Life | Detox Diary - The Results

When I decided to commit to the 21 Day Detox I set myself a few of goals, I didn't share them with you guys but these are what they were:

1. To commit to the challenge, to the best of my ability.
2. To feel healthier and lighter.
3. To develop a stronger connection between what I was putting into my body and how it was making me feel.

So there were no ideal numbers, no goal weight. Just most of all I didn't want to give-up, I wanted to see it though to the end.

And you know what? I did just that.

For 21 days you guys have heard about every last morsel that has passed my lips! And it hasn't always been "perfect".  I didn't follow the Detox Plan to the letter because it wasn't appropriate for what I could do on that day. But every day, regardless of what had happened the day before, I consciously considered what I was eating and drinking, and in turn this helped me to achieve Goal 3.

And so on to the Biggie. Goal Number 2.

Of course I wanted to shift a few excess pounds, but I had no idea how many the Detox would help me lose. I've truly been amazed.

I weighed myself at the start, and took my waist measurement.

At Day 21, I have lost 10lbs and 2 and a half inches off my waist.

I promised you pictures, and here we are.....my flat tummy! I don't have a before because well, who would take a picture of their belly after Christmas?! But trust me, there was zero definition!

A couple of things I wanted to highlight about my Detox Experience.

1. The experience I have blogged about is my experience alone, everyone else's would be different.

2. I would not recommend taking on a Detox on your own. It was so important for me to have the support of a Nutritionist. You need to ensure that you are doing the right thing for your body and those needs are very individual.

3. You need to make time in your life for a Detox! I know this sounds obvious but this was the bit I struggled with most. The Detox will provide you with lots of different tools to help you organise what you need to consume but there's a whole other side dedicated to sleep and relaxation.

4. It takes 21 days to form habits, and the Detox helps you form good ones! What you learn on the Detox will stay with you long after you finish. I will continue to make many of the recipes and love the idea of having a Smoothie for lunch on some days.

I hope you found the Detox Diary interesting. I wanted to show the "real" side of detox, and show that it CAN be done! Detox is for everyone that wants to feel better about their bodies, inside and out.

As always, all information relating to the Detox can be found on Fiona's Facebook Page and Blog.

Life | Detox Diary Day 21

"On the last day of Detox my true love gave to me, a yummy breakfast for my tummy......"

Did I mention I'm annoyingly chipper most mornings?! This is the exact tune I was humming as I managed to persuade Dan to get out of bed and make me some breakfast. I know, so lovely, and not at all irritating.....!

For the last time.... Here's Day 21 (whoop!).

06.30 am - Hot Water with Lemon.

07.00 am - Scrambled Egg with Avocado (Thanks Danny B!)

11.00 am - Coconut and Macademia Bounce Ball and an Apple, Pink Lady, of course!

14.30 am - Now that my official Detox Powder for Smoothies is used up I'm onto a new one! It's still got all the Vitamins and Minerals you need and I've found that having a smoothie on-the-go is a really effective way for me to fit a healthy lunch into a busy day.

17.00 pm - I was craving something sweet so had a Flax 9 Bar. Have you guys heard of them? They have Carob on top (not chocolate) and taste yummy. A perfect little pick-me-up. I was heading out the door for a couple of hours and knew I would be having dinner a bit later.

On a normal day I would probably just have a Chai Tea or a Vanilla Tea and that would be enough to satisfy those sweet cravings.

20.00 pm - My last Detox Meal was a lovely portion of Butternut Squash Dahl, as always it was so tasty and filling, just like giving your tummy a little hug on the inside!

And that my friends, was that!

Thank you so, so much for following along, and for all your support.

Tomorrow I will put up a full round-up of the results with photo's, and my overall Detox Experience so stay tuned for that!

As always, all information relating to the detox can be found on Fiona's Facebook Page and Blog.

Life | Detox Diary Day 20

Today was just one of those days that went by in a blur. If I'm honest I don't really remember eating during the day it was that busy!

