Pink Julep's New Obsession: Metromint Water

Photo Credit: www.metromint.com

I'm kind of in love with Metromint! It's a little pricy (at least here on island it is) but totally worth it on a super hot day! So far I've tried the Lemonmint, Cherrymint and Peppermint flavors and I love them all! I was excited to read about the benefits of drinking mint water after I tried it and to also discover that Tom Cruise and Brittany Snow are also fans. Check out this little blurb about it on Instyle.com.

Hubs doesn't like it. He says it's like drinking Listerine or toothpaste and you might find that as well. But on a scorcher of a day like today has been, I find it leaves my insides feeling cool and tingly! And with benefits such as tension ease and aiding digestion, it's like magic bonus water! Loves it! I think the Cherrymint is my favorite so far!

Pink Julep Diets: 5 Things I Can't Live Without While Dieting

Photo Credit: www.content-creation.co.uk

I'm motivated beyond all belief now that I know I'm getting off this rock in a couple of months! There will be events to attend, things to do, places to go and people to see, so it's no problem at all for me to go back on my diet and so far, I'm doing pretty well. The weekends are tough, but during the week, I've been very dilligent about what I'm putting into my body. These are the 5 things I can't live without while on a diet:

1. Smart Water

Photo Credit: www.healthwaters.com

2. Tazo Wild Sweet Orange Tea

Photo Credit: www.coffeeforless.com




3. Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks in Ranch Flavor

Photo Credit: www.quakeroats.com




4. Genisoy Bars



Photo Credit: www.conditionnutrition.com




5. Special K Vanilla Almond




Photo Credit: www.mrbreakfast.com

What are your can't live without foods while on a diet? I'd love some new ideas!

Energy Crisis

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At the suggestion of a friend here in England, I recently began taking Floradix as an iron supplement. I have low iron, something I developed while living in the Cayman Islands due to the lack of fresh foods on the island (everything is imported on barges from the US) and it's a problem I've neglected now for at least a year. So far, I like Floradix. It tastes disgusting, but I just chase it with OJ and it seems to be okay that way. I also read in an article somewhere that vitamin C makes it easier for the body to absorb iron, so hopefully this will work. Have any of you tried Floradix before? I'd love to hear what you thought of it!

I've also been eating like a frat boy since I gave up the Dukan Diet several weeks ago and I can honestly tell the difference in myself. It's not a positive difference, that's for sure. Before I started the Dukan Diet, I had a fairly reasonable diet incorporating lots of fruits, some veggies, varied meats and fish and a reasonable amount of dairy and carbs. Somewhere between giving up the Dukan Diet and now, I seem to have lost my balance. I'm no longer working out and I've been living on basically anything that has no nutritional value with lots of coffee, chocolate and Diet Coke. As a result, I'm a total mess! I feel like the guy from Supersize Me. I'm exhausted all the time. I sleep a lot during the day. I haven't been getting any exercise and I feel like crap all the time. So I'm getting it back together! I started off this morning with an egg white omelet with grilled chicken and cheddar cheese and a side fresh Brittish strawberries. I practically sucked it off the plate, meaning my body was craving something good! I already feel a little better! I'll be doing a little workout today because the sooner I start, the sooner I'll start feeling the effects, even if I'm exhausted for a few days while I get into the swing of things.

What do you do for a boost when you're having an energy crisis? Any super foods that you swear by or supplements that you've found? I'd love your feedback!

Dukan Diet Update

Yesterday was my 10th day on the Dukan Diet and my 5th day of the cruise phase. Since the beginning of the cruise phase, the diet has been less than desired. Most days during the cruise phase I've eiether lost nothing or gained weight. I've been EXHAUSTED most of the time and completely lethargic. I've also had some nasty side effects, but I've been calm and focused.

Until yesterday. I just could barely move after a certain period of the day. I was exhausted! So I napped for about 2 hours and when I woke, it was like I couldn't get out of bed. My head was fuzzy and I was slightly dizzy. I nearly fell down a flight of stairs.

