The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it.

James Bryce once said "The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it"

If this is true then in my opinion The Twelve Step Warrior is worth a life.

Never have I read a book that has taken me on such an emotional roller coaster quite as much as The Twelve Step Warrior - tears, heartbreak, a giggle at a very brilliant insult and finally left me in overwhelming awe of Pete.

The Twelve Step Warrior is a very personal journey through Pete's life and his battle against addiction, an honest account where Pete shows true courage and comes out the other side. This book is an inspiration and I truly believe it will save lives.

Well done Pete for all you have achieved and everything you will achieve in the future.

You can check out The Twelve Step Warrior on Facebook; buy your self a copy from Amazon  and while your at it check out http://peterskillen.com/

LittleMissMoffett

xx

Avocado, Mint and Feta Salad

I made this salad when I went to my friend Tara's for our Steak night - something we do every six ish weeks - we always have a lovely time, eat steak, drink wine and watch a ridiculously girly film!!

For this salad you will need - this made enough for 4 servings as an accompaniment to a meal but could serve 2 as a main meal. -

Lambs Lettuce - a bag of
Feta - 100g
1 ripe avocado
a handful of mint
seeds - I added a handful or 2 of roasted mixed seeds
half red onion
2 limes - the zest and the juice
a few glugs of olive oil

In a large mixing bowl add the olive oil, lime zest and juice to make the dressing. Cut the avocado down the middle cutting round the stone, pop out the stone, skin the avocado and chop up the flesh into cubes and place in the salad bowl. Chop the mint leaves, onion and feta and add to the bowl. Add the lambs lettuce. Toss the salad well so everything is coated with the dressing. Sprinkle over the seeds and its ready to serve.(I also added some dried chilli flakes - a little spice and touch of red looks great against the white of the feta and gives a bit of a kick against the zesty lime and creamy feta)

Stunning Salad
TTFN
LittleMissMoffett
xx

Seafood Medley

...Quick, Easy, Healthy and Delicious

This is perfect for when you haven't got a lot of time but want to fix yourself (and those around you) a delicious meal.

You will need for 3 people (2 adults and a small person)

a couple of glugs of olive oil
300g of Seafood Selection
2 cloves of garlic - crush it under the knife and chop up a bit)
1 red onion
couple of handfuls of cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 stock cube
a glug of white wine
juice of half a lemon
2-3 handfuls of spinach
2-3 tablespoons of low fat creme fraiche
optional: red chilli (de-seeded and finely chopped)

A super duper onion chopping tip: pop the onion in the freezer for 10minutes before you chop it saves the onion tears running down your face

Heat the oil in a non stick pan add the garlic and onion (if you are adding chilli pop this in the pan at this stage) and cook for 5 minutes on a mid heat until soft. Add the stock cube (crumble it straight in the pan), the wine, lemon juice and seafood. Stirring occasionally let the wine and stock reduce down - no longer than 7 minutes (make sure the seafood is cooked thoroughly) - add the tomatoes, stir through the creme fraiche and add the spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Serve immediately - this goes well over pasta or served with crusty bread.

Yummy in your tummy!

TTFN
LittleMissMoffett
xx

Dukan Dessert - Lemon and Lime Mousse

This refreshing dessert is easy to make, tasty and ticks the Dukan box!
You can eat this dessert from Phase 2 - Cruise.

You will need for 4 good sized portions - I made enough to fill the 4 pots pictured and a bit leftover -
3 unwaxed lemons
3 eggs (seperate the yolk and white)
2 limes
3 tablespoons sweetner
3 tablespoons of cornflour
500ml skimmed milk

What you need to do -
Remove the zest from one of the lemons and one of the limes. Squeeze all three lemons and the lime.

Put the lemon and lime zest and juice in a saucepan and add the egg yolks and sweetener. Combine the ingredients and stir in the cornflour, mixing it gradually.

Heat up the mixture, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon. Let it thicken and then add the milk, little by little. Stir well and let it thicken some more. Remove from the heat and leave to cool down.

Whisk the egg whites until very firm (this always takes a bit longer than you think - looking at 6-8 minutes with an electric whisk) and gently fold them into the lemon and lime mixture. Pour into glasses/ramekins or as I have glass jars and pop in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Delicious.
TTFN
LittleMissMoffett
xx

Cruise Recipe - Basa with Mushroom Gratin

To make 4 servings you will need
4 Basa Fillets (any fish really)
bunch of thyme
2 onions (I used red)
4 cloves
2 bay leaves
400ml low salt chicken stock
250g mushrooms (I used Chestnut)
3 garlic cloves
200ml creme fraiche (3% fat)
2 handfuls of low fat hard cheese
Salt and Pepper

Heat some water in a casserole dish and place the fish in it along with the thyme, one of the onions studded with the cloves, the bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes at Gas Mark 4.

