The Worlds Biggest Juice Detox - Day 4

Evening guys x Another batch of fresh juices have been consumed today and I'm just past the half way point of my 7 day juice detox.

What I Drank Today

Surprise, surprise but I started my day with lemon and hot water again. I must try one of the other options before the 7 days are out :)

I started my juicing journey today with 2 servings of the Juice Master Super Juice, For some reason it took me ages to drink this one today. It's nice and fresh and I haven't minded it on previous days, but today it seemed to take a lot of drinking.

My next juice was a new one - yeah - I know its probably wrong to get excited about a pure fruit and vegetable juice, but a slight change in the plan is what I need at the moment. Today the plan introduced the Juice Master's Super Detox Juice. How healthy does that sound? well very and it's reflected in the ingredients - apples, cucumber,celery, spinach and "Power Geens" which is a Juice Master supplement. I wasn't sent any of the Power Greens but you can replace it with a handful of green leaves which is what I did. I threw in some kale, parsley, broccoli, and even a stray sprout. I have to say I was a bit apprehensive about this one but it was actually nice, the celery flavour really came out, and this was a really fresh palette cleansing juice.

Finally it was two servings of the Juice Master's Turbo Express. This is supposedly a big favourite of Katie Price who is a big Juice Master and juicing devotee. One of today's juices had wheatgrass added. This juice doesn't appear again on the programme any more but again it's something I will probably make again, the combination of the spinach, pineapple and avocado is full of vitamins and just works. (You can find the full recipe here)

So that's my juices over for the day, and as per usual my final drink of the day was a hot one. Instead of making another infusion I decided to try something called Juice Master's Hot and Spicy. All you do is juice three apples then warm the juice gently in a pan with a pinch of cinnamon. It really does smell like apple pie in a mug perfect for such a cold winters night x I followed the instructions and put in a large pinch of cinnamon but I think I'll use slightly less next time, as it's a very overpowering flavour. Oh and I used red apples hence the colour x I definitely recommend that you give this go it's a fab winter warmer, you can find the recipe here, if you want to try it x

Ingredient Of The Day

Today's ingredient of the day is one of stranger additions to juice detox - Spirulina. Spirulina is an aquatic blue green algae, the evidence shows has grown on planet Earth for over 3 billion years. Supposedly one of the healthiest food sources found on the planet. It contains 10 x the amount of Beta Carotene than the carrot and it's rich in iron, and also contains vitamin B12 - two things which as a vegetarian I can often be short of. It's also full or protein and fatty acids.  It features in several of the recipes on the plan including the Juice Master's Super Juice and the Passion For Juice Master.

 It comes in several formats including tablets, protein drinks and the powder. I was sent the powder which makes it super easy to blend into any of the juices. It's a really fine powder which is a really, really dark bottle green in colour. It has quite a strange smell a but thankfully you can't taste it in any of the recipes.

How Am I Feeling?

Well I have to admit I've struggled a bit today. I woke up this morning feeling really, really thirsty, so I've tried to drink a lot more water today. My first two juices seemed to take forever to get down, maybe I wasn't hungry, maybe I'd drank too much water, I don't know but this morning was hard. Thankfully I rallied a bit this afternoon especially with the introduction of a new juice, only to be kicked back down a little bit by the smell of my mum's chicken curry. I hadn't had any real cravings until today to be honest, I expected to crave chocolate like a loon but that hasn't happened. The sweetness of the fruit and some of the veg seems to have balanced that out instead today I'm really craving salty food. I'm finding myself looking longingly at some of the salad recipes on the Juice Master website, salty cheese bring it on and quick! No I'm staying positive I'm on the final straight now I can do this!!!

(All Of The Fruit, Vegetables And Superfood Extracts In This Post And The Juicer Were Provided By Phillips In Association With The Juice Master For Review / Promotional Purposes)

Keeping Your Hands Nice And Clean With Living Nature - A Review For My Pure

If you've been reading newspapers or watching the news on TV you'll be aware that over the last few months we've been in the grip of virus central, with everything from colds, and the flu, to the various winter vomiting bugs raging across the country. For once this is a news story that I can agree with, since before Christmas me and Mummy Lou, have managed to catch just about everything bug that seems to be going around.