By the time my husband came home, I was feeling so disgusting and exhausted that he insisted we go out for some carbs and he wouldn't take no for an answer. So we did, but I felt incredibly guilty.

The funny thing is that when I had the opportunity to cheat on my diet, it wasn't because of something I would normally want like ice cream, chocolate or a glass of wine. I went for what I craved and knew I needed. From what I've read, it seems brain functionality and energy come from carbs. Many professionals consider them essential to daily life, but there are also arguments that it is safe to lose weight without them.

We made a decision that I would have a few cheats now and then and I really mean now and then, not every day. On this diet, it's possible that my blood sugar gets low, which might be what's causing the dizzy feeling. I have no idea... I'm no doctor. So occassionally, I might pop a few grapes or have the odd apple, even though they are forbidden in this stage of the diet. An apple every now and then would also provide me with some much needed fiber! I may also incorporate a slice or two a week of Irish brown soda bread as is needed. It's whole grain, the slices are small and it's also gluten free. I'm hoping that having it occassionally might get rid of the fuzzy head feeling and get things moving in the body more regularly.

I am not at all quitting the Dukan Diet! There are multiple ways listed in the book describing how one might chose a rhythm during the cruise phase. For many people, it is simply no diet 5 days a week and pure protein only 2 days a week until a goal is reached. I am not going that far. I went nearly 10 whole days with nothing but meat, non-fat dairy and very few vegetables, but nothing else. I will continue to alternate protein days with protein & veg days, but since I plan to be doing this for months, occassionally I will have to have a few other things for the sake of not doing too much damage to my body.

So now, as it stands, I'm once again 6 pounds less than when I started. Honestly, on day 11 I thought I would have lost more by now, so I am planning to up my exercise today.

Have a great weekend everyone!

These are just my experiences and thoughts. No two people are the same. I am not a qualified professional and do not pretend to be one.

Cooking the Dukan Way

My refrigerator, which used to hold a variety of foods and condiments has been completely overhauled! It now looks like it belongs to a butcher because it's FULL of meat! Since my husband and I are now in the cruise phase of the Dukan Diet, we are limited to meat, eggs and non-fat dairy, adding vegetables only every other day.


As a treat to myself, I neglected the turquoise color scheme in our kitchen and treated myself to a pink silicone spatula! These spatulas are the best for making scrambled eggs, a trick my big sister taught me years ago!

On the first day of my cruise phase, I took advantage of the veggies part of the diet and made this delicious chilli! I used beef stock (made from an Oxo cube), tomato paste and ground beef. Instead of kidney beans which aren't allowed because of their starch content, I used soya beans. To add flavor and also to trick myself into eating veggies I don't like, I used diced celery, carrots and onion. Other ingredients included garlic, salt, pepper, chilli flakes and cayenne pepper. It was sooooo good!!! Also I think the green soya beans make it look more appealing with the color! I'm thinking of using this recipe for Christmas time as well since it's red and green!

Most of the time on pure protein days our meals include a variety of meats. It just feels weird when you only have one thing on your plate. For this particular meal we had salmon en papillote (basically salmon baked in tin foil pouches with lemon juice, garlic and herbs), roasted chicken and scrambled eggs. I try to stretch my eggs as much as possible because they have a different texture to meat so can often satisfy the textural craving of carbs or veggies. I usually scramble my eggs with 1 yolk and 2 or 3 whites. I do this because the Dukan Diet only allows 2 yolks per day, but the whites which are rich in protein, are allowed in unlimited quantities.

As far as meat and fish goes, I take advantage of what's available to flavor and moisten the meat including mustard, lemon, lime and bouillon cubes. I also use a wide selection of herbs and spices to keep the flavors interesting! Water can be very useful when cooking as can a dry rub of vegetable oil on a pan.

My breakfast most days is scrambled eggs done the same way with reduced fat bacon medallions and coffee. For those of you familiar with the diet or doing it yourself, I don't have my oat bran until the evening because I find it soothes my craving for sweets and snacks at night when I'm watching tv. I usually prepare it as a porridge with warm skim milk, aspartame and ground cinnamon. It's like Christmas in a bowl!

