I fell off the health wagon.
Somewhere between not sleeping and a bit of boy trouble I totally lost my will to paleo. I’m talking serious discrepancies here: I’ve been eating bread, pasta, Belgian chocolate cookies, fish and chips. I re-discovered what it meant to eat for comfort, to get to the end of the day and crave nothing more than a bellyful of carbs.
Special thank-you to my dad (from hereon in known as ‘The Enabler’) for bringing me two packets of biscuits on his way home from work when Elfie had spent the day being sick and I’d spent the last 48 hours being awake. At that moment they were all I wanted in the whole world and they tasted SO GOOD.
I also discovered that when you aren’t sleeping or eating your usual greens-and-protein diet the last thing you want to do is go to the gym. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle; no energy, stay at home feeling sluggish, no endorphins from exercising, feel more sluggish, definitely no gym.
I felt pale, bloated, unhealthy and hey – GUESS WHAT – sluggish. I do not like feeling this way.
So after the children went away I decided to take action. I addressed the first issue of SLEEP and did that for ten hours straight. Then I threw out the remainder of the biscuits, After Eights (I adore After Eights…) and Chinese takeaway. Bad kitchen food vibes be gone…
I wrote myself a pretty strict meal plan for the next five days; lots of lean meats, no grains, enough salad and kale to sink a ship, a moderate amount of cheese. I went to the supermarket and then went to the gym. Three times (the gym, not the supermarket). I now can’t climb the stairs without my legs shaking but I feel strong again, vibrant, not bloated. And I had an amazing swim today! Endorphins forever!
I hate this feeling of falling off the wagon. In the grand scheme of things (and particularly in comparison to my pasta-and-fats diet of old) it’s really no big deal. But I have a zit that I just know is as a result of my takeaway indulgences and I hate feeling that I’m not giving my health the best possible shot.
Whenever I feel like I’m set back in life I just think – tomorrow is a new day. If I had a bad day at work or a terrible nights’ sleep – tomorrow is a new day. That’s a wonderful motto for mums (or humans in general, really) who feel like they need a fresh start or a slate-wipe. It’s not life or death, it’s a few chips and an M&S cookie – let’s start again tomorrow, shall we? Are there any Easter-Egg-And-Booze overindulgers out there who want to join me? Tomorrow is a new day!
Turkey San Choi Bau
My first meal back on the health wagon was a good one. Asian turkey and lettuce wraps – or turkey san choy bau if you’re feeling fancy – with stir-fried broccoli and mini sweetcorn. Turkey is one of the best meats you can eat, it’s high in protein and low in fat, though I find it can be a bit tasteless sometimes which is why it’s best in recipes like this one with punchy flavours. You could also use pork, chicken or beef, too.
- Half a large onion, chopped finely
- 400g turkey mince
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 grated carrot
- 1 grated courgette
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (I use gluten free Tamari)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- hot sauce, to taste
- crushed peanuts
- handful coriander
- Lettuce to serve, leaves split out (4 per serving) - cos, baby gem or iceburg is good
- half a head of broccoli, cut into florets
- half a pack baby sweetcorn, chopped in thirds
- handful cashew nuts
- 1 additional tbsp soy sauce
- 1 additional tbsp honey
- Start by heating up your sesame and vegetable oil over a medium heatbefore frying off your onion for a couple of minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add your courgette and carrot and stir through.
- Pop your mince in the pan and stir to break up. Brown it off.
- Add the soy sauce, honey and fish sauce and cook well until done through.
- Meanwhile heat a frying pan or wok to a high heat and toast off the cashew nuts, shaking the pan frequently so they don't burn.
- When they're done tip out and put to one side. Put the pan back on the heat and add a tbsp of oil. Throw in your broccoli and baby corn, charring on all sides.
- Move the veg to one side of the pan and add your soy sauce to the other. When it's bubbling stir the ingredients together and drizzle the honey on top. Add the cashew nuts, stir through and take off the heat.
- Serve the turkey in your lettuce leaves, sprinkled with crushed peanuts and coriander. Add hot sauce if you like it spicy (I don't!). Add the broccoli and baby corn to the side.
There’s nothing like sickness & boy trouble (& possibly hangovers) to make you want bad food. I don’t know who couldn’t crave carbs in times like these? Someone not human perhaps. Bless your dad for getting you those biscuits. Easter has been my nemesis in falling off the wagon in spectacular style, family buy chocolate for my 1 yr old which is obvs a lovely thought but, its only little fattie me whose going to eat it all! Am clambering back onto the wagon as I type. Food looks yum x
I have fallen off it a little bit as well recently Alice and I HATE feeling this way. I was so good for a whole year and I feel a bit like I am on a slippery slope at the moment. I know I will get back to it, I just need to get back in the frame of mind. But like you say, it’s a vicious cycle- cause I am not going to the gym I find myself eating ALL the carbs in the evening. x
Ugh I feel off the exercising/healthy eating wagon a while ago and it haunts me everyday! I just keep putting it off and off but I finally feel ready to get back on! This recipe will certainly help!
Oh you poor thing, you’ve had a rough time. Glad to hear things are back on track and that recipe looks delish! x
bless your dad for the biscuit delivery, what a star. I’ve been doing exactly this lately, although I don’t actually have an excuse but I’ve been eating so badly and it’s just carbs carbs cards, I feel really tired and sluggish and bloated and yuk! I know I need to do something about it soon..well as soon as we’re back from this holiday maybe! xx
It’s amazing how integral sleep is to any health plan. I swear that’s why I’m struggling to moderate my sweet tooth at the moment.
I’ve recently started working out and my biggest struggle is with food. I suffer with anxiety relating to food so eating ‘meals’ is hard for me so therefore I end up snacking on all the bad stuff! Reading this was very motivational so thank you :)
Good to hear your back on the healthy bandwagon – althoouhg giving yourself a break when needed is also not too much of bad thing – I know I have after giving birth but trying to get back on the straight and narrow. Hope your getting little bit more sleep these days and this food looks super yummy (and healthy)
Laura x