At the end of the day you can't do an awful lot to stop yourself catching viruses, but a good diet (plenty of fruit and veg ;) and good hygiene can certainly help control the spread. I'm almost obsessive hand washer, I can't stand my hands feeling dirty or sticky, and above all I can't stand other people hands being dirty. Mummy Lou is very much of the bar of soap by the sink generation but personally I prefer the hygienic aspect of a hand wash. So for Decembers My Pure reviews I decided to try out a hand wash from a brand that I've tried a few products from in the past, Living Nature

The Living Nature Purifying Hand Wash comes in a nice chunky pump action dispenser, and contains a combination of kelp, coconut oil, and manuka extract which has antibacterial properties.

The wash is a slightly opaque creamy ivory colour and it has a distinctive almost citrus, aniseed type aromas, which occurs in a lot of the other Living Nature products.

Only a little bit of water produces a lovely gentle foam which cleanses the hands without drying.

I really liked this hand wash, my hands were left feeling very clean, but not dry. I hate it when you wash your hands and you feel as though you need to put hand cream on straight away, you definitely don't get that feeling with this product. The one drawback initially is the smell it is quite strong, but thankfully it doesn't linger on the skin for too long. Yes there are cheaper hand washes on the market but if your after something with a more natural slant then this could be the product for you. The Living Nature Purifying Hand Wash retails at £10.50 for 200ml from My Pure x If you have any questions please leave me a comment xx

(The Living Nature Purifying Hand Wash 200ml Was Provided By My Pure For Review / Promotional Purposes)

The Worlds Biggest Juice Detox - Day 3

Evening Guys x I haven't had the best of days today if I'm honest but I've still stuck to the plan with no cheating or wobbles

What I Drank Today 

Again I started the day with a slice of lemon in some hot water I'm really liking this start to the day, and I'm not missing my morning cuppa at all.

My first juice of the day was the Juice Master's Lemon / Ginger Zinger. I love this one it's really sweet from the carrots and you get a lovely kick from the ginger. This juice contains lots of Vitamin C, Citric Acid, vitamins and minerals, all of which are great for cleansing the system, eliminating toxins, and for adding digestion. This is a yummy juice with a fabulous orange colour - Mummy Lou demanded a sip and then insisted that I make her one as well so it must be good x Unfortunately this one doesn't appear on the plan again which is a shame, but I can definitely see myself making this one again. (Click here to see the recipe x)

My next juice was the Juice Master Super Juice. This is a great juice that is full of super food supplements and lots of fruit, including apples, and pineapple and a touch of veg. Have a look back at Days 1 and 2 to find out more about this juice xx

Yeah a new juice and my first new juice since Day 1, Passion For Juice Master. This is more of a smoothie and it's one of the drinks that you need a blender and your juicer for. What's more exciting though is that includes dairy, yes for the first time since Monday I can eat some dairy! This smoothie contains live natural yogurt, pineapple, apple,and for the first time on the plan - a banana :). The green colour is from the added spirulina. This was yummy just as nice and better for you than a shop bought smoothie. You could really taste the pineapple and banana - this was really fruity and moreish - this would be a great breakfast juice. You can find the full recipe here x

I have to admit that I was feeling shock of horrors pretty full today so I left out one of the juices. I was supposed to have one Juice Master Turbo Express this afternoon, and one this evening with some wheatgrass added but I was so full after the previous juice that I just went for the one with added wheatgrass (You can find the recipe for the original here) The book that accompanies the plan "The Juice Master Diet, 7lbs in 7 Days", by Jason Vale does say that you don't have to drink all the juices everyday if your full or you don't feel like so I didn't. The most important lesson in healthy eating is only to eat when your hungry, I wasn't so I didn't :)

