Before you start reading I just want to let you know that I have added some links to my doTERRA webpage at the end of this post so you can check out the the oils I mention.
I imagine that some people who have been reading my blog posts, and in particular my recipes, might be surprised that I don’t condemn gluten,sugar and all processed foods. If that’s what you are looking for, then there are plenty of blogs out there for you! I’m not saying that am not cautious about these things, but I believe that we all need balance in our lives and it is when we go to extremes that we end up in trouble.
We need to listen to our bodies and do what is best for them rather than going off at the drop of a hat to take up the latest fad! Of course there are many people who have legitimate medical reasons to be on gluten free diets etc., but if you are not one of those people I would recommend going for balance in your diet. I am saying this, not because I have necessarily achieved the best possible diet but I am learning to listen to my body, be aware of my energy levels and general health and learn what I need to eat or not eat!
I have been happy with my diet now for the past 9 years. I lost a lot of weight at that time – on purpose. Through careful control of my diet and lots of exercise I have been pretty happy with both my weight and health over all. I lost weight by going on the CSIRO Diet which is high protein and low carb. It was really not a chore to do this and overall I have been successfully living on this diet regime for the past 9 years. I still try to avoid sugary food and avoid bread most days but I eat lots of vegetables, some fruit and a range of meat and other protein sources.
But, having said that, I did put on some weight at the end of last year – I think it was cumulative and possibly had something to do with all the food and beer that was consumed on our Scottish holiday last August- but I won’t go into that in detail here….
Anyway, I wanted to lose some weight again because I was feeling stodgy and slow. So I embarked on a detox program using Essential Oils and lowered my calorie intake, getting serious again about the high protein-low carb diet. I am pleased to say that I lost inches around my waist fairly quickly and am happy with my progress.
If you are interested I have been using an Active blend and a Restart blend along with Grapefruit oil. Together these help regulate hunger and rid the body of unwanted substances. I take one capsule three times a day that contains 1 drop of Active blend and 1 drop of Restart blend. I also put a drop of Active blend and a drop of Grapefruit oils in my water each day.
I make sure I drink at least 1.5-2 litres of water as well as my regular tea and coffee intake during the day. The water tastes great with the oils in it and they help stem the cravings that occur during the day e.g. at around the 3 pm low sugar time.
This has all been working well but I got impatient and wanted to lose a bit more and a bit faster. So I foolishly tried something that is akin to a fad i.e. the 16:8 diet. No offence to people who use this diet successfully but I believe that it was a disaster for me. Basically it means that you fast for 16 hours, eat, then fast again for another 8 hours. This reduces you to two meals a day. So I gave it a go last week. Other people report finding focus and energy and stamina whilst on this diet. I found that it was beneficial in that I was much less hungry during the morning despite not having eaten breakfast. But, because I swim in the morning, by lunch time my energy levels were so low that my eyes were tired and aching and I lost all focus. I was exhausted all week and woke up every morning feeling like death warmed up. I only woke up after my swim!
I can hear you thinking – why doesn’t she just change the fasting times around? That’s a good idea but things were worse by the weekend when I developed some severe reactions. My body was exhibiting a stress response.
The 16:8 diet just didn’t work for me and my body told me this loud and clear. I have been back on my normal 3 meals a day this week- reasonably low carb and high protein – and my energy levels are back to normal, despite having swum 6.5 km in 4 days and walking everyday etc.
So, will I try a fad diet again? Maybe, but not in the near future. I will continue with the CSIRO diet which, other than being high protein and relatively low carb, promotes a high vegetable and moderate fruit intake. I will also be more careful about listening to my body, energy levels and over all health responses.
So my message again is to notice what is happening in your body and act on it. If you try a new or crazy diet and you feel terrible, stop what you are doing. If you try something different and nothing happens, stop it – you may be punishing yourself for no gain. If it works for you and you feel great then go with it!
Overall, try to stay balanced and aware of what your body is telling you.
What Next?
So if you think you might be interested in DIY with Essential Oils, in particular for detox or weight loss, I would love to help you get started and support you if you want some help. Here is how you can do this: go to my doTERRA website to find out about the range of oil and oil based products available for purchase. You can also sign up to become a member on this site. Once signed up you can purchase oils for wholesale prices! But if you would like some more information click on the Contact Me on the doTERRA website and I will respond to your questions.
We hope you will join us at Helpful by Nature by subscribing to our email list. We would love to hear from you, take your questions and provide answers if we are able.
Until next time,
Gillian (and Andrew)
