Do unmentionable diet pills work?

That's how some of us feel after the Christmas over-indulgence

For many people January is a month when we are ever so eager to turn over a new leaf and introduce the positive changes to our lifestyle, be it going on a diet (tick off), cutting down the caffeine (tick off) or chocolate (nope, that's sacred), taking part in dry January etc. However, a lot of stats confirm that only a quarter of us manages to stick to their resolutions. Don't think I'm preaching here, sister, I am the one in the 3/4 group of non-stickers.
I know they say, it's easier to achieve something if you break your big resolutions into smaller, kind-of-baby steps, not changing your lifestyle overnight, but just doing small changes here and there.
For me, gyms hold no attraction. I admire driven people who sweat in the gym every week, and kudos to them, but I think I'd die from boredom on the treadmill.
Counting calories worked partially for me, when I tried  a 5:2 diet over a year ago. It helped me to trim down some kilos, but as soon as I went back to "normal", those lost kilos came back with vengeance, and with my lifestyle, when I cook basically three different dinners every day, I am not that enthusiastic to cook a fourth one just for myself, but that's of course, my problem. Neither am I too keen on pre-made slim dinners from packets and pouches. They might be convenient, but they are often overpriced and the list of ingredients usually reads like a Mendeleev's table of elements.
I walk everywhere in town, miles and miles every day, I don't drive and only use the public transport when I need to get out of town. So, that's good, that's what probably keeps me fit.
I know that my main weight culprits are bread and chocolate. I cannot completely cut them out of my life as it would only make my life miserable.

And if like me you are thinking that losing a bit of weight would be a bonus and are considering of buying the diet pills, keep reading.

I've been thinking long and hard whether to confess to trying the diet pills and subjecting myself to sniggers and ridicule, but I feel that my little experiment might just help someone to make up their mind. I am not putting the name of the pills in the header so as not to attract one zillion junk links to my blog. I receive enough Spam as it is in comments. But if you look at the image, you will know what I am talking about.

The ads for this supposedly miracle supplement (different brands) are pushed to our attention everywhere. The media hype doesn't help either, claiming that a lot of celebs including the junior Royals are known to taking it.

I don't buy into the celeb culture but my curiosity is my undoing. As they say, curiosity killed the cat. I wouldn't buy anything from unknown sources, but when I saw this diet supplement on offer at Holland & Barrett, a shop which I visit at least once a week for dried fruit and snacks, I bought it. Two bottles for the price of one, or buy one get another for a pound, not sure now which offer it was, as it was back in autumn.
I thought, I can try and maybe even lose a bit of weight on the run to Christmas.

Not very appealing to look at, the capsules are a medium-sized bullets encased in a transparent casing. You need two a day. One before breakfast and one before lunch, and you need to drink plenty of water whilst consuming this product.
Two main ingredients are Guarana extract and Garcinia Cambogia.
Each bottle has a month's supply (60 capsules).
Unfortunately, this supplement made me sick, almost each time after I had a 2nd capsule of the day.
It does say on the bottle that if an adverse reactions occur, discontinue the use. So, it's entirely my fault for keeping taking them to the not so victorious end.
Did it make me lose weight? Yes, I lost a couple of kilos, but if I skipped a meal a day, I'd have had the same result without the unpleasantness. Somehow I don't think this is how it is supposed to work, making you sick.
It didn't work for me, but I am not giving any direct advice. I just wouldn't recommend it.
Have you tried this food supplement? Did you find it useful?

Something pretty for a not so glamorous post

Kick-start a healthy 2015 with Twinings

I love my tea, and cannot function without it properly. As I am often missing out on proper sleep, I do tend to overdo on the caffeine front with endless cups of coffee and black tea through the day. And as we know, caffeine is pretty addictive, and could cause headaches and irritability. I don't like fizzy drinks and sports drinks are not for me either. But if I have a coffee, it must be a latte, which on top of caffeine packs quite a few of calories.
My challenge for this year (I don't want to use the R-word) is to reduce the amount of cups of black tea and coffee and substitute them with healthier herbal teas, which I love anyway and have quite a selection available at home.
Twinings offers an extensive range of fruit and herbal infusions, for all tastes. As it is a wide range, I will only mention those that I have bought and tested myself.

January is as good month as any to swap regular hot drinks for herbal or fruit teas. So, what would I suggest for a good tea-tox?