I only stopped for lunch at 5pm, which is terrible and not detox-friendly. Buy hey, somedays it just goes that way and you do what you can, like having Breakfast for dinner, my standard default if there's no one watching! Luckily I tend to eat healthy Breakfasts....

Oh and I didn't photograph a single thing it was that busy.....borrrring!

06.15 am -  Hot Water with Lemon.

07.00 am -  Granola with Almond Milk and Blueberries.

10.30 am - Almond Bounce Ball.

13.00 pm - Apple with a Chai Tea.

17.00 pm - Chicken Soup for the Soul. Most of the Detox Recipes make four portions which is great for two reasons.

1. You get to feel like you're an Italian Nonna in the kitchen stirring up big pots of deliciousness. My friends Annie-Girl and J.P. do this on the regular and I'm always a little jealous!

2. There's always leftovers!

Need I say more? And the recipe is available online here!

20.00 pm - Granola with Natural Yogurt. Holy Batman! Double Granola in one day?! It happened, not ideal but still delicious.

Random Thought - Did anyone else have cereal as a bedtime snack when you were a child?

And just because I find it really difficult to blog without any kind of graphics/images. I'll leave you with this one.

Image Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/340584790541309072/

Dan and I are going on a Road Trip in April! When we booked it, it seemed so far away and now that February is around the corner I am soooo freakin' excited!!!

As always, all information relating to the detox can be found on Fiona's Facebook Page and Blog.

Life | Detox Diary Day 19

Day 19 formed the day of hideous traffic and it taking 3.5 hours to get to work, aaaaah!

I love my job I really do, but sometimes I just wish I had my own private "no accidents/roadworks allowed" lane on the M4!

Anyway, grumble over. Here's Day 19...

07.00 am -  Hot Water and Lemon

07.30 am -  2 x Scrambled Eggs. Eggs are such a great Breakfast food (duh, sorry I know that's obvious), I mean, for me! I find them really filling and sometimes I need something savoury when I wake up and not fruity or seedy, know what I mean?

And, there's no need to be scared of the yolk. There's lots of studies out there that show egg yolk is a great source of Choline and Vitamin K, which overall we don't have enough of in our diets.

Don't just take my word for it, there's a link to a couple of great blogs that talk about it here and here.

11.00 am - Coconut and Macademia Bounce Ball

13.00 pm - Apple and a few Almonds. I am in love with Pink Lady Apples! Seriously, cannot get enough of them and also, why did I not find them before now?! They're my perfect apple.

15.30 pm - Leftover Roast Chicken with Spinach, Tomato and Avocado. Did I mention how much I love Roast Chicken?

19.30 pm  -  I made the Detox Chicken Soup for the Soul. And it certainly lives up to it's name. Super nutritious, tasty and filling, you will fall in love the minute you try it.

And lucky old you, you can do just that! Fiona has released the recipe in exchange for a like on her Facebook Page, get involved! I highly recommend it.

The recipe uses Chicken Stock. I didn't know that it is actually really easy to make your own after you've finished with all the meat off your Roast Chicken. Simple, delicious and no waste (dreamy), my ideal recipe. You can get your hands on it here!

As always, all information relating to the detox can be found on Fiona's Facebook Page and Website.

Life | Detox Diary Day 18

Day 18 was a busy little Monday! Sometimes Monday does that to you....gives you a good old slap around the face and reminds you that it is most definitely not Sunday..... Oh, Monday, I still love you anyway.

Aaand after yesterday's "Croissant Accident" today was a good little Detox Day. If you can picture me awarding myself a gold star....you have a very active accurate imagination.

06.30 am - Hot Water with Lemon.

07.00 am - Oatmeal Porridge with Blueberries.

12.30 pm - Chai Tea with a splash of Soya Milk.

13.30 pm - Lunch was Lemon Lentil Soup (A Detox Recipe). I heated it in the morning and kept it warm in my little Thermos. If you're wondering why there are screws in my car...they're for safekeeping! I'm scared if I take them out I'll lose them....

