Well I’m probably not going to marzipan and ice Dad’s cake this year. He seems happier with just cake! But I’d probably try 2/3 almond to 1/3 sugar. Esp as I don’t have much of a sweet tooth now. But I don’t think there’s any getting away from sugar…or substitute…in icing!!

I use the goddess of all things Christmas Delia’s almond paste recipe. In fact I use her recipes for mincemeat, Christmas pud and Christmas cakes. I have tweaked a few quantities in some of the recipes including decreasing the amount of sugar and the results are always excellent. And for dinner this year I’m having a variation of her pork loin with spiced apricot and orange chutney and riesling sauce. I made a jar of chutney a couple of months ago. It is fab with cold cuts and cheese.

The low calorie low sugar 😉 😉 glazed nut and glacé fruit topping adorning my cake looks fabulous 🤣🤣🤣

I was so organised this year I actually had time to unpack and check the lights and decorations before I decorated my new tree. First and probably last time for that 😆

I had buckwheat and kefir pancakes with yoghurt and apple compote for brunch (yum yum yum) and I’m wondering if it was a good idea as I don’t know that I’ll have much room for dinner out tonight. We are probably going to a local Thai restaurant so I should be able to choose something not too heavy.

Snap Amazon…I offered Mr P buckwheat pancakes yesterday for brunch, then discovered I only had enough milk for the kefir. He was SO disappointed, I’ll have to do them for Sunday brunch today.
Gosh it’s so much easier to control weight in warm weather. Stay strong Northerners. P ☺

I’d missed that one. Thanks RT

Thanks for the link, RT. I have shared on FB for the yet unenlightened. 🙂

We have finally had some rain – 1mm. So the hose will be out again this evening, for the thirsty garden.

⛄☃🏄🏊 ☺ P

Happy,

It is still snowing here and showing no sign of abating, if anything it is getting heavier.
I’m very glad I don’t have to try to get to work tomorrow on what will be very icy roads and pavements.

Sorry to have caused a wave of pancake envy…………….

As for internet shopping at this time of year, it’s silly not too.

While watching yet another Jason Fung YouTube presentation he made a point that you can fast until you reach your goal quite safely. Which gets me to thinking about extended fasting and after day 3 there is zero hunger and I have never had to stop fasting after 5 days because of hunger and these are zero calorie fasts and even after having done so many that point is still quite remarkable that the longer you go the better you feel the less hungry you are and the feeling of wellbeing is enhanced this is something only the human body can switch to fat burning when the sugar and carbs runs out..I will endeavour to have a go at this in 2018 as a self-experimenter to continue my study of one here is some information. I do hope Jojo is ok have not seen her since November 27 most unusual and yes sometimes the struggle is very real.

Stage 1 (Day 1 To Day 3) On the first day of fasting, the blood Sugar level drops below 70 mg/dl. To restore the blood to the normal glucose level, liver glycogen is converted to glucose and released into the blood. This reserve is enough for half a day. The body then reduces the basal metabolic rate (BMR). The rate of internal chemical activity in resting tissue is lowered to conserve energy. The heart slows and blood pressure is reduced. Glycogen is pulled from the muscle causing some weakness. The first wave of cleansing is usually the worst.

Headaches, dizziness, nausea, bad breath, glazed eyes and a heavily coated tongue are signs of the first stage of cleansing. Hunger can be the most intense in this period unless the enema is used which quickly assists the body into the fasting state by ending digestion in the colon.

Stage 2 (Day 3 To Day 7)

Fats, composed of transformed fatty acids, are broken down to release glycerol from the gliceride molecules and are converted to glucose. The skin may become oily as rancid oils are purged from the body. People with problem-free skin may have a few days of pimples or even a boil. A pallid complexion is also a sign of waste in the blood. Ketones are formed by the incomplete oxidation of fats. It is suspected that the ketones in the blood suppress the appetite by affecting the food-satiety center in the hypothalamus. You may feel hungry for the first few days of the fast. This effect is temporary. The desire to eat will disappear. Lack of hunger may last 40 to 60 days, depending on whether you are on water or juice.

