We're back at it again! My doctor (who is actually a nurse practitioner) recommended for the third time that I try going gluten-free and sugar-free for at least a month and asked that I document how I feel. I picked the month of June because, leading up to this point, I haven't been feeling so great. I've been sluggish, been getting more headaches, stomach pain in the evening, and my acne has been out of control. So I started on Tuesday with a well-crafted meal plan and a lot of conviction.
Week one has gone pretty smoothly, though not without some ups and downs. On Tuesday, I had a mild headache which I attributed to sugar withdrawal. On Wednesday, the headache morphed into a tension headache - sugar detoxing coupled with high stress from work, a pending storm, and not enough calories in my system? It was the set up for a bad scene. I ended up leaving work early and, after eating a handful of almonds and drinking two big glasses of water, I actually felt a lot better. I'm sure stepping away from work and my computer screen was a big help too. Thursday through today I have been feeling great! I'm not craving sweets and gluten was really easy for me to cut out.
Here's a sampling of our meal plan last week - I started by using other people's recipes so that I can get the hang of it and then begin writing my own!
Tuesday
Breakfast: Wild Blueberry Shake from lunchboxbunch.com
Lunch: Green Goddess Bowl from lunchboxbunch.com
Dinner: Vegan Macro Meal from lunchboxbunch.com
Wednesday
Breakfast: Wild Blueberry Shake from lunchboxbunch.com
Lunch: Green Goddess Bowl from lunchboxbunch.com
Dinner: Bake Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from lunchboxbunch.com - modified, we just topped them with diced tomato, broccoli, and tahini
Thursday
Breakfast: Homemade Shake - 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries, 2 Tbsp peanut butter, 2 cups almond milk - Serves 2
Lunch: Green Goddess Bowl from lunchboxbunch.com
Dinner: Celebratory dinner at Green Elephant (it was J's last day of work at his old job!) - I had the spicy green leaves salad with gluten free dressing and brussels sprouts
Friday
Breakfast: Homemade Shake (see above)
Lunch: Lunched at Local Sprouts - I had the fiddlehead salad special with balsamic dressing
Dinner: Sesame Miso Zucchini Noodles & Tofu from Snixy Kitchen
Saturday
Breakfast: Almonds, peanuts, and blueberries (we bused down to Boston and need something easily portable!)
Lunch: Tofu Pad Thai at My Thai Vegan Cafe in Boston's China Town
Dinner: Sesame Miso Zucchini Noodles & Tofu from Snixy Kitchen
Sunday
Breakfast: Sweet Citrus Avocado Dreamboat from lunchboxbunch.com
Lunch: Green Power Tower Salad from lunchboxbunch.com
Dinner: Raw Macro Bowl with Knock-Off Dragon Sauce from Raw Food Recipes
Our snacks throughout the week consist of homemade oil-free hummus with veggies, frozen grapes, apples, and baby carrots.
So far, I've lost 6 pounds. I'm hoping to add at least 20 minutes of walking to my days to continue on this track and I'll keep monitoring the effects of GF/SF eating - maybe you'll want to test it out too? Check out other recipes we're considering on our Pinterest board!
Insights, quips, and queries on the vegan way of life
Showing posts with label Detox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Detox. Show all posts
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Weight Loss Reassessment
So if you aren't new here, you've followed J and me through three detoxes and 25 pounds of weight loss. But man - it is hard! As soon as we finish one detox we fall of the meal-planning wagon and wade back into the world of take-out. We get lazy. But honestly, it's understandable. We live in a complicated world full of work stress, family stress, over-stimulation from technology, snow storms, money shortages, illness, and more. I cut myself a break because, you know what? I'm only human. And all I can do is try, try, try again!
I keep hitting this fun point in my weight loss journey where I hover at ten pounds over the weight I was when I graduated from college. And I keep telling myself, "It's only ten friggin pounds!" Why is it so hard? It's not even my goal weight - I'd like to lose another 25 - but for now, it's the impending doom that awaits me every time I step onto the scale.