Vegetables? Yes Please!

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I have completed the 5 day attack phase of the Dukan Diet as recommended for me by the questionaire on the website and I'm now entering the cruise phase! I can confirm that I have lost 6 pounds in 5 days and I'm simply delighted with the results thus far! I have gone from 188 pounds to 182 pounds in less than a week!

I started cruise phase today, which will last approximately 3 days for every additional pound I would like to lose and ending only when I've reached my goal weight. I can now start having vegetables! I will now alternate pure protein days with protein/vegetable days, never having a day without protein, but every other day adding vegetables to my meals. Seeing as how I have 48 more pounds to lose, I will be in the cruise phase most likely for 144 days, a little under 5 months before I start the consolidation phase.

If you know me at all or have been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that I am not much of a veggies girl. I used to brag about having the eating habits of a 6 year old. However, after going for 5 days with nothing but diet salt, herbs, spices, garlic and boullion cubes on my pure protein foods, I'm now very excited about the multiple flavors I can achieve from adding veggies to my meals!

I love green beans and soya beans so I'll be eating those alot! I'll also be making more soups so that I can incorporate onion, celery, occasional carrots (they are too starchy to eat all the time, but are allowed occasionally) and tomato paste or juice.

During the cruise phase I should lose approximately 1 pound every 3 days or so.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has left me a positive, encouraging comment! I really appreciate the support!

Day #4: Oh What A Day!

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There has been much hubbub on Twitter and elsewhere about the figures of Her Royal Highness Catherine, The Dutchess of Cambridge, her sister Pippa Middleton and her mother, Carole Middleton! I can definitely see why as they all three looked amazing today!

While there have been rumors that Kate works out an hour every day and along with her mum, has used the Dukan Diet to slim down for the Royal Wedding, I have not heard a word about how Pippa stays so beautifully slim!

As most of you know, I am currently on the Dukan Diet, which I decided to read about after hearing that it's how Kate Middleton lost her weight for the wedding. I am on day #4 of the diet and still in the pure protein only Attack Phase. Weighing myself after the first 3 days showed that I had lost 4 pounds in just three days of doing this diet!

So far so good. I'm more tired than usual. There are some terribly unglamorous and unpretty side effects that I've experienced and while I won't share them on here, I'm happy to respond to any e-mail queries for anyone considering the diet who would like to know. I don't eat nearly as much as I thought I would, even though I can have as much of the allowed foods as I like. I have been craving variety, but no specific foods or offenders. I soothe myself with coffee, tea, Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke, plenty of water and the occasional 1 calorie sweetener enhanced approved recipe.

I feel really proud of myself, in control and powerful! I have had very few mood swings or rants, which are typical for me when I'm tired and deprived. I have walked by bakeries o'plenty, Doritos by the dozen and junk food aisles without thinking twice! I would say that's a good sign, wouldn't you?

After today, most likely I'll just have one more day of the pure protein attack phase. Depending on results and how I feel, I may or may not opt for 7 days of Attack. Once this is over, I'll be able to have vegetables every other day. As someone who has never cared much for veggies, I'm super surprised at how excited I am to finally add them to my food every other day! There will be so much more variety! Until then, I'm just here, gnawin on my meat like a cave woman, watchin the pounds on the scale reduce every morning and it feels great!

My husband on the other hand has lost 7 pounds. I considered no longer speaking to him, but I decided he's just too cute to get rid of! Hope you're all having a happy Royal Wedding Day!!!

Dukan Diet Day 3 Update and Random London Fun!

It's day 3 of the Dukan Diet and there have been many victories! Firstly, both my husband and I lost 3 pounds in 2 days! We also survived our first day out in the city with other people and we did great! I was forced to watch others eat cupcakes and muffins while I abstained, but my eyes are on the prize so I was perfectly fine munching on the chicken I packed up in a tupperware inside my purse! Above is a picture of our grocery shopping from the other day! Notice anything missing like cheese, veggies, fruit, bread? We're doing great and so far, it seems that I'm not overly tired, but I do experience highs and lows throughout the day. I'll have a lot of energy and then I'll crash for a bit and then right back to bouncy and then crash again! It's totally bearable and I seem to be getting used to it! Otherwise, I'm feeling great and so is my husband!