Pour 200ml of the stock into a frying pan. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper and cook until tender.


Take the Basa out of the casserole dish - remove the skin and any bones.


Put the garlic in with the mushrooms. Stir, turn the heat off and cover the pan with a lid then leave the mushrooms to soak up the flavours.

In a non stick frying pan, gently cook the other finely chopped onion until softened then pour in the remaining 200ml of stock. Leave to simmer over a gentle hear until all the water has evaporated.

Heat the frying pan again with the mushrooms, add the onion and flaked Basa, stir, and then stir in the creme fraiche. Pour the mixture into a gratin dish if you have one or a casserole dish, scatter over the cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

I will post some more delicious recipes very soon

TTFN
LittleMissMoffett
xxx

Cruise Control

First things first never was i so happy to shop for, prepare and cook veggies - after a successful 4 days on the Attack Phase it was time to get some veggies back into my diet and start the cruise phase..

The cruise phase is the second phase and is is made up of alternating a rhythm of pure protein days and protein and vegetable days to help you achieve your target weight. A healthy weight loss is about 2lbs a week - this is going to vary really from person to person depending on the individual - however to some 2lbs is going to seem quite slow when compared to how much you lost in the Attack Phase. Also 2lbs a week for some will be too much - I know my loss rate will be slower than that because I don't want to lose too much too soon so I am happy to be on the Cruise Phase for as long as I need to be.

While I was on the Attack Phase I worked out my PP/PV rhythm - there are many combinations and this depends on how much you want to lose. Different paramaters have to be taken into account including age, digestion, how much you want to lose, how much exercise you will do and how much you like meat and vegetables. Rhythms vary - there are two common rhythms and two less common ones.

The two common rhythms:

5 PP/5 PV - this is a strong rhythm and requires unswerving motivation - 5 days without veg hmmm - this one was not for me

1 PP/ 1 PV this is probably the easier option producing good results but without the frustration of 5/5

Veggies

The less common rhythms

2 PP/5 PV - less common and less intense - is suited to those who are more vulnerable, fragile and old or those who dont have too much to lose

2PP and 5 normal days - 2 days of PP and 5 days without any particular diet but avoiding excess.

I initially have gone for 1PP to 1 PV which has proved to work well for me, however I have got to be honest I have treated myself a couple of times to a nice drink but without drinking to excess but I have been making proper meals, eating well and the bad habits have gone - which for me was one of my main aims.

During the two weeks I went to Strawberry Fields Festival but made a deal with myself - two days before I went PP, while I was there the food I ate was good stuff and kept the carbs and fats to a minimum and yes I did drink....but I knew I was going to and as soon as I got back I hit the ground running with a PP day and got back on the Cruise.

During the two weeks of Cruise I have lost a total of 0.5kg (1lb) - which doesn't seem much but I am happy with this and considering I went away for the weekend I am very happy. I have only been to the gym to do weights twice during the cruise, I have started back on Spin and of course I'm still going to Pilates and am pleased to say that I haven't lost any of my oomph on the Spin bike which I was a bit worried about.

Back to the veggies - not all veggies can be eaten - When you look at the vegetables listed in more detail you will see that many of these 28 vegetables have a large number of varieties that will give you a much wider choice than you might have first thought. There are three vegetables on the list, carrots, beetroot, and artichokes which you need to be careful when eating as their high sugar content might impact on your weight loss so you need to restrict these to one serving per week each.

Artichokes (Globe not Jerusalem)
Asparagus
Aubergine
Beetroot
Broccoli*
Cabbage* 

Carrots
Celery and Celeriac
Chicory
Courgettes (aka Zucchini)
Cucumber
Fennel
French Beans/String Beans/Runner Beans/Mangetout
Leeks
Mushrooms ( all varieties including White Button, Shiitake, Oyster and Portabella)
Onions (Red, White, Salad or Spring)
Palm Hearts
Peppers
Pumpkins, Squashes and Marrows
Radishes
Salad Leaves (Of any sort including all types of Lettuce, Rocket and Watercress)
Sorrel
Soya Beans
Spinach
Swede
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Turnips

Some of the delicious meals I made during the Cruise Phase include Basa and Mushroom Gratin; Bolognaise in Baked Butternut Squash; Aubergine Lasagne - pictures and recipes to follow this week.