16.30 pm - I came home from work absolutely starving and had to have a snack! I went for a chopped Apple with Linwoods Ground Flax and Natural Yogurt.

19.30 pm - Dinner was Healthy Roast Chicken with Steamed Kale, Green Beans and Broccoli, Sweet Potato Wedges (A Detox Recipe/Meal). There's something about cooking a Roast Chicken that just seems to put the world to rights, it's a really comforting dinner.

Fiona has organised the Detox to ensure that we get the most from our Organic Chicken's. Those little fella's cost a pretty penny or two.

So, tomorrow's Blog will feature a rather yummy Chicken Soup for the Soul....but if you're keen and want to check out the recipe now, here's the link. All you have to do is like Fiona's Facebook Page. Voila!

As always, all information relating to the detox can be found on Fiona's Facebook Page and Website.

Life| Detox Diary Day 17

Woop! Day 17, that means I'm only four days away from a slice of pizza, right?!

Let me clarify...there are so many things that I have learnt and loved on this detox, and I will do a full round up at the end, but a world without pizza is just not one that I want to live in....dramatic I know, but it's the one thing I've really missed throughout the last few weeks!

Anyway, enough of the F.P. (Foodporn) and onto Day 17.

09.00 am - Hot Water with Lemon

09.15 am - Granola with Almond Milk and Blueberries

11.00 am  - We went to our friends house for Brunch. Liz and Mark put on the most amazing spread, seriously, had anyone left me alone in a room with those pancakes I could not vouch for their safety!

I managed to be really healthy for the first hour or so - I had a spoonful of Scrambled Egg and some Smoked Salmon, and then there was this Croissant. It was literally staring me down and begging to be eaten so um....I did just that! I know, I know! I did consider not sharing that information with you but this blog is nothing if not honest, AND I had Butter and Jam! WTF?! My brain literally fell out of my head and my stomach took over....but you know what? It was the most delicious little Croissant in the whole wide world.

16.00 pm - I had Four Scallops Pan Seared with Balsamic Vinegar, yum! I know that sounds so random but we bought them on Saturday for our Fishy Feast but didn't end up eating them.

19.30 pm - We hadn't been food shopping for a while so I scoured the fridge and cupboards for some ingredients to make a salad. Here's what I found:

1 x Chicken Breast
Halloumi Cheese
Sweet Potatoes
Avocado
Red Onion
Courgette
Red Pepper
Yellow Pepper
3 x Mushrooms
8 x Cherry Tomatoes
Pumpkin Seeds
Salad Leaves

I made some Roasted Med Veg out of the Onion, Courgette, Peppers, Mushrooms and Tomatoes. You just chop it all up and put it in a roasting tray with a splash of Olive Oil and some Italian Herbs (I used dried). The oven should be about 180 degrees and these will take about 30 minutes.

I cut my Sweet Potatoes into wedges and baked them in a bit of Coconut Oil for 30 minutes or so.

I then sliced my Chicken Breast in half and popped it on a griddle pan, when it was cooked I added a few slices of Halloumi and griddled them too.

And then it was just an assembly job! Oh, we had a little Balsamic Dressing on the side too. Just some Balsamic Vinegar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a little teaspoon of whole grain mustard whisked/shaken together!

What do you think? I'm going to name it the "Fully Loaded Super Salad", unless of course that breaks any kind of copyright, in which case, I take it all back!

Oh, and as a side note I'm fairly sure the Halloumi is an Illegal Detox Manoeuvre but it was only two slices and nowhere near as bad as the croissant right?!

Breaking News! Fi announced another Detox is due to start on Feb 3rd on Facebook yesterday....who's game?!

As always, all information relating to the detox can be found on her Facebook Page and Website.

Life | Detox Diary Day 16

On Day 16 I was getting ready to leave Manchester and return to "Normal" Detox life....

09.30 am - Hot Water with Lemon

09.40 am - Just like yesterday, Breakfast Omelette with Tomatoes and Mushrooms.