I finished the day with a mug of fresh mint tea - I really enjoyed last nights mug, the key is to infuse the mint in  some hot water for a while before topping it up with hot water in order to get the full taste and benefits of the mint

Ingredient Of The Day 

For today's ingredient of the day I went for something that you can pick up quite easily in your local supermarket or greengrocer - the pineapple. Nothing screams tropical or exotic more than the pineapple, it has a tart yet sweet taste and it's great in both sweet and savoury dishes, for example in curries and in sweet and sour dishes and of course it features in fruit salads, and in desserts such as pineapple upside cake / pudding - yummy! I am a huge fan of pineapple both in tins, and obviously fresh pineapple which has a much better flavour, and I have to thank this detox for making me realise how much I really do love it. Thanks to my Philips Avance juicer I can put my pineapple in skin and all, so I just need to give it a wash and pop it in the chute. It's just as well that it's easy to juice, Pineapple seems to feature in an awful lot of juices on the plan including the Juice Master Turbo Express, the Passion For Juice Master and in the Juice Master Super Juice and for good reason. Pineapple is packed full of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins B, C, and E, as well as folic acid, potassium, iron, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, and bromeline. It's great for people, with colds, asthma and hay fever, digestion and  more importantly for me aches and pains. I'm really enjoying learning more about the foods and things that I'm eating this week, especially when its just an everyday item such as a pineapple. 

How Am I Feeling?

Well I'm feeling bit meh today, but I don't really think that's down to the detox. The headaches have pretty much gone, and surprisingly I've actually felt pretty full today, so much so that I've had one less juice today than the plan recommends. I was starting to get a little bit bored of drinking the same juices day after day but the introduction of a new juice made a big difference especially when it was as nice as it was. There are a few more new juices which are included in the plan over the next few days which I'm looking forward to, I really think that adding new juices to the plan as it progresses is a good idea because it does keep it fresh and it hopefully stops you from getting bored, and from straying.

I just want to say another huge thank you to all of you both on here and on twitter for your support and even enthusiasm in my new venture x If you have any questions on my juice detox or on juicing in general please leave me a comment or check out the Juicemaster website xx and I'll see you tomorrow with a review and an  update on Day 4 of The Worlds Biggest Juice Detox x

(All Of The Fruit, Vegetables And Superfood Extracts In This Post And The Juicer Were Provided By Phillips In Association With The Juice Master From Review / Promotional Purposes. The Yogurt Was Purchased By Me)

The Worlds Biggest Juice Detox - Day 2

Evening Guys - I'm drinking my final infusion of the day so that means that day 2 of my juice detox is nearly over, and I'm still sticking to the plan and I haven't cheated yet :)

What I Drank Today 

I started the day, the same as yesterday with a few slices of lemon in some hot water Again this wasn't as acidy as I'd expected and it really freshened my palette and woke me up at the start of the day x

As I said in yesterdays post today's juices were pretty much the same as yesterdays so I started the day with 2 servings of  the Juice Master's Super Juice. This juice is included in the plan because it's full of nutrients, enzymes, antioxidants and amino acids. It contains two of the so called super foods spirulina, and wheatgrass which are full of vitamins and minerals, as well as avocado which provides the body with good fats, and cucumber and lime which are great for cleansing the system, and for hair, skin and nails, so this juice is great for the beauty junkies out there.

My next juice today was the Juice Master's Super Chute Juice. This is probably my least favourite of the juices that I've had so far, it's just a bit too earthy for my liking, which is strange as I love beetroot. Still it's supposed to be doing me good so I'll persevere - I added a bit of extra ginger today which definitely improved it. This is one of the most vitamin packed juices on the programme. It's full of calcium, iron, potassium, selenium, folic acid and chlorophyll (more on the last one later x). This juice is also filled with Vitamin A which maintain healthy skin, eyes and bones, yet another beauty junkie essential. Vitamin A is also excellent for supporting the immune system so I guess I need to drink as much of this one as I can hmmm okay then bring it on :) - have you tried it yet? check out this link for the full recipe x

