Its 1:00 am and all's ill

I am sitting up with DS because he is not well.

He has this horrible cough that is making him bark like a dog. Poor little thing. When he's lying down, in the dark, with nothing to think about other than "I'm trying not to cough!" its awful, so after getting up to him for the 3rd time, I decided that there isn't a lot of point staying in bed.

He's coughing, I am awake, DH is snoring.... life's peachy....

So I am in the office writing and he is in the front room watching cartoons... Hopefully it will lull him and he will fall asleep. It always used to work for me when I was a child. I spent many a night up with my mum... standing on chairs with the kettle boiling and boiling to fill the room with vapour to help me breathe; wallpaper peeling from the walls. Making jam tarts at 4:00am because I was coughing and wheezing so much I couldn't lie down... Even watching some dodgy film in Italian or Spanish used to be better than lying in the dark bedroom trying not to cough. I would eventually fall into the land of nod. So I have fed him a yogurt to soothe his throat because he has drunk all the Benolyn and of course its 1:00am. If things don't improve in the next hour or so I might go to tesco's with him just to get some more medicine and some throat sweets.

Its handy really. When I was young Tesco's shut at 5:30pm or something, as did all the other shops. And there wasn't 24 hour children's entertainment. I do wonder why they put tele-shopping on the kids cartoon channel Toonami at night though. That's a bit weird. What adult is going to say "Hmmm let me check out Toonami...., yes, that's right dear - the kids cartoon channel - and see what bargains they have for us in kitchenware tonight!" or what child is going to say "Mummy, pleeeeease can I stay up and watch Toonami at midnight? they are going to have a great sale on lamps!"

Too odd.

Enough rambling. Today has been strange eating wise.
for breakfast I had 2 weetabix with not quite enough milk for my liking... but ok.
Lunch... I had a custard and dutch apple pudding (about 250 cals)
Afternoon about 3:30 I had a slice of bread.
Pre dinner I had 2 slices of bread with some coleslaw inside
dinner I had 2 sausages in tomato and bean sauce with new potatoes, carrots and broccoli.
I then had a choc ice.
I then had a small slice of chocolate cake.

So the day started with good intentions but I was too hungry when I got home from work so I had to eat a sandwich. If I hadn't been so starving I would not have had to eat that That will teach me a lesson to take some fruit with me or a slimfast shake to work. I keep forgetting about them. I think I will get a pack to take in the car with me so if I ever get hungry I can top myself up quick so that I don't over eat later.

I am hungry right now to be honest....

We have nothing in the house that's nice to eat. The humous has been in the fridge a week... ad has half of a limp bent biscuit sticking out of it where someone has obviously had a go at it. Disgusting. There is 1 yogurt in the house ad I really need to save that for DS to soothe his throat.

There are olives though.... Maybe I shall have a go at those. I was so desperate last night that I ate some sultanas that went out of date in January 06, but were still in the cupboard. They were crunchy but nice! Mmmm....

The Detox Diet: Swiss Style

Epicurious recently interviewed Susan Wyler. Wyler has helped Dr. Rau write The Swiss Secret to Optimal Health: Dr. Rau's Diet for Whole Body Healing. Before she agreed to help this famous Swiss doctor to write the book, she tried out the diet for herself. She tells Epicurious;

SW: I went on [the detox diet] in preparation for meeting with Dr. Rau. Beforehand, I had the usual allergies and common problems associated with postmenopausal women. I was the queen of "eat as much as you can get away with of everything that tastes good." I wanted to see if, as a "foodie," I could recommend anyone eat like a chipmunk for three weeks and not get depressed. The difference I felt on the diet was dramatic — it had to be for me to become convinced.

Epi: What sort of changes have you seen in your body?
SW: I was never able to get out of bed in the morning. Morning was excruciating. No more. I wake up bright and energetic. I've lost 12 pounds, a lot for a woman of my small height. Bouts of depression, which occasionally visited me on and off for years, have disappeared. What thrilled me the most was the improvement in my thyroid condition. I had been on Synthroid for an unsightly neck goiter, but after eight months on the diet, it just melted away. When tested, my thyroid function had improved 25 percent.

See the full story here.

Maintenance Rocks! Changing Seasons

Ok - I'm going to take a moment and toot my own horn..... (forgive me 'o ye gods of humility)Today was *change-over* day for me. Seasonal change-over, that is, where I bin-up my Autumn & Winter clothes and shake out my stowed Spring & Summer clothes. I cranked up my "Tropical Vacation" play list and got busy folding sweaters and shaking the winter-woogies out of the shorts and tank tops. I

May is National Fitness Month

May is National Fitness Month - lead by the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness. I was doing some research on their site and found some interesting bullets that support what so many of us have come to learn --- take a look. And take some time this month to give your body the gift of a little extra movement. You deserve the benefits you will glean from it!Adults 18 and older need 30 minutes of

13 weeks after my lap band....

Well I am 13 weeks down the road into lap-bandville.

I must admit I thought it would be more restrictive than it has been.

When I had my last supper at that lovely restaurant in Brugge I really thought I would never be able to do that again.

The truth?

I can.

I could easily go back to that restaurant and order the same bottle of wine... but I would have to drink the whole bottle before my meal...

If I wasn't comatose, I could essentially order the same starter that I had.

Once that was down, I could probably manage the second course... it was another starter after all.

The 3rd course... Nah. I could probably have a few bites.

I certainly would not be able to eat the 4th or 5th courses.

So yes, I would be able to eat there again, but not in the same quantity.

I am actually a little annoyed about that. When I had that meal, I really really truly wanted food to be difficult after that. I guess I am glad its not. It would not have been nice to be vomiting or unable to eat and every day being a chore. But I wish it was a bit more restrictive.

I am watching what I eat this week. Until I have my next fill when I get back from Sri Lanka, I think I just have to go easy. keep stopping during dinner and assessing the 'fill level' and then really stopping when I am full. I am not in a famine zone for goodness sake... I don't have to eat every scrap of food. I can always get something to eat later on if I get hungry again.

I am going to up my fruit intake as well as I don't think I have been getting enough fresh raw food. I have also got back on the treadmill after an eternally quiet period. I did 35 minutes today. I would have done more but the day got ahead of me!

Today's food...
Half a slice of eggy bread for brekkie.
Lunch was Heinz tomato soup and some bread and butter
Dinner was Beef Diane (270 cals) and then semolina with dutch apple (187 cals)

So I think today has been a pretty good day diet wise.

A Healthy Heart Lifestyle

Most people don't see themselves as potential heart attack or stroke victims. But it happens to many of us after age 40 and especially after age 55.

If one of the following risk factors applies to you, then it could be very helpful to look into heart health tips sooner rather than later;

* High blood pressure
* High blood cholesterol
* Diabetes
* Smoking
* Being overweight
* Being physically inactive
* Having a family history of early heart disease
* Age (55 or older for women)


The National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute has a 122 page handbook about heart health that you can download for free, or get a copy sent to you for $3.75. It's The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women '07.

Reducing Cellulite with Exercise

MSNBC has an encouraging article about reducing cellulite with exercise. They interviewed Wayne Westcott, a fitness research director. He has found that women who are not exercising and begin a program of exercise three times a week, together with a reduced-calorie diet can lose on average about 9 pounds of fat and gain two pounds of muscle in about eight weeks. Most of these women also said they thought the cellulite on their thighs and hips showed improvement.

Cellulite is more likely to appear if you don't have good muscle tone.

Cellulite is a drag. And even celebrities get cellulite.