Low-carb January - IS OVER

Hi readers,

It’s OVER!! As I write, it’s the 1^st February and I’m officially done with low-carb January – hurrayyyyyyy! We’re through with January! Really, it’s such a relief to have made it and be writing this today. Didn’t it feel as though January was never going to end??

But we’re here, we’ve made it. High five to everyone who’s been paid! Who’s survived a month vegan! Or sober! Or anything other personal challenge you set yourself this January – high five for making it to the end. You WARRIOR.

In the spirit of a sort of diet round-up, summarising the whole low-carb January experience, I’ve tried to write down my immediate thoughts and feelings as the month’s come to an end. Hopefully, this review might inform and/or inspire anyone out there who’s considering taking up a low-carb diet.

Ten reasons I’m glad I did low-carb January, and would recommend it:

1.     It was a challenge – and I like a challenge! Without breaking me as a human being (a la Veganuary / Dry January), I have battled to stay on board with low-carb eating and not to fall off the wagon at the first whiff of toast

2.     It was something different – I think it’s good to shake up my diet every once in a while, try new foods, and get out of any ruts I might have sunk into with food – I did that this month

3.     And I’ve learned heaps, in the process, about nutrition. Cutting down on starch and sugar is definitely an eye opener when it comes to the nutritional content of foods we eat. Like, low-fat products having loads of sugar in them! Who knew?

4.     I discovered that breakfast – my favourite meal of the day – can be low-carb AND enjoyable. I’ve been tucking into some cracking egg muffins, and yoghurt bowls with blueberries and seeds mixed in… tasty stuff

5.     I’ve tried out a variety of new seafoods, some which I’d never had before (like mussels!), and in general I’ve learned loads of new ideas of platefuls of foods that are colourful, filling, and tasty – but don’t involve carbs

6.     I’ve been reminded that I don’t need to be stuffed in order to be well fed, I can feel full without needing to undo a button on my jeans, as is the case when you’re full of protein (no bloating!)

7.     It’s made me proud of myself for the number of days when I’ve gone to bed feeling like I’ve eaten well, turned down ‘bad’ foods, and treated my body like the temple IT IS

8.     I enjoy lots of low-carb foods anyway – eggs, avocados, fish, nuts, seeds, cheese, berries, yoghurt, wine – and that’s definitely helped me through. If you’re looking at that list of foods thinking hello no… then this may not be the diet for you (although – as an aside – if you eat meat then there will be loads of low-carb meals you can eat)

9.     I’ve become far more aware of my energy levels and mood, in relation to food. As you’re rarely hungry, so to speak, when eating low-carb – you learn to equate your need for food more with how you’re feeling. So, if you find yourself feeling low and wanting to crawl into bed, then it’s time to eat something. It will be interesting to see how different foods come to affect my mood and energy levels, as I re-introduce carbs

10.  Lastly, I just feel good. I’ve thrown myself into this detox from carbs, a month’s gone by, and I feel good for it! I feel less reliant on carbs for happiness and know I’ll be more appreciative of the carbs I eat going forwards.

Now, for February…

This next month, I’m aiming now to have one ‘carby’ meal a day, and to re-introduce mainly high fibre carbs to begin with (e.g. fruits, brown pasta, brown bread) so that my net carb intake is still low. This is the plan.

That is, after a few days of enjoying all the foods I’ve been missing out on. I plan to go crazy with it and am even baking a birthday cake this weekend! And roll on Pancake Day, readers, I don’t know about you but I’m going to be eating a LOT of pancakes on the 13^th Feb.

Plus, I’m looking forward, in February, to getting back into running. It’s been a bit of an uphill struggle to keep it up over low-carb January, as I’ve found my heartbeat racing high on runs. Which can be scary. And, generally, I’ve been having to pause more often to take walks and my legs haven’t felt like they’ve had much power behind them.

I’ve been a bit shit and – as my running friends will attest – it’s made me a sulking misery on runs for basically all of January. But, hopefully, with some carbs in my belly in Feb, I’ll be back on it and enjoying getting out on good runs again. A return to form would definitely cheer me up – so bring it on!

Spotlight over to you…

How about you, readers? Reflecting on the last month – your first month of 2018 – how’s it been?? Did it turn out the way you imagined, did things go the way you hoped, or were there unexpected turns along the way? If you set yourself any personal challenges for the month – have you succeeded?

There’s no better time, I don’t think anyway, than the end of January to pause and take stock. Evaluate how the year’s begun for you. We’re one month in – are you off to a good start? What can you do to keep this going, or to ramp things up a notch? Life is what you make of it – seize the day, readers!

And carb safely,

Hayley

Low-carb January - 26 days in

Recipe of the week...
... Low-carb cluckin' curry
with cauliflower rice

Ingredients:

For the curry – 300g meat-free chicken-style pieces, a stalk of broccoli, 100g green beans, ½ an onion, ½ a red chili pepper, 1 small root of ginger, 1 tablespoon curry paste, 200ml coconut milk, a knob of butter, and salt and pepper

For the cauliflower rice – 250g cauliflower, a knob of butter, and salt and pepper

Serves: 2 big platefuls.

Time taken: Half an hour prep and then 20 mins to cook.

Hi readers,

How are you all today? It’s Fridayyyyyy! That’s right, as I write, it’s a bright Friday afternoon in January. We’re within two hours of the weekend and it CANNOT come quickly enough.

Tonight – exciting! – I’m going on an 80s night dressed as Madonna. Think: black dress, bold makeup, big jewellery, even bigger hair. So, once this post goes live on ChefBeHere, I’ll be turning the curlers on and finding out my funkiest eye shadows… bring on the 80s tunes!

