One of the aspects of the 30 Day Detox (and beyond the detox) is drink hot water with lemon and lime every day before eating or drinking anything else. In fact, this is a feature of many diets. So, what are the benefits of drinking hot water and lemon?

You might imagine that lemon juice in water would be highly acidic but actually the lemon (and/or lime) raises the alkalinity of your body.

Why do you want your body to stay alkaline?

An acidic environment can play havoc with your digestive system, reduce your body’s ability to store energy, damage free radicals, cause allergies, raise your cholesterol and blood pressure, inhibit the metabolism of fats….the list goes on and on.

Drinking hot water and lemon flushes your body of toxins and enables the body to work more effectively and be healthier. It cleanses and stimulates the liver and kidneys and eases digestive problems.

The benefits of drinking hot water and lemon to start your day are numerous. Lemon and/or lime both work in the same way (I personally prefer the taste of lime). Make sure you use warm water (not too hot or cold as these will make your body work harder) and then continue to drink it during the day for a healthier body.

I thought it was about time I officially welcomed you to the PCOS Matters blog and told you a little bit of my story.

I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early ’20s, but knew that things weren’t right from my teens. I was on the BCP (Birth Control Pill) from the age of around 17 until I was 34/35 continuously, except for 9 months to a year when I was exploring homeopathy.

I was fed up with pumping my body full of drugs and have a great interest in alternative therapies.

In the next video, I’ll tell you more about those alternative therapies and my experience with traditional medicine in regards to my PCOS.

Sorry, if you have been patiently waiting for an update on my last consultation with Trisha Stewart and what the outcome of having done the 30 Day Detox is. Work got a little hectic over the past week and I just didn’t have time to post.

Well, I maintained the detox completely up until seeing Trisha last Tuesday. She performed another health screening and overall there were some good improvements, but she was still picking up problems in the jaw and throat area.

Although I lost 9lbs during the 30 days, most of that was earlier in the process and Trisha was worried things were already slowing down and that we need to work on getting the thyroid and adrenals to function better.

What Happens Next?

We agreed that I would continue to follow the main basis of the 30 day program but that allowing myself other non-Vegan foods occasionally would be ok as long as I keep a well balanced, nutritious diet. She also gave me a homeopathic remedy to help with my metabolism.

Plus, I need to keep up the exercise.

I haven’t weighed myself yet this week, but I feel better in my clothes (and some that haven’t fitted for ages are now fitting well) and that is always a good thing.

I have had some grilled plaice in the last week when I went out for dinner, as well as some coleslaw, a little cheese and even a couple of pieces of chocolate, but overall I have stuck to the foods I enjoyed during the detox such as bean chili, rice and quinoa pilafs, and salads.

Don’t forget, to keep up with what I am doing on a daily basis, follow me on Twitter at: PCOS Matters

It’s funny that my final week of the 30 Day Detox should turn out to be my toughest.  There are a variety of reasons for this:

• work was stessful (a time when I want comfort and quick and easy food)
• things went wrong (as they are known to do in life, and my usual reaction is comfort food)
• I didn’t lose any more weight
• I haven’t been exercising
• possibly pre-menstrual?

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The last one shouldn’t be the case but I do feel like I may have a little PMS so perhaps the detox has caused my body to change in that respect. Time will tell.

So, all in all, I have been feeling quite low and craving pizza, cake and fish finger sandwiches. I had a call with Trisha Stewart on Tuesday to catch-up and talk over various things. One area of concern was that I haven’t done much exercise.

I have a love/hate relationship with exercise. When I do it and afterwards I feel great but I can always talk myself out of it! There always seems to be something else I should be doing, or not enough time, and as a result exercise is usually bottom of my list.

I’m not a gym person. If I’m going to exercise I would rather walk in the fresh air or go dancing (I especially love belly dancing, but it stops during the school summer holidays).

I know that diet and exercise should go hand in hand, and that the endorphins from exercise will lift my mood, so we have agreed on a program of 15 minutes a day on my cross trainer (or anything that raises my heart rate – which in my current fitness state is just about anything), plus 2-3 other activities such as dancing, pilates and yoga.

Today is the final day of the detox but I will continue it  until I see Trisha on Tuesday and then she can assess the results.

I thought it would be useful to explain some of the concepts behind the 30 Day Detox I am doing. The first concept is the Vegan Diet Plan that is essential for the detox and which Trisha Stewart recommends following beyond the detox too.

Here are just a few of the benefits of a Vegan diet:

• less saturated fats because you are not eating meat or dairy products
• less cholesterol
• more vitamins and minerals because you are naturally eating more fresh fruit and vegetables
• less junk food and processed foods (meaning fewer chemicals) – have you ever tried to find Vegan fast food restaurants?
• a reduction in toxins (unfortunately even fish high in Omega 3 usually has high levels of mercury picked up through the food chain, and many animals we eat are pumped full of hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals)
• fewer simple carbohydrates, that raise blood sugars and can heighten your chances of Type 2 diabetes

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Of course, this does rely on eating a balanced Vegan diet. The only Vegan I knew when I was younger always looked pasty white and had constant illnesses, but we discovered that she was so fussy about her food she would live on tinned sweetcorn and bread. Can you say vitamin deficiencies?!