Apple Crunch is a mellow-sweet blend tea, like an apple orchard in a mug. Its ingredients include white hibiscus, rosehips, apple pieces, lemon peel, roasted chicory root. It is delicious both hot and cold, aromatic and flavourful.
I have also tried it as a hot toddy, with ginger, cinnamon, a bit of honey, cloves and lemon slices, and it was very nice.

Orange Crush: pour the hot boiling water over the teabag and smell the wave of zesty fresh orange goodness. Think Italy, think orange trees in abundance. I remember when we visited Viareggio in summer many years ago, I was amazed to see so many orange trees in the streets. The sight I won't forget. And that's what this infusion brings to mind - Mediterranean bounty on a hot summer day.
Ingredients: white hibiscus, rosehips, natural orange flavouring, apple pieces, hibiscus, orange peel and roasted chicory root.

Pure camomile tea might be very healthy, but it's just plain boring. But add some spices and it is transformed into a lovely drink, like Warming Camomile & Spiced Apple. It doesn't have the same concentrated apple taste like the Apple Crunch taste. It is more like a watercolour version of it, milder and softer.

Lemon Zest is a light citrus blend, a nice refresher after a meal.
Ingredients: rosehips, white hibiscus, natural lemon flavourings, apple pieces, lemon myrtle, lemon peel. It reminded me of a hot summer week we spent in Agropoli, Italy. The friend's villa where we stayed had a grove of lemon trees, and you could just go in the orchard and pick up a big juicy lemon, warmed by the sunshine. You might enjoy it, if you love citrus flavours, but it was slightly plain.

Cherry and Cinnamon: I love cherries, and I love cinnamon. This combination works beautifully in baking but I was a tad unsure about it as a fruit infusion. Thankfully, the balance of flavours is right, and the cinnamon is not overwhelming, it adds richness to a naturally sweet and tart taste of cherries.
Ingredients are hibiscus, natural cherry flavouring, blackberry leaves, orange leaves, cinnamon, rosehips and liquorice root. I love the design of the box as well, with a juicy fleshy cherry cut in two.

Mango & Strawberry is a dark ruby-red drink, fruity and aromatic. It's made with hibiscus, orange leaves, natural strawberry flavouring with other natural flavourings, orange peel, rosehips and liquorice root. The fruity taste is quite intense, sharply sweet. I guess mango is represented by the "other natural flavourings" as it's otherwise not listed among the ingredients.

Cranberry and Blood Orange is warm and crisp. Crimson in colour, it is zingy and stimulating.
Ingredients - hibiscus, apple pieces, rosehips, natural cranberry flavouring with other natural flavouring, natural blood orange flavouring, liquorice root.

Peppermint tea is a must in our house. I always have a few boxes around the kitchen. I prefer to drink it neat after dinner, my husband enjoys it with a teaspoon of honey. It's great for digestion, and is also a mouth-and-breath freshener. On top of that, mint has one of the highest antioxidant capacities of any food. It's a classic infusion, which I have been buying for years.

If plain peppermint tea doesn't rock your boat, Twinings has recently launched a Moroccan Mint tea, which has a hint of cardamom in it. Now I don't have a silver teapot (and why not?! now that's an omission, which I should remedy one day, wouldn't it be nice to have a proper silver teapot?!) to serve the mint tea the way they do in the souks of Marrakech, but a teabag in a mug will take you along on a journey. Divided opinions on that one. My friends and husband loved it, I still prefer plain peppermint tea. I would have preferred just a trace of spice, not a strong flavour. But obviously, this is the matter of personal taste.

At 2kcal per 100ml brewed infusion, it is perfect for anyone who considers going on a diet or just cutting down the calories a bit. I don't know the calorie data for Moroccan Mint tea though, as it doesn't say anything about calories on the box.

What's your favourite herbal or fruit tea?

Trim your tum for Christmas with LighterLife Fast

The festive season has started with numerous parties, and some of us would love to shift a few pounds to trim our tum for that new party dress. My personal favourites for boosting metabolism - which helps with a diet - are a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and adding sauerkraut to your diet.
Earlier this year I have tested a range of LighterLife Fast range of foods, and I do remember at that time I said I wish the range was more varied. So, I was pleased to find out that the range has indeed been expanded to include new foods and drinks.
If you haven't heard of LighterLife Fast, this is a range of diet products sold at Superdrug, which helps to keep track of just how many calories exactly you consume on fast days. Instead of weighing and calculating the calories in each meal, you have products which deliver nutrition for fast days, and especially the 5:2 diet. It is convenient, as you have all the meals in packets, so no fuss and hassle. The packs are easy to use.
I am the only one in the house who is ever going on a diet, and my guys are all fussy eaters. Sometimes I feel like I own a restaurant as I prepare several different meals to please my men. Cooking a 4th meal for myself is not a very exciting idea, that's why on fast days I am content with a pre-cooked meal from a packet. I have tried quite a few different brands and ranges, not just LighterLife Fast. One day I will do a post about all my experiments, I keep promising myself I'd do it, and have enough photos and note book entries to write it up, if only I had more time.