I have some new motivators in place. Number one - I wasn't sick at all during our detox. Since we've slowly but surely fallen off our bandwagon of healthy eating, I ended up getting sick and missing an entire week of work last week. I've been feeling sluggish again and moody and have been having frequent stomach aches. Ding! Ding! Ding! My body's telling me it's not working! Number two - My best friend is getting married in May and I'm one of his grooms"men." He and his fiancé requested that the women wear black dresses and I'm determined to get something sort of fabulous from ModCloth. Their wedding is going to be something of a college reunion for me and I want to look awesome, dammit! Number three - On top of this, my own spectacular-vegan-wedding extravaganza (more to come on planning a vegan wedding!) is going to be in October of 2014. As I start to look at dresses, I start to panic. I am not one of those women who wants to starve herself in an effort to look like someone I'm not, but I would like to look healthy, happy, and at my best.
So what's next? I have realized that for J and I to lose the weight, we need a plan. Just saying, "I'm going to eat healthy!" does not cut it for us. We need a menu that we have intentionally crafted and a plan. It takes time and planning, but I just have to keep on reminding myself that I am worth the time and planning. My health and happiness are worth that time.
I keep hitting this fun point in my weight loss journey where I hover at ten pounds over the weight I was when I graduated from college. And I keep telling myself, "It's only ten friggin pounds!" Why is it so hard? It's not even my goal weight - I'd like to lose another 25 - but for now, it's the impending doom that awaits me every time I step onto the scale.
I have some new motivators in place. Number one - I wasn't sick at all during our detox. Since we've slowly but surely fallen off our bandwagon of healthy eating, I ended up getting sick and missing an entire week of work last week. I've been feeling sluggish again and moody and have been having frequent stomach aches. Ding! Ding! Ding! My body's telling me it's not working! Number two - My best friend is getting married in May and I'm one of his grooms"men." He and his fiancé requested that the women wear black dresses and I'm determined to get something sort of fabulous from ModCloth. Their wedding is going to be something of a college reunion for me and I want to look awesome, dammit! Number three - On top of this, my own spectacular-vegan-wedding extravaganza (more to come on planning a vegan wedding!) is going to be in October of 2014. As I start to look at dresses, I start to panic. I am not one of those women who wants to starve herself in an effort to look like someone I'm not, but I would like to look healthy, happy, and at my best.
So what's next? I have realized that for J and I to lose the weight, we need a plan. Just saying, "I'm going to eat healthy!" does not cut it for us. We need a menu that we have intentionally crafted and a plan. It takes time and planning, but I just have to keep on reminding myself that I am worth the time and planning. My health and happiness are worth that time.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Snacks!
I'll admit it - I am just one of those people who loves to snack. I could easily eat snacks all day long instead of three main meals. But vegan snacking can be tricky - especially when you're on the go - so here are my top 6 favorites:
1. Nuts and Dried Fruit
Seriously cannot go wrong here. You're packing in the protein, the fruits satiate that craving you have for something sweet and this is totally portable. But here's the trick - experiment with combinations. It will blow your mind. I always start with a 1/2 cup measuring cup and fill it with varying combinations. I buy all my nuts and dried fruit in the bulk aisle at Whole Foods (don't buy trail mix - it's ridiculously expensive and I find that I eat more when it comes already mixed together!) - but here's the cost saving trick: compare the price per pound on the bulk bin to the price per pound on the packaged ones they have in the same aisle. Sometimes the packaged is cheaper! Here are some of my all time favorite combos:
Raw Almonds + Raw Pecans + Dried Sour Cherries + (vegan chocolate pieces if you really need chocolate)
Raw Almonds + Pepitas + Lightly Salted Sunflower Seeds + Dried Cranberries
Raw Cashews + Dried Blueberries + Hazelnuts
Pepitas + Lightly Salted Sunflower Seeds + Dried Cranberries + Pecans + Almond Slivers
2. Toast with Avocado and Flax Seed Oil
Ok, not so great for on the go but this is seriously one of my all time favorite snacks. I toast one slice of bread, then pour about a teaspoon of flax seed oil on it and spread it around, then I take some avocado (maybe a quarter) and I mash it on top of the bread and top it with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I just ate a slice...nom nom nom.
