Hello and welcome to this very special part of the Slimpod Extra programme, Journey To Health. It’s totally optional and if it’s not for you, then that’s fine. Although certain foods play a part in the project, it’s most certainly not a diet or an eating plan.
Journey To Health is designed to help reverse insulin resistance, improve your active glutathione levels, improve the health of your liver, immune system and gut bacteria – and burn fat! To get the best out of this project, we recommend you join the special Journey To Health Facebook page we’ve set up. Click here to apply Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty! There will be three phases, each lasting four weeks.
PHASE ONE: Kick start your metabolism, increasing active glutathione and improving liver health. Weight loss will be small but you may notice that you’re feeling warmer, going to the toilet more, sweating after exercise, tummy rumbling etc. All good signs!
PHASE TWO: Pushing back insulin resistance, increasing fibre/good gut bacteria. You you may notice that your skin is feeling softer, you’re feeling less interest in sugar, you’re eating more fibre, you have more energy and you have lost at least 2- 4 inches off your body.
PHASE THREE: Increasing glucagon-combining measures to support the release of fat cells. You feel great, you’re losing inches, you love exercise, you feel so much better. Don’t forget to book your routine check-up if you’re on medication.
Please follow this guidance as it’s really important:
**Â Do not start this programme if you are taking warfarin because as your liver health improves it may affect your INR (International Normalised Ratio) blood test.
** Do not take ginger supplements if you’re taking anticoagulants/blood thinners etc.
** Do not take any foods that you’re allergic to, ie nuts.
**Â If you are taking medication for any underlying condition, ie blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, auto-immune conditions etc please ensure that you book a three month review as your medication may need to be reviewed
**Â If you have an inflammatory or auto-immune disease, please consult your doctor before taking turmeric supplements.Â
**Â If you are in any doubt about commencing this programme please consult your GP.
This is what you need to do
Exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day
Low impact workouts are recommended. Search on YouTube for Lucy Wyndham-Read, which you can do at home, and Body Project. Mobility may be an issue for some people, so alternatives can include walking or chair exercises (where appropriate). Look on YouTube for chair-based fitness. Here’s a suggested video by Joe Wicks, the Body Coach Week 6 onwards consider carrying a small weight around, i.e. 0.5 kg, to accelerate weight loss if necessary.
Sugar and GI foods
Our study found that those who had the best results limited or excluded sugar completely because sugar reverses the good work the other foods are doing. You’ll have watched the videos about sugar in Gold and learned all about how it really is the enemy of weight loss so now is the time to give it that final push! If you only did it for four weeks it would be worth it to see what a difference it makes but this really is something you can continue for life.
All foods should be low Glycemic Index (GI) where possible. Here’s some examples:
Eat lots of low GI: Green vegetables, most fruits, raw carrots, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils and bran breakfast cereals.
Eat less medium GI: Sweet corn, bananas, raw pineapple, raisins, oat breakfast cereals, and multigrain, oat bran or rye bread.
Avoid high GI: White rice, white bread and potatoes.
Alcohol
Only small quantities of alcohol can be consumed.  One small glass of wine a day is OK.
Water
Drink at least two litres a day, every day.
Foods to include daily
Handful of raw spinach
Quarter of large avocado
One brazil nut (if you’re allergic to nuts then a selenium supplement will work perfectly)
A selection of foods high in sulphur i.e. meat, fish, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, chickpeas, couscous, eggs, oats, onions, garlic, broccoli, carrots
Other foods to support reduction in insulin resistance and promote weight loss
Cinnamon – half a teaspoon a day
Green tea – one cup a day
Garlic – add where possible
Ginger – 1 small chunk daily. Try making ginger and pea soup. Ginger is a powerful food; claims have been made that it can reduce blood pressure and decrease risk of thrombosis. Take with care if you are on medication for high blood pressure or blood thinners.
Apple – one a day keeps the weight gain away.
Our suggested day for you
A healthy diet of lots of vegetables, protein and 2 – 3 portions of fruit i.e. oranges, apples, pears. This high fibre eating will also help to support a healthy gut – and a healthy gut supports weight loss and good health.
Here’s what a typical day could look like:
Breakfast – porridge oats with full fat milk, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and handful of fresh or frozen berries (do not use porridge pots as sugar levels are too high, natural oats only)
Supplements – turmeric and black pepper, vitamin C, and 1 brazil nut (not a supplement but taken with them. Obviously, do not eat if you have an allergy, take a selenium supplement instead).
Late morning
Exercise – a  30-minute low impact cardio workout, building up really gradually. See our advice below on suggested YouTube videos.
Lunch
Super salad
1 small handful of spinach
¼ large avocado
Red onions
Spring onions
Beetroot – rich in nitrate that claims to improve microcirculation
Sauerkraut – helps establish good bacteria  in the gut
Cucumber
1 tablespoon of tzatziki – made with full fat yogurt (avoid 0% fat yoghurt, which contains sugar).
1 tablespoon of chickpeas (good source of garlic)
Why not serve lunch with a source of protein i.e meat or fish and home-made sweet potato fries.
Here’s how to make them: put oven on, slice sweet potatoes, sprinkle salt, pepper and paprika or garlic granules or any other spice (or not, to personal taste), cook in oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
Main evening meal
Either baby potatoes/ sweet potatoes served with fish/meat or vegetarian alternative source of protein.
Lots of vegetables, especially broccoli and spinach. If you have gravy or a sauce, take care of the sugar content.
Dessert
Slice an apple and cover it in bio live yoghurt (not fat free). Sprinkle a ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and some flaxseed.
And here's our exercise guide
PHASE ONE: 30-minute daily low impact cardio workout. Look on YouTube for Lucy Wyndham Reid or Body Project workout. Start gently and don’t push yourself too hard at first. Build things up gradually. Try different videos as you go on.
PHASE TWO: Body Project cardio starter 1 on day one, cardio starter 2 on day two, cardio starter 3 on day three, then back to starter 1 on day four and so on. If you still feel full of energy, add a 30-minute brisk walk as well. Vary your walks occasionally so your body doesn’t get used to them!
PHASE THREE: cardio starter 1, 2 and 3 as before but this time carry a 0.5 kg weight. Every 6-8 weeks I increased the weight, I’m currently carrying 1.5 kg and will be moving to 2kg during the next month.
Please consult other members of the special Facebook group using the hashtag #someExtralove for their suggestions and support.