On Monday, the day before we started the diet, we went for our version of The Last Supper! Pizza and pasta at our favorite Italian restaurant, Il Mascalzone on Putney High Street. We won't be going back there anytime soon, but I'll look forward to the day when we can once again enjoy dinner there! It's a great restaurant and the staff is super friendly!

I couldn't resist sharing this! Some of the souvineer shops in London are selling Royal Wedding condoms! Hilarious!

Today we went to the Natural History Museum! It's a beautiful building!

The dinosaurs were impressive!

The place was full of kids! If you have children and either live in London or plan to visit London, I would highly recommend the Natural History Museum as a great family attraction in London!

My favorite was the T-rex that moves and roars!

It was a great day! Now I'm all systems go for some Royal Wedding Watching tomorrow!!! I'm sooooo excited!

Photographic Evidence

"C" said in a comment yesterday on the post called Making a Change:



"hmmm... I weigh close to 128 and I am almost 6" shorter than you...you must have been quite thin...good luck. Personally, I find exercise better than dieting, but both are probably necessary. "



In response I will say firstly, the Dukan Diet plainly says if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to change the way you think about exercise and I couldn't agree more. I think both are important and I'm pretty good about getting exercise however with the way I've been eating, it's no wonder I've never lost much weight. Also, during the certain stages of the Dukan Diet, you are encouraged not to do too much difficult exercising because you're body can't handle it along with what you are doing in the diet, but by the end of the book and the diet, exercise is strongly encouraged.



Second, I thought I would show a difference in my weight with pictures since you mentioned it. I used to be a dancer and yes, I was pretty thin at 128, though not as thin as you might think.

This is me a few weeks ago at the Cambridge/Oxford Boat Race weighing in a 188 lbs.

This is me in a friend's wedding in 2006 at 128 lbs wearing a less than flattering dress, but still, you can tell the difference:

I have a tendency to put on weight all over so the good news is that I carry it better than some. I don't have all my weight in my butt or hips. It's all over the place! But here are some of the differences I've noticed:

1. In 2006 I wore a US size 6 or 8 and now I wear a US size 10 or 12 and in a dress it has to be US size 14 or 16 to fit in the bust and then it's too big everywhere else.

2. In 2006 I wore a 34 or 36 B or C depending on the bra and I now wear 36 D or 38 C and sometimes a bigger size depending on the bra.

3. In 2006 I could go without a bra and proudly wore tube tops! Not anymore and I have no idea if that's an age or a weight thing, but I'd like to find out!


If anyone else has any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to comment! I'll try to answer any questions I can!

Making a Change: There's No Time Like the Present!

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If I were being completely honest, then I would say that I've been overweight and unhappy about it for a few years. Honestly, I've also been very half-assed about my approach to weightloss as well. My mother-in-law asked me a few weeks ago if I'd heard much about The Dukan Diet as she was interested in trying it to lose some weight for our nephew's Holy Communion. I hadn't heard much. But when magazines and newspapers started reporting that Kate Middleton and her mother had both lost weight for the wedding by doing the new fad diet, I decided to look into it.

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I have read the book and I also bought the recipe. This diet is perfect for me. It will be hard... there's no doubt, but at least this time I like the food, so that's the bonus!

I'm going to be open and honest here because this time, I'm in it to win it! I realize there might be some judgement in what I'm about to reveal and that's okay. I'm motivated and there's no turning back. I threw away all offending foods in our house and my husband is also doing the diet. We are making a change in a big way!

When I met my husband in 2005, I weighed 128 pounds. Over the past few years, I've gradually put on weight, but since moving to England, I've gained considerable weight (maybe 20 pounds?). I now find myself at 188 pounds and very unsettled by this number. I'm considered overweight according to my BMI, I'm unhappy, clothes don't look very good on me and I'm probably doing more harm to my body by being this overweight than I could with any diet.