3. Fruit
No-brainer. Fruit's one of the most portable snacks you can find. Bananas, berries, and apples are my favorites because they're the least messy. I will never bring an unpeeled orange to work. NEVER. I can just see orange juice spraying all over the papers on my desk; squirting a co-worker in the eye. Temporary blindness! Yea, not happening.
4. Dates stuffed with Pistachio
Remember that detox J and I did last winter? This was one of my favorite snacks. Buy a container of pitted diglet dates from Whole Foods and raw pistachios. Put pistachios in a food processor and process the heck out of them. It becomes a sort of powdery-ish pistachio paste. Slice the dates open, stuff them with the pistachio paste and top it with some unsweetened shredded coconut. I have an extreme sweet tooth as you may have guessed (after all, I am a baker) and this totally does the trick when I'm going out of my mind with cravings.
5. Hummus
You really can't go wrong with hummus. We always make ours at home because, well, for one thing it's cheaper, for a second, we can make it ANY flavor we want, and for a third we know where our ingredients are coming from and it's super duper fresh. Here's recipes for our Cucumber-Dill Hummus and our Ginger-Lime Hummus. It's not hard, I promise. I like to dip in sliced veggies - but sometimes we'll use it as a condiment on a sandwich too.
6. Pop Cakes
So Pop Cakes are these crazy things they sell at Whole Foods and our cat Bob is addicted to them. We like them too. They're sort of like rice cakes, only more compact and they don't fall apart or taste like cardboard. They're so versatile! Have them with hummus, PB&J, tapenade, Tofutti - the possibilities are endless.
1. Nuts and Dried Fruit
Seriously cannot go wrong here. You're packing in the protein, the fruits satiate that craving you have for something sweet and this is totally portable. But here's the trick - experiment with combinations. It will blow your mind. I always start with a 1/2 cup measuring cup and fill it with varying combinations. I buy all my nuts and dried fruit in the bulk aisle at Whole Foods (don't buy trail mix - it's ridiculously expensive and I find that I eat more when it comes already mixed together!) - but here's the cost saving trick: compare the price per pound on the bulk bin to the price per pound on the packaged ones they have in the same aisle. Sometimes the packaged is cheaper! Here are some of my all time favorite combos:
Raw Almonds + Raw Pecans + Dried Sour Cherries + (vegan chocolate pieces if you really need chocolate)
Raw Almonds + Pepitas + Lightly Salted Sunflower Seeds + Dried Cranberries
Raw Cashews + Dried Blueberries + Hazelnuts
Pepitas + Lightly Salted Sunflower Seeds + Dried Cranberries + Pecans + Almond Slivers
2. Toast with Avocado and Flax Seed Oil
Ok, not so great for on the go but this is seriously one of my all time favorite snacks. I toast one slice of bread, then pour about a teaspoon of flax seed oil on it and spread it around, then I take some avocado (maybe a quarter) and I mash it on top of the bread and top it with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I just ate a slice...nom nom nom.
3. Fruit
No-brainer. Fruit's one of the most portable snacks you can find. Bananas, berries, and apples are my favorites because they're the least messy. I will never bring an unpeeled orange to work. NEVER. I can just see orange juice spraying all over the papers on my desk; squirting a co-worker in the eye. Temporary blindness! Yea, not happening.
4. Dates stuffed with Pistachio
Remember that detox J and I did last winter? This was one of my favorite snacks. Buy a container of pitted diglet dates from Whole Foods and raw pistachios. Put pistachios in a food processor and process the heck out of them. It becomes a sort of powdery-ish pistachio paste. Slice the dates open, stuff them with the pistachio paste and top it with some unsweetened shredded coconut. I have an extreme sweet tooth as you may have guessed (after all, I am a baker) and this totally does the trick when I'm going out of my mind with cravings.