How about you, readers? Do you have plans for your Friday night?? I hope there are tipples and tunes on the horizon – time to let your hair down!

As we edge towards the weekend, readers, I’m now 26 days into low-carb January with five more days to go. The end is in sight! I’m beginning to get a little excited – anticipating a major treat day on the 1^st Feb with pizza, cereal, bananas, peanut M&Ms, and all the orange juice I can drink. I may explode on the day but it’s going to be GOOD.

As well as anticipating the carbs in store next Thursday, I’m also looking forward to easing off with the rules around what I eat. Although I intend to keep going somewhat in February, with a lower-carb diet that I’ve held up until 2018, it’s going to be a relief to relax the rules and enjoy a more flexible, spontaneous way of eating.

Just last night – lying awake for around 3 hours from 4.30m, when my housemate’s Tinder date staggered into my room looking for the bathroom – I found myself unable to sleep and endlessly going over low-carb meal plans in my head. Thinking days in advance!

And, really, I’d like to go back to thinking about more interesting things. Like whether or not the guy was wearing any clothes or I’d briefly had a naked man in my room. I wonder that now. And I wonder how I possibly passed 3 hours planning 5 days’ worth of food… maybe I did fall asleep?

Anyway, regardless, I have a low-carb recipe to share with you, readers! This may be one of my last, as we’re nearing the end of January now, so I hope you’ll enjoy. This recipe is based on one from the Diet Doctor website (see here), for a low-carb chicken curry with cauliflower rice.

I decided to give this recipe a go as I’d never tried cauliflower rice before – shock, horror! – and was intrigued. Also, I really fancied something resembled a proper meal, rather than just serving up a selection of low-carb things on a plate. So, I adapted the ingredient quantities a little, and replaced the chicken with Quorn, and a new recipe was born!

Fancy giving it a go? Here’s the recipe in just ten simple steps…

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Recipe: Low-carb cluckin’ curry with cauliflower rice

Ingredients:

For the curry – 300g frozen meat-free chicken-style pieces, a stalk of broccoli, 100g green beans, ½ an onion, ½ a red chili pepper, 1 small root of ginger, 1 tablespoon curry paste, 200ml coconut milk, a knob of butter, and salt and pepper

For the cauliflower rice – 250g cauliflower, a knob of butter, and salt and pepper

1.     Begin by getting all your ingredients out onto the side and pouring yourself a chilled drink. Stretch really tall, crack open a window, set some chilled music playing.

2.     Ready to go! To begin with, you need to do some veg prep. Chop the head of your broccoli into small florets (and save the stalk). Top and tail your green beans, then chop in half. Grate your cauliflower and the stalk of your broccoli.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: Stick at it, readers. If – like me at the time of cooking – you’ve just done a body pump class and can barely feel your arms, I feel for you. Try using one arm to press the grater downwards into the chopping board, as the other arm grates, instead of your arms pushing towards each other. This helped me somewhat.

3.     Give your arms a rest now! Gently heat a knob of butter, in a wok or frying pan, then add your frozen chicken pieces and your broccoli.

4.     Leave these to heat through for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, while you – deseed and finely chop your half a chili, finely chop your half an onion, and grate then finely chop your small ginger root.

5.     Once your chicken pieces look as though they’ve thawed, add your green beans, chili, onion and ginger to the pan.

6.     Stir everything together and fry for 5 mins until your kitchen smells good and the onion in the pan is softening.

7.     Meanwhile, gently heat a knob of butter in a saucepan. Add your grated cauliflower and broccoli to the pan, and season to contents of both your frying pan and saucepan. Leave your cauliflower rice to fry for around 10 mins.

8.     Add your curry paste and coconut milk to the frying pan, stir everything together, and leave to simmer for around 10 mins. Both pans will need stirring occasionally.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: Apply some common sense here – if you aren’t a fan of spicy foods just stick with a teaspoon of curry paste / or if you like your head blown off then go ahead and tip the whole jar in.

9.     Use your next ten minutes wisely. I’d set the table for dinner, find something good on the telly, and refresh your drink. Maybe heat dinner plates in the microwave, wipe round the kitchen, and make a start on your dishes.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: Remember to keep an eye on your pans. Give them a stir every time you pass by – make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom or burning.

10.  Time to serve up your tea! Remove both pans from the heat, spoon cauliflower rice evenly between two dinner plates, and then ladle out the curry. By now your kitchen should smell fragrant and your food should be piping hot – tuck in!

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And that’s all there is to it, readers! What do you think? Would you give this recipe a try? I can promise you a colourful, flavoursome tea, with at least 3 of your 5-a-day in veg per serving. The recipe’s gluten-free and, if you switch the butter for vegetable oil and use Quorn vegan pieces, then it’s vegan too! Plus, you get a free workout grating all that cauliflower.

Am I selling it or am I selling it?? Honestly, readers, I enjoyed this recipe. I had fun in the kitchen and then tucked into a great tasting plateful of food. I was impressed with cauliflower rice – not the poor man’s substitute I’d been imagining! – and a tablespoon of curry paste is about as spicy as I can handle, so I did cry through my nose a little, but I wasn’t melting. Which is good.

Please let me know, readers, if you give this recipe a try – what do you think? Would you rate this, as curries go? How did you get on in the kitchen? Shout out with your feedback on the recipe – I’d love to hear!

And have a fantastic weekend, everyone.

Vogue safely,

Hayley