One of the biggest arguments against a Vegan diet is that without dairy products like milk, you cannot get enough calcium, which will lead to bone problems like osteoporosis. Actually leafy green vegetables and legumes are great sources of calcium and contain other vitamins and minerals too. Whereas animal proteins can leech calcium from your bones.

So, all in all, providing you eat a good balance of foods on a Vegan diet plan, you can benefit from all the necessary vitamins and minerals, and reap the health benefits too.

I had never considered eating a Vegan diet before, in fact my friend recommended one to me a couple of years ago and I thought it would be too tough so didn’t even entertain it. I’ve been amazed at how easy I have found it over the past few weeks since I started the 30 Day Detox – I’ve never felt hungry, I enjoyed some foods and recipes I would never have considered in the past, and I’ve already seen some weightloss and increased energy.

Will I stay a Vegan after the 30 days? Probably not totally. I do find that I have to be extra organised about preparing food, and it’s difficult to go to dinner with family and friends, but I think I will maintain it for the majority of the time and just eat eggs, cheese, fish and meat occasionally.

For more information on the 30 Day Detox and Vegan Diet Plan, I recommend you visit Trisha Stewart’s website and read her Healthy Tart book.

Some people have asked me to blog a bit more about my 30 Day Detox and why I am doing it.

The best way to learn what I am doing here is to visit Trisha Stewart’s website for a greater explanation and buy her Healthy Tart book. This talks a lot about good nutrition and also details the 30 Day Detox along with all the necessary recipes.

My BEST Consultation with Trisha

Essentially, I went to see Trisha because I wanted to try a totally holistic approach to my health. I have always sought out alternative therapies but after having extremely poor health last year (I was eventually diagnosed with an underactive thyroid) and putting on a helluva lot of weight, I knew I needed help to get my health back on track. I had tried to tackle it on my own, but sometimes you need assistance and shouldn’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for it.

I found Trisha Stewart on Twitter through a friend and went for my first consultation 3 weeks ago. Trisha begins by doing a health screen using the BEST system (BioEnergetic Stress Testing). This uses a non-invasive probe on Acupressure points to test for hormone levels, toxins, sensitivities, allergies, intolerances, parasites, bacteria etc. At the end of the process you receive a full printout of all the findings.

My readout showed some high scores to indicate a toxic system including some parasites, bacteria, candida and viruses. My hormone levels were not unusual, but that is probably because I am on Thyroid medication.

Trisha then recommends the 30 day detox, in order to clean the system and enable Trisha to see what we are left with once I am all cleansed and flushed of as many toxins as possible. She also gave me some homeopathic drops for the parasites and a good quality probiotic for my digestive system.

What Happens at the End of the 30 Day Detox?

Who knows?

I will go back to see Trisha and then she can assess how to progress now that the “decks are cleared.”

Certainly, in the Healthy Tart book, she advises a continued Vegan diet but if I can’t live without meat, fish, eggs etc. then she suggests keeping it to a minimum. Also, some yeast-free bread every other day.

As well as clearing the toxins, the other upside of the detox is some weightloss and an increase in energy and general wellbeing.

Hope that explains more. If you have any further questions please add them to the comments section or send me (@PCOS) or Trisha (@TrishaStewart) a message on Twitter.

I’m going to do something I’ve never done before….I’m going to admit to my weight.

I NEVER share my weight with anyone and rarely have in the past (doctors, nurses and Weightwatcher leaders are the exceptions). Even my closest friends don’t know my weight.

But, Trisha Stewart asked me to take a Before Photo, and then I thought I should publish it on the blog. And then, I decided that since many of you are following along with me on this detox, it was only fair to give full disclosure.

I don’t like to dwell too much on how much I weigh. I know if my clothes fit and how I feel and look in them. That to me is more important than the numbers on a scale. But the actual numbers do help you measure your success and hold yourself accountable (even if it’s just to yourself).

So, as long as you promise not to tell anyone else

Before the 30 Day Detox I was: 258 lbs

After 10 days: 252 lbs

I haven’t weighed myself yet (currently on Day 17, but will let you know when I do).

Now for the Before photos.

I suddenly realised that I hardly own any close fitting clothes but finally found a vest top and tight-ish cropped trousers:

As you can see, like many women with PCOS, I carry most of my weight around my torso – especially my stomach area.

Eek! That’s hard to look at but I plan on those pictures being much more palatable by the next photo

I last left this tale on Day 9 of the 30 Day Detox where I had survived the weekend of temptation.

The rest of week 2 has been pretty easy in comparison. I’ve had some cravings for coffee and ice cream (weird, as I’m not a big fan of ice cream usually) but only minor cravings.

I have been trying out more recipes from Trish Stewart’s Healthy Tart book and have a new favorite: Nut Roast with Onion Gravy. Just lovely hot or cold.

I also managed to get up early enough to make the Buckwheat Pancakes on a couple of mornings. Again, they taste great with some organic berries, but are a little dry – I’m still trying to perfect the recipe.

Over the weekend I have been on the 2 days of juicing – more on that tomorrow.

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