Three Days of Kindness with Kindness & Co

It's cold. It's grey. It's wet. Ugh… January blues. It's easy to look past the rubbish weather as you near the end of the year; all the twinkly lights and dazzling decorations are a good distraction whilst you count down the days until there's "NO MORE WORK." Get your coat, you're on holiday.

Christmas is all fun and games - fine foods and festive drinkies galore - but you don't come out the other side unscathed. It's the extra glug of brandy and the extra pour of cream - 'cause Christmas - not to mention the mountain of chocolate that could be rationed for the entire year (definitely won't), the never-ending cheese board (not another cheese sauce?), and the open bottles of port and sherry that demand to be drunk before they go past their best (yes, that's a thing).

And so we find ourselves in The New Year Awakening. The merry mischief's over and you're noticing a few more of those unwanted lumps and bumps. "Curse you mince pies!" *shakes fist* Thankfully, Cheltenham's health food gurus Kindness & Co are here to prise you out of that post Christmas gluttony rut with their new food program.

Branded as Three Days of Kindness, the town centre café prepares you three days of nutritious breakfasts, lunches and dinners, with snacks to curb those hunger pangs. Everything is made fresh daily, boxed up in recyclable packaging, and you can either collect or have it delivered.

Health kicks are all the rage at this time of year, and as we see the back of dry January - phew - it's about now that people give in to their fad diets. Whilst you're encouraged to avoid caffeine and alcohol over the three days, Kindness & Co's package is more of a focus on wellbeing rather than restricting yourself. The time you'd normally spend planning, shopping and cooking meals is now free to concentrate on your own health, and taking the decision making out of eating means you're more likely to stick to the plan (the £105 price tag is a good incentive too).

They say that by eating three balanced meals a day - no coffee, sugary snacks or post-work glasses of wine - and drinking 1.5-2 litres of water a day should not only help you get a better nights sleep, but you should feel lighter, energised and more alert. So before Kindness & Co officially launched their plan, I got the chance to test it out to see if it was as good as it sounded.

I'm no stranger to these kinds of programs, I've done juice cleanses with Jay Halford at The Core before (who's coincidentally now working with Kindness & Co) and also with Applebar in the centre of town (which I'd highly recommend). I'm used to cutting out the crap when I need to, and in doing the 5:2 Diet, I can feel satisfied on not a huge amount of food. And that's the first thing I noticed; there was quite a lot of food! Here are my Three Days of Kindness menu boxes:

Breakfast: Muesli, yoghurt, fresh fruit
Lunch: Quinoa Tabbouleh with coriander, mint, tomato and red onion
Dinner: Veggie chilli served with roasted sweet potato

Breakfast: Raspberry smoothie bowl with nuts and banana
Lunch: Butter bean puree, tomato salsa, wilted kale and roasted courgette
Dinner: Sweet corn fritters with baby spinach and tomato salsa

Breakfast: Fresh berry overnight oats
Lunch: Baked cauliflower, chickpea, rocket and cranberry salad with tahini dressing and pistachio
Dinner: Garden pea and mint soup

Snacks each day: A piece of fruit, a pot of nuts and two Kindness Energy Balls... I'm a sucker for an energy ball.

I looked forward to picking up each day's food; there's something exciting about being cooked for (The Chap should take note). And not having to think about meals for a few days felt like I gained some freedom (because I basically think about food 24/7). What a luxury. 

None of the boxes contained those free-from substitutes or lengthily-named ingredients, they were all just packed with familiar, inherently healthy foods. The cauliflower, cranberry and tahini salad was a joy to eat - I'm going back to Kindness & Co to get my hands on some more - and there was no chance you'd miss meat in the spicy bean loaded chilli. 

I tend to eat a lot of these things at home anyway, so for me it's not something I'd splurge on, but for those that want to hit the ground running, it's a great way to get a head start. That said, I was inspired to make a big batch of overnight oats for the rest of the week's breakfasts, and tomato salsa has been creeping into our dinners much more than it did before.  