The last juice I had today was two servings of The Juice Master Turbo Express. I really liked this one yesterday and today was no different. The first serving was the same as yesterdays but the second serving was supposed to be served alongside a wheatgrass chaser, since I'm using wheatgrass powder though I just added a small spoonful to the juice mix. As well as tasting yummy this juice is also good for you, it contains potassium, Vitamin C, and iron to help  o cleanse the system and again to boost immunity. See things don't have to taste horrible to do you good :) (You can find the recipe here if you fancy trying it)

I'm ending the day now with a mint tea infusion, just hot water poured over some fresh mint and left to infuse for a bit- this is a really refreshing combo that is brilliant for bloating, nausea and digestion. It really needs a bit of sugar for the real North African / Mediterranean experience but hey ho I'm actually really enjoying it x I've also just about managed my 2 litres of water today - hurray!

Ingredient Of The Day

Today's ingredient is wheatgrass which pops up in the Juice Master Super Juice, and it was also an ingredient in one of today's Juice Master Turbo Express juices. Wheatgrass is one of those things that seems to pop up all the time in celebrity magazines as the supplement that celebs turn too Well after reading a bit more about it I can see why Over 40 years of research suggests that this ingredient really deserves the title of a super food. Just 1lb of fresh wheatgrass has the same nutritional value as 25lbs of green vegetables, it also contains a large amount of chlorophyll which in itself contains over 100 trace vitamins and minerals Its supposedly excellent for improving the functions of your heart, lungs, intestines, vascular systems, blood and liver.

Being wheat and gluten intolerant I was initially concerned about whether I could use this ingredient in my juices but I needn't have worried. Wheatgrass is basically the young shoots of red wheat, and because its taken before the actual grain is formed, it contains none of the gluten allergens that normally cause people like  me problems

You can buy wheatgrass fresh, and you can grow your own plants, but you do need a specialist type of juicer to get the juice and the goodness out of the shoots, you can also buy it frozen all from selected retailers, or you can buy it in the dried powder version which is what I have.

You can drink wheatgrass in a shot format, but it supposedly doesn't taste that great on it own, so it's recommended that you drink it alongside a slice of orange which improves the taste and helps the nutrients absorb better. If your using the powder form like me though you can just mix a teaspoon into your juice or smoothie. I personally don't think I'd be able to stomach it on it's own it has a weird dry grass hay type smell, a bit like henna, if you've ever used that to colour your hair -Thankfully you can't really taste it when you mix it into a juice or smoothie so your getting the supposed health benefit without the taste - result :)

How Am I Feeling?

Day 2 is supposed to be one of the worst days, and I'd probably agree with that I had a pretty naggy headache this morning, that took a while to go away. Headaches are supposedly normal at this stage of the plan - it's just you body reacting to the withdrawal of caffeine and refined sugar. They seemed to disappear after I'd consumed a few glasses of water, and my first juice of the day. I've also upped my water consumption today which seems to be helping.

I haven't noticed any major physical changes yet, I've just been using the loo a little bit more than usual  which is only to be expected when your drinking a lot more fluid than normal.

The biggest difference I've noticed so far though is sleep, I normally sleep very badly, I either sleep too long, or I'm restless and can't sleep. Last night I went to bed and went to sleep straight away, and I woke up about 10 hours later, having not woken up during the night. I'm not sure if it's down to the juice or not but I'm hoping that this continues throughout the week. I have to say I felt a bit snowed under with the whole thing yesterday, but I'm starting to feel a bit more organised about the whole things today, I'm starting to remember the recipes without using the book or wall planner, and I've made a clear area in the kitchen for my juicer and blender. So yes I'm feeling even more positive about the programme today.

