Returning to the UK after an unforgettable whirlwind of
working and travelling abroad, I came back a bit ‘cheese and wined’ out! (Well,
it would be criminal not to enjoy the famous wine regions of Australasia to the
max). Time for a Spring Clean!
Being totally obsessed with my new smoothie maker, I decided
to try a D.I.Y 5 day detox to kick start clean eating
again. Not just diet, I also wanted to include mindfulness and beauty treats.
My goals? Never one to weigh myself, I focused more on how I
wanted to feel: Energised, happy, body confident, healthy and refreshed. I gave
myself 4 simple ‘rules’:
1) Smoothie for breakfast and lunch full of fruit and
veggies. A balanced and colourful dinner full of goodness. Read on for recipes!
2) 30 minutes sweaty exercise a day (A big ask for me. I
hate exercise, but feel unfit and need to get my heart pumping for the health
benefits).
3) 1 beauty and mindfulness treat a day.
4) Stay well hydrated (I don’t drink enough water and am
always moaning about having a headache).
Day 1
Brilliant Berries
smoothie
Mixed berries + figs + pomegranate + handful chia seeds + coconut water + a few fresh mint leaves.
Top Tip: Don’t
get bogged down with amounts when making smoothies. Just throw in however much
you fancy of each ingredient.
Green Goodness
Avocado + rocket + spinach + cucumber + coconut water + paprika + squeeze of lime.
Mexican Salad
1) Gently dry fry chopped chorizo, chopped red onion and some
halved cherry tomatoes until warmed through.
2) Arrange ½ avocado and chopped fresh coriander with some
rocket and spinach leaves. Add the warm chorizo mix.
3) Season with lime juice, cracked black pepper and some
crushed tortilla chips.
Progress…
The first day was hard (I usually ALWAYS have a sandwich for
lunch) and I felt hungry for most of the day. I kicked off the exercise with HIIT and core conditioning.
God, I hated it, and afterwards had to top up my motivation by scrolling
through fitness accounts on Instagram.
My beauty treat
was a relaxing home facial whilst watching Eurovision (don’t judge me). Mindfulness was to click ‘unsubscribe’
at the bottom of every junk email I received today. Looking forward to my inbox
being much less cluttered from now on!
Day 2
Tasty Tropical
Pineapple + mango + coconut water + spoonful of baobab.
Kiwi Kick
Kiwi + strawberries + apple + water.
Pesto
1)
Blend together a few handfuls of fresh basil and
pine nuts with 2 garlic cloves.
2)
Slowly add olive oil whilst blending until
desired paste consistency. Easy!
Progress…
Today the sun was out and I was feeling motivated. After HIIT and leg/glutes exercise, I needed carbs for dinner! I cooked some wholemeal pasta,
and added my home made pesto, grated courgette, olives and rocket –
unexpectedly, I felt full really quickly and couldn’t finish it (SO unlike me).
For my beauty
treat I made a body scrub, using ingredients from my kitchen cupboard:
Oats + olive oil + honey
(dry skin) or few drops of tea tree oil (oily skin).
Mindfulness today
was getting in touch with an old friend who I haven’t spoken to in almost 10 years!
A great feeling.
Day 3
Creamy Comfort
Banana + almond milk + oats + peach yoghurt + vanilla pod seeds.
Progress…
Went for a family lunch today (tried to keep it clean with a
jacket potato and salad), which meant a smoothie for dinner. Luckily the banana
and milk blend was really satisfying and I didn’t feel like I was missing out
on a meal.
Completely re-shaped my bush eyebrows for my beauty treat, which made me look much
more awake (needed). For mindfulness,
I tried (and failed) meditation before bed in the hope to stop my mind racing
so much. Found my thoughts wandering to work e.t.c, but noticed my breathing got
deeper and slower. Afterwards I felt so relaxed and drifted straight off to a
fantastic night’s sleep! It may not have been strictly ‘meditation’, but at
least it worked for something.
Day 4 and 5
Orange Organza
Orange + carrot + mango +pinch of turmeric + water.
Green Goals
Apple + cucumber + spinach + chia seeds + cooled green tea + squeeze of lemon.
Pimm’s salad
1) Mix together a selection of green leaves with all your
usual Pimm’s ingredients: Cucumber, strawberries, orange and chopped mint.
2) Add figs and pomegranate to up the ante. Serve with
grilled salmon fillet and sliced avocado.
Things were much easier the last 2 days. I’ve noticed that I
am waking more refreshed, have more energy throughout the day, my skin is ridiculously
clear of spots, my stomach feels flat and I’m even, shock horror, hating the
exercise a bit less.
My beauty and mindfulness treats included pedicures
with my mum, a yoga sun salutation routine one morning, sorting and cleaning my
make-up bag, and turning my phone off for a few hours (because I spend wayyyy
too long on Instagram).
Overall, a success and I’m going to continue with the
healthy eating….until my next blog post. Can’t promise the next one will be so
healthy!