I have tried two new products from the range: LighterLife Fast Pink Grapefruit drink mix and LighterLife Fast Curry pack.

LighterLife Fast Pink Grapefruit drink mix comes in a box of 10 sachets, and is easily mixed with water to produce 1 litre of drink. I actually mix it in 500ml of water first in a bottle, then dilute it more with water in a glass (50/50).
It tastes really lovely, very refreshing and citrussy. Both my husband and I enjoyed it.
Pros: it is sugar free and fat free, and you can use it as a calorie-free extra on your fast days in addition to the Fastpacks (if you use them), or as a calorie-free drink with your usual meals.
Cons:
The mix doesn't dissolve entirely if you top it up with cold water straight. What you can do to avoid it getting clumpy at the bottom is to add a small amount of hot water first, once the mix is dissolved, top up with cold water.

LighterLife Fast Curry pack is another new addition to the range. There are four sachets in the box, which you mix with the hot water and cook in the microwave or on the hob.
Typically I have a curry with rice, but as the purpose of eating this meal is to fast, I couldn't have rice as a side dish. The flavours are all there, but to be honest, I did miss rice. Actually it would be misleading to say there is no rice, it is there, but at 9% you hardly notice it.
Texture-wise, it is quite creamy and more like a thick paste. It is spicy but not too hot.
LighterLife Fast suggests sprinkling fresh coriander on top of the curry, and I think that is a good idea. Or add a few cucumber slices or sticks (cucumber is only 15 calories per 100g).

There are 17 products in the range, and hopefully there will be more. As someone who is not keen on diet shakes, I would like to see more variety of meals like several kinds of soups, cereals and vegetable dishes.

If you missed reading my original posts, you might want to see them
Get a new figure with LighterLife Fast
and
Joining the 5:2 revolution with LighterLife Fast.

Disclosure: I received two new products from the range for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine. I am not paid to endorse anything.

To slim or not to slim?

Well, I ain't 16, not a beauty queen.

My eyes are baggin’ and my skin is saggin’
And if that’s the reason that you don’t love me,
Maybe that’s not love.

I ain't 20 either and I don't care neither...

I love the Older Ladies anthem, it has struck a right chord with many ladies of an "interesting age". I'm in my mid-40s and moving into the older ladies category, though having a (almost) 4-year-old somehow still keeps me young, I believe. I totally subscribe to Donnalou Stevens' philosophy apart from the poochy tummy bit. I know it shouldn't really matter but it does bother me, when applied to my own appearance. Maybe because as a young woman I used to be very slim, and in my mind I am still that slim girl. Yet the mirror tells a different story. I might be comparatively all right, but I am at my heaviest now, discarding two of my pregnancies. I cannot be bothered with the modes'l look, they live on a different planet, and I don't compare myself to them. It's when I look at the "normal" women like my son's nursery teacher or young girls I see in town, that I sigh mentally, knowing that I will never be that slim again.
Ideally I would love to lose about 10lb, but I am quite struggling with reaching my goal. I guess I can still hide my expanding waist under the floaty outfits, but I certainly cannot wear anything which reveals my poochy middle.

I tried 5:2 diet for a few months this year, but it didn't quite work for me. The weight loss was minimal, and the hassle of cooking a special diet food for myself was just too much.
I couldn't impose a diet on my guys, and with three fussy eaters, I was cooking up to 3 different meals a day. Then cooking a special meal just for myself on top of that made me feel like I'm a bloody restaurant.
Then one day I was browsing a catalogue from Yves Rocher, when I noticed some slimming products. I love their cosmetics, some of their cream ranges are my absolute favourites (like Riche Creme, a totally splendid range). Trusting their knowledge in the area of beauty products, I decided to try some of their slimming products. What could be easier than popping a few pills a day, or swapping a usual cup of coffee for a slimming one? Right?

