I’ve now set two seminar dates for “An Evening With Half The Woman I Was” for Melbourne. The dates are Monday 29th October,2012 and Wednesday 23rd January 2013. Tickets are $97 each (and when you buy one, you can get a second ticket absolutely free for a short time only).
So if you’re sick of being overweight and of expensive pills and programs that just don’t provide real results then come and join me for an evening filled with information where you will discover:
the truth behind why you’re overweight and how easy it is to change your life today
The 3 funamentals of weight loss that, if combined, will ensure you get and stay slim forever
The truth behind protein, carbohydrates, fibre, fat and salt and the important roles they play in your everyday nutrition
How ‘diets’ contribute to your weight gian, and how you can break the yo-yo cycle
Why you get food cravings and how to feel fuller longer on fewer calories
Techniques to maximise your metabolism and get your body burning fat while you rest
How to reach your ideal size without starving or exercising for hours each day
Great news – “Half The Woman I Was – How I lost 70kg naturally, reclaimed my life … and how you can too!” is now available for all your eReaders! Follow the links below for yours.
(Amazon/Kindle also available via Amazon UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain – replace .com/ with .co.uk/ .fr/ .de/ .it/ .es/ respectively)
(Apple iBooks also available via iTunes US, UK, Canada, France, Germany – replace .com/au/ with .com/ .com/gb/ .com/ca/ .com/fr/ .com/de/ respectively)
Wow, all this hype about macaroons has got me thinking – is it possible to make a sugar-free macaroon? And if it is, will it taste any good? So begins my journey to create a macaroon that is both nutritious and delicious to rival the world’s best. To start I needed to find the best macaroon recipe (and yes this involved a little market research). The results after a global search were undoubtedly Jean-Phillipe Darci.
Having tracked down his chocolate macaroon recipe I began by thinking of how to adapt it: whilst the ground almonds, egg whites are fine, the sugar and icing sugar will need to be replaced with a combination of Stevia, Xylitol and Splenda. For the ganache we’ll need to think outside the box: cream will be replaced with a ricotta custard, again sweetened without sugar or trimoline. And I think I’ll also try a contrast filling or two – coffee, orange, raspberry or even white truffle.
Stay tuned for the final recipe, and the results of the public taste test.
We all know that an addiction, food or otherwise, is generally not supportive of our overall well-being. Most people put smoking and drugs in this category, and occasionally coffee. But did you know one of the most addictive (and dangerous) substances known to man is actually sugar? Sugar changes our brain chemistry and seems to act on the same receptors in the brain as alcohol and drugs like morphine or heroin. Sugar is also linked to vast range of illnesses and disease (just Google it!) This is a sharp warning for parents or those with a sugar sensitivity – you’ll know it because consuming sugar will make you immediately feel good at for a short time as a result of your increased blood sugar. When the brain experiences this it craves more and the more sugar we eat, the more it wants. The only way to reverse this viscious cycle is to reduce sugar to the point of elimination and use non-sugar supplements such as Stevia.
Today is my birthday and so begins a week long of celebrations as I catch up with various friends and family members. I love celebrating birthdays – and not just my own. Each one is a marker in time where one can pause and reflect, and think about the changes that have happened over the past year. In this modern world it seems we are continually striving to achieve more, be better and improve our heath. We rarely acknowledge or appreciate all the things we have already achieved, the friends that we already have, the love of our families and the level of health we have right now (it almost certainly all could be worse). The passing of another year is a good way to take stock, acknowledge our wins, and set some new goals. And whilst we should stop and count our blessings every day, not just once a year, I’d like to share with you what I’m grateful for today: my health and happiness; my husband Antony and my dogs Kimba and Willow; my family, friends, and the community I live in; the ability to travel across this vast country and around around this great planet; to share my life and love with those around me; and mostly for the privilege and opportunity to inspire others to achieve more and be all they can be. These are my real birthday gifts.
Often times we’re so busy working, thinking about what we still have to get done today, tonight, this week or next year, that we don’t realise what’s going on around us. In the doing-ness of it all we forget to be present and appreciate the very moment that we’re in. A healthy life is all about balance. Just as it’s important to stay motivated and productive and get things done, it’s also vital that we stop to ‘smell the roses’, lift our heads and look around. Today I took some time out in the Fitzroy Gardens to do just that and, taking a different path was presented with a treasure trove of beautiful Camellia blooms. All shapes and sizes and an array of colours brightened my morning and reminded me of the cherished times I spent with my grandmother in the Dandenongs. The flowers and the memory brightened my day and made me feel a whole lot happier. So stop for a moment, lift your head, and look around. Forget about the future, just listen to the sounds and be in this moment right now.
It’s important to keep active not only to lose weight and keep it off, but also so you stay mobile right through your life. Your body is a ‘use it or lose it’ proposition. Almost any excuse to get you going will do – walk instead of take the car, park further from the shops, use the stairs instead of the lift, get off the tram a stop early and walk … there must be a million ways. One of the reasons we got two dogs was to force us to stay more active, and with so many fantastic parks near to us it’s a joy to get out each day in the sunshine and soak up some rays. I usually let Kimba and Willow lead the way but often our walks often take longer than I planned because Kimba also loves to sit on the park benches and watch the world go by. So what excuse are you going to use to get more active today?
One of the great things about being a writer is that I get to do it in some of the most beautiful parts of the world. As long as I have my laptop, I can write – and I’ve even been known to write on paper with a pen when I don’t (what have we gone back to the dark ages?) Here I get to look our over the heritage gardens from the Chinese Room at Chateau Yering in the Yarra Valley. Its moments like these, in unfamiliar but beautiful surroundings with a change of view where my creativity gets revved up and I get inspired to write some of my best work. So if you’re feeling a little uninspired, then change your view to reinvigorate your motivation or at the very least, a little creativity.
Talk about being in good company! Sometimes with the admiration for the works of other authors you sometimes forget you are one too! Here my book sits among some notable ‘diet’ reads – Cook Right for Your Type, The Dukan Diet as well as notable ‘diet and exercise’ gurus like Michelle Bridges, Sandra Cabot and Dr Pierre Dukan. I sometimes say that writing my book was the equivalent to ‘coming out’ as gay – it has made a very private part of my life and my history very public indeed – there for anyone to read at any time they want. And whilst it’s confronting at times to know others know more about you than you’d sometimes like, it’s also a huge source of satisfaction knowing that my story may be able to really help some of those who read it. And although I would really prefer my book to be in the Health section rather than Diet, I’m still glad it’s out there loud and proud.
It’s pretty exciting when you see your book in a book store for the first time. From the sales reports I knew Half The Woman I Was was in store at Dymocks Collins Street store in Melbourne so I thought I’d go take a look. Entering the store there was a little nervousness as I wondered how easily I’d find my book. I anxiously edged closer to the Diet and Nutrition section of the store, scanning the shelf to see where it was located. Fully expecting the spine only to be showing I was thrilled when my eyes finally gazed upon the familiar cover (albeit a lower shelf than I was hoping). As an author, to see your book on a shelf in a bookstore gives you a real sense of satisfaction and achievement. Mission accomplished. As I turned to leave the store I realised I had a copy of my book in my bag … a fear quickly popped in my mind … would I get accused of shoplifting my own copy? There was no need for worry I exited the store without incident – although I did turn and to look behind me, just to make sure!
Sigrid de Castella – weight loss achiever, paleoish intermittent faster, adrenal fatigue recoverer, foodie, cook, writer, globetrotter & dog lover
