Life after a detox...

The start of a new week, and I have to say I’m feeling pretty virtuous at the moment - nutritionally speaking that is.

Two weeks after my last detox programme I’m still feeling the benefits.

Long overdue after an incredibly social November, Christmas and January – both my body and mind were ready for a healthy reset.

Anticipating the festive excesses I booked a 7-day Alkalise, Balance and Cleanse from Nosh Detox; a programme designed to help you lose weight and cleanse your digestive system.

It may sound lazy to buy a detox, but the prospect of everything you eat being delivered to your door, freshly prepared every couple of days was extremely appealing to me.

It is true though these types of programmes are not a cheap option, but the good thing about Nosh Detox as a company is they have regular offers on their website; so for this one I took advantage of a 20% off discount.

I know have said this before, probably in one of my earlier blogs, but it is worth reiterating - I much prefer detoxing than dieting – it just suits my personality better. If I tell myself I am cutting out certain foods for the foreseeable future – my brain will obsess endlessly about those foods creating the polar opposite of a healthy environment for my mind and body.

But a structured week of balanced, nutrient rich meals, without any caffeine and, importantly for me, no sugar is long enough for me to break the conditioned reflex of looking for “unhealthy” foods every day.

The other massive benefit for me is reframing portion size. Portion control is something I have struggled with for as long as I can remember, and it is personally important for me to have at the forefront of my mind. Being attuned to when I’m hungry and only eating until I’m just full and not over full are also pertinent.

Another big plus for this kind of programme is the food you get is a combination of smoothies, soups, snacks and proper meals. Years ago I did a few juice cleanses - literally just juice, and I found them really hard going – they affected my energy levels and I realised I am one of those people who needs to chew food to feel full.

So, all in all, my 7-day detox was a success and whilst my goal was to feel ”healthier”, I lost about four pounds, which was of course a welcome by product.

For me though, the tricky bit comes after the detox. I’m not bad at being disciplined for a short period of time; it is maintaining consistency with healthy food choices that I struggle with.

But the detox has had a great knock on effect on my mind-set and I know I don’t want to undo all the good nutritional work I have put into place. So I have set myself some realistic guidelines - which seem to be working well for me. I am not denying myself anything – but I am making sure my caffeine free, and sugar free days outweigh the days on which I partake.

So two weeks on, my bad habits seem to be minimal, I feel energised and “lighter”, and I don’t just mean in terms of weight and I am very much enjoying this state of being.

So I’m going to keep up my strategy of moderation and the emphasis on lots of fresh fruit and veggies for as long as I can and see how I go… no doubt, I'll keep you posted! 

Balancing a performance and what an audience wants

So over the last few weeks I have been thinking a lot performance - and as an artist what I want to achieve when I take to the stage and what an audience wants…or rather what I think an audience wants or expects.

Any performer, I feel wants to take the audience on a journey, connect with them and share the energy and emotion of their material with them.

Many artists have a nightmare story or a wake up call in terms of performance. Mine was when I was about 14 - I was preparing for a jazz gig and working on some Billie Holiday repertoire. We had a rehearsal and I sang my first song.

I was really chuffed with myself and whilst I was still floating on my “performance high” my Jazz teacher asked me why I felt the need to be at 120% all the time and whether I had considered reigning it back a little.

He then went onto tell me it wasn’t about all me having the best time, it was about me giving the audience the best experience. Ouch…Sometimes the amount of emotion we give can be too much and actually I find if I try too hard to convey something it can be counterproductive and it is possible that I end up detracting from what I want to say.

For someone like me who is overly emotional in everything (!), taking the emotion out is actually really hard. But on the advice of my vocal coach, Jenny May (www.expressivevoice.co.uk), I recently decided to work on exactly that: the “less is more” approach to vocal delivery.

I almost had to tap into a “numb” feeling, which was quite a challenge. But focussing on paring back and giving less than normal was actually quite impactful.

But sometimes just being carried away with the moments of passion – with the band can also be amazing.

I have to say I love the extremes, and I do believe if you are totally in the moment and genuine the audience are always on your side.

A key element in any performance is commitment. Audiences are receptive and smart. And one thing I have learned from personal experience is an audience feeds off your energy. If you go through the motions, you lose them, but if you really stand by your convictions, the audience come with you - the wave of intensity and overriding emotion win.

I suppose what I really want to know from you is what kind of artists and performances you enjoy? What bores you and what reels you in?

And if you are an artist what works for you? Personally, I love working on technique and delivery - but when I get up to sing I tend to leave that at the door and go with the flow.   

When life is busy, how do you look after yourself?

(The view from my hotel room)

Do you know when to stop and recharge? Do you have a balance of working hard, and then unwinding so you are truly refreshed? I don’t. So, really what I’m looking for here is advice.

I’m a “get stuff done now so you’re ahead of yourself” person, a compulsive list maker, a “hardly ever say no” person. I love my work, writing songs, coming up with new creative ideas, thinking of posts for this blog and so often work 7 days a week, and of course I have a family…And though this is how I choose to live my life, the problem is I literally never stop.

I have found this year that life has taken on a different pace. Increasingly I feel the need relax and do nothing. But I am not very good at it and curiously the thought of taking time to do nothing for myself makes me feel guilty. I think this is a "mother" thing.

I have tried to book the odd beauty treatment as an “enforced” time out, but I find myself scheduling studio days and answering emails whilst trying not to scuff lovely manicured nails. Even I know that’s not relaxing.

So this weekend just gone, I decide to do something bold. I booked a hotel in Cotswolds, chucked a few things in a bag and jumped in car on my own. Funnily enough, last week a few girlfriends and I were talking about a spa break, but that wouldn’t be for a few months and would take some coordination. And whilst I am looking forward to doing that, I needed to hit pause now.

So, I drove off just before lunchtime on Saturday, having made sure the house was clean and the washing was done. There was a bit of traffic, but the weather was so gorgeous it wasn’t a hardship and I remembered that driving without any time constraints is a joy.

A few hours later I arrived at the little hotel I had booked. Checked in and did nothing. I read my book, I snoozed, I had a shower, went down to the bar had a drink, ate some yummy food and then went to bed at 9.30pm.You may be thinking, I sound really sad and pathetic but I loved it. I am just not used to taking time out for me. It’s not the way I am wired. But I realised I spend most of my time "doing", even if I love what I’m doing, and for just over 24 hours I benefitted from just "being". And the funny thing is this, though I didn’t take any work with me, on Sunday morning when I woke alarm free – my brain was buzzing with ideas.

I would love to tell I put my wellies or walking boots (neither of which I own) and went for a long walk in the countryside, but I didn’t. For a city girl like me, being in the country and looking at it was a good first step. I drove home feeling energised and refreshed.

So how good are you at looking after yourself? Do you feel you have good work/rest balance in your life? Do you stop and take time out for yourself? Tell me what you do; I would love to know.