I personally didn't lose any weight, but Kindness & Co isn't really about that. I did, however, feel more in tune with myself and really enjoyed having some "time off". Healthier and happier; that's what it's all about, right?

If you're interested in the Three Days of Kindness program, then check out Kindness & Co's website or pop in to chat to them. It's £95 if you collect - they're pretty flexible - or £105 to be delivered within a certain radius of Cheltenham. Easy.

The Lucky Onion Club Presents: Hemsley + Hemsley

Their faces line the shelves in your local bookshops and supermarkets, you'll have spied them cooking up a storm on your TV, they've just opened up their own café in Selfridges, and last month our very own Cheltenham was graced with their presence.

Yes, the Hemsley sisters seem to be unstoppable at the moment - not surprising considering that health and wellness is so en vogue - but somehow, in the midst of their busy schedules, The Lucky Onion managed to snap them up for a whole day. No. 38 The Park was host to the latest in The Lucky Onion Club's series; Lunch + Supper with Hemsley + Hemsley.

Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, shook up the food scene a few years ago with their love of quinoa, spiralized courgetti, and cauliflower rice. And let's not forget their 'Boil Your Bones' campaign, telling people to get with their guts by drinking bone broth - not one for the veggies.

The pair profess that food should be delicious and nutritious, simple and sustainable. Health doesn't come from processed foods, so they've adopted a diet that's naturally free from gluten, grains and refined sugar. This holistic approach has clearly been a hit because they've just released their second book, Good + Simple, which sees more home-cooking recipes that promote the nourishing power of real food.

I've written about healthy, 'clean' eating a few times before - see my posts on Gizzi's Healthy Appetite and Simply Nigella - and I'm still unsure about the idea of cutting out food groups without proper cause (ie. allergies/intolerances). However, H+H's philosophy is different; it's not about being restrictive (they do say you shouldn't feel guilty for eating what you want), it's not a fad diet (they never work long term), they eat meat and drink alcohol (yay!), and there's zero calorie counting involved (they're very much pro-fat not low-fat).

The sister's new book is an honest guide for how to stay in tune with your body; 140 recipes with plenty of tips and tricks that will guarantee you can eat well at any time of the day. "Good food, good mood, good digestion, good health!" 

I popped along to the supper sitting at the gorgeous No.38, and upon arrival guests were whisked into the courtyard where Hemsley Collins' were being served up. Ketel One Vodka, raw honey, lemon juice and sparkling water - sugarless, but not so sharp that it blows your head off thankfully - a great summertime refresher.

There were around 50 people eager to see the girls, both local and from further afield. Actually, it surprised me just how many men were there, though there were admittedly quite a few who were dragged along by their starstruck partners. As we took our seats at the long banquet style tables, introductions were made, and H+H explained our menu for the evening; a selection of dishes from the new book.

We started with Seasonal Crudités, Multiseed Crackers, Minty Broad Bean and Creamy Cashew Ranch Dip. The crackers were made from a mix of buckwheat and chickpea flour, giving them a distinctive nutty flavour with a decent crunch, and a wooden board piled high with colourful veg always wins me over - especially peas in the pod! The broad bean dip was just as you'd expect, and the cashew ranch was rich and creamy without including any dairy (they use soaked cashew nuts).

Photo Credit: The Lucky Onion

Main course was Spiced Roast Chicken Thighs with Watercress Salsa Verde and a Green Salad. There was also a dish of Courgette and Cannellini Bean Lasagne to share between our table. Courgetti is one thing, but the thought of a pasta-less lasagne would probably have most Italians recoil in horror. They needn't though, the layered veg with sundried tomatoes and ricotta 'béchamel' is a saintly tasty alternative.

The chicken thighs - a one-pan roast with cauliflower, red peppers and fennel - were gently spiced with cumin, cayenne and antioxidant-rich turmeric. Crispy skinned and dressed with vibrant watercress sauce, it epitomised 'Good + Simple'. I do feel that the portion should probably have been for 4-6 people, not 8, as just one thigh each, with a small scoop of roasted veg and some lettuce leaves, didn't feel substantial enough - and I wasn't alone in thinking that!

