Completing the IQS 8 Week Program: Week 8!

The time has come for me to announce... drum rollll* 

I HAVE COMPLETED MY CLEANSE!  

After 8 weeks of no fructose, this is the cleanest I've been and I feel great!

In doing the program, I have gained a greater awareness about the foods I put into my body. Although it may seem tedious, it is truly rewarding to know that what you are consuming is beneficial and nutritious. When I first started the program I was interested to see if I would feel restricted, I must admit that eating out was when I felt it the most, but in saying this, it was more satisfying overcoming this challenge and finding alternative options that were sugar free and healthier. I became excited about reinventing recipes to fit my lifestyle needs, focusing on the foods I could eat rather those I couldn’t. The way I looked at it was, if people could enjoy their food, what’s stopping me to reach the same satisfaction and fulfillment whilst still living sugar free. More so, it made me eager to find ways to recreate dishes which were equally flavoursome. A lot of people say food without sugar is boring and tasteless, but as I discovered, healthier alternatives can be just as great and enjoyable and importantly guilt-free!

Whilst on the cleanse I used some of the recipes included in Sarah’s new book. When I bought it, I came across a tomato sauce alternative and couldn’t wait to try it out. My prayers were answered! The ‘Nomato Sauce’ recipe as described, is tomato free, but tastes as if it actually is tomato sauce. It was mentally difficult to process at first but this will definitely be a staple for me!

Overall, I couldn’t be anymore happier and prouder of myself that I did the cleanse! Not only did I further rid the system of fructose but I really gained a greater awareness and appreciation for the foods I was/am eating. It reinforced even more just how much our world is saturated with sugar! During the cleanse I lost a further 3kgs and was surprised that despite already cutting out almost all my sugar consumption prior to the cleanse, that results like this would occur! It was a learning experience mentally, emotionally and physically and I’m so grateful I did it. If anyone is thinking of doing the cleanse, the next round starts on the 4^th February 2016. You can do it with the IQS team or start at the same time independently. If cutting out all sugar seems like a daunting task, start by reducing your sugar intake. Small changes to your diet and lifestyle will make a difference!

I later used the Nomato Sauce for a pasta dish, using spelt pasta instead of normal/wholemeal. I also tried a dessert recipe ‘Bounty Slice’ from Sarah’s new book. As the cleanse excluded the use of sweeteners, I made it without any Rice Malt Syrup, it was slightly bitter but overall pretty good, I cant wait to try it with Rice Malt!

Yours truly,

Julialala

Dinner at A Tavola.

Nested along Darlinghurst's bustling Victoria Street, Atavola is an Italian restaurant known for their handmade pasta.

Walking past the array of restaurants along the street, I almost walked passed the restaurant. With its understated exterior, its beauty shines within the food, staff and ambiance. Atavola has two levels and offers guests the option to sit at individual tables or a communal one. The front section of restaurant consists of a long singular table where customers sit beside or facing each other. The room has a casual atmosphere with décor and hung pasta to add to the aesthetics of the room. Not having been in the back room, I believe there are individual tables in the back section of the restaurant. Only open during dinner time, we were seated in the upper level. Fitting around eight four seater tables, the dimmed lighting, candles, wooden floors and simplistic setting, its understated design creates an intimate and homely ambiance.

Escorted by the matre'd to our table, we were welcomed by a lovely server. Prior to dining at Atavola, I was aware there were two menus available, the six dish spuntini which has three entrées, mains and desserts and a consiligi menu, a changing list according to what is made fresh daily. The server not only walked us through each dish but was also more than happy to recommend dishes and wine pairings according to what suited our palette.

Our dinner consisted of platters, an array of pasta and antipasti mains, dessert and perfectly paired Italian wine. I'll list all the dishes we ordered below. Arriving at around 8 o'clock we were the last diners to leave the upstairs dining area at around half past eleven, with the exception of a few diners remaining downstairs.

Overall, the dining experience at Atavola was pleasant. There were no overwhelming theatrics or extravagant décor. It's quaint and understated atmosphere was perfect for the evening. The prices are are reasonable, dishes are not over priced (as you will see in the menu below). This restaurant is great for dates or a relaxed yet sophisticated dinner with family and friends; where homely charm meets fine dining.

