It's crunch time - the detox is over!

Drum roll please......

Not going to lie, this detox has required a lot of time and attention to make sure I didn't fall off the wagon so I haven't been updating my blog daily! That said, there's not a lot to write about with respect to what I was actually eating as the last 4 days are self explanatory - see the full plan here.

I did however have a brief change around on Day 6 - rather than just beef and veg, I took out most of the beef and replaced with wholegrain brown rice. Yummy!

Breakfast, lunch and dinner!!

So, how have I been feeling? Well, as much as I hate Day 5 (beef and tomatoes), the increase to 3L of water was fantastic! I felt full of energy, my stomach was feeling a lot less bloated and flatter and I wasn't craving anything stodgy (unlike on the fruit and veg days!).

Day 6 was a strange day and I thought I'd made a terrible mistake in introducing the brown rice a day early as I went to bed feeling very bloated indeed. I felt better in the morning but made sure I cooked more veg and less rice on the final day.

The scales beckoned this morning and the moment of truth.....124.6 lbs!! That's 5.2 lbs loss in a week! Woohoo!
Now the real work starts to maintain this loss. If you try this detox, lose weight but the very next day after finishing think 'Ooo I can have a takeaway for dinner now' then this detox has not worked for you!!!
I am now inspired to keep drinking my 2L of water, cooking from scratch with fresh ingredients and cutting back on processed foods, sugar and carbs. I have been looking to improve my diet since Feb last year when I started keeping a food diary - not just for calorie counting but to open my eyes to how much fat and sugar was in the food I was eating. I'm now proud to have lost 22.4 lbs since then. Slow and steady making just a few lifestyle changes - that's the way :)

Feel free to ask me any further questions on what I ate during this detox, how to get more creative on your fruit and veg days - anything at all! There is a science behind this detox too so if you do want to undertake the challenge, please follow every day exactly as it is laid out - don't swap days around!

I hope you have enjoyed these posts even if they are a little different to my usual but if you think about it, it is still along the same vein as my blog - homemade/handmade is best :)

End of Day 2 & Some Commissions

Homemade Leek Soup and Friendship Bracelets

It's always rewarding to see happy, appreciative customers wearing their latest custom order! The most recent of these was for 2 of my cord friendship bracelets with some personalised charms.

 They were kindly shared on my facebook page too!

I would love to see any pictures you may have wearing my jewellery whether it be Graceful Deviant of The Blue Starfish. Facebook is one of the easiest ways for The Blue Starfish but you can also find Graceful Deviant on Twitter and Instagram.

And the day wasn't too tough detox wise either! If you remember from my plan it was a whole day of veggies. Here's what I ate:

1 x jacket potato (for my breakfast), 3 x leeks, 2 onions, 1 pepper, 1 x tin of tomatoes, 4 mushrooms, 1/2 tin of sweetcorn and my 2L of water.

Doesn't sound like much but here's what I did - I ate the jacket potato which a small pat of butter very slowly which filled me up until around 1.30pm. Then I made a leek soup!

It was delicious and I still have a little left for the next day too. I usually make this with leeks, onion, veg stock, potato and milk but cut out the last 2 ingredients not really knowing how it might change the flavour. I needn't have worried, it was lovely!
Then for dinner a tomato based soup stuffed with chopped pepper, mushroom and sweetcorn with a few dried herbs and seasoning.
Now I must admit I was getting chronic headaches from caffeine withdrawal and so I did have 1 cup of tea with a tiny splash of milk :/
I'm still feeling a bit bloated but that's probably the water more than anything! Let's see how it pans out!

Weekly Detox Plan

A slightly different post from me today!

So, I mentioned yesterday that I was a having a fresh start and a clean up with my jewellery ideas and the same is also true of my diet!
We all reach that moment when we realise something needs to change. Now don't get me wrong, I eat a good, balanced diet most of the time and it certainly helps that my studio is the spare room as it means I can prepare a lot of meals from scratch throughout the day. The trouble is the takeaways, naughty snacks and decrease in exercise all creep up on us every now and again. So to snap out of this and eliminate the cravings I try a 7 day detox. I have done this particular detox 3 times before and each time I lose around 4-5lbs but really I do it to get myself back into fresh, clean living!

Here is the idea:

Day 1:
Fruit day! You can eat any fruits you fancy (no bananas) and preferably melon especially watermelon because it has such a high water content. Drink 2L of water.

Day 2:
Vegetable Day! Start the day with a jacket spud and small pat of butter if desired. Then, any veggies you like throughout the remainder of the day but try and steer clear of beans and no more potatoes! Drink 2L of water.

Day 3:
Fruit & Vegetable Day! Mix and match any fruits and veg excluding bananas, potatoes and preferably beans. Drink 2L of water.