13.00 pm - I had a Coconut & Macademia Bounce Ball on the train.

15.00 pm - After Dan picked me up from the Train Station we headed into Cabot Circus to do a bit of shopping. I grabbed a Pret a Manger No Bread Crayfish and Avocado Salad. I love this salad so much, I would pick it regardless of the Detox!

16.00 pm - Dan wanted us to have a treat, it being Saturday and all and we hadn't seen each other for a few days, we picked up some fresh fish! A Whole Seabass and a Lemon Sole to be exact!

20.00 pm -  We had a cook off. Dan took the Lemon Sole and did a Jamie Oliver recipe, and my brain cells weren't quite up to par so I did something really easy - Thai Style Seabass En Papillote, oooh now that sounds familiar doesn't it?!

 We had an avocado and tomato salad, and some leaves on the side. It was amazing!

Oh, and if you're wondering who won the cook off....? It was Dan, of course.

Life | Detox Diary Day 15

DISCLAIMER - This day is 100% NOT Approved. It is less than ideal and would not make up a typical day on the official 21 Day Detox.

Still up in Manchester with work, here's how I faired on Day 15! It's probably worth mentioning this was a bit of a Detox Day Off for me. It's our big awards evening at work and happens once a year. I don't get to see my colleagues and friends at work very often so I like to make the most of this opportunity for a good old catch up!

06.30 am - Hot Water with Lemon

06.45 am - I'd ordered breakfast to come to my room the night before. I ordered an Omelette with Mushroom and Tomato. It was really tasty and very filling!

10.30 am - I had one of these seedy granola bars provided by the conference venue. It tasted so sweet! Lucky it was only small!

12.15 pm  - Just like yesterday there were quite a few different options available, some healthier than others! I went for a Grilled Chicken Breast with a Beetroot Bean Salad and some Tomato and Cucumber. I also had an Apple and a small piece of Cheddar Cheese.

17.30 pm -  I had an Almond Bounce Ball as I was getting ready. The food at awards evenings is very hit and miss and normally spreads out over quite a few hours. I didn't want to get hungry and end up tucking into a bread roll or something!

20.00 pm -  The starter was a chunky Salmon Mousse with Salad on the side. I got involved! So far, so not completely terrible! Wait for it....

21.00 pm -  The menu said that we would be having Beef Brisket with Mashed Potato and Seasonal Vegetables. When I got back to the table to find my food sitting there it looked terrible! And everyone else's faces told me it tasted it too. The meat was really tough and the veggies had been nuked to within an inch of their poor little lives. I quickly asked for the Veggie Option instead although I had no idea what it was! Unfortunately a bowl of creamy Mushroom Linguine arrived! It tasted delicious but I didn't really want to have the pasta so I just ate about half the portion which was enough.

00.00 am - 03.00 am - I jumped around like a crazy person on the dance floor! And finally crashed into bed at 3 am when my feet could take no more...

Just like Day 14, I had a few drinks. I stuck to Vodka and Soda with Fresh Lime and had six drinks over the course of the evening (7 hours). I also drank lots of water in-between alcoholic beverages.

Life | Detox Diary Day 14

On Day 14 I headed up to Manchester for a big work conference.....tricky, tricky!

DISCLAIMER - This day is 100% NOT Approved. It is less than ideal and would not make up a typical day on the official 21 Day Detox.

I made the decision ahead of time that I would be as healthy as possible for the duration but wasn't going to try and keep Almond Milk chilled for 3 days! I was also just about to enter the final phase of the detox which is about Maintenance and incorporating what you've learned on the Detox back into everyday life, so it's less "Smoothie" heavy.

Being away and making healthy choices isn't actually as difficult as I thought it would be. The only real problem came at dinner-time when we had a pre-ordered set menu in a Thai Restaurant.....read on to find out more!

06.00 am - Hot Water with Lemon.

07.00 am - Berry Smoothie with Detox Powder.