Thankfully, we had two desserts to curb our hunger. Firstly, Carrot Cake with Honey Yoghurt Frosting. Made with ground almonds and sweetened with maple syrup, there was a harmony of flavours going on. It would be a great cake to make for those who can't eat gluten or have a thing about sugar, though I am a traditionalist; a fluffy sponge that's full of sugar, spice and all things nice is where my heart lies. That said, the tang of the yoghurt frosting was spot on, and I'll keep that in mind future bakes.

Photo Credit: The Lucky Onion

Jasmine and Melissa took it upon themselves to show us just how easy it is to make the final sweet treat; Chocolate Orange Bar with Clementines. Bish, bash, bosh. In the blink of an eye the coconut oil, cocoa and maple syrup mixture was done, and in true Blue Peter fashion, "here's one we prepared earlier!" Almost as easy as nipping to the shops to get a sphere of Terry's… Almost.

Chocolate grins all round, the night finished off with a cup of spicy ginger Pep Up Tea and a dairy-free, caffeine-free, coffee-esque Chicory Latte, both from their first book The Art of Eating Well. Obligatory photos and book signings followed too, and it was clear to see just how proud the Hemsley sisters are of what they've achieved. Even the cynics would find it hard to ignore their likeability, so good on 'em I say.

You can buy Hemsley + Hemsley: Good + Simple on Amazon for £12.49.

See The Lucky Onion website for more details on their events.

Fast Days & Feast Days with Elly Pear

Last October I won a competition with Harper Collins for a cookery class with Elly Curshen, better known as Elly Pear, at The Bertinet Kitchen in Bath.

But what did I know about Elly Pear?

Firstly, she owns Pear Café in Bristol, serving up the most jazzy looking fritatas, soups and hoofin' sarnies (the Chicken and Avocado Caesar with Chicken Crackling was listed as one of Buzzfeed's 17 Must Eat Sandwiches Before You Die). So I'm told, they also make the best brownies in town - Butterscotch & Plain Chocolate! 10 years it's been open, and sadly I've not tried any of the above because the café's only open Monday - Friday... I'll make it one day!

Elly is friends with all the good food folk, and will often be seen hanging out with them at the coolest bars and restaurants in London/elsewhere. Well jel.

She used to run the Basement Supperclub with her mate Dan (@essexeating - who manages Grillstock in St Nick's Market and has his own BBQ book out).

Elly loves sherry. Fino shez and salty snacks are her fave, and Tio Pepe's where it's at.

When not in her chef's apron, she's usually spotted in a Boden striped breton and Grenson shoes.

Decent bread, avocados, pickles, radishes and a runny egg always feature on Elly's colourful Instagram feed. There's lots of fish too (she's not a meat eater), and tofu... Don't ever say a bad word about tofu.

Probably the most important thing to note is that she's the queen of the 5:2; that "diet" - though lifestyle choice is probably more apt - where you can eat what you want for five days and restrict yourself to just 500 calories for two.

Despite always being conscious of weight, I've never been one for counting calories. Slimming World was my diet of choice in my late teens; it was all red and green days - no calculations involved. I managed to lose 3 and a half stone, and even with all my current eating adventures, thankfully it's not crept back.

My parents and a few friends have dabbled in the 5:2 with some great results, so I was interested in trying it out. But it wasn't until I went to Elly's class that I realised how easy it could be. You don't have to skip meals and starve yourself all day, you've just got to be clever about it.

The following Monday I was inspired to do my first ever fast day, and I've stuck to it ever since. I'm not doing it to lose weight, rather to balance out all the food and drink I like to indulge in. Also, having been diagnosed with an IBD a few years ago, I've found this to be a great way to give my stomach the break it needs on a weekly basis. It has helped me out no end!

So last week saw the publication of Elly Pear's Fast Days and Feast Days; a book full of fresh, uncomplicated food to get stuck into. A collection of more than 100 of Elly’s favourite recipes from both fast days and feast days, her home kitchen and her café. With good advice on how to shop better, cut down on waste, and stock your fridge and cupboards more sensibly, this isn't just a book for those doing the 5:2. It's more like a guide for a new way of eating delicious, nutritious food all year round – whether you're fasting or feasting.