Day 4:
Banana & Milk Day! Eat no more than 8 bananas throughout the day with 3 glasses of milk and still try and drink your 2L of water.

Day 5:
Beef & Tomato Day! Choose lean beef (even hamburgers are ok provided they are a high % lean beef) and eat no more than 600g. Combine with 6 tomatoes which you must eat. Increase your water intake to 3L.

Day 6:
Beef & Vegetable Day! Eat as much lean beef and any veg (except potatoes) as you like plus 2L of water.

Day 7:
Brown Rice & Vegetable Day! Suggestion is to have around 1 cup (200g) of the dried rice which should give 3 cups rice once cooked (so enough for 3 meals) and lots of fresh veggies.

Et voila! There are a few other rules you should follow too - definitely no alcohol, you should cut out caffeine and try not to use any oil for cooking your veggies/over salads etc.

So how did I do yesterday?! Well, I drank my 2L of water and visited the loo more times than I probably do in a week!! I consumed a small honeydew and canteloupe melon, 300g strawberries, peach slices (drained from the juice in a tin) and a satsuma. I think that was all!

I will keep you updated everyday with how I get on!

This detox was found on pinterest here: http://health-heaven.tumblr.com/post/17089615944/what-do-you-think-of-gms-diet but originates here: http://www.gmdietworks.com/home
There are slight differences between these 2 sources but the one I have outlined above is the one I follow and has worked so far!

Newbury Market & A Fresh Start

A clean approach to jewellery display and my diet!

What a wonderful day I had at The Kennet Centre in Newbury on Saturday selling The Blue Starfish jewellery! I have attended this market once before and love the location - we are essentially a handmade pop-up shop!

There are plenty of lovely stalls and so I felt I really needed to up my game this year to make my display really stand out. I have struggled before in the past to exhibit my wares in a coherent manner which easily portrays my overall style and theme.

But hopefully you'll agree that I'm definitely heading in the right direction!

 I opted for a natural fabric to cover the table - almost sandy looking! Along with some white-washed wooden crates, pebbles and a treasure chest to place my business cards in, I think you'll agree, the beachy theme is coming together nicely!

There is also a brief introduction to me and my work placed in the frame at the middle of the table but I've never clocked anyone reading it to date! So perhaps I will use that space for more stock next time.

Also in love with the fact that I now have a real blue starfish to display on the table! Found in a gift shop on Pier 39 in San Francisco on my Cali road trip last summer :)

So with a fresh approach to my market appearance, it's that time again to do the same with my diet! I don't know about you but sometimes things can get so busy and hectic that what you put in your mouth at meal times becomes more about convenience rather than homemade, fresh and sensible choices.
One of the best ways I have found to get back on track is to follow a basic detox plan. It's amazing after 7 days how your cravings for sweet treats as well as the naughty stodgy meals suddenly disappear!

Now this detox plan is not easy but does make sense when you look into why you are eating certain things on certain days and I have lost around 4-5lbs after completing it. So, today I have shuffled onto the scales, noted down 129.8 lbs (I'm roughly 5'4") and have begun preparing all the fresh fruit I could ever want as today that is all I can eat. It's important to note that you shouldn't feel starving hungry! Eat as much fresh fruit as you like (excluding bananas) and drink at least 2L of water. I also cut out caffeine which is the hardest to do and headaches will be noted tomorrow I'm sure!

Tune in tomorrow to see how I'm getting on and find out what's on the menu for the rest of the week :)

Featured Bead Artisan Part V: Michaela Carrington

Come and say hello to Michaela!

Another new find for me from The Big Bead Show back in April, Michaela had a great set up of glass beads and fused glass artworks.

How did you begin your craft?  

I saw some dichroic glass at a local craft fair and the lovely lady taught me how to cut glass. I wanted a hobby far removed from my day job as an Accountant. My obsession with glass started, soon to be followed by lampwork.

Dichroic glass hearts ready for making into pendants

Where do you draw your inspiration?

My biggest inspiration comes from my workshop students who come to my classes full of ideas, I just have to come up with the techniques! 

Students working hard!

Describe one of your favourite techniques to use in your work?

In lampwork I love the simple dot that transforms a plain bead, in fusing I'm loving mixing painting with frit work in the same piece.

My spotty bead haul from Michaela!

Some of the fused glass artworks at the show too.

Is there anything new you are itching to try and incorporate?

Fused box casting - first attempt this weekend! Have a look at my facebook page www.facebook.com/Michaela-Carrington-Designs for the results!

Fused glass trinket box with heart motif

What would you describe as your biggest professional achievement?

Being filmed for Bead.TV, jewellery projects using my very own lampwork beads.

The dotty beads make an appearance in this gorgeous bracelet!

Michaela also runs an online shop at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/micpru