My goal weight is 134 pounds. That's pretty close to what I've weighed for most of my life, give or take a few pounds. I'm 5'8 1/2" so I think that's a great weight for me! I'll be pretty excited if I can lose and maintain the 54 pounds difference as the Dukan Diet promises!

For those of you who aren't familiar, the Dukan Diet consists of 4 phases: Attack, Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization. The diet has been used by such celebrities as Jennifer Lopez and Giselle Bunchen after childbirth. The diet promises an amazing goal: that you'll reach your goal weight and maintain it, eating whatever you like for the rest of your life 6 days a week, and recalibrating with only proteins 1 day per week. This sounds like more than fair to me!

I'm currently in the Attack phase for 5 days in which I can only eat pure non-fat proteins along with a few extras like non-fat dairy products and spices. I also have to incorporate 1 1/2 tablespoons of oat bran per day into my diet and drink 1 1/2 liters minimum of water per day. The final requirement is that I walk for 20 minutes per day. Again, this is only for the first 5 days of the diet which will last a very long time for me since I have so much to lose. It's estimated that I will lose between 5 and 7 pounds in the first 5 days, maybe more.

It's about 8:30pm here in England on our first day and I have to say, we've been doing very well. I'm delighted that I can have aspartame sweetener and use lemon to flavor things. I can also drink Diet Pepsi, coffee and tea, which is a life saver! I'm tired and I have to use the loo a lot because of all the water, but otherwise I'm quite happy even though I'm already looking forward to incorporating new foods in 4 more days!

I'll continue to update on my status occasionally because this is a huge change in my lifestyle. However, for those of you who aren't interested, don't worry. Pink Julep is NOT turning into a diet only blog! Wish me luck! Only 4 more days of the attack phase to go!

Pink Julep Grab Bag

I needed a new pair of workout shoes. A few weeks ago, I got the most adorable red retro style Nike's for casual walks and sightseeing days, but they wouldn't cut it for any heavy amount of exercise, so I got these black and pink New Balance 760 Lightweight Trainers from Amazon.co.uk and I love them!!! They are not running shoes. Running shoes are specifically designed for forward motion. These trainers are great for stationary aerobic activity, walking, dance aerobics and anything else I would be doing regularly.

I have really been enjoying my Dyptique candle! I love to burn it when I am getting ready to go out!

I picked up a copy of Whitney Port's book the other day... I didn't even know it was out yet. This should be interesting to read this summer...

I also grabbed this adorable Rob Ryan water bottle. In case you aren't familiar, Rob Ryan is a famous cutout artist.

I am proud of what I had for lunch yesterday so I thought I'd share. It was Meatless Monday and this week is the first time I've successfully gotten through a whole Monday without meat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This southwestern rice dish was really easy to make. I kind of made it up so I thought I'd share. I only ate about 1/2 of this, so I would recommend the recipe below for 2.

Ingredients:

Long grain white rice (1 cup measured when dry)

Juice of 1 lime

1 to 2 Tblsp Olive Oil

1/2 cup boiled water

Frozen sweet corn

1/2 Can of Kidney Beans (I used organic, but any will do)

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 package of powdered fajita mix

Salt & Pepper

Crushed chillis

Method:

1. Boil the rice according to package directions, strain and return to the pan. Cover to keep warm if rice is done before topping.

2. In a frying pan or wok, heat enough Olive Oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and stir on med-high heat until tender and starting to brown. Pour in Lime juice. Mix well. Add powdered fajita mix and boiling water. Add corn and kidney beans. Mix well and bring to a boil. Salt & Pepper and add a small sprinkling of crushed chillis. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until desired thickness.

3. Serve beans and corn over rice with chips and salsa on the side.

We also had a lovely dinner last night for Meatless Monday! Penne with Edimame! It was delicious, super filling and probably just about the greenest dish that's ever reached my table, since I have the taste of a 6 year old. I got this recipe from French Women For All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano. The recipe calls for farfalle (bowtie pasta), but I didn't have any and penne worked fine! I found the recipe on the authors website, so you can find it here.