Dishes (in order of appearance) 
- Salumi misti, pizza rustica
- Tagliata di Manzo con Potate e Olive 
- Mezzelune con ripleno di Piselli 
- Papparelle al Ragu
- Gran Affogato
- Fromaggi 

Tips and Tricks: 

- Book in advance!
- Order different mains and share between people if you want to try different mains.
- Eating there on a Friday, it was busy but still relatively quiet.

Buonanotte, Arrivederci!

Yours Truly,

Julialala

IQS 8 Week Program- Week 1-3: Restaurants & Eating Out

It's been three weeks into the program and it's been an interesting challenge.

When starting the program, I knew the greatest challenge I would face during the eight weeks was eating out. By some weird coincidence, I have eaten out a lot more than I normally would.

Thai
The day after starting the program, I had a birthday dinner to attend at a Thai restaurant. In Sarah's book, she mentions to generally stay away from Thai food, and more so during the 8 weeks as most foods are cooked in palm sugar and contain sugar in their sauces. My go to dish to order is Pad Thai or Pad See Ew, but that wasn't on the menu for me. When I was thinking about attending the dinner I had thought, should I eat beforehand in case I can't eat there. Slightly worried, I searched online for any tips and dish recommendations for healthier alternatives. Some had suggested peanut based dishes or to opt for a salad instead, with a game plan I was more confident about what to order. I arrived to find out all the dishes were pre-ordered; game plan out the window. Amongst the array of dishes ordered, I chose the steamed fish and avoided the skin and sauce. I also had the side salads and skipped the dressing as well as having a little of the vegetable stir fry. Starting off as quite a daunting experience, it was a good awakening to see what challenges I had in store for the next few weeks. 

Italian 
My next experience wasn't a week later, but the next day. I found myself at an Italian cafe/restaurant at a food court. Coming from the gym, I was hungry. I ordered a burger with Sourdough bread and asked for the relish to be removed. As requested, they removed the relish from the burger and put it in a separate container. I just removed the tomato from my burger and I was ready to dig in!

Breakfast - Paper Plane Cafe 
Going to cafes aren't so bad, especially during breakfast. Depending on where you go, some can be more forgiving and offer more 'niche' or 'hippie' choices as some might refer to it, whilst some may not. I ate at Paper Plane located in Parramatta and the choices offered were relatively good in terms of healthy options. Instead of ordering the classic bacon, eggs and the works, I opted for a Veggie plate instead. I did find that there was balsamic on the rocket, so I had to skip it.

Top juice
Usually after a workout, I love getting my Protein Shake 4 at Top Juice. The smoothie contains avocado, almond, whey protein, milk and ice. Although this is my absolute favourite, there are a few tweaks I make to suit my diet better. This is how my order usually sounds "Can I please have a large Protein Shake 4 with no honey, soy milk (as some chains don't carry almond milk) and extra ice" - which usually results with a smirk from the person serving me. No offence taken as I myself find it a little funny. 

Eating at food courts - LeWrap 
Food courts are known as one of the unhealthiest places to eat, and probably 98% of the time that is the case, but when you find something that doesn't induce a heart attack, it feels great! When I find myself starving at a food court, I usually search for a LeWrap. I used to order the Classic Beef wrap which has beef, tomato, lettuce, onion and sauce of your choice. Since starting the program I've had LeWrap twice. The first time I had it, I ordered my usual Classic Beef wrap without tomato and sauce, it wasn't the most flavoursome wrap and was I left slightly underwhelmed. The second time I ate LeWrap, I looked at the ingredients for the Italian Beef Wrap and saw that it had beef, roasted pumpkin, tomato, onion, lettuce and pesto. There was no sauce option as it was replaced by the pesto. After ordering it without the tomato, I love it! I can't believe I have never tried the Italian wrap before, it so flavoursome without sacrificing any of the dressing or sauce, I think I'm going to try and recreate this at home! 

