone else and makes your journey less alone, then it has been worth it.

As for falling off the wagon; I’ve learned over my many years, ok, not that many, just enough to have learned some life lessons that only come with age and experience, I’ve learned that the trick is to not stay down. Falling off does not give you an excuse to give up. And this is too often the pattern we succumb to. So my plan is to allow myself to fall off the wagon occasionally, and then to just get right back on again.

Losing weight has been the bane of my entire existence. I’ve always struggled to keep my weight down. I’ve never been thin but have been acceptably fit and healthy and of a decent jeans size till into my mid thirties. And then motherhood happened, and I just can’t seem to shake off the extra pounds on my own. But worse than that, my body simply does not feel healthy. There is a certain lack of energy or vooma, as one may say. So instead of trying to lose weight again, I’m chosing to get healthy. And hoping the weight loss will follow. I decided not to do this alone. I consulted with a holistic specialist who came up with a stepped lifestyle plan that includes the right supplementation for my needs. This will be a process over many months and will cost some with all the follow ups. But if I can spend the way I do on junk food, then my health must certainly deserve equal value.

My eating should change and will become more organic and less processed. I’m hoping to discover new halaal outlets and products catering to a growing market seeking this same change. And so, here follows:

Week 1

My programme begins with 1 month of detox. No bread, sob! No rice, no meat, chicken or fish. Not even any dairy. Plenty of water, obviously. Though how anybody drinks an entire 2 litres of water in a day is beyond me… How do I fit in all my tea and coffee in between? The irony is, on day 1 we have been invited to supper. So it will be a challenging evening. The objective is to flush my body of all the residual toxins that we take in and lay the foundations for putting the good stuff back. I am also starting to take a few supplements specific to my bodies needs.

Hubby has been warned that I might be a bit of a dragon due to some headaches, moodswings and or general craziness I might experience during this detox process. Note: Always ensure that your marraige/relationship is strong enough to withstand any kind of detox programme. Exercise will come later. There is no hurry. You didn’t get fat and unhealthy overnight. So getting fit and healthy shouldn’t be a race.

Breakfast today will be an omelette cooked using unprocessed coconut oil. Bought a entire 1 litre tub this weekend. Thank goodness I’m allowed eggs this month. Hope my omelette looks as appetizing as the one in the image.

And so it begins. Wish me luck.
xxx