-Diet suger and caffeine, alcohol, bread, dairy

Had the indulgence of popcorn late at night - home made with no salt but a bit of butter. Didn’t need it and regretted it, tasty though it was! (With hindsight, I realise how small a quantity of corn it was but still, not good to eat late at night - though I now (writing on day 21) feel the odd treat and rule breaking is ‘healthy’).

Day 19

I think I ate everything today! Started with yoga and went for a walk too, in the rain. Gathered cotton grass - see other post.

* mango and banana
* aubergine (egg plant), spring onions, egg, winter greens, cumin, salt and pepper, stir fried. Tasty.
* crisps - ready salted (potato chips) bought. Very salty.
* Popcorn and brazil nuts - snacked on popcorn Rachel made and couldn’t resist a handful.
* lamb chop with broccoli and borlotti beans with garlic - tasty!
* late night snack - banana and raspberries in left over natural yoghurt.

That is two nights on a row where I ate calories late (after 10pm) when I should have just had a drink and gone to bed - but hey, no one is perfect .

Day 20

I was determined to eat at proper times of the day today - part of the reason for eating late had been being behind all day - working late and not stopping to eat. Never-the-less, I still have avoided the “forbidden foods”. A diet that allows crisps and popcorn and meat and butter is a cool diet in my book - but cutting out wheat flour and sugar pretty much stops casual snacking and fast food, from sandwiches to chocolate bars, cakes to meat pies - all safely out of bounds! (Richard, take note!).

Started with yoga (Rachel was getting bored but as the weather was wet, I insisted)

* mango with porridge and linseeds
* haddock in an egg and gram flour (chick pea) coating, seasoned, with prawns, green beans and garlic
* 2 rice cakes with hazelnut butter
* a pear
* 4 rice cakes with houmous (new batch, very healthy and “garlicky”), and raw red pepper, courgette (zucchini I believe in USA), celery and alfalfa seeds.

How do you spell houmous? Hummus? Homous? Homos? I have seen it many ways, reflecting the different languages of the Mediterranean, I guess.

Ours is made with chick peas (organic, bought dried), soaked and boiled in the pressure cooker with a bit of salt, bay leaf. The chick peas are then blended with a couple of spoons of tahini (sesame), garlic, lemon, cumin, black pepper, olive oil and water (stock).

Day 21

Woo hoo - it goes well. I got up at 6:45 feeling alive and refreshed - that is new - possibly because yesterday was such a good day and possibly because the days are just beginning to get a bit shorter so I can actually sleep at night, it getting dark for a couple of hours!

Not done the yoga yet but plan to.

* Pear and banana with beremeal pancake for breakfast (Bere is a simple form of barley grown here).
* Now about to have 2 rice cakes covered in hummus / houmous and the same vegetables as yesterday: pepper, courgette, alfalafa.

How do I feel?

Great! Slimmer, more energised, healthier. I have a nice pink tongue, clear skin, sparkling eyes, healthy stools or poo if you prefer. I go daily as before. This diet is less of a change for me - for Rachel it is a huge change. What is most different for me? No tea, far less casual eating, far smaller portions, no snacking when out shopping (bargain / reduced price foods - I got fed up being a waste disposal unit for the supermarkets!!!), awareness of what I eat and keeping a diary, of sorts, less salt, more vegetables, less water, less bloated, less farting, more energy, feeling good about myself! Oh, and spending less money!