As of next week I am going to change my rhythm to 5 days PV/ and 2 days PP and see how I get on with that.....updates to follow soon!! 

TTFN

LittleMissMoffett

xx

*Broccoli and Cabbage are both a member of the Cole family and this allows you to eat a very wide variety of vegetables such as cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli, red cabbage, white cabbage, collard greens, kale and brussel sprouts. 

It's Time to Attack!!

Everyone's plan has to start with the Attack Phase. The Attack Phase can last up to 10days, the length of the attack phase depends on your current weight and your goal weight and a few other details, this can be determined by the 'true weight calculator' which gives you an accurate target weight. 

During the Attack Phase you eat predominantly protein-rich foods that are also reasonably low in fat. The main purpose of the Attack Phase is to introduce (or in my case reintroduce) good eating habits. This phase for most is the phase with the biggest weight loss - as time goes by you will lose weight at a more stable pace. Good news - during this phase, you can eat as much as you want in any combination and at any time of day (as long as the foods are from the list).

The Kiddies Picnic - resistance wasn't futile!

Last Sunday I took myself off to the shops to stock up on foods from the "allowed" list so I could start 4 days of Attack on last Monday. I didn't know how I was going to feel during the 4 days but just one day in I felt healthier and more energised (this will vary from person to person some people feel tired initially during the first few days) so I carried on for the full four days. I made sure I stuck with the rules (see below) and ate at regular intervals when I felt hungry - one of the worst things a dieter can do is skip a meal. .

Now I'm not saying its completely plain sailing you will get cravings - you are fighting old eating habits, addictions to sugar etc - for me it was post meals when I usually went for a square of chocolate - I overcame this by adding a little sweetener and orange zest to the Oat Bran Gallettes that are allowed. You may also find you feel constipated/don't go to the loo for a couple of the days - this happened to me but without feeling uncomfortable - don't worry its only for a few days and can be helped by ensuring you consume the oatbran allowance and plenty of water.

Going on a picnic with Luke and my friends daughter for me was my proudest moment - I made myself a little Dukan Picnic (Chicken with Curried Yoghurt; Prawns with lime and chilli and a fat free flavoured (not fruit) youghurt) and lots of water - this while the kiddies had fresh fruit; homemade pizza; cucumber; crisps; sparkling grape juice and my favourite French Fancies - I didn't pinch a crumb and honestly didn't want to I thought I might but nope I did well.

My Dukan Picnic

My Attack Results

I weighed myself on Monday and weighed in at 57.9kg, after 4 days I weighed in at 56.9kg (I weighed myself at the same time of day in similar clothing), I was very happy to see I had lost a 1kg which for me is fantastic I have tried before but actually really struggle to drop weight.

After 4 days on Attack its now time to start the Cruise Phase - I can honestly say I have never been so excited about being able to eat vegetables!

 

 The Attack Rules

So the rules I mentioned

Top Tip - these MUST be followed

Eat as much as you want as long as it is on the allowed foods list.

One important habit that you need to establish from day one is proper water intake. Avoiding dehydration and overworking your kidneys is crucial on a high protein diet like this. Be sure to drink over 1.5 litres per day.

Oat bran is a very important ingredient of the Dukan Diet and introduced as soon as the Attack Phase. You should incorporate 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran per day in any form you like - as porridge, with yoghurt, in muffins or pancakes.

One food unrelated rule is to introduce exercise in the form of a 20 minute walk each day. Many dieters will be happy to hear that at the same time more extensive exercise is discouraged in this phase. (I pulled back from my usual exercise regime and just went for walks - although I did go out for more than 20minutes as i felt full of energy and took snacks and water with me - and did 2 Pilates classes during this Phase)

If after first 5 days you are not seeing any further weight loss proceed to the Cruise Phase even if you planned your attack for longer.

It’s absolutely essential that you stick to this diet precisely. It's suggested by Dr Dukan that just one tiny lapse will be like putting a needle in a balloon – all the benefits will instantly disappear and you’ll need to start all over again. The advice: don’t cheat at all.

So I am a few days into my Cruise Phase updates to follow soon!

TTFN

LittleMissMoffett

xx