10.00 am - Almond Bounce Ball with Teapigs Green Tea.

12.00 pm - Lunch at the conference. The food at the meeting was lovely! Available at lunch there was Paella, Chorizo Sausages, Burgers and a big table full of Antipasti and cheeses. I managed to avoid all that...and here's what I had.

Vegetable Paella (I only had about a handful or two tablespoons) of this, with Smoked Mackerel Fillets, Gravadlax, Tomato Salad (I snuck a little piece of mozzarella on there) and a sort of Grilled Aubergine Ratatouille.

16.00 pm - I had an Apple with a few Macademia Nuts. 

18.00 pm - Single shot Vodka with Soda and Fresh Lime. OMG, after over two weeks of no alcohol this went straight to my head! I felt absolutely hammered after just one drink!

20.00 pm - Dinner at Chaophraya in Manchester. The food was amazing and as I mentioned above all pre-ordered! I decided to just go with the flow. For starters they bought out King Prawn Toasts, Chicken Satay Skewers, Steamed Crab and Prawn Dumplings, Ribs and Honey Pork. I had a Chicken Skewer with no Satay Sauce (luckily it was in a pot on the side), a forkful of the Pork and a Dumpling.

Mains were a selection of Curries, Beef in Black Pepper, Prawns with Ginger, a Fruity Duck Curry and Pork Belly with Thai Basil. I had a spoonful of each and tried to grab as much of the veg as possible! 

Whilst everyone else plowed into the free flowing wine throughout dinner, I had two more single shot vodka with soda and fresh lime, and LOTS of water to try and dilute the effects of the alcohol!

Luckily I had an accomplice who wasn't keen on a big night and we snuck off to grab a taxi back to our hotel at about 10 pm.

22.30 pm - Bed!

Life | Detox Diary Days 12 & 13

I'm not going to lie Week Two got a little boring to blog about....and if it's boring for me to write about it's sure as hell not going to be interesting for you to read about!

So I'll quickly run through Days 12 and 13 and then do a little update on my Detox Progress! Spoiler Alert - this Detox works!

Day 12

07.00 am - Hot Water and Lemon

07.30 am - Berry Smoothie made with Liver Detox Powder

11.00 am - Bounce Ball and Green Tea

13.30 pm - Smoothie blended on-the-go

16.30 pm - Apple with a few Pecan Nuts

19.30 pm - Leftover Thai Green Curry with Steamed Kale and Long Stem Broccoli

 Day 13

As Day 12 except for Dinner I made some Thai Inspired Salmon "En Papillote".

This is a super quick, healthy and tasty way to cook fish. You basically wrap your little fishy up in a parcel with some yummy flavours and pop it in the oven. 15 - 20 minutes later (depending on size) your tasty little fish is ready!

I switch the flavour combination for this up all the time but I had a quite a few ingredients leftover from making the Thai Green Curry earlier in the week so I decided to just use what I had to hand which was:

- 1 Clove of Garlic (crushed)

- Fresh Ginger (grated)

- 1/2 Red Chilli (de-seeded and sliced)

- Fresh Coriander (roughly chopped)

- Little squeeze of Agave Nectar

- Juice from a lime

Pop your salmon on a big piece of tin foil and then scatter the above ingredients over. Wrap up your parcel leaving as much "air" as possible around your fish to allow it to steam. And then you place in a pre-heated 180 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

We had ours with a Baby Spinach and Tomato Salad but you could put anything leafy green alongside this for a delicious dinner!

The juices from the fish are so good make sure to use them!

On the morning of Day 13 I weighed myself and took my waist measurement for a little progress update and the results were amazing!

10lbs down and 2" off my waist in 12 days....crazy! And the great thing about the detox isn't just about the visual results. I feel so full of energy! I don't ever get a mid-afternoon lull and have enough energy in the tank until bed-time. I have a lovely flat tummy that doesn't bloat and although I generally have a very sunny outlook on life, I do feel incredibly positive. 