5. Hummus
You really can't go wrong with hummus. We always make ours at home because, well, for one thing it's cheaper, for a second, we can make it ANY flavor we want, and for a third we know where our ingredients are coming from and it's super duper fresh. Here's recipes for our Cucumber-Dill Hummus and our Ginger-Lime Hummus. It's not hard, I promise. I like to dip in sliced veggies - but sometimes we'll use it as a condiment on a sandwich too.
6. Pop Cakes
So Pop Cakes are these crazy things they sell at Whole Foods and our cat Bob is addicted to them. We like them too. They're sort of like rice cakes, only more compact and they don't fall apart or taste like cardboard. They're so versatile! Have them with hummus, PB&J, tapenade, Tofutti - the possibilities are endless.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Vegan Lunchbox
2 carrots, julienned
3-4 baby portebelloes, chopped
1/4 red onion, diced
1 cup green beans, slivered
1 cup snap peas, halved
2 stalks celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup clover sprouts
1 sheet of nori, ripped into small pieces
salt & pepper
Dressing:
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
Mix everything together!
Serves 6-8
Cashew Spread Veggie Sushi
Post Punk Kitchen's Cashew Spread (made without scallions & red pepper)
1 carrot, julienned
1/4 avocado, sliced
1/8 yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup clover sprouts
1 sheet of nori
Serves 1
I know, I know, I know
I know it's been forever. Sorry buddies! Life's been incredibly hectic since J and I found out we unexpectedly have to move. We think we finally found a place - so fingers crossed!
Since January, I've shed about 15 pounds. At first I was incredibly proud of myself and excited...but now the thrill is gone and I'm remembering that my real goal was to lose about 45 pounds. So back at it we go!
For the next week or so, I'm jumping into a semi-raw diet and excluding bread, any pre-prepared vegan foods other than tofu, and eliminating cooking for the most part. Pintrest has been a huge help in providing inspiration for meals and I've even started "Raw" and "Get Healthy(er)" boards to collect ideas. This morning's breakfast was a Pinterest find and is from food blogger Oh She Glows - Easy Overnight Buckwheat Parfait. It's really delicious - earthy tones of buckwheat, the tapioca like chia seeds sweetened with banana, the fresh strawberries J and I picked at Alewives Brook Farm yesterday, and some blueberries. And no cooking involved! Yay! She gives other incarnations of the parfait to try out just to mix it up and I'm sure I'll test those out too.
I also love how portable this breakfast is. One of my more recent goals is to try to make time for myself to eat breakfast at home in the morning. Not standing over the sink, not taking bites between brushing my hair - but actually sitting down, taking in the tastes, appreciating the work that went into making the food I'm consuming. But honestly, some mornings just don't work out as planned. And this morning, I just grabbed my little juice glass sized Ball jar and headed out the door.
I also prepared a large pitcher of water with lemons and limes at home and filled my water bottle up this morning to take to work. After I get to the store this week, I'll add cucumber and mint to the water to make "Sassy Water" - which a friend pinned on Pinterest and told me she was drinking for a while while detoxing and it really helped improve her skin health. I'll let you all know how it goes!
Since January, I've shed about 15 pounds. At first I was incredibly proud of myself and excited...but now the thrill is gone and I'm remembering that my real goal was to lose about 45 pounds. So back at it we go!
For the next week or so, I'm jumping into a semi-raw diet and excluding bread, any pre-prepared vegan foods other than tofu, and eliminating cooking for the most part. Pintrest has been a huge help in providing inspiration for meals and I've even started "Raw" and "Get Healthy(er)" boards to collect ideas. This morning's breakfast was a Pinterest find and is from food blogger Oh She Glows - Easy Overnight Buckwheat Parfait. It's really delicious - earthy tones of buckwheat, the tapioca like chia seeds sweetened with banana, the fresh strawberries J and I picked at Alewives Brook Farm yesterday, and some blueberries. And no cooking involved! Yay! She gives other incarnations of the parfait to try out just to mix it up and I'm sure I'll test those out too.