Italian Restaurant 
More recently, I was at another birthday dinner but this time it was at Bondi Pizza. Everything was pre-ordered again but I didn't want to eat just side salads so I ordered something for myself. There was soo much food but all the pizzas, pastas ordered and ribs either had tomato or a marinade. I stared at the menu thinking about what to order for a while. Looking through the salads, every single one contained either a creamy sauce or balsamic as well tomato which would leave a very depressing salad for me to eat. After searching I found something! I settled on the Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli which had ravioli filled roasted pumpkin and fresh sage, tossed in butter and sage sauce, with pine nuts and sun dried tomato (which I asked to be taken out).

Tips & Tricks 
- Go for wholemeal or sour dough alternatives for bread, burgers, sandwiches if possible.
- Be weary of dressings, marinades and sauces in salads, burgers, sandwiches, meats, dishes containing soup or sauce as well as pizza bases. If you're unsure or want to make sure, it never hurts to ask.

Hope this post not only informs you about some of the hidden sugars we can come across but ways to overcome these challenges when eating out.

Yours Truly, 

Julialala

I Quit Sugar 8 Week Program!

Starting this month I will be starting the I Quit Sugar 8 Week Program! As you know I've been following a sugar free lifestyle for just over two years now however when I initially made the choice to cut sugar, (the more correct term I should say is fructose), I didn't follow the 8 week program. Quitting fructose was a gradual process for me. From a diet consisting of refined sugar, replacing this with honey, to further replacing this with a fructose free sweetener Rice Malt Syrup. The transition to a fructose free diet has been a learning experience and still is to this day.

As I've mentioned before, I'm going to do a post on my IQS journey, where I will be going into detail on the transformation of my diet, lifestyle and habits.

For me personally, it's about completely cleansing the system, returning to a baseline condition where I can work with a 'blank' canvas. There are small tweaks to my diet which I still want to achieve. My focus during the 8 weeks is to be more aware of hidden sugars in condiments. A weakness for me are condiments, more specifically tomato sauce hehe. No really. As I've been thinking about doing the program for a few weeks, I've cut out tomato sauce, BBQ and in general, sauces from meals for the past three weeks or so. I have also cut out Rice Malt Syrup and fruit in preparation for the program. Sarah advises to completely get rid of all sweeteners or sources of fructose during the eight weeks, so you are able to achieve a baseline state then start introducing what you want back into your diet after the program. As I have mostly cut fructose out, I'll just be fine tuning my diet to rid the system completely or as close to a fructose free system.

You are able to sign up to the 8 week program through the IQS website for $150 where you will have access to weekly recipes, shopping lists and experts who can help you throughout the program. I however, will be doing this independently for a number of reasons. My main reason is that I'm just fine tuning my diet to reach a blank canvas as I've mentioned, I won't be starting from scratch. I believe that the transition into quitting sugar is not only a physical transformation from how your body will react to changes and what you're eating every day but mostly a psychological transformation. Signing up to the IQS programs enables you to have access to experts who are able to assist you with your psychological and emotional transition.That is not to say that you can't do the program on your own as there are many people including myself who have done it, but there is assistance if you need it.

However, I will be using Sarah Wilson's books and blog for guidance. From tips, reminders, recipes or any questions I might have, I'll be referring to them to help me along the way. There have been countless occasions where I've had a question about something that I thought was a silly question or said "I don't think IQS would have covered that" and low and behold, I quick search on Google or quick whiz through her book has landed me on her blog or page answering that exact question.

If you are new to quitting sugar, want guidance and have the budget to sign up to the program, I think you should consider it. As I've mentioned, its not essential but if you're the type of person that needs structure and that extra push, by all means I encourage you to sign up. The registration has closed for this round which starts this October, however there will be one soon. I'll keep you posted!

Week 1:

The program mentions that for people who are new to removing sugar, should do so over the course of eight weeks, gradually substituting elements of your diet with healthier alternatives until you remove it completely e.g. replacing sugar with honey then a fructose free substitute like Rice Malt Syrup. As the three weeks are focused on changing and cutting elements of your diet, aimed at people who are new to the program, I'll be skipping over the first three weeks will be starting from Week 4 but doing it for the complete eight weeks.