Yves Rocher Defiligne Day & Night Fat Burner comes with a supply of 90 pills. You are supposed to take 2 dark red pills in the morning, and one white pill before dinner time. The main ingredients are Bitter Orange and Green Tea, both known for their health benefits. The rest of the ingredients list reads a bit like a Mendeleev's Periodic Table of elements.

The information on the box promises:
"Defiligne Day & NIght Fat Burner heps you reach your weight loss goals by using 3 plant extracts to slim your silhouette day and night.
During the day, Green tea and Yerba Mate help to burn fats.
At night, their slimming action continues to work while you rest: Citrus Aurantium and Green Tea stimulate lipidic and glucidic metabolism"
Sounds good?
It costs £15, which is a bit steep, though probably justified if it worked.

Yves Rocher Svelta Diet Coffee is another slimming product which I tried. This instant drink mix is made with Arabica coffee, plant extracts and chromium. There are 20 sticks in a box.

It has an acquired taste, which at first I found a bit odd. It reminded me of a chicory coffee which was popular in my youth in Russia. I have bought it a few times already and by now quite enjoy the taste, so will probably buy it in the future, when it's on offer (like now it is at half price offer at Yves Rocher).

Did these slimming products deliver what they promised? Sadly, I cannot report any weight loss. I wouldn't count half a kilo loss as a weight loss, as my weight naturally fluctuates in these limits.
I would like to read if anyone succeeded to lose weight, using these products but for me personally they didn't work at all. I should have saved my pennies and tried a proper diet instead.

Wonders of a2 milk (review + giveaway c/d 5 July)

Eddie, sipping milk, "Mummy, I am going to be very strong!"

As soon as you or someone in your family get digestive problems, everyone around starts nodding wisely and saying the milk may be the culprit. Often after this self-diagnosis people cut out the milk altogether, without bothering to find out if they're truly lactose-intolerant, hence depriving themselves of many life's pleasures, from a creamy custard to a luxurious ice cream, from a yogurt to a curry.
I read with great interest that "for 20% of us, milk doesn't seem to agree with our system, triggering unpleasant digestive symptoms.  Many people who have this reaction decide they must be lactose-intolerant, though only 5% are medically diagnosed.  Instead, they often choose to cut milk out of their diets without ever seeing a doctor, and more alarmingly nearly 40% of parents don’t let their children try milk either.  But what they don’t know is that many of them have an altogether different problem – and it’s one that can be solved without giving up all the delicious benefits of dairy.
Not all milk is the same
There are different types of proteins in Milk including ones called A1 and A2. Regular dairy cows produce milk that contains both the A1 and A2 protein.
Studies show that the A1 protein breaks down more slowly in the body, and for some people this can lead to uncomfortable symptoms that are similar to those of lactose intolerance. But for many of these people, the problem isn't lactose (which is the sugar in milk) at all – the A1 protein could be the issue".

I confess I haven't heard of a2 milk until recently, yet once I read about it, I have easily spotted it in the local Waitrose.
A2 Milk Company has selected 20 farms in the Shropshire, Cheshire and North Wales regions and identified cows from existing herds that naturally produce milk containing only the A2 protein and no A1 protein (It's a hereditary thing & yes they are called a2 Cows).
They say: "Now a2 Milk is available in the UK market, and so far we have around 3,000 certified A2 cows producing pure a2 milk for us, mostly Friesians and Holsteins. They are milked separately from the other cows on the farm, and the milk they produce is pure, natural and delicious. The only difference is that it's missing the A1 protein that maybe causing trouble for so many people!"

My little man is a fussy eater, but he is happy to drink milk, both cold from the fridge and warm with a bit of honey before bedtime. He likes to tell me that milk makes him grow healthy and strong.
It is well known that calcium in milk is essential for healthy bones and teeth. It contains vitamins and minerals, and has a lot of health benefits for both children and grown-ups.

According to Dr Hilary Jones, an NHS GP and medical presenter on well-known shows like ITV's Daybreak,
“Milk is the nearest thing you can get to complete nutrition in a glass. It’s a great sustainer and concentration booster for children at school. It is much healthier than any fizzy drink, and it’s an excellent post-exercise recovery food, as it has a balance of protein, carbohydrates, water and micronutrients"

What did we think of a2 milk?
To be honest, I couldn't guess which one is which, when I did a blind test with a2 and standard milk. A2 milk is tasty, as it is, or added to tea and coffee.

A cup of coffee with a2 milk

If you use it with a coffee maker to make a cappuccino or latte, it comes frothy and light.
As none of us have dairy problems, we only tested it for taste. I think if someone in the family cannot consume a1 milk, this milk is a solution, and can be used by the whole family.
All in all, a delicious milk, which will benefit people who have health issues with A1 protein.
Have you tried a2 milk?

