Day 2: Experimenting.

Well, hello.  So nice to see you again!  Ready for Day 2? Heck yes you are! :)


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).

KALE CHIPS (triple yum)
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!

LUNCH LUNCH!  We will not be having salads every single day for lunch, but I want to show how you can include variety in the most basic forms -- changing the ingredients, the dressing, the way in which the veggies are chopped...etc.  Today, we are changing the greens being used.  


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?

Again, if you are feeling the munchies between now and dinner: raw veggies (w/ guacamole if desired), kale chips, asparagus fries or some more shakes.... or do something else creative with veggies -- steam, bake, saute, or whatever you want! Experiment. Start to enjoy playing in the kitchen.


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.

Chug that water!  Remember, no other liquids! It's better to drink water between meals, not during meals as much. It can actually mess with the digestion process if you have too much water with your meal. 


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!

Day 1: Say What?

SAY WHAT? This section of the blog will help you understand important nutritional facts and the "WHY" of the health world, as well as other suggestions when cooking.  Today's "Say What?" involves cooking oils.  I personally adore extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and grapeseed oil the most, sometimes sesame oil with Asian dishes.  Rule of thumb, EVOO is great for salads and other recipes that require low heat.  However, EVOO actually turns into bad fat above medium heat (anything above 200-250 degrees, which isn't all that hot when it comes to cooking).  So, to actually cook, please go with coconut oil, grapeseed oil or seasame oil.  You will see this selection for tonight's stir fry dinner.


Please keep in mind that the program that I am doing helps PURGE out the toxins in my body with the supplements/pills/powder that I have, but since you might not be doing the Standard Process program with me, this blog will be more about developing a health consciousness and, hmmm shall we say, healthy appetite. :)  Also, at the end of the 8 days, I will keep posting for the next few days with what regular meals would be like for me, STILL being health conscious (but more options when off the Purification Program). 


So, what shall we make for breakfast?  Well, I almost always go the shake route for breakfast during the program.  So, take a few deep breaths, the ingredients in this shake might give a shock to the system, in the best way possible. 


BREAKFAST SHAKE:
5-8 large strawberries
10-15 raspberries
1 TBSP of flaxseed
Generous handful of baby spinach (yes, I'm serious)
Wee squeeze of lemon
3-4 oz of water

• Mix in blender. Enjoy.
• Don't like the flavor?  Try different fruit.

Mornings are the hardest for me. I have the largest appetite known to mankind, so I usually am hungry after this.  I usually have to make 2-3 shakes before lunch time comes around.  I get the munchies pretty bad the first few days.  ANOTHER OPTION besides the shakes: I usually chop up some raw veggies (peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, celery..etc) and then dip them in some homemade guacamole:


GUACAMOLE DIP:
2 avocados
Tomatoes
Onions 
FRESH cilantro
Lots of lime squeezed over the top
Sea salt to taste

• Keep in mind that both tomatoes and avocados are considered fruits -- be sure to compensate with your intake of those raw veggies. Don't forget that 2:1 ratio!

LUNCH TIME!  Okay, so you've made it through the morning.  Breathe a sigh of relief.  Ready to have a blast with a salad?  Yeah, I thought so.


SALAD #1 >  CHOP EVERYTHING VERY FINE. Mixing up textures for some reason helps. Ingredients on my salad today: Massive amounts of baby spinach & romaine lettuce (should have a heap), red peppers, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini.  Dressings are dangerous -- no, really.  So, you have two options today.  My personal favorite is to drizzle (not drench) extra virgin olive oil and then squeeze some lemon on top to offer the zest.  Your other option would be a vinaigrette dressing: (2/3 cup olive oil, 1 TBSP Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, 1 garlic clove minced, 1/4 cup water, herbs to taste).  Either way, don't forget to add sea salt for the final flavor.  If you are still hungry after you eat the salad, you didn't make it big enough -- and that's coming from a big eater.  My salads sometimes are too big for a plate, let's just put it that way.


For dessert, have a SMALL bowl of fruit (orange, apple & peach is what I had).  Drizzle a very small amount of RAW honey on top (when I am not on the program, I use organic Greek yogurt and granola sometimes as well).  Voila! :)  So, if you get hungry between now and dinner, you could make some more shakes with all sorts of different ingredients AND/OR num-num on that guacamole and raw veggies mix.  More munching recipes to come tomorrow, don't worry!  Eat dinner early if you feel like you're dying......