I also love how portable this breakfast is. One of my more recent goals is to try to make time for myself to eat breakfast at home in the morning. Not standing over the sink, not taking bites between brushing my hair - but actually sitting down, taking in the tastes, appreciating the work that went into making the food I'm consuming. But honestly, some mornings just don't work out as planned. And this morning, I just grabbed my little juice glass sized Ball jar and headed out the door.
I also prepared a large pitcher of water with lemons and limes at home and filled my water bottle up this morning to take to work. After I get to the store this week, I'll add cucumber and mint to the water to make "Sassy Water" - which a friend pinned on Pinterest and told me she was drinking for a while while detoxing and it really helped improve her skin health. I'll let you all know how it goes!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes for Valentine's Day
This month's Salt and Pine Bakery cupcake flavor was Raspberry Truffle. I must tell you, as the weekend neared, I was nervous. I had just completed 4 weeks of detox and had lost 15 pounds (I've lost a total of 16 now!). It had been a month since I'd had any refined sugar, let alone baked. So it was a test of my will-power; time to muster up some fortitude.
I started with my fail-safe chocolate cupcake recipe. This batter turns out a light, moist, very chocolatey cupcake that melts in your mouth. I did not take one taste of batter because I've made this recipe so many times that I trust myself and know I make it perfectly each time. I finished all 53 of them was still feeling fine. After they cooled, I started coring them, and that's when things became a little more difficult. As I removed the core from each cupcake, that rich chocolatey smell drifted up at me and my taste buds tingled. Dang - it's incredible how much food can affect us! I did well though. And through filling them with chocolate ganache, icing them with raspberry icing, I'm proud to say that I only took one taste of icing to ensure that the raspberry taste was there and tasted one cupcake core just to be sure they came out correctly/baked long enough.
Justin Lumiere Photography
Justin Lumiere Photography
I had one extra at the end and J and I split it because, as a baker and a business-woman, I feel that I cannot turn out any of my product without ensuring that it is perfect. So we did a little quality control test. And boy, was it good!
Here's the funny thing, all throughout the detox, I didn't crave sweets at all. I saw things around me at work - cookies, cake, candy - and didn't even care. But since tasting that 1/2 of a cupcake, my taste buds have re-awakened and they want more. I made mini cupcake bites using the cores and left over frosting and had 2 cupcakes left over and brought them in to work. They were gone by the day's end which was fabulous because I was NOT taking those home! I was tempted all day to take a little bite, but here's what stopped me: that morning, I tried on a pair of jeans that hadn't fit in two years, and they fit! I reminded myself that there will always be cupcakes in my life - seriously I'm a baker! - but I will never get another body and I need to take care of it NOW!
I made 12 deliveries and have received some incredible feedback. J took an extra to work for his boss and she's placed and order and one of my club members has ordered an additional 4 of the same flavor. Business is "booming!"
So I am motivated. J and I are excited to celebrate our accomplishments and I am excited to learn to be a baker who is not addicted to food.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Detox Concludes
Today marks the end of our 4 week long detox. In summary, it was a great experience and it has kick-started our drive, motivation, and will-power to lose weight. I'm 15 pounds lighter and J is 20 pounds lighter. It's fantastic! We both still have a long way to go - I'd like to be about 40 pounds lighter from where I started and J wants to drop 50ish.
So what comes next?
Well, we've decided to just continue - why stop a good thing?! We put together a Week 5 menu pulling from our favorite recipes from the detox and starting to incorporate our own recipes. I'll post tonight's dinner tomorrow with some photos by J. He made a rockstar seaweed salad with marinated tofu. We talked and we both want to start writing more recipes and posting them on here - so stay tuned...some changes are coming on here!!