So that's day 2 done and dusted. I just want to say a huge thank you to all of you for your supportive comments both on here and on twitter, I really do appreciate them x Don't forget to check out the Juice Master website so you can see what exactly I'm doing x


(All Of The Fruit, Vegetables And Superfood Extracts In This Post And The Juicer Were Provided By Phillips In Association With The Juice Master From Review / Promotional Purposes)

Red Hot And Tingly - A Review For My Pure

Be still you dirty minded lot, this post isn't about anything rude, so I'm sorry to disappoint you if you've found this post via Google or any other reputable search engine but this post is all about lip gloss :)

I have to be honest and say that my love affair with lipgloss is just about over, I love the look of shiny, glossy lips but I can't stand my hair sticking to my lips and the fact that it never lasts. If your a bit scared of wearing a bright colour though then a sheer lipgloss could be you answer. I fancied wearing a bit of a red lip over the festive period so for last months My Pure reviews I decided to try out the Yes To Carrots C Me Shine Lipgloss in the shade Red Hot.

Embracing all the Yes To Carrots philosophy this lipgloss, is paraben free, and not tested upon animals. It contains 95% organic ingredients including Castor seed, and sunflower oils, beeswax, carrot root extract and peppermint oil.

It comes packaged in the traditional squeezy tube, with a slanted tip. The gloss has minty aroma and taste and as a result it can cause a bit of tingling on the lips. As you would expect this gloss has quite a sticky texture, and as you can see it is very pigmented.

Due to the name and swatch on the My Pure site I expected this gloss to be be more of a pillar box red in colour, in fact it's probably has more of a terracotta, orange hint to it. I did try initially to apply this shade straight from the tube but to be honest it looked as though I had either been munching on jam doughnuts or I'd turned into the bride of Dracula - not a good luck. This gloss was best applied with a lip brush. I found that by using the brush I got a nice slightly sheer wearable gloss. I guess you could reapply to get more coverage and pigmentation, but you would get a lot of brush marks and an uneven finish. Apologies for the lighting here but I hope it gives you an idea of how pretty this seemingly scary shade can look.

When I initially swatched this gloss I have to admit that I was pretty horrified  - there was no way on earth that I would wear anything so garish. Whilst you could apply this as thickly if that was the colour that you wanted to achieve by carefully applying it with a brush I managed to achieve a really wearable lip. If you don't like sticky or tingly lips this one won't be for you, if you a fan of the tube style gloss though and want something with a bit more pigmentation this could be right up your street. Yes To Carrots C Me Shine Lipgloss comes in 6 shades and retails at £5.99 for a 14g tube from My Pure. Are you a fan of lipgloss tubes? let me know in the comments xx

(Yes To Carrots C Me Shine Lipgloss 14g In Red Hot Was Provided By My Pure For Review Purposes)

The Worlds Biggest Juice Detox - Day 1

I woke up very late today after experiencing some absolutely hideous pains in my muscles last night,I really felt dreadful and couldn't sleep for toffee, but I woke up fresh and raring to go. The first objective of the day was to jump on the scales, and I have to be honest and say I got a pretty big shock, despite being poorly and the winter vomiting bug I've put on nearly a stone over Christmas.

I'm not going to reveal my current weigh on here in full I'm way too embarrassed about it to do that but I currently weigh **st 3lbs, so you'll be able to get a rough idea of how much, if any, weight that I lose over the course of the week.

What I Drank Today

Well the day started not with a juice or smoothie as such, but supposedly the way that actresses and supermodels start their day across the world- a slice of lemon in some hot water. The water should be hot but not boiling in order to preserve the nutrients. This combo is designed to cleanse and wake up the system to prepare it for the day ahead. I was a bit frightened about this being too acidy first thing but I actually really enjoyed it - I'm a huge lemon fan so yes I could get used to this one. There are a few more options for the first drink of the day which I'll be trying as the week progresses.

The next two juices of the day were both "The Juice Master Super Juice". This juice was a nice combo of fruits and vegetables, it contained amongst other things pineapple, cucumber, lime, and avocado, as well as wheatgrass, spirulina, and  acidophilus - don't worry if you don't know what these supplements are - I'll be telling you all about them as this week goes on :). Despite the rather vibrant dark green colour, which is down to the wheatgrass and the spirulina, this just has quite a sweet  taste. I really liked this one which was probably just as well since I had to drink two of them. 