At the class back in October, a group of us got a sneak preview of some of the Fast Days and Feast Days recipes, which we vowed not to share until the book was released. We had such a fun day cooking, assembling, eating, drinking, and we all went home with epic doggy bags!

Fast day wise, we made the Raw Winter Veg Salad (pg 67), Smoked Salmon & Radish Salad (pg 74), and the Courgette, Chilli and Herb Salad with King Prawns (pg 77, though in the book it suggests feta).

For feast days, we made Root Veg & Halloumi Fritters with Frying Pan Flatbread (pg 137), Roasted Cauliflower & Butter Bean Salad with Orange & Olives (pg 140), Impatient Rainbow Pickles (pg 225) and Chocolate & PX Pots with Cream (pg 253). Oh, and we got the secret Pear Café Flapjack recipe, which isn't in the book - score!

As a testament to how great Elly's recipes are, since the class I've made a number of them over and over again - particularly those halloumi fritters, flapjacks and chocolate pots!

In the run up to the book launch, her In Style column teased us with a few recipes; I've batch cooked a load of Courgette Dhal (pg 101), and I make the Beetroot Soup with Wild Garlic or Spinach (pg 116) almost every week. Her free Amazon E-Short contained a now fast-day-fave of mine too - All-Day Breakfast Polenta - along with some other dishes that didn't make their way into the book.

Basically, if you hadn't already guessed it, I've been fan-girl-ing over Elly Pear for flippin' ages. And since Fast Days and Feast Days landed on my doorstep last week, I've looked at nothing else.

Saturday I made Tahini Noodles with Greens & 6-Minute-Egg (pg 127), Sunday saw both the Salmon Rice Bowl (pg 166) and Jen's Banana & Apple Loaf (pg 261), and tonight is calling for the Sweet Potato, Lentil, Kale & Coconut Curry (pg 134).

Tomorrow is a fast day, and with so many exciting options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, pimped out with Elly's sauces and pickles, I know it's not going to be boring...

'Simply Nigella' at The Cheltenham Literature Festival

The day after the publication of Nigella Lawson's latest cookery book, the lucky residents of Cheltenham - myself included - were graced with her presence at The Literature Festival. 'Simply Nigella', which also ties in with the new BBC2 series of the same name - set to air in November - sees the domestic goddess find a "true sense of balance between lightness and lushness." In an interview with the opinionated food heavyweight, Jay Rayner, she revealed more about her philosophy of food, what she means by 'simply', and how her healthy recipes should not be confused with the current 'clean eating' trend.

* My previous post on Gizzi's Healthy Appetite will tell you how I feel about the whole situation.*

We're all familiar with Nigella; most of us probably own at least one of her books - well thumbed and splattered with olive oil, or stuck together with cake batter no doubt - and as much as YouTube takes pleasure in splicing together her "seductive" cooking clips, watching her effortlessly assemble dishes on TV inspires a whole host of people to get into the kitchen… It also encourages me to sneak into the fridge late at night for an extra spoonful of dessert, but I won't hold that against her.

'Simply Nigella', she explains, is partly about getting rid of the unnecessary frills in cooking, but it's not just as simple as 'simple cooking'. The recipes are an antidote to the busy lives that we lead and understanding that different days require different ways of eating; be it quick dinners when you just want to flop on the sofa (Thai Noodles with Cinnamon & Prawns), a dish that enables some breathing space at the end of a long week (Massaman Beef Curry), stress-free crowd pleasers (Chicken Trayabake with Bitter Orange & Fennel), or soothing suppers (Miso Salmon, Cauliflower & Cashew Nut Curry).

Whatever the occasion, she insists it should always be pleasurable, and as such, the book is also about celebrating all the food that she likes to make and eat. Both naughty and nice, this is food that is 'Simply Nigella'.

Obviously there are plenty of indulgent treats in the book - Lemon Pavlova, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pots, and not one but three recipes for Bundt Cakes (if you're going to make the effort to buy a bloody bundt tin, she insists you need more than one recipe to justify its worth) - but Simply Nigella also sees her take on the lighter, healthier side of food.