The body embraces the fast and the digestive system is able to take a much-needed rest, focusing all of its energies on cleansing and healing. White blood cell and immune system activity increases. You may feel pain in your lungs. The cleansing organs and the lungs are in the process of being repaired. Periodically, the lymphatic system expels mucoid matter through the nose or throat. The volume excreted of this yellow-colored mucus can be shocking. The sinuses go through periods of being clogged, then will totally clear. The breath is still foul and the tongue coated. Within the intestine, the colon is being repaired and impacted feces on the intestinal wall start to loosen.

Stage 3 (Day 8 to Day 15)

On the latter part of an extended fast, you can experience enhanced energy, clear-mindedness and feel better than you have felt since childhood. On the downside, old injuries may become irritated and painful. This is a result of the body’s increased ability to heal during fasting. If you had broken your arm 10 years before, there is scar tissue around the break. At the time of the break, the body’s ability to heal was directly related to lifestyle. If you lived on a junk-food diet, the body’s natural healing ability was compromised.

During fasting, the body’s healing process is at optimum efficiency. As the body scours for dead or damaged tissue, the lymphocytes enter the older, damaged tissue secreting substances to dissolve the damaged cells. These substances irritate the nerves in the surrounding region and cause a reoccurrence of aches from previously injured areas that may have disappeared years earlier. The pain is good as the body is completing the healing process. The muscles may become tight and sore due to toxin irritation. The legs can be the worst affected, as toxins accumulate in the legs. Cankers are common in this stage due to the excessive bacteria in the mouth. Daily gargling with salt and water will prevent or heal cankers.

Stage 4 (Day 16 to Day 30)

The body is completely adapted to the fasting process. There is more energy and clarity of mind. Cleansing periods can be short with many days of feeling good in between. There are days when the tongue is pink and the breath is fresh. The healing work of the organs is being completed. After the detoxification mechanisms have removed the causative agent or render it harmless, the body works at maximum capacity in tissue proliferation to replace damaged tissue. While a short fast will reduce the symptoms, a longer fast can completely heal. Homeostatic balance is at optimum levels. The lymphatic system is clean except for a rare discharge of mucus through the nose or throat. After day 20, the mind is affected. Heightened clarity and emotional balance are felt at this time. Memory and concentration improve.
Peace RT

Thanks for this Simcoeluv, I’m not real sure but maybe it’s a man thing or the challenge of it but this whole extended fast structure with all the in-built health benefits really interests me and in fairness I am the only male on Jojo’s thread so its on wards and upwards to Infinity and Beyond.
RT

Great stuff, RT. Let me know when you plan the longer fast, I would like to join you. Those two pesky kilogrammes that have attached themselves to me after such a long success with 5:2 have been joined by another, and I need a serious plan of attack. Onwards indeed!

Morning/evening all,

The weather has improved here in London. The snow has all cleared away and it was above 0°C last night so no frost, but we have rain instead………

I’m fasting today and am at present sitting on the sofa trying to persuade myself toget moving and go the gym but I seem to have a ditinct lack of enthusiasm for it at present. I might dust off the home workout video and throw myself around the living room as it doesn’t involve going out in the rain but will be every bit as effective as a gym workout and more peaceful as they are re-furbishing the sauna and steam rooms which is rather noisy and certainly not condusive to a nice peaceful post workout swim.

Have a good one everybody 😜

Happy,

I tidied up and rearranged the cookery book shelf and a couple of books that have rarely been opened are going to the charity shop.

I’ve only had a brief look but there are several recipes I want to try. The book is loosely arranged by season which I like. At a glance there also seems to be more recipes that make smaller quantities ie serve 2 or 4 which is good for me.
There are also more recipes for desserts and cakes……………

I fasted today. I’m trying to get rid of a couple more pounds before Christmas but the scales aren’t moving. I’m not disheartened though as this often happens and then I suddenly drop a few pounds.

I iced two cakes today and the smell of the icing actually made me feel nauseous.