So what comes next?
Well, we've decided to just continue - why stop a good thing?! We put together a Week 5 menu pulling from our favorite recipes from the detox and starting to incorporate our own recipes. I'll post tonight's dinner tomorrow with some photos by J. He made a rockstar seaweed salad with marinated tofu. We talked and we both want to start writing more recipes and posting them on here - so stay tuned...some changes are coming on here!!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds Lunch
So my photos are crappy, but this was a super yummy lunch! It's part of the Detox Week 4 lunch menu. Totally recommend this recipe; we didn't have the thyme or scallions, but it was still delicious and super hearty.
I'm on a quinoa kick today!
Favorite Detox Breakfast to date!
Yum! So have you ever tried black quinoa? I did not even know such a thing existed until we reached week 4 of the detox diet. Black quinoa is not sold in the bulk aisle at our Whole Foods and since we rarely <never> buy grains that aren't in bulk, we never even noticed it sitting there on the shelf. So what's the difference? Well, it's similar in nutrition to red quinoa, but it's much more fragrant and it doesn't have that crunchiness to it. Which is why it made for a wonderful breakfast!
On Sunday night we cooked up a big batch of the black quinoa and for breakfast we have about 2/3 of a cup with 1/4 almond milk, 1/2 Tbsp of honey (yes, we're vegan and we're okay with honey...it's a debatable topic and we only buy local), 1 Tbsp of slivered almonds, and a couple thin slivers of avocado. It is an awesome way to start the day!
Although black quinoa is more expensive (it was $7.99 for a small bag...but remember - quinoa expands to 4x its size when cooked. A little goes a long way!), I think we'll continue buying it once in a while because we are liking the taste and texture much more than red. Have you tried all of the different types yet? Let me know what you think!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Detox - One week to go!
Hello there, friends! I'm sorry; I've been a terrible blogger lately. My "real" job has been super stressful lately and I'm just exhausted when I get home. The detox is going really well but that also takes up a good chunk of my time. It's a lot of planning and cooking ahead of time - something I'm just not used to!
So far, I've lost about 12 pounds and J has lost 16. We're feeling more energetic, happier, and healthier and it's fantastic. This week, we added back in grains including brown rice, amaranth, and quinoa. Next week, our last week, we add back in wheat products.
So my fear is coming back....what happens when week 4 is over? I don't want to go back to my old ways of perpetual snacking, processed vegan foods, and carb overloads. We ate healthy before, but we ate very rich foods and our portion sizes were out of control. J and I have vowed not to go back to that way of life and will try to continue making our weekly menus, preparing our own snacks rather than buying meal bars and rice cakes and munches, desserts are going to be be a once in a blue moon thing and no more eating after 8pm. We both want to lose 40+ pounds this year and are determined to do it!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
End of Detox Week 1!
Week one has been a breeze....well, for the most part. I'm going going to say there weren't times when I sat at my desk at work and longed for a bag of trail mix to munch on or one of my hemp seed bars, but I pushed through. And you know what? I'm feeling awesome. I've lost about 5 pounds so far (maybe more, I stupidly didn't weigh myself before the first day), I find it easier to get up in the morning, and my mood has improved a lot. J has lost about 10 pounds so far and has had a harder time adjusting then me, but now feels pretty good about all of this.
Week two is when we get to add back in tofu and beans/legumes. It's funny, I'm almost tempted to do one more week of the week one plan, but I think I'll just stick to it the way it's written and see what happens. My biggest goal is to become more active. I've never been one to be excited about exercise...it's just not in me. I'm bummed that I'm not more excited about it, but it's hard to change that about yourself. I've been pulling out the WiiFit again, walking more, and still going to weekly Pilates sessions. I hope to keep up with the weight loss.