For more information, visit A2Milk website.

Disclosure: I received some vouchers to try a2 milk and review on my blog. All opinions are mine.

A2 milk have kindly offered a prize for my blog readers - a month's supply of a2 milk (in vouchers). Please enter, using a Rafflecopter form, and good luck!

T&Cs:

Only the first step is mandatory: all you need is answer my question by leaving a comment (if you login as Anonymous, please leave you Twitter name or FB name, so that I could identify you, I do not suggest leaving the email address in the comment)

All the other steps are optional, you don't have to do them all. All it takes to win is just one entry.
Only one entry per person is allowed (however, you can tweet daily to increase your chances).
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only. Once the Rafflecopter picks the winners, I will check if they have done what was requested. I will contact the winners, if they do not reply within 28 days, the prize will be allocated to another person. I will pass on the winners' details to Belvoir Fruit Farms who will dispatch the prizes.

Please keep in mind I only host a giveaway, and do not receive a payment in money or in kind. 

The giveaway will close on 5 July midnight (from the 4th to the 5th).

a Rafflecopter giveaway (link removed as expired)

Baked omelette with wild mushrooms

Since going on a 5:2 diet this year, I have been rethinking some of the favourite recipes which will be suitable for all family and lower in calories as well. Last evening I fancied some omelette for dinner, and it made me think of the school lunches and the school cooks who handled huge trays of baked omelettes, which were cut into neat squares. This one of the few school lunches that I actually enjoyed. My recipe for Baked Omelette with Wild Mushrooms is a far cry from the humble school meals. But the idea is the same: to bake it rather than cook in the frying pan, with less fat and healthier.

Baked Omelette with Wild Mushrooms
Ingredients:
100g wild mushrooms
1tsp butter spread (with olive oil)
1/2tsp Italian herbs mix
3tbsp plain yogurt (I used Rachel's organic fat free Greek Style natural yogurt)
50g self-raising flour
250g semi-skimmed milk
4 eggs
80 g low fat hard cheese, grated (for example, Weight Watchers reduced fat cheese)
olive oil spray (for example, from Filippo Berio)

Slice the mushrooms (if you don't have wild mushrooms, use chestnut mushrooms for a stronger flavour). I buy wild mushrooms from Tesco, they vary each month. For the last few weeks it is Pied de Mouton from Portugal, meaty mushrooms which are relatively big in size, and are very tasty. Fry them with 1tsp butter spread (with olive oil) or just butter and half a teaspoon of Italian herb mix, for about 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add two heaped tablespoons of self-raising flour (50g), 3btsp of plain yogurt, grated cheese and mix well with a spatula to make a thick paste with mushrooms. Pour the milk and mix well again.
Separate the whites from yolks. Add the egg yolks to the mix, and combine together. Whisk the egg whites for a few minutes until all bubbly (it doesn't have to be stiff like when you are making the meringues). Carefully fold into the batter.
Take about 8 ramekins (mine are all mismatched) and spray with the olive oil (I use Filippo Berio, as it comes in a bottle with a dispenser, so it is very convenient to use). Pour the mix into the ramekins. Place the ramekins into a big tray, and fill it with warm water, half way up (be careful not to get any water into the ramekins). Place the tray in the oven preheated to 200C. Bake for about 15 minutes.

You can bake these individual omelette protions ahead of your meal, and reheat in the oven, just before you serve them. For a more substantial meal, serve with the multi-seeded bread sandwich with prosciutto and sliced apple (that's what my husband had for dinner).

I had it with a simple rocket salad, drizzled with freshly squeezed lemon juice. As you can see, it is a low calorie version, but it's absolutely perfect for all the family including those who are not on a diet.
If you don't count the calories, use any hard cheese you fancy like Cheddar (which is a whooping 402kcal per 100g), or parmesan (even higher calorie count at 431kcal).

For more egg-citing recipes using eggs, please visit Egg Recipes. Did you see my #ShortcutEggspert badge on the side panel? BritMums and the British Lion Eggs have challenged foodie bloggers to share their knowledge and recipes for tasty meals with eggs. I was very happy to be chosen as one of the Shortcut Eggsperts. Watch this space for more recipes, using eggs.

Disclosure: I received vouchers and an amusing gadget to make soldiers as a participant in this project. All recipe ideas and opinions are mine.