Thanks RT, that student was a brave (or stupid) fellow!
And thanks for the detailed info re extended fasts. I enjoyed the four day one recently, however I did get a lot of strange looks when mentioning it to friends. Its a bit much for them to grasp, they think I have become fanatical! So better not to mention it… How long are you intending to make your extended fast? You will disappear!
Obviously everyone is out Xmas shopping! We are off to Lorne for a long weekend, the roads in Melbourne are insane, the shops are filled with desperate people, the only sanctuary is home! But we thought we would run away and enjoy the beaches before the hordes descend….plus of course the Mantra has an amazing buffet breakfast! Will just have to skip dinner for those days…
Looks like Jo really has been abducted by aliens. I hope you are ok Jojo.

Morning/evening all,

I cannot understand the stress and resulting panic at Christmas. It happens every year so if something doesn’t work out this year so what, there’s always the next one!

I have no shopping to do apart from the grocery shop at the end of next week. I have a dastardly plan to avoid the crowds which invariably works, so I’ll be in and out of the supermarket in 20 minutes 🙂

Happy,

That’s an excellent idea so you can ensure you have the ingredients growing for any recipe you fancy trying.
I am rather concerned about the copious amounst of coriander used by AJ and HF-W.
I like it but I don’t want to eat it several times a week. I’m going to experiment with substituting other herbs such as flat leaf parsley, basil, and other soft leaved herbs.

The winter savoury definitely works in preventing pulse induced flatulence so I’ll be using it every time I boil up a batch.
Sadly it doesn’t work for Jerusalem artichokes so I’ll just have to confine myself to barracks until they are all gone………..

I’m doing well not eating meat at home but that’ll change when the pork is cooked on Christmas Day. I was tempted to try a meat free Christmas but I’m not sure I want to be a full time vegetarian. However, there won’t be a ham or bacon or sausagemeat stuffing. I am going to buy some fish, smoked salmon and smoked haddock. I love scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, and it goes well with avocado. The smoked haddock is for kedgeree which is often my NY day brunch. I do have a chorizo in the fridge as I really love chick pea and chorizo stew.

I’m going to try HF-Ws roasted squash with chick peas and apricot sauce today. I’m fasting but I figure I can make it work calorie wise and have some tasty leftovers.

Have a great weekend everybody 😜

Hi P,

It’s not the storing of it that I have a problem with, its putting it in so many dishes that IMO don’t need it.

I love to use it when cooking SE Asian or Indian food but I don’t want it with roasted veg or in tomato sauces and definitely not in guacamole.

I grow basil in the spring and summer but at this time of year I use pots from the supermarket. The one I have at the moment has been going for about three months but will need replacing next week. The pots are cheaper than buying a bag of cut basil, they just need a little tlc.
I used to grow lots of it when I had my veggie plot and used copious amounts of it in all manner of dishes.

My FD went well today, and the recipe I tried was very good although I changed the sauce ingredients to suit what I had in the store cupboard. I’ll use the remaining sauce on my next FD.

I’m sitting here looking at the lights twinkling on the Christmas tree and wondering where this year went…………

Yes, basil can be very difficult! I grow it in summer, and buy it growing, but it’s very temperamental to keep going nicely.

I love coriander. It’s much easier to grow for starters! And I love the flavour, which helps 😀 I know some people hate it, apparently it’s genetic!

P,

Mmmm, panettone…. interesting that you might not bother – I’d read something a while ago that suggested if you visualised yourself eating something then you would actually eat less. Perhaps for faster, imagining eating translates into eating nothing!

Morning/evening all,

Another frosty and bright morning here.

NFD for me and I’m planning a root veg gratin with savoy cabbage for dinner. I am going to try to get to dinner without eating anything but I’m feeling a bit peckish after my FD which is unusual. I’m hoping it’ll pass after my two mugs of tea and some kefir as I don’t want to eat because the scales are being stubborn…….

Have a good one everybody 😜

PS Happy, I find looking at the Guardian food page is good during a fast. Not sure if it’s scientifically proveable that looking at foodie things helps a fast, but this is a bit of anecdotal evidence.