The biggest help is doing this with someone. I hear negative comments around me all day long. "That doesn't look like enough food." "I'd still be hungry if that's all I ate for lunch." "Who cares? One cup of coffee won't hurt you." And I've been superbly deflecting them all. I need to feel positive about me and not care what others think and perhaps my positivity and great results will inspire them to make changes in their lives too! Who knows!
Week two is when we get to add back in tofu and beans/legumes. It's funny, I'm almost tempted to do one more week of the week one plan, but I think I'll just stick to it the way it's written and see what happens. My biggest goal is to become more active. I've never been one to be excited about exercise...it's just not in me. I'm bummed that I'm not more excited about it, but it's hard to change that about yourself. I've been pulling out the WiiFit again, walking more, and still going to weekly Pilates sessions. I hope to keep up with the weight loss.
The biggest help is doing this with someone. I hear negative comments around me all day long. "That doesn't look like enough food." "I'd still be hungry if that's all I ate for lunch." "Who cares? One cup of coffee won't hurt you." And I've been superbly deflecting them all. I need to feel positive about me and not care what others think and perhaps my positivity and great results will inspire them to make changes in their lives too! Who knows!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Detox Day Two Recap
Day 2 has almost come a close and both of us are feeling pretty good. When I picked J up from work we both admitted to feeling a little headachey and pretty hungry, but good nonetheless!
Our meals/snacks today consisted of:
Carrot-Mango Herb Smoothie
1 Clementine
Avocado with Bell Pepper and Tomatoes
4 Fruit & Nut Bites
Steamed Broccoli and Squash with Tahini Dressing
Pistachio Stuffed Dates with Coconut
And lots of water! All of the recipes were awesome - especially the Carrot-Mango Herb Smoothie. It's really smooth and has this wonderful basil aftertaste. Yum!
What I thought would be the most difficult part of the day, was actually fine. I had a work meeting where they serve lunch and while they always make me a vegan lunch, it's still not on the plan. They make a big plate of desserts and inevitably the tray always ends up in front of me. Since going vegan, it's still been hard to stare at that stuff because yes, I'm a chocoholic. But today, I was totally fine. Didn't want it at all. The amazingly filling avocado lunch staved off cravings and I smiled inside during the meeting, knowing that I was fine. That's not to say that I didn't have trouble today. In the morning I was having a hard time waiting for lunch, but I stuck it through; drank another bottle of water and breathed.
The one thing I'm finding is that it takes a lot of energy to prepare everything. I don't want to find myself in a lurch with no food options and so I have to think ahead of time and prepare all of our breakfasts, lunches, and snacks in advance. It's great being prepared - I just hope I can keep this up! I recommend creating a menu for your week instead of blindly picking and choosing recipes from the detox each day. The rigidity helps you plan and also helps you visualize - "This is what I'm eating today." There's no room for that quick run to Starbucks for a coffee and a Kind Bar.
I'm going to have to start planning week two already, but will need to veganize some of their recipes. Week one is focused on only eating fruits, vegetables, and plant-based fats, including nuts, seeds, and oils. Week two adds back in seafood, lentils, beans, and soy. Hold the train. We're not eating seafood...so I think I'll sub in some tofu or tempeh. We'll see - I'm pretty creative :)
Our meals/snacks today consisted of:
Carrot-Mango Herb Smoothie
1 Clementine
Avocado with Bell Pepper and Tomatoes
4 Fruit & Nut Bites
Steamed Broccoli and Squash with Tahini Dressing
Pistachio Stuffed Dates with Coconut
And lots of water! All of the recipes were awesome - especially the Carrot-Mango Herb Smoothie. It's really smooth and has this wonderful basil aftertaste. Yum!
What I thought would be the most difficult part of the day, was actually fine. I had a work meeting where they serve lunch and while they always make me a vegan lunch, it's still not on the plan. They make a big plate of desserts and inevitably the tray always ends up in front of me. Since going vegan, it's still been hard to stare at that stuff because yes, I'm a chocoholic. But today, I was totally fine. Didn't want it at all. The amazingly filling avocado lunch staved off cravings and I smiled inside during the meeting, knowing that I was fine. That's not to say that I didn't have trouble today. In the morning I was having a hard time waiting for lunch, but I stuck it through; drank another bottle of water and breathed.