I must say I'm quite excited about this. I think the challenge for me will be eating out and cutting out fruit and being more aware of sauces, marinades, condiments and fruit including tomatoes which can be found in burgers, salads etc. I will be referring to the the 'I Quit Sugar' books quite often and will be using some recipes (photos and prices down below) so grab a copy if you're interested to try the program with me! 

Sorry for the lengthy entry. I'll try to post every week or fortnight, giving tips, tricks, recipes I used and my personal experience during the 8 weeks. Even if you aren't interested in doing the program, cutting out some of your sugar intake is a great start!

You can get Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar books from major book stores, health food stores, department stores, online book suppliers and even some retail stores like Lorna Jane. Prices vary between stores.Prices below are according to Dymocks. I bought her new book today (middle) which came out two days ago, I can't wait to try it out!

Left: 8 Week Program $34.99 (This book contains the program, out of the three buy this one)
Middle: Simplicious $27.99
Right: Recipes $34.99

Yours Truly, 

Julialala

Hello Fresh Box 2!

Howdee!
Here are the meals that were included in Box 2! I loved the Quinoa and lentil salad from the Za'atar Chicken Bowl recipe, I've created this salad numerous times now and still love it! Lentils is a now a staple in my pantry, including it with just Qunioa or adding shredding carrots, onions and lemon for a more flavoursome combination.

Za'atar Chicken Bowl

 Steak with Field Mushroom & Purple Fries

Oven Baked Ocean Trout

Yours Truly, 

Julialala

Hello Fresh!

For the past few weeks I have been receiving produce boxes by a company called Hello Fresh. For those who have not heard about the company or are interested in subscribing to the service, you have come to the right place.

Hello Fresh is a subscription based service which prides itself for their fresh and locally sourced produce. They deliver food to your door with a set menu and all the ingredients you will need for the week. Apart from needing the basics from the pantry and kitchen e.g. butter, salt and pepper, everything is provided. There are several boxes to choose from to suit different dietary needs. The Classic box includes meats (the box I am currently subscribed to) and the Veggie Box which contains no meat products; both have set weekly menus. In addition to these two boxes, there is also a fruit and juice box which can bought with your Classic/Veggie box or separately. 

Options for boxes include 3 or 5 meals each week for 2,4 or 6 people. The Classic Box starts at $69 (3 meals, 2 people) to $279 for 5 meals feeding 6 people. The Veggie box ranges from $64 - $159 and only offer 3 meals per week.  

This is how Hello Fresh works: 

As I signed up at a stall in my local shopping center, the company representative helped with the process. When you sign up online, follow the prompts and enter your name, address and card details, you will also need to create a username and password for the website. The website is an essential tool as this is how you will be managing your delivery schedule, the recipes for the week and your account. Once you have completed these steps you will then be able to select when you want your box to be delivered. They only deliver on Monday from 10am – 8pm and Sunday 8am to 7pm. If you do not want a delivery the following week you must cancel your order on Wednesday the previous week. You are able to pause your deliveries free of charge until you decide when you want your next delivery.

Pros and Cons

Pros: 

• It's a great way for people to start cooking if they are not confident cooks or are interested in learning how to cook. It makes cooking easy. All the dishes I have cooked so far only have had five step instructions. It makes cooking simple, straight forward and less daunting.
• You are also able to experiment with new ingredients you haven’t cooked with before or would not usually think of cooking with.
• I like to reinvent previous recipes, whether it's putting my own little twist or tweaking things according to my taste. 
• As I mentioned before the meat is free range and locally sourced. 
• They cater for healthier diets, you are able to include, replace or take away ingredients you do not wish to include. For example, as I don't eat rice, I replace it with Quinoa instead.
• You can send a free box to 4 of your friends when you sign up. Make sure you type in the correct emails the first time round as you can’t edit the emails after you enter them as I experienced. 
• As a member you receive exclusive offers and gift vouchers for different companies. 
• Even when you do not order a box, all recipes are still accessible. The website has an archive of past recipes that you can try. Both meat and veggie recipes are available for viewing and download.
• You are able to add more ingredients for the side dish e.g. rice, quinoa, vegetables to feed more people. I am usually able to divide each recipe by 3.
• There is an app! Here you can access recipes and manage your account.
• Delivery is included in your payment, no additional costs are incurred.
• It is good to know that you have food for the week. There is no needed to think about every single meal as dinner is already set. If you don't cook all the meals in that week, all the ingredients can always to be stored for the week after. 