I've implemented Meatless Monday (or at least one meatless dinner per week - usually more) in our routine because I've read such great things about it. By going meatless for 1 day per week, you can reduce your carbon footprint, improve your health, and reduce your risk of cancer and other ailments. I'm now trying to be completely meatless one day per week (i.e. no meat for breakfast or lunch either) and even though I don't really like vegies, it's actually not that difficult! For more information on Meatless Monday, click here.

Have You Heard About the New Celebrity Trend D.I.P.E.?

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I read a very interesting article in the Sunday Times Style magazine a week or so ago called Watch Me Eat by Peta Bee about the new phenominon DIPE: Documented Instance of Public Eating.

I'm not at all surprised that this phenominon is all the rage these days. Since the 90's when Kate Moss became the new "It Girl," thin models, actresses and celebs have been ridiculed when they gain weight and they are regularly attacked for being too thin and setting a bad example. The perfect solution for this problem is for a publicist to arrange a "Documented Instance of Public Eating" featuring a perfectly thin and sometimes extremely fit celebrity to be photographed for the world to see, no matter how misleading it might be. Now, we've all known the pretty skinny girl either in school or now in our adult lives that weighs 90 pounds soaking wet and orders a greasy cheeseburger and supersized fries at every opportunity, then finishes it off with several Cokes (not diet) and a large hot fudge brownie sunday. Years ago we all knew these girls and thought their secret might have something to do with the trip to the bathroom they made after every meal, but this article insists that dipe girls are not bullimic, they will simply use the days ahead to recalibrate and work off the meal.

To me, it seems there's nothing new about this dipe craze. Television and films have been using this technique for years. There's always a character who is ridiculously thin and gorgeous, regularly eats large meals and pints of Ben & Jerry's and claims that she never works out (Hello Gilmore Girls!). Now we all know that the actress playing the part may well be in the gym for hours a day, 7 days a week and only eat the best of organic and microbiotic foods. The perfect example? I'm not criticizing... chances are that no one would watch a show about these characters if they were slightly average looking and unappealing.

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Carrie Bradshaw, the girl who says "shopping is my cardio" and eats whatever she wants. I find it hard to believe that a 35 year old woman who never ever works out in any way would be rockin such amazing abs and biceps unless she just happens to be amazingly genetically gifted. Sarah Jessica Parker is a tiny little thing and there's no doubt that she has always been and always will be small and thin, but when she appeared in SATC sporting belly tops and sheer blouses at every opportunity, her abs looked as if they were benefitting from amazing workouts or at least a job that requires a lot of physical labor.

SO... what's the danger? Influence of course. Your friend or your favorite celebrity might tell you that she eats whatever she wants as much as she wants and never lifts a finger... she just naturally looks great. That may be true... some people are naturally thin. But some people are not. And you might think there's no reason to bother because if you aren't naturally thin and perfect, then why bother trying? It seems on some occasion, these waifish beauties might have us all fooled... beware of beotches who are trying to throw you off your game. If you go home and eat burritos and potato chips every day because they do and look amazing, well then, it's less competition for them. Another issue of course is influence on young girls. One of the celebrities featured in the article is Gossip Girl star Blake Lively. Are teenagers and tweens in a time when obesity rates seem to be on the rise all over the world eating like pigs and forsaking the healthy foods their parents prefer in an effort to look more like Serena van der Woodsen? I wonder...

But on the other side of the argument, I have to wonder: Has this been overanalyzed? Is it intentional? We've all been on diets and splurged on a burger when out with friends because frankly, who has the willpower to resist temptation every single time? Maybe this is being blown out of proportion.

To read the entire article by Peta Bee from The Sunday Times, click here.

So I ask you: What do you think? Are you a dipe girl? Do you think you've been mislead by someone's "documented incident of public eating?" Are you concerned that your teen or tween might be influenced by this fad?

*This post is only my reaction to an article that I read. I am neither condoning nor rejecting this fad, but simply sharing information and my thoughts. I realize that weight and diet related posts are slightly controversial. I welcome your comments, but ask that you please keep them civilized. Thanks!