Cold pressed coconut oil has made its way in (which she also uses it on her feet - thanks for the tip), along with an abundance of avocados, and although Nigella's always been one to resist diets and food fads, things have changed. "While I have not gone gluten-free, or anywhere near, there are quite a few new gluten- and dairy-free recipes. Cooking brings me pleasure, but I also wish to bring pleasure to those who eat around my table – and since there is always a contingent in either camp, I want to make food they can eat," speaking to The Guardian.

When everyone has suddenly become more interested in the food they're consuming, health foods in particular, it would be a foolish thing to ignore. We're a nation obsessed by the aesthetics of what we eat; we Instagram the hell out of our avo toasts, vivid green juices and perfectly presented breakfast bowls. Expressing the creative beauty in food is certainly something that Nigella advocates, however, it all seems to have gotten a little misconstrued lately thanks to all this 'clean eating' chat.

With Jay Rayner's public love of piggy treats, we can guess where he stands on the situation, and he prompted Nigella to voice her opinions too.

'Clean eating' gives the impression that eating is dirty, shameful and something to be feared, she said. There's an air of smugness about the whole thing, and she's frustrated by the fact that people are claiming superiority over others just because of their virtuous eating habits. For Nigella, someone who has always been fuelled by greed (she said it - not me!), a restricted diet is not living wholeheartedly, and that's really quite sad.

So, although a number of the recipes in 'Simply Nigella' might attract the clean eaters, she states it's much more about the power of food; how different foods can make us feel well, make us stronger and give us the vitality we need and crave. Personally, I think I can get just as much 'goodness' from dipping saintly crudités into her Brocamole (broccolified guacamole if you couldn't guess from the name) as I could stuffing myself with her sage topped Sweet Potato Macaroni Cheese with a hangover.

Nigella's new book is one that will inevitably infiltrate the rhythms of our cooking lives, and healthy or not, the recipes are sure to make us feel good every time. Simply wonderful.

You can find some of Nigella's new recipes on the You Magazine website.

Gizzi Erskine: A healthy attitude towards food at Cheltenham Literature Festival

'Clean eating' can sod off. 

After attending two fantastic events last week at The Cheltenham Literature Festival, I'm both inspired and full of preachy rage about this stupid buzz-phrase. Sure, I'm not adverse to healthy eating, eating well, and trying to lower my calorie intake - I've gone on juice cleanses (see my post on The Core Chelt), I own a NutriBullet, and I've eaten spiralised 'courgetti' just as much as the next person has - but I'm sick of the frankly quite bullying promotion of #cleaneating.

Food events at the lit fest are always my priority (you can read my previous #cheltlitfest experiences here), and with the likes of Cornish king Rick Stein, wine buff Oz Clarke, and London heroes Honey & Co and Spuntino making an appearance, there was so much to choose from. I would've sold an arm and a leg to be able to get tickets to all of them (it gets expensive business), but with two of my all time fave ladies in the world of food, it was easy to make my decision. And happy-frickin'-days, both Gizzi Erskine's and Nigella's new books speak the truth about all this obsessive attitude over 'clean' foods.

I've owned Gizzi's latest book 'Gizzi's Healthy Appetite' since the day it came out, and FYI it's still a purse friendly £7.99 on Amazon. I went mad over the recipes in 'Skinny Weeks and Weekend Feasts' - the Pork Bun Xao is a firm staple in our house and I've wowed people dishing up the Braised Veal Shin Bourguignon for Sunday lunch - but her new book is something I'm completely obsessed with. Not a week goes by where I haven't made at least one thing from it. Just look at some of my efforts...

