Day 2 is probably the hardest. You are craving certain foods and wondering to yourself, "Why the heck am I doing this again?" Don't give up! I'm in the same boat. Reward yourself today in some way-- watch your favorite movie, go for a nightly stroll, play your favorite game, go shopping for an hour, go for a motorcycle ride -- whatever it is to add a special joy to your day.
Say What? Today's "Say What?" revolves around preservatives and additives. Whenever I did this program in 2011, I will never forget what my nutritionist told me, "If the list of ingredients on a box/can/bottle is long, put the item back. Also, if you can't pronounce some of the ingredients listed, DEFINITELY put it back!" In other words, GO NATURAL. Yes, our bodies will not die from these, but wouldn't you rather have a healthier body that reaches its full potential? -- To have more energy, mental clarity, mood boost and overall health -- why yes, I would. Therefore, whenever you are buying food, CHECK THE INGREDIENTS! MSG -- a common ingredient in soups, broths and other liquids -- is a nasty additive that brings on my headaches!! You should know what each one of the ingredients are; if not, don't buy it! Go home & research it. Soda, store bought cookies, cereal, ice cream, ketchup, soy sauce, bread, crackers, peanut butter and so much more have these hidden, potent toxins lurking in their ingredients. Now, that's not to say that you cannot have those aforementioned items, but you need to do your research and find the HEALTHIEST form of the product (I have to tell you that sometimes there is no healthy form on some things). Know what's in the food that you're putting into your body. Eat more deliberately.
I thought I would try a new shake this morning. I am rewarding myself today with my favorite fruits! Whenever I was in Mexico in 2006, I ate probably 3-5 mangoes a day. I love them! They are a pain in the rear to peel (any tips appreciated), but they are SO worth the time. So here is my new concoction of the morning:
BREAKFAST SHAKE:
1 whole mango
Handful of blueberries
7-15 raspberries
10 cherries
1 TBSP flaxseed
You're like, "What no spinach this morning?" No, I thought I would mix it up. However, that means we have to compensate in veggies for the rest of the morning (2:1 ratio). Here we go! Here are some munching recipes that involve pure vegetables:
ASPARAGUS FRIES:
Asparagus, however much you like
1 TBSP grapeseed oil per lb. of asparagus
Celtic Sea Salta
- Cut off woody end of asparagus. Lay out the asparagus in a line on the lined pan and sprinkle the olive oil first, then the sea salt. Broil for 7-9 minutes, very close to the broiler coil, then turn asparagus over and broil for another 3-5 minutes (time depends on thickness of the stalks).
1 bunch kale
1 TBSP grapeseed oil
1 TSP Celtic sea salt
1 TSP cayenne pepper (love this part!)
- Preheat oven to 350. Line a non-insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper. With a knife of kitchen shears, carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite-size pieces. Wash and thorough dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes. A personal favorite! I had a HUGE bunch today! Remember, not to put too much grapeseed oil on it, no drowning that kale please!
SALAD #2
Massive heap of arugula
Massive heap of baby lettuce
Orange/yellow peppers
Red Onions (I use onions for everything - GREAT purifier)
Celery fineeeeeely chopped
Broccoli fineeeeeeely chopped
- Combine all the above and add your dressing. I personally would recommend the Vinaigrette dressing given in yesterday's blog for this particular salad. It adds a different flavor with the arugula. Stay away from the Ranch, Blue Cheese, Italian and 5200 Island dressings!! Most of those have bad fats, not to mention a boat load of those toxic preservatives and additives.
- After making your salad look scrumptious, don't take a bite just yet! Chop up some slices of some fresh BEETS (let me know if you need help with this one) & 1/2 of an avocado. Put on side. Have fun! Make it go around the edges to dress up the appearance or make a design. Shoot, cooking can be fun ya know?
Okay, so tonight's dinner is another stir fry, but with different ingredients (VARIETY). Again, the purpose of today's blog is to show you how to play around in the kitchen, constantly experimenting.
STIR FRY #2
Yellow squash (cut relatively small)
Zucchini (cut relatively small)
Yellow Onions
Mushrooms
Snap peas
Carrots
Spinach
Ginger Root (really unique taste!)
Garlic
Grapeseed Oil
Brown/wild Rice leftover from yesterday (if you don't have any, make some more)
- Add your oil (1-2 TBSP), minced ginger root (it's great in stir fry, just make sure not to go overboard) and 1-2 garlic cloves minced to the saute pan.
- Next add onion, carrots & snap peas. Let it cook for about 4-5 minutes.
- Next add squash, zucchini, mushrooms. You are adding this next so that you won't have it all mushy or the other previous ingredients too hard/uncooked.
- After everything seems to be to the blandness/crunchy level desired, sprinkle a handful of spinach on top. Saute for only 1 minute.
- Next add in the brown rice right to the pan -- let it saute with all the others. Feel free to add a little more oil at this point if things are lookin' a little "dry."
- Sprinkle with sea salt. :) Want to squeeze a little lime? Or crushed red pepper? or some fresh rosemary? Totally up to you and your taste buds.
Cooking takes time and it makes for a messy kitchen. Man, my kitchen is crazy right now (ick). Also, keep in mind that this purification program that I'm on is limited to fruits, veggies, rice/lentils. Therefore, if we can be creative in these 8 days and enjoy ourselves, the possibilities of healthy eating are countless AFTER the program -- when you can add in healthier forms of cheese, nuts, whole grains, and all other sorts of goodies. For right now, however, let's stick to the basics. Yay? Yay!
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