Next up "Juice Masters Super Chute Juice", this one was shall we say a little bit greener, broccoli, courgette, celery, carrots, green leave and beetroot were just some of the ingredient used to make this one up. I must remember to take a picture of this one later in the week for you. The combo of all the greens and the beetroot lead to a really unappetising brown, purple coloured juice. The taste wasn't bad but given the ingredients it did taste quite fresh but at the same time quite earthy from the beetroot. If you fancy giving this one a go, go on you know you want to ;) you can find the recipe here xx

At tea time I had another of the "greener" juices, the "Juice Master Turbo Express" Like the Super Juice this was another part juiced, part blended drink. You juice some the ingredients, for example in this case, pineapple, spinach, cucumber, and celery, and blend them with another key ingredient in this one the avocado, before serving over ice. Whilst the previous juice was a bit meh I really enjoyed this one - I didn't expect to because of the spinach but it tasted really fresh and fruity, and the avocado gave it a lovely almost creamy, smoothie like texture. If you fancy giving this one a try you can find the recipe here on the Juice Master website x

The final juice for today was the Juice Master Lemon / Ginger Zinger. Straight away this one sounded right up my street, a fresh combo of carrot, apple, lemon and ginger. Just look at the colour how could you not feel fresh and alive after that. You get a tiny bit of sweetness but the ginger dominates yum I love ginger and zinger is definitely the right word. This is a really nice drink that I think would be even better earlier in the day for a bit of a boost. If you fancy trying this one check out the recipe here x

The final drink or juice of the day is a hot one, again there are several different options, including hot juices, and infusions but because I was feeling a bit bloated I went for a fennel infusion You can use a good quality fennel tea bag but I was sent a nice bulb of fennel so I popped a slice into a mug of hot but not boiling water and left it to infuse for a bit. Fennel has a lovely aniseed flavour, this wasn't as strong as I would have liked but it gave a subtle aniseed flavour to the water.

Your also advised to drink about 2 litres of water alongside your juices and smoothies but I don't think I've quite managed that today, I've probably only managed about a litre and a half, but I usually have a glass just before bed to take my medication so that might help my intake out a bit.

Ingredient Of The Day

Well it has to be the humble avocado hasn't it - this was an ingredient in two of today's juices  The Juice Master Turbo Express, and The Juice Master Super Juice, and for good reason. Although we generally associate avocados with savoury dishes, such as guacamole, and in salads it is in fact a fruit. Yes it's a known for being slightly high in calories and fat, but these are good fats, that are essential for our skin, hair and body. Avocados are included in so many of these juice recipes because they include all the essential nutrients that the body needs - water, fat, protein, natural sugar, vitamins and minerals, which are essential when your eating a relatively restricted diet like this. They also add a creamy almost dairy like texture to some of the juices giving them an almost dairy smoothie like fail. I am a huge fan of avocados, and especially with the Turbo Express I've found a new and slightly healthier way to use them, other than in salads with basil, tomato and mozzarella, and in guacamole alongside lovely cheesy nachos - ah happy times lol.

How Am I Feeling?

Well so far so good, the late start to my day put a bit of pressure on me to finish all of the drinks by lights out but I managed it. I'm lead to believe that you might not need or want to drink all the juices that are recommended on a daily basis but seeing as it was my first day I thought I'd try to. I was tired when I woke up this morning, and to be honest I'm absolutely shattered now, so I'm not really feeling refreshed or enlivened so far. Physically I'm not feeling too bad I have a slightly thuddy head which could be unrelated and as I said I'm feeling a bit bloated which probably is related hence the fennel tea :), but everything else seems fine. The big question is though after no solid foods today, am I hungry? the answer are you may have already gathered is a resounding No! If anything I feel pretty stuffed, and satisfied I'm not craving anything either. All in all day 1 can probably be regarded as a success.

