Transition

There has been much debate in this house about when we should start 'transitioning' into our challenge. This has basically been due to my suggestion that we stop replacing those things we won't be using come December.... such items include Vegemite (an almost daily treat on toast), Milo (served with milk for the kids), and lately, Salt.

Salt is a contentious issue in this household - Johan is a huge fan of the white stuff. He is convinced that Salt should be allowed to be purchased during the challenge - and the failure of his efforts to convince the rest of us has seen him threaten to try and create his own using a bucket and some sea water - we're all looking forward to seeing how that little experiment goes!

Each of us have our little addictions to give up and I have suggested that rather than going cold turkey on December 1st (and risk a household full of very cranky detoxing folks) that we start giving these things up gradually over the next 6 weeks.

For me it will be giving up the copious amounts of black tea and milk I drink before lunch (gets me started for the day...), chocolate binges, and sweet chilli sauce on nachos. For Johan it will be Coca Cola, pies at work, and all those sneaky fast food things he eats that he thinks we don't know about. For the kids - it will mean a reduction in sweets, chocolates and all other things sugary - as well as the healthier treats that they enjoy that are sourced from the northern parts of our country - bananas, mangoes, and the like.

While we could be focussed on deprivation and giving up small delights I'm trying hard to foster interest in the things we can have in abundance - so if you were a fly on the wall you'd probably hear the kids, mantra-like, repeating a list of goodies they've been promised they can tuck into to their hearts content, 'apples, raspberries, strawberries, honey, blueberries, cheese, hazlenuts....'

... and we haven't even started yet.....