Day 11 of Detox

Another very hot day – I am going to try taking a smoothie to work in my SIGG mug. SIGG bottles are stainless steel and are the only bottles that are proven to not leach phthalates, Bisphenyl A, lead, Bisphenol B and other harmful chemicals.

It was flat out all day today and I stopped for a Pitango soup at 2 (this is my back up option i.e. plan Z!) and raced across the road to my favourite fishmonger. Nikos, the Greek, is fantastic and he causes me to miss Ithaca terribly. We speak in Greek, mine albeit very rusty, and he at 1,000 words per minute accompanied with heroic arm gestures! I’ll never forget the first time I went to Athens at the age of 16 – I thought everyone was about to brawl as they all looked like they were screaming angrily at each other. In fact, it is their version of passion and they are simply commenting on the weather. Niko knows exactly what my criteria are for fish.

a) No deep sea large fish ( due to heavy metal contamination, specifically methyl mercury)
b) Australian
c) Sustainably farmed or wild line caught
d) Not over fished

I agree that I am fortunate enough to have such wonderful produce available but get a copy of the Sustainable Seafood Guide and become a more aware consumer. We all know that we need to eat more fish for the beautiful omega 3 essential fatty acids but make sure you are informed about the quality of the fish you are eating.

So, I ended up buying some local red snapper fillets and they were stunning on the BBQ with a little of the finger lime salsa from last night. I had a salad to accompany it which was what we called a “mosh pit salad” or you could also term a “fridge” salad. Anything that needs to be used up gets thrown in and it always tastes yummy. The clincher in this one was the eggplant I roasted last night – it was so smoky and silky and combined perfectly with the rocket and avocado.

I have now made a fresh ginger tea – I made it strong as it is still very humid and it does cool me down after the initial heat rush. Now, the next 3 days will be a test to my detox skills – I have friends here from Tasmania as well as my family from Melbourne. Now usually this would always involve lengthy dinners savouring wonderful wines – we all love fine wines and no one more than me! My dad called this week to ask which of his prized wines he should bring up to imbibe in.

After discussing all the vintages and regions we came to a conclusion and I unfortunately had to let him know that I was detoxing and hence unable to partake! Oh, let’s see how I go, am sure this will be the most difficult time. After the first 4 days of detox I felt ok and now I don’t miss coffee, alcohol, meat etc. at all. I am positive the exercise helps. Today is the first day I haven’t actively exercised and I feel it. Never mind, off to the gym in the morning to face that dreaded rowing machine – we are having a dual. I compete against the machine for time and so far my best for 2,000metres is 11minutes and 8 seconds. Wish me luck.........