Maria's Journey: 8 weeks in - spicing up my life
So in the last session Phil suggested spicing up my life …with herbs, spices and variety mainly thermic inducing spices. Apparently, some foods cause the body to heat slightly which has a positive effect on the metabolism…put very simply what Phil explained in detail (thermogenesis!). Spices and food such as cayenne pepper, paprika, curry powder, ginger, garlic. Also, the gut needs to be repopulated with a variety of gut bacteria, so a wide variety of veggies. The suggestion was so timely as I must admit I have had some days of thinking is this what I am going to be eating for the rest of my life! And really it was just boredom and lack of variety. So I got out my recipe books and started cooking up some dishes that we either haven’t had for years or brand new recipes, making sure they include the thermic foods. Which I must say I noticed even in the smallest amounts (I have children so don’t make majorly spicy dishes) the spices have a nice gentle heating effect. I also stocked up on herbs too as I have been finding that they just change a salad completely, and guess what, in buying some herbs a major break-through with …WATER! Finally getting my water intake up and really enjoying it, YAY. Along with observing that I automatically flick on the kettle when I am thirsty, in my purchases I bought a new mint plant.
Standing waiting for the kettle to boil, staring at my new line up of herbs on the window sill and pondering the great water issue I can only describe what was and epiphany – enlightenment! I like hot drinks. My normal habit is to flick the kettle on when thirsty. I love mint tea. I’m going to drink hot water with a mint leaf from my new plant in it. Ping, lightbulb moment! I’m sure an actual lightbulb went on over my head!!
It worked and has been working, I love it. A quick call to Phil just to make sure that this is still classed as water and not a tea drink and YES, it is water and I can drink as much as I like. So I have been mixing it up and adding a slice of lemon or a touch of ginger, I don’t crave sugar but a friend suggested raw honey. The point is I am drinking my water, YAY. I even treated myself to a new tea-cup that had a closable lid to allow the essential oils to stay in the water while it is brewing and cooling, so you get the effects of the herbs as well – love it!
Because I have been feeling so good I have been getting up and out more – not just the morning and afternoon walks with the dog but also walking with friends too. Rather than catching-up sitting in a café we have been meeting in parks and walking to a café then back again, two friends are also keen to get healthier. Different parks too, last Saturday we realised we had been walking for a couple of hours!
So variety really is the spice of life, it’s certainly worked for me these last two weeks. Oops nearly forgot - a loss of 1.4 kilos, cherry on the cake.
Maria from Auckland