Wait, did someone say dinner?  Go ahead and start the brown rice (it takes a while -- approx 45 min).  In the meantime, start chopping up the veggies for our stir fry.


STIR FRY #1
Sweet snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots (you decide the quantity -- the more the better!)
Minced garlic (start with a little if not sure how strong you'd like it, I go crazy)

• Pour a small amount of grapeseed oil & the garlic into the frying pan. Stir fry these veggies for 4-8 minutes.
• Add crushed red pepper for a bit of a sting. I like sting.  (Opt: if you don't like spicy, maybe add some fresh basil or oregano. Also yummy)
• After you believe it's the right texture (crunchy or soft enough), pour the veggies onto a small bed of your brown rice.  Add sea salt to taste. Also, feel free to squeeze a little bit of LIME on top.  Lime does wonders for stir frys. For reals.

How much water have you had today?  I'm on my 10th one right now.  Hint: Drink 8oz immediately when you get up (before breakfast/shower).  Get in that water!!  


You can do this!  Remember, it's only eight days out of 365.  Your body will thank you, and my sincere hope is that you will be inspired to extend this care to the other 357 days. :) Keep pressing onward.  Keep yelling at that chocolate to go take a hike!!  You show those Doritos who's the boss!!  Resist.  Get plenty of sleep tonight.  


How are you doing?  Surviving?  
Day 1 & 2 are always the hardest,
but you got this. Ya hear me?

Prep: Rolling Up Your Sleeves.

There will be two blogs today: 
one with your new grocery list (buy food today!)
& then the other with the recipes for tomorrow's adventure (day 1).


First off, it's important to remember, NO other liquids for the next eight days besides filtered/spring water -- no coffee, tea, juice, Gatorade, lemonade, not even milk.  Water is one of the key components to the purification process.  NOTHING can replace water.  That was the biggest lesson I learned last summer, when I averaged 2-3 glasses a day.  Baaaaaaad.  The average person, whether on this program or not, should consume 8 glasses (64 oz) of water every day; those who suffer from headaches should drink EVEN MORE as their minimum, considering that dehydration is a trigger for headaches/migraines.  


Okay! So ready to go to the store?  Stock up like a lunatic on your veggies and fruits -- keep in mind that "you should eat twice as many servings of vegetables as fruits!" That's the hard part - lots of veggies.  Do not stray away from the things on this list when buying.  Also, don't forget to buy some brown/wild rice and some lentils.  I would go organic on as much as possible (especially berries & the rice), but no worries if not. Let's just first get you thinkin' healthy. :) 


Lastly, but super important, buy some SEA salt.  I personally promote the Celtic Sea Salt, because of the health benefits and the unique flavor, but if you don't have a health food store close by, just pick up the most natural sea salt possible (check ingredients).


HERE IS YOUR LIST.
http://www.standardprocess.com/display/2685.spi


I would love to hear what you bought!
Post your comments.

Changing your oil.

QUESTION:  Why do we change the oil in our cars 2-4x a year, and yet we don't think TWICE about giving our bodies that same care?  

I can testify -- being a skinny stick for almost my life -- that just because you "look" healthy on the outside DOES NOT equate to a healthy inside.

Well, if you're ready for a healthier lifestyle -- whether for the mental clarity, the mood boost, weight loss or just to have solid, overall health -- I am READY and EXCITED to help you!!  Starting Tuesday (06/19/2012), I am doing an 8-day program that helps purify your body and will be posting recipes in advance to help you and encourage you as we go.  So you are as much prepared as possible...  All of the 8 days, it will be FRESH fruit & veggies (w/fresh herbs and good oils), brown/wild rice & lentils and water.  Nothing else.  Trust me, it's not as horrible as it sounds -- and geez, it's only 8 days out of 365.  I think you'll live; actually, NO, your body will be thriving.