So that's Day 1 just 6 more to go. Day 2 is supposed to be the hardest as it's when the withdrawal symptoms start to hit, but I've managed one day so fingers crossed I can manage another one. Tomorrow's smoothies and juices are quite similar to today's, so tomorrow I'll be telling you a bit more about the nutritional and health benefits of each one, and focusing on a new ingredient of the day wheatgrass? If you have any questions please leave me a comment, and if your still curious about what I'm doing check out the Juice Master website xx

(All Of The Fruit, Vegetables And Superfood Extracts In This Post And The Juicer Were Provided By Phillips In Association With The Juice Master From Review / Promotional Purposes)

All Sparkly Just Like Fairy Wings - Nails Of The Day

I just thought I'd stick a quick nails of the day post up for you featuring a gorgeous colour that I got from Santa.

MUA Make Up Academy Fairy Dust Glitter Nails in Rose Dust is simply perfect. The name describes it perfectly, a gorgeous rose pink sparkle, and the application was a breeze, it was perfect in one coat although you could add two for depth of colour.

I love this polish and I can definitely see myself picking up the other two shades in the range, Wings and Purple Mist, especially since it's now only £1.50. What do you think of Rose Dust?

Changing My Lifestyle, And My Diet With The Worlds Biggest Detox

New Year always means a new start and this year I'm determined to make some changes in my life, some things are personal and are things that I'm keeping to myself but one thing that I am prepared to share with you is the fact that I want, no need to lose some weight.

I've always had an odd relationship with food, I come from a family that loves food maybe a little bit too much. I was always a big child which probably wasn't helped by the fact that I was taller and bigger boned than most of my peers, I was never obese but I always had a bit of puppy fat. It never bothered me until I went to University and rather than put weight on I fell into a cycle of what can only be described as competitive dieting. The weight fell off and when I graduated in 1999 I was a size 8-10 and verging on underweight for my height and build, once I started full time work, whilst at the same time attending uni part time, though the weight started to creep back on Chunky Kit Kats, the tea trolley, long days and snacking all lead me back to a normal weight. Then wham, bereavement, and illness all meant that the weight started piling back on. I've managed to lose the odd stone here and there but changes in medication, and illness developments have all meant I'm now at my heaviest ever weight. I never have a sense of being full, I comfort eat, I can't exercise very much, and 3 lots of my many tablets can lead to weight gain, I really am fighting a losing battle, and as much as I think it's important to be happy in your own skin, and to be happy what ever your shape, I'm not happy and things need to change.

I've tried diets in the past, slimming clubs you name it but it never stays off -  so in 2013 I've decided to change the way I think about food and weight loss in general. Diets don't work for me in the long term so I've decided to change the way I eat, and eat less fat, refined sugar, salt and carbohydrates, and eat more fruit and veg, and drink more water, simple really just eat the right amount of the right foods. I'm not going to do the deprivation thing any more - depriving yourself of something is a way ticket to eating badly, everything in moderation is that way. That said deprivation is going to be the way to go at least for a week. I really need a kick up the backside to get my motivated and to change my mindset, and I was recently offered that kick, by the people at Philips.

Last year I was sent a batch of goodies from Philips to get me set for summer, and one of the items that I was sent was the Philips Avance Juicer, I loved my juicing experience and it was something that I was intending to repeat in 2013. Recently though I received an email inviting me to partake in "The Worlds Biggest Detox". Designed by Juice Master Jason Vale, this is a mass participation event from the 7th-13th January which is designed to encourage people to lose around 7lbs in 7 days purely by the power of juicing, and to introduce them to a healthier lifestyle.

This is just the kick that I needed, so I've agreed to take part, and today I received some boxes full of fresh fruit and vegetables, and some supplements to start my 7 day detox, as well as some motivational posters, stickers, a wall planner and a juice flask just in case I need to eat out.

I also received a copy of The Juice Master Diet 7lbs In 7 Days by Jason Vale, which basically tells you more about juicing, and more about the health and nutritional aspects, and benefits of juicing and trying out this detox. Jason Vale doesn't believe in the term diet he believes in changing attitudes and lifestyle, which is something that I want to achieve. I'm hoping that this 7 day detox will help me start to think about food differently and that it will help me with my willpower and craving issues.