I have just over a week left on the detox so I'll do a full round up at the end but thought I would give you some just over mid-way results, I couldn't be happier!

Life | Detox Diary Day Eleven

After a good nights sleep I woke up on Monday morning feeling about a thousand times better than I had the day before. Happy Monday! (I don't normally put those two words together....)

07.00 am - Hot Water and Lemon

07.30 am - Berry Smoothie

12.00 pm - Cocounut Macademia Bounce Ball and Teapigs Green Tea, the perfect little pick-me-up.

14.30 pm - After a very busy morning I finally had a chance to stop for lunch! I bought a Promixx Vortex Shaker to help mix up the powder, this was the first time I had a chance to use it. It has a little battery powered blender inside. Ideally you want to drink your Smoothie as soon as possible after mixing it which is why I didn't make ahead in the morning. I'd measured out the Almond Milk and Detox Protein Powder the night before and added half a banana and got......

....chunks! They look like little banana floaters! The Promixx mixes well but is no substitute for an actual blender. Lesson learned. I will have my fruit on the side in future! In other good news, I'm getting used to the texture of the shakes so having them twice a day isn't a drama.

19.30 pm - Dinner. We had the Hearty Winter Stew that I had frozen from Day Seven. We added half a cup of lentils to give it a bit more substance for dinner. The detox is great for that. All the recipes make quite a few portions which are perfect for the freezer.

21.00 pm - Chamomile and Maple Tea.

22.30 pm - Bed.

Life | Detox Diary Day Ten

On Day Ten I hit a wall....metaphorically speaking of course.

I didn't sleep well the night before......something to do with getting woken up by a drunk boy at 4 am (ahem Daniel). And then I woke up to a massive list of things to do and just basically wanted to cry....but I didn't. DB (that's Drunken Boy not Dear Boyfriend nor Dan Bernard) made me a Berry Shake and then we headed off to Sainsbury's to get supplies. I should have taken a picture of the trolley, you've never seen so much green stuff!

09.00 am - Hot Water and Lemon

10.00 am -  Berry Smoothie

12.30 pm - Almond Bounce Ball

14.30 pm - Berry Smoothie

17.30 pm - Teapigs Chai Tea with a splash of Almond Milk. This is my favourite Detox Treat, it tastes really spicy, and is so warming and comforting.

18.00 pm - I took myself off for a little Epsom Salt Bath Exorcism, I was feeling so tired and grumpy by this point.

19.00 pm - We had Thai Green Curry (detox recipe) just like Day One, except for this time we had it with Steamed Kale and Pak Choi instead of Brown Rice.

The thing I have struggled most with in Week Two is hunger, and hungry Ali is not a happy Ali. I've made this Super Mood Kale Salad (Detox Recipe) to have ready as a snack. It's so yummy, it definitely helped to put a smile back on my face.

20.00 pm - We watched the last ever episode of Breaking Bad...sob! I can't decide whether I like the ending or not. Either way it was a great show. Now we need a new one to get into....any suggestions? What's good?

22.00 pm -  Bed.

Life | Detox Diary Day Nine

Oh sweet, sweet Saturday, how I love you. And this one was no exception, a beautiful sunny day in Bristol, a hair appointment and shopping after.....aaaand squeezing in a little detox in-between it all!

08.30 am - Hot Water with Lemon. I actually woke up at around 5am with a headache but had a glass of water and managed to get back to sleep for a couple of hours.

09.00 am - Apple Smoothie. I tried this one with water instead of Almond Milk....big no, no! Almond Milk all the way when it comes to these Smoothies.

12.00 pm - At Maximum FX getting my mane sorted, I snacked on an Almond Bounce Ball and some Green Tea.

14.30 pm - Dan made me my lunchtime Berry Smoothie. He's found a really good way to make it taste less grainy for me. He adds the powder to a shaker with some warm water, gives it a vigorous shake and then adds it to the rest of the Smoothie Ingredients and then blends. It's sooo much better! Just a little note on this....I'm really weird about "food texture" for example I love the taste of pears but hate the texture, so others might not have a problem with the powder!