Cons 

• The price. I would not recommend the service if it’s out of your price range. This is not only way start eating healthy or start cooking. Eating healthy does not mean expensive, it all starts by making better choices!
• They don't claim to be certified organic, for the price I am paying, I would expect the products to be free range and certified organic.
• They only show the menus one week in advance, so if you want to get a box every few weeks, you can’t predict what you will be receiving until the menu comes out the week before.
• I found it very difficult to contact them via their contact number. I tried all day, calling numerous times and even leaving a message but did not reach them. This was just a one off experience and haven’t tried since, but it is something to be aware of.

Here's Box 1! 

Zucchini Crusted Chicken

Beef & Spinach Curry

Cuban Spiced Pork with Confetti Salad

Here's their website: www.hellofresh.com.au

Check back in next week to see Box 2!

Yours Truly, 

Julialala

Good Food and Wine Show 2015

Attending my first Good Food and Wine Show, I set out to immerse myself in the tastes and aromas the show had to offer. I started the day attending two master classes, the first of the two was 'Not Another Cheese and Wine Tasting' whilst the second was 'Wine and Salumi'.

After attending the classes I did a bit of wondering around. The front of expo consisted of food stalls whilst the latter half of the expo was a wine and cheese lovers playground. Stalls were divided into the Hunter and Barrosa Valley, a cheese alley, cellar door, a beer and cider hall, a grazing garden and a food theatre to watch celebrities and experts cook up a storm. From truffle oils to meats to coconut water there was something for everyone to enjoy.

There were food demonstrations, free tastings for wine, cider and beers, meet and greets and book signings. Which leads me to the highlight of my day. After tasting an endless selection of wines and spontaneously joining a free tasting focusing on the complexity and beauty of blended wines I had the opportunity to meet someone who has been quite an inspiration to me.

Sarah Wilson, the writer of the blog and book 'I Quit Sugar' was at a show for a food demonstration and a meet and greet. I had a lovely chat with her while she signed the books I brought. Not knowing she was going to be there until the night before, it was amazing to finally meet and talk to the person who had become such an inspirational character in my life for over the past two and half years. I'll be talking more about my journey to living a healthy, sugar free life in a post very soon.

Tips and Tricks:

- Go on a Friday! There isn't much of a crowd. Meaning less queue times, more time you are able to  spend talking to professionals and owners and you wont get stuck with drunk adults towards the end of the day as a lady shared with me.

- if you are interested in going to the classes, book early! Especially if you are going on the weekend, as tickets for classes sell out fast.

- bring a pull along shopping trolley. It is probably the only place where I have seen these trolleys used with such normality and even... pride. There is nothing worse than carry four or more bottles of wine and cheese wrapped in paper bags with your hands the entire day. It also makes you look like a veteran food and wine show goer.

- If you are purchasing cheese(or are there for the cheese) and know that you will be there for the whole day, bring a small cheese cooler.

- be prepared to spend $7 on a wine glass (purchased at the merchandise stall). To be eco-friendly and to get already paying customers to spend more, you need a glass in order to taste, they don't give out glasses.

Hope you enjoyed my first post.

Cheers to an exciting adventure ahead! 

Yours truly,

Julialala

Hello & Welcome!

This has been a long time coming as I've been thinking about starting a blog for a quite a while now. Going back and forth on whether I should jump into the world of blogging. I am so excited to be finally welcoming you to my blog! I remember taking photos or coming across something that I found interesting and thinking I would love to share this is on my blog and we are finally here!

From the banner I think you've gathered that my name is Julia - hi there and welcome again! I'm 19 going on 20 and currently studying a Psychology major. If you don't know much about me don't worry, you'll be getting to know me a whole lot better. I can't wait to share my journey to living a healthier life, and more importantly a sugar free life. Julialala will be a lifestyle blog where will share my thoughts, ideas and experiences on health, travel, wine and everything in between! I'm excited to be on this new journey and to be sharing this with all of you!

Thank you for the support and I'll see you in a post very soon!

Yours Truly,

Julialala