'Healthy Appetite' is a clever double entendre; she's really interested in health foods and food that will keep you in shape - note the superfood salad and smoothie recipes - but it also describes her indulgent side - the best ever Black Velvet Cake, truffle pappardelle using leftover hollandaise and her famous Korean fried chicken. In her discussion with Red Magazine's Pip McCormac, she proudly outed herself as being a little piglet that could easily take anyone down when it comes to how much she can eat. I salute that! Though anyone who follows her on Instagram would already know this; if it's not photos of her cute kitties - Kimchi and Ponzu - it's all the mega food she likes to cook and all the shit-hot places she likes to eat out at. I'm pretty much green with envy and constantly craving London; arghh.

"Having a healthy appetite means having a healthy lust for life," she says. If you're beating yourself up over having a slice of bloody cake at the weekend, then get a grip. Gizzi believes that all these new diets and the rise of 'clean eating' is putting too much blame on food. We know that things like alcohol and refined sugar are bad for us - fine - but to exclude whole food groups to eat saintly raw meals is a little extreme. I've lost count of the amount of people I know who have gone dairy-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, blah blah blah, and whilst I can totally understand if these people have an actual problem, just to cut them out believing it makes you 'healthier' is pretty misguided. Luckily, Gizzi is here to help, and from what I gathered from the event, her new book is just the start of her food education revolution.

Not naming any names, she discussed the problems with the popularity of health food bloggers on social media; the dishes tagged with #cleaneating or #fitfood might look delicious, and no doubt they are, but "spiralised courgette with pesto made from whizzed-up avocado is not dinner. It's a salad." Her idea of nourishing the body is about understanding balance and why we break up our plate into proteins, carbs, vegetables, fats, and the right volumes of these things. She's made friends with new techniques such as spiralizing veg and making rice out of cauliflower, but feels that it's very much misrepresented by those who aren't trained in the world of food and nutrition.

As we tucked into her dishes cooked by the Relish Events team at the Literature Fest (Ox Cheek Goulash with Spatzle followed by Maple Syrup, Orange & Rosemary Tart), it was evident that it's time to start loving our food again. Gizzi, along with others like Jamie Oliver and his latest food programme and indeed Nigella, are bringing back the emphasis of cooking fresh food from scratch and giving people a different attitude to healthy eating.

If you just do one thing this week, buy 'Gizzi's Healthy Appetite'. Oh, and "do cover your vegetables in butter; it's actually good for you!"... It tastes pretty damn good too.

**Keep your eyes peeled for my round up of Nigella's 'Simply Nigella' discussion with Jay Rayner.**

A Health Hit with The Core Cheltenham

A couple of weeks ago I was suffering with a hangover from hell. It may or may not have involved me being sick at work *hangs head in shame*. Stuffing myself with biscuits to give me that much needed sugar, it sure was a low moment.

That night, after I shuffled my way into bed at a stupidly early hour, I scrolled through Facebook and spotted an offer for a High Veg Juice Programme courtesy of The Core in Charlton Kings.

My eating with good intentions went awry after my Birthday; naughty habits of having a piece of cake here and there, and drinking midweek wines seemed to become a regular occurrence. A juice programme, therefore, sounded like the perfect opportunity to put me back on the straight and narrow... Probably and irrational hungover decision, but with £30 off, it was worth a try.

I've done a couple of one day juice cleanses before (with Cheltenham's Kin Juicery - also great), and I'm used to making smoothies for breakfast every morning using my Nutribullet, though a five day juice-fest felt like throwing myself into the deep end. Still, I'd visited The Core a number of times, and I absolutely love their menu, so I was sure that I could trust them to get me through my working week.

The High Veg plan follows the same recipes as the main Core Juice Programme, but is technically a bit healthier due to the drinks being split into 70% veg and 30% fruit. At 8am on Monday morning I went to collect my first day's goods, consisting of two 500ml juices and two 500ml smoothies, with a raw snack to eat at some point throughout the day. Being a bit of a control freak with regards to food/where I eat out/looking up menus/etc, the element of surprise made this whole thing more exciting.