I’ve bought Hugh’s Much More Veg for my sil. I’m hoping it will inspire her. 😉😉
I also enjoy reading and watching to get cookery ideas on fast days. Nigella, knocking up a triple chocolate bundt the other day, was a bit much though.

Its raining now, so the humidity is dropping at last. Time to do some Xmas biscuit baking for the neighborhood.

Good luck with your genuine feast and famine festive regime, Wi 😊😊😊

Hi Wiwi fantastic to see your 72 hours in to your fast great resolve that is awesome this article is well worth a read about a funny guy “spoiler alert “ he does write with colourful language and description 😯 but I took a lot out of it and i had a giggle along the way about his 6 day experience at the True North Health Center I hope it fills in some gaps this has a great message IMO

https://www.gq.com/story/six-day-water-fast-diet
RT

Hi everyone,

Wiwi, I’ve been working hard for the past three weeks and only lost 1lb so far. My theory is that our bodies are trying to hold onto the fat for insulation in such cold weather.
I can’t think of any other rason why I haven’t lost 4lbs by now so I’m sticking to my theory.

I’m fasting again today and have been busy in the kitchen this morning finding ways to ensure I use everything in the veg drawer before my big shop on Thursday.
I’ve made mushroom ragout and veg stock so far, and planned a couple of meals around what’s left.

I’m about to make some spicy squash soup. I don’t eat soup very often but I’m guessing a nice warming bowlful will go down a treat on my post Christmas FDs.

Have a good one everybody 😜

Morning/evening all.

Nama, that is a very interesting article and rings true in so many ways. Over the years and the many diets I’ve followed I’ve often found that I would become frustrated because I’d been sticking to it and the scales hadn’t moved, would think what’s the point and have a bings only to discover my weight had dropped the next day.

I’m just going to keep going as I know the weight will come off eventually.

My freezer is now stocked with lots of healthy low calorie meals so there are no excuses. The only problem is that when I open the freezer door the loudest voices belong to the mince pies 🤣

I am ignoring them at the moment 🙂

Have a good one everybody 😜

It is such a beautiful day here with sunshine and a clear blue sky.

Hi Wiwi,

If I were you I would be thinking about something easily digestible such as an omelette or other egg based dish. Having said that the only lengthy fast I ever did was 4 days and I broke it with a beer!
I think RT breaks his long fasts with eggs.

I would imagine that breaking a daily fast with dates and cultured milk is more of a tradition and incidentally one I’ve never heard of.

I went out this morning to buy a new knife. I have a small kitchen knife and a paring knife that I’ve had for 30 years but the bigger chefs knife that is only a few years old and supposedly never needs sharpening is blunt and difficult to sharpen so I’ve bought a nice new one, the same brand as my two old faithfuls.
I also went into the local Whole Foods Market for a specific item and came out with said item plus two packs of salted nuts and two pieces of cheese……………

I got on the bus and came home before I found something else that I hadn’t realised I needed 😆

It’s time to catch up with you all. Looks like the end of the golden weather, with our lovely mid-twenties temperatures dropping to a more normal around 20 range, and rain (and do we need it!) predicted for tonight, and gales – don’t need those ☹

I have taken the day off to accompany step-grandson to court for what we hope will be the last time. The judge was most impressed with SGS’s accomplishments, used ‘outstanding’ and ‘excellent’ in his summary, and has dismissed the second charge with a one-year good behaviour bond. So much relief all around.

On Sunday I started a multi-day water fast, but that has gone by the wayside. I decided that with my tiredness, from bad nights and end-of-year pressures, I shouldn’t put extra stress on me. Broke it with avocado and egg for lunch today, and feel slightly ill, so there is no temptation to keep eating. At least I was down a kg and a half this morning, so putting a dent in those two pesky kgs. I will address them more firmly in the New Year.

I’m having to take the foot off the pedal with the salad greens in the veggie garden, P, with our Aussie trip imminent, and rain scarce. It looks like son will be taking a trip after Christmas, so that will leave SGS home alone, in charge of watering the plants. Including the basil, which I grow successfully in a (supermarket-purchased) pot over the summer.

Wonderful how the fasting heals the body, Wi.