18.00 pm - When I got back from shopping I was ravenous! I had 2 tablespoons of natural yogurt with half a chopped apple and some pistachio's.

21.30 pm - We went out to dinner at Al Bacio in the evening. It was crazy busy in there and it took quite a while for our food to arrive.

I managed to resist all the anti-pasti, garlic bread, calamari, pizza.... I say this lightly on reflection but I literally nearly cried when they bought out pizza....my favourite food on the planet.

To distract me from a table full of people eating delicious food I took some pictures of them.....

.....And then my dinner arrived, a Whole Grilled Seabass with a Side Salad. As pretty as this little fella was I asked the guys at Al Bacio to fillet it for me, I love fish but this seemed like way too much work when I was so hungry!

Mmmmm, fries (in the background)....I didn't have any, sob!

It was absolutely delicious and there was so much of it I couldn't actually finish it. I can't wait to go back and try some more of the menu, everyone's food looked so good.

12.00 am - I had stuck on water all night so whilst the others went out to party, I went home to bed! I definitely feel more tired this week than last week.

Life | Detox Diary Day Eight

As I mentioned yesterday, Week Two of the Detox is all about the Liver.

"What's so great about your Liver?" I hear you ask. In true Chandler Bing style I think we should reverse that question to "What is not so great about your Liver?" And the answer would be - "Nothing". In terms of overall health, your Liver is the one to look after.

I found the passage below here.

It explains the importance of your Liver far more eloquently than I can.

"Your liver is your largest internal organ, and it’s responsible for an astonishing variety of life-sustaining and health-promoting tasks – including those that make healthy weight loss and weight management possible. Integral to countless metabolic processes, the liver supports the digestive system, controls blood sugar and regulates fat storage. It stores and mobilizes energy, and produces more proteins than any other organ in the body. It also regulates your blood flow and, if you’re a woman, keeps your menstrual cycles running smoothly.

One of your liver’s most important functions, though – and the one most crucial to your weight loss – is chemically breaking down everything that enters your body, from the healthiest bite of organic food to the poisonous pesticides that linger on your salad; from the purest filtered water to a glass of wine or a cup of coffee; from your daily vitamin and mineral supplements to your doctor-prescribed blood-pressure medication.

It’s your liver’s job to distinguish between the nutrients you need to absorb and the dangerous or unnecessary substances that must be filtered out of your bloodstream. But when the liver is clogged and overwhelmed with toxins, it can’t do a very effective job of processing nutrients and fats. So if you’re concerned with managing your weight, remember this important point: The more toxic your body becomes, the more difficulty you’ll have losing weight and keeping it off. "

So you see where I'm coming from? Detoxing that bad boy is pretty darn important.

For Week Two of Fi's Detox Plan I will be having a special powder mix blended into a smoothie to help support the liver. Throughout the entire Detox I have also been taking supplements specifically designed for what my body needs to support this process. I won't mention what they are, because everyone's needs are different.

Here's how Day Eight turned out.

07.00 am Hot Water and Lemon

07.30 am Berry Smoothie. I'm not going to lie, the detox powder doesn't make the smoothie taste bad but it does give it a really gritty texture. I'm going to have to work on that one!

11.30 am Teapigs Green Tea and Coconut Macademia Bounce Ball

13.45 pm I was working from home and decided to experiment a bit with the powder for lunch. I've long been a fan of the Tone It Up girls' Protein Pancake and though I would use this powder to try and re-create them!

It doesn't look the best but actually tasted great! I added some fresh cherries into the mix too.

19.30 pm After a good couple of hours stressing out about my new phone I got around to making dinner. We had Lemon Lentil Soup with Kale (a Detox recipe), like all the recipes this was really filling and tasty.

23.00 pm More freaking out about my phone, and an episode of Breaking Bad later. I headed to bed.