I can't quite remember what drinks I had on which day, but the varieties were as follows:

• Refresher (J) carrot, apple, mint 
• Roots (J) beetroot, parsnip, carrot, apple, lime
• Cleanser (J) carrot, apple, lime, pineapple, mint 
• Vitality (J) parsnip, mint, spinach, pear, apple 
• Energy Boost (J) cucumber, celery, kale, lime, apple 
• Mineral Magic (J) carrot, ginger, parsnip, pineapple, apple, lime 
• Total Tonic (J) cucumber, celery, apple, ginger, lemon
• Blood Booster (S) beetroot, carrot, apple, lime, avocado 
• Super Greens (S) apple, ginger, lemon, kiwi, cucumber, spinach, avocado 
• Calcium Kick (S) spinach, cucumber, pear, apple, celery, lime, ginger, avocado 
• Carotene (S) carrot, pineapple, celery, lemon, avocado

Monday: Drank the first smoothie (my fave - Blood Booster) at the suggested time of 10am, it's probably more than I'd usually have with my Nutribullet, so I wasn't desperate for the next one at lunchtime (1pm). I sipped it throughout my lunch hour, and as a result, I really wasn't feeling another juice at 3pm. Instead, I ate half of my snack - the tastiest raw flapjack known to man (I'd even swap it for a regular one!) - and drank my third juice en route home between 5-6pm. I had the last one at 8pm, then snuggled on the sofa with a herbal tea and the other half of my flapjack, making sure I didn't miss a crumb! I went to bed feeling incredibly full and pleased that the first day was a breeze. 

Tuesday: I'm pretty sure I had the best night's sleep I've had in ages, and I felt full of energy despite not having any caffeine in me. I followed the same routine as the day before - 9/10am, 1pm, 5pm, 8pm - leaving my snack to have as 'dinner' whilst The Chap ate his evening meal. My Tuesday snack was a Nutty Bowl; muesli, cashews, vanilla, cinnamon, almonds, banana, pineapple, with a topping of pecan halves, maca powder and coconut blossom nectar.

Wednesday: Another really good night's sleep, presumably from the detox, and the day whizzed by. The snack of the day was a kale salad, which gave me that much needed texture I was craving. As soon as it hit 9pm I was falling asleep in front of the TV, so I headed to bed for an early night.

Thursday: I woke up super hungry, and was desperate to crack into my first juice - there was no way I was holding out until 10am. I was in serious need of more salty foods, and the savoury gods must have heard me; Thursday's snack was a pot of quinoa salad. Me and my mum have had this at The Core before, and we flippin' love it! Can't quite pinpoint the flavours in though; perhaps soy/tamari? It felt like I had quite a lot to eat, so I didn't finish my juice until late, which resulted in me not being able to sleep straight away (I got some reading in, so I wasn't bothered).

Friday: I MADE IT. I was a little sad going to collect my bag of goodies, knowing that it was the last day; the guys in the cafe are so friendly and supportive. I was still full from yesterday, so drank my juice between 10 and 11am, then 1pm, 5pm, and 8pm. My final snack was a Protein Bowl combining muesli, blueberries, banana, almonds, oat milk, apple and hemp seeds, topped with flaxseed, pecans, mixed nuts and coconut nectar. It was sweet (leaving it sitting all day in the fridge probably didn't help - bananas don't fare too well), but had enough texture and nuttiness to balance it out. A herbal tea, and a feeling of achievement, and I went to bed whilst the rest of Cheltenham seemed to be out partying.

The next morning I anticipated being excited for a breakfast of peanut butter and banana on toast (my go-to weekend treat), but surprisingly I fancied a smoothie.. You'd have thought I'd be sick of liquids! 

The 5 day High Veg Juice Programme was much easier than I imagined - probably down to the fact everything was so bloody tasty - and the support that Jay Halford and the rest of The Core team offer gives you that extra boost if and when you need it. You can still eat extra snacks if you want (bananas, nuts, carrot sticks and hummus) whilst on the programme, but I didn't think it was necessary; herbal teas kept me sane! 

At the end of the five days I felt great (and still do); I have much more energy, I don't feel the need to have a cup of coffee every day, and I even managed to lose a couple of pounds too! It honestly felt like luxury being given my treats each day, and now, feeling smug and slightly more streamlined, I'd say I'd definitely do it again... 

Interested? Visit The Core website for more info, and give it a go!