Obviously you should never undertake any dietary change without consulting a medical professional, and I've been to the surgery to day and I've had the all clear to go forward and try to lose weight by what ever means it takes. He did suggest as per usual that losing any weight will be difficult for me but I'm prepared to give it ago. The book also recommends an exercise plan which I won't be able to do for medical reasons but we'll see how I get on.

So over the next 7 days (I'm starting a day later than everyone else!) I'm going to do a daily update on the juices and smoothies that I've drank, the benefits of some of the ingredients and supplements I've been given and about how I'm getting on, and above all how I'm feeling. This is a real in your face detox I will be consuming nothing but fruit, vegetables, herbs, dietary supplements, water and a tiny bit of yogurt for 7 days!! eek! No chocolate, and no cheese HELP!

I know this might seem a bit of a cranky plan but it's perfectly legit and nutritionally safe. For more information on The Worlds Biggest Detox and Jason Vale please check out the Juice Master website. If juicing and detoxing aren't your thing though don't worry I'll also be sticking a few beauty posts up this week including a few reviews and a gorgeous nails of the day. If you have any questions or if you want to wish me luck please leave me a comment xx

(All the products in the post were provided for promotional purposes)

Christmas Giveaway Winner Announced

Hi Guys
Apologies for the slight delay but it's time to announce the winner of my Christmas Giveaway - I had 92 entries and I picked the winner using Rafflecopter



a Rafflecopter giveaway


and the winner was

Sarah Armstrong 

Congratulations Sarah, please can you send me your address details to pootle28@hotmail.com as soon as possible x 

I've also announced my You Tube giveaway winner today too x was it you? check this video to find out?

I'd like to thank you all for following and entering I really do appreciate it xx I'm sorry that there could only be one winner this time round but there will be plenty more chances to win, I'm not far off 600 followers now and you know what that means xx If you have any questions please leave me a comment x

Happy New Year - Looking Forward To 2013 On LouLouLand

Happy New Year :) I hope you all had a lovely New Years Eve and that you've had a great start to 2013. It was all a bit of a damp squib for me to be honest me and Mummy Lou had some nachos and a few drinks, but I was in bed just after 11pm which was a bit of a fail, and my fluey, cold thing is back - boo.

Anyways I thought I'd do a quick post letting you know what you can look forward to in 2013 on LouLouLand. I'll be continuing with all my most popular posts including Trimming My Stash, and Monthly Spends, and I'll also be continuing with my Budget Beauty Series posts, and I'll be restarting both my MAC Collection series and my Changing Your Nail Polish series, both of which kind of fell by the wayside last year. My Foodie Friday posts will also continue in 2013, but this year it will have a more healthy eating slant, at least at the start of the year when I start my annual healthy eating regime.

I also have lots of plans for new post ideas and series, including a haircare and styling series both on here and on You Tube, and a Palette Of The Month series where each month I'm going to be using a different make up palette, which I'll be reviewing and using to create several looks.

I've also decided to do a few more fashion posts in 2013. I really enjoyed doing the few that I did towards the end of 2012 and it's something I'm definitely going to do more of in 2013. I've had a couple of comments  implying that I'm not really a fashion blogger, so why was I sent fashion items, but as I've said before I don't consider myself as just a beauty blogger, in the early days I posted a lot on fashion, and I still consider myself as a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger, so my posts are always going to represent that, and perhaps even more so in 2013.

Don't get me wrong beauty is still one my biggest loves, and I'll continue with my posts, and reviews throughout the year, and I already have a huge batch of products all ready to review including, make up, skin care, nail products and electrical beauty.

I'd just like to say a huge thank you, again to everyone who has commented, and read my blog in 2012 and I hope you;ll stick with me in 2013. If there is anything you'd like to see on my blog this year please leave me a comment and let me know, as much as I blog for me, your feedback is still important to me. Thanks for reading , thanks for following and I'll see you tomorrow with a Foodie Friday post, and drum roll my Christmas giveaway winner xx