I always do my program through the Standard Process company, which would be the more effective, full purification; however, before you make that financial commitment, I would like to take these eight days to prove to you how do-able this healthy lifestyle is, as well as hopefully educating you along the way about our "food" in America.  I did the full out program -- which is 22 days total -- in the summer of 2011, and I have been migraine-free since then (PTL).  That's a BIG deal, people!!  Food is meant for so much more than we realize.

If you are planning on giving this a try, please leave a comment on this blog or on my facebook wall.  I would be more than happy to answer your questions along the way as well -- gluten issues? arthritis? picky eaters? coffee habit? depressed? ...etc.  Man, you will not regret this decision, and I will be here the whole time rooting you on! So excited  for you!

Hope to hear from you soon!  Buckle up!  The ride begins soon. :)

Peru Itinerary

Follow along with the various cities here. :)

I thought I would offer a very general itinerary so that you are better able to "travel along" with me and Jana. More details to come after the trip. :)


Be writing again soon!  Off to the airport.










May 6: 12 hour flight from St. Louis to Lima (have to get up every 30min-60min to avoid getting blood clots)
May 7: Lima 
May 8: Lima
May 9: Fly to Cuzco (otherwise, it's a 22 hours bus ride)
May 10: Take train to Aguas Calientes (town right outside of Machu Picchu)
May 11: MACHU PICCHU (best.day.ever)
May 12: Back to Cuzco
May 13: Flight day = Cuzco-Lima-Trujillo
May 14-17: Trujillo 
May 18-20: Lima
May 21: Back to the USA.

Woe is me!

Progression of thinking in regards to 20 page papers..........
Level 1: "Oh my word, I don't want to do this. Why am I even in grad school? WHY?!"
Level 2: *cries because of only having five pages written*
Level 3: *pulls out hair because only half way through and already fed up with chosen topic*
Level 4: "Okay, woman, you just need to buck up and get this done!"
Level 5: "Hey this is finally coming around nicely and it’s kinda fun!"
Level 6: "Oh my word, I don't know if I can fit all my thoughts into 20 pages. Man."
Level 7: "Ehhh, why not shoot for 23 pages?"
Level 8: Finishes paper. Feels like the queen of the world for sixty seconds until….
Level 9: Recognizes that another 15 page paper still beckons.
Level 10: Start process over. Redirect to Level 1.
= This is my life currently. 

Two weeks left in graduate school.

Cuy anyone?

Currently, I am laughing to myself. I am almost 24-years-old, and I still love following my mom to work. For one, they have amazingly gorgeous computers that make my laptop look like it's from the 70s. Have you seen those new computers where the speaker is attached underneath the main screen? It's manna from heaven. Also, it's just nice to grab a few minutes here and there with the 'rents, especially since my time has been limited with my studies.

Spring 2012. Yes, it's my last semester in graduate school. Nonetheless, I will be spending my summer in Blo-Normal, Illinois preparing for my exit exams in August, where we are required to write four major essays over about 100 poems/short stories/novels that span over about a 500-year time frame. Mission possible?? It's gonna have to be. I recently was discussing the exit exam requirements with my grandma, and with great shock she responded: "I just don't understand how they think it can be humanly possible to impose so much upon you, dear! It's just dreadful." Bless her heart. Yes, grandma, some days I honestly must concur.

The end is in sight, though, and in May I am bustin' out... That is to say, I am heading to Peru for two weeks with a dear friend. We will be exploring the cities of Trujillo, Lima, Cuzco & Machu Picchu (one of the seven wonders of the world -- see picture). I can finally reunite with my lovely llamas and majestic Andes Mountains! What a blessing indeed! After my hiking trip in the south of Chile (Patagonia), I decided it was high time I invested into a proper hiking backpack = Moss Green Kelty, 4,500 cubic inches of goodness. The last matter of concern has revolved around my camera (see previous blog for more information). In the depths of my soul, I secretly want to smuggle in my huge camera and have these high-quality prints for later. Then again, do I really want to run the risk of a theft/accident and furthermore have to lug around the weight? The pictures taken in Chile were with my point-and-shoot, and I feel it's wiser to bring that little guy with me instead. Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Okay, I have procrastinated enough with my research (60 pages must be written before I can go to Peru, ahhh!!!). Therefore, I leave you with the word "cuy." Research it, be disgusted, have opinions -- that's all fine and dandy. But it will be eaten when I arrive to Peru. :)