The one thing I'm finding is that it takes a lot of energy to prepare everything. I don't want to find myself in a lurch with no food options and so I have to think ahead of time and prepare all of our breakfasts, lunches, and snacks in advance. It's great being prepared - I just hope I can keep this up! I recommend creating a menu for your week instead of blindly picking and choosing recipes from the detox each day. The rigidity helps you plan and also helps you visualize - "This is what I'm eating today." There's no room for that quick run to Starbucks for a coffee and a Kind Bar.
I'm going to have to start planning week two already, but will need to veganize some of their recipes. Week one is focused on only eating fruits, vegetables, and plant-based fats, including nuts, seeds, and oils. Week two adds back in seafood, lentils, beans, and soy. Hold the train. We're not eating seafood...so I think I'll sub in some tofu or tempeh. We'll see - I'm pretty creative :)
Monday, January 16, 2012
Detox: Day One - here we gooooooo!
Ok, so I'm only 2 hours in to detox month, but I'm still feeling good and I'm trying to keep my mood positive. I CAN DO THIS!
It won't be easy considering I just had to bake 2 dozen cupcakes for the Cupcake Club of the Month deliveries tomorrow for Salt and Pine Bakery. I delivered the first batch yesterday and have received rave reviews so far:
"SO DELICIOUS!!!! Thank you so much!! They are amazing!"
"Honestly Christi, this is the best cupcake I've ever had. Feel free to bring me only this for the rest of my life."
It won't be easy considering I just had to bake 2 dozen cupcakes for the Cupcake Club of the Month deliveries tomorrow for Salt and Pine Bakery. I delivered the first batch yesterday and have received rave reviews so far:
"SO DELICIOUS!!!! Thank you so much!! They are amazing!"
"Honestly Christi, this is the best cupcake I've ever had. Feel free to bring me only this for the rest of my life."
Chocolate, Sea Salt, and Caramel Vegan Cupcake
Photo by Justin Lumiere
Luckily, the next set of deliveries is scheduled in the last week of my detox and I'm hoping, by then, that I won't be craving cupcakes! It's challenging to work with food when it's something you struggle with, but I'm determined to lose weight and change my way of thought so that I can pursue my passion.
So for breakfast this morning, I'm drinking (right now, yes) a smoothie made with 2 navel oranges, 1 cup frozen raspberries, and 1 cup frozen blueberries. It is delicious. So simple and pure. I've already made up a batch of the Cranberry-Pumpkin Trail Mix and I'm going to make the Fruit and Nut Bites later today. I'm excited! Let's hope I can keep it up. The website that gives the details for the cleanse suggests keeping a food journal. I will likely use this blog. I intend to be brutally honest about my feelings, trials and tribulations and hope you all will encourage me as I go; I hope to encourage you, too!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Detox Time
I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of our holiday eating. Yes, we're vegan, but we still eat things like....Salt and Pine's Chocolate-Peanut butter Decadence Cake. (Yes, I made that this past weekend!)
Although I don't plan to stop baking (it's my "job" on the side and my passion) I do plan to start a detox plan on Monday with J. If I bake, I'll take it to work or give it away so that it's not lingering around the house.
I got the idea when someone I know on Facebook posted a link to the 2012 Whole Living Action Plan. I'm at a place where I'm not losing the weight, I'm constantly tired and just want to re-start my body. This detox goes on for 4 weeks and we'll have to create some vegan alternatives for the later weeks since the menus include fish.
Our first week will include:
Breakfasts:
Lunches:
Dinners:
Snacks:
In addition, the site gives you a mediation of the week, suggests starting a food journal, and has several detox yoga poses.
I'm excited to get started new week and hope to not only shed some weight but to feel rejuvenated!
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