Better Outlook

There's some serious stuff coming along this year.  Dad being uppermost on my mind and I suppose seeing if we are going to get investment in these difficult times is also a problem.  I love the sideways look I get when the penny drops and people realise that I've put in close to 2 years unpaid into the business and of course still had to cover the household bills etc.


That's the eye opener and that's why I get annoyed with the smart arse one liners from people who don't know what it really takes to build a business.  Somehow they don't think it through and realise the sheer volume of work you need to do to not only design the thing but make sure it will be bought (I mean does anyone actually want it).  This time last year I was pulling together the survey we conducted and pulling some 150 questions answered by over 180 people into some sort of logical order.  Then there's modelling the finances, working out the cost of all the services, the marketing, branding etc and suddenly there's 2 years of you life gone :-)


So in a way that will determine what will be or not be this year.  Only a very small number of businesses get funding and so we are being, as we normally are, balanced and steady in our views and expectations. 


However, knowing that these things are coming down the line is one thing and I've other news to share later on in February too which is again good news but it is all hush hush at the moment.


I am really looking forward to going to Italy now - it sounds just brilliant and we will get to see the wonders of three great cities (at least).  It will also give us an idea about travelling by train in Europe which is something we have always fancied doing.  It seems a little more civilised than the high pressure cigar tubes whistling around at 30,000 feet :-)  I have to say that when I last flew internally I couldn't believe the amount of security that was imposed and you needed your passport - for goodness sake.  Plus there was all the hanging around at the airport and waiting to get your baggage, then transferring into the city.  Let's see if this city centre to city centre arrangement is any better?


So I started this with the words "better outlook" and things are better.  I'm actually visibly losing weight on this juicing protocol I am on at the moment.  I haven't quite gone to a full vegetarian diet but I have cut down on most things.  My day looks like this now:


Breakfast:  Flax Seed Oil and Cottage Cheese diluted with a Drinking yoghurt (one of these "healthy" ones) added to a bowl of cut up dates, apricots, walnuts, raisins, figs, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds and possibly, hazel nuts cut up and flax seeds freshly ground.  I'll probably have a coffee and a pint of water.


Midday:  A pint of vegetable juice - generally based on carrot (occasionally a bit of apple), celery, cucumber, spinach, a twist of lemon, perhaps some cabbage, a tiny bit of root ginger, bean sprouts, turnip, asparagus, brussels sprout tops.  Occasionally I'll have melon as the base of the drink.   I will have this with another pint of water as it can be a bit difficult to drink without watering it down a bit.


Lunch:  Tends to be soup, sardines, mackerel or pilchards, or fish sticks, low fat pate, cottage cheese or tuna.  I may have some pickled onions or gherkins if things are a bit bland.  After that I will probably have a low fat fruit yoghurt.


Mid afternoon is a repeat of the juicing regime a mixture of vegetables but trying to keep the green content to about a quarter (no more) as it really is quite strong.


Tea:  Soup with some Ryvita or Rice Cakes, Tuna or fish, low fat cheese, fish sticks etc.


Occasionally I will cook myself some mushrooms and bean sprouts and left over vegetables and add these to my soup to make it a big meal but short on calories.  If I do have anything afterwards it will be an Orange or perhaps as a treat a sorbet from frozen fruit run through the homogeniser feature on my juicer.  


I've cut out bread - although I am a sucker at the weekend for a crusty bread roll.  I may have a little cheese at the weekend and get some Stilton out of the Freezer - just enough for a couple of crackers worth.


Once a week we have a main meal with roast vegetables and potatoes - I have cut out potatoes except of the very occasional baked one with Tuna and Baked Beans or some low fat cheese.  The meat tends to be Chicken, Beef or Gammon.  


So there you go and I reckon I have to have lost 1/2 stone in the week and a half I've been doing this.  The weight has fallen off of my stomach and the good old "love handles" seemed to go within days.  This is great news, now all I need to do is continue to prepare and juice my vegetables the only thing is the vegetable consumption has trebled in the past few weeks!


My experiment to make Sauerkraut ended in failure today.  I think I should have used white cabbage (with more moisture in it) than the Savoy I used.  I went to taste it after 4 days and it tasted just like - well minced raw cabbage.  I will certainly try again and see if I can get it to brew a bit.  the nice thing about the recipe I have is that there is no salt required.


Anyway - my health is good (not yet great) my weight is beginning to change and the health benefits of juicing appear to be kicking in nicely, it will be good to get into shape first and then see about tackling other ailments using targeted juices and diet.