Juicing!

In an effort to incorporate more fresh fruits and veggies into my daily diet, I've decided to start juicing. I've learned that you can juice just about any type of fruit or veggie. And the cool thing is that my kids are so fascinated by the process that they will drink just about anything from the juicer. I must admit that beets were a fail. But you can't win them all!

Detox Wrap-up

So what happened with my detox?! I made it through Day 3 but I was so hungry I had to resume my regular diet after that. My regular diet consists mostly of veggies but it also includes protein (fish, chicken, and protein shakes). I think if (or rather when) I detox again, I will have to prepare myself by lowering my calorie intake in the days leading up to the detox and also minimize my exercise during the detox. Overall, the detox process was helpful because it helped to get rid of my sugar cravings and also cleansed my system (a little extra fiber always helps!)

I am considering a juice detox in the near future however I know that I will have to completely give up exercise during the process and I am just not ready to do that. I am totally addicted to my daily sweat sessions so I have to mentally prepare myself for a week of no physical activity. We’ll see….

Detox Diet: Day 2

When I embarked upon this three day detox diet (will probably do five days), I did not think it was a big deal. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies anyway so I felt like I would be barely changing anything. Boy, did I underestimate the amount of processed foods and caffeine I was consuming. I normally start off my morning with a latte or cup of green tea and then have another cup of tea in the afternoon. And over the past few weeks, I have probably consumed 3 -4 pieces of pure sugar (in the form of Christmas candy, cookies, etc.) a day. So believe me when I say that I can feel a difference in just two days. And not in a good way! I feel like I have a hangover. Forty-eight hours of oatmeal, veggies, and water seems like an eternity. My steamed veggies for today consisted of red peppers, edamame, sweet potatoes, and spinach.

So why do it?! I truly believe detoxing helps your body's natural cleansing system to operate more efficiently. Our bodies are designed to be self cleaning but we often fill them with so much junk that we literally clog the system. I also wanted to detox to re-set my sugar cravings. I can usually turn down any dessert that falls short of being a gourmet masterpiece. So when I start eating random cookies, I know it's time for a change.

I will continue at least through tomorrow and probably through Friday. I will keep you posted.

Meatless Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Detox Diet!

So I've decided to start of 2011 with a week of detoxing. What better time than after indulging in two weeks worth of dishes and desserts that I don't normally eat? I initially planned to do a juice detox for the week however I think that is a bit intense for me at this point so I opted for a steamed veggie detox instead.

Even though I eat well and generally consume a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, I must say that the first day was a bit difficult. My steamed veggies consisted of red pepper, squash, spinach, and carrots. However, I kept fantasizing about bacon and burgers. The funny thing is I rarely eat those foods!

I tried to stick to the following plan from Dr. Elson M. Haas' The New Detox Diet book.

Morning (upon arising): Two glasses of pure water, one glass with half a lemon squeezed into it.

Breakfast: One piece of fresh fruit (at room temperature), such as apple, pear, banana, grapes or citrus. Chew well, mixing each bite with saliva.
15-30 minutes later: One bowl of cooked whole grains, specifically millet, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, raw buckwheat or buckwheat. Flavoring can be two tablespoons of fruit juice for sweetener, or use the "better butter" mixture mentioned below with a little salt or tamari for a deeper flavor.

Lunch (noon-1 pm): One-two medium bowls of steamed vegetables. Use a variety, including roots, stems and greens (e.g. potatoes & yams, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, asparagus, kale, chard, cabbage.) Chew well!

Dinner (5-6 pm): Same as Lunch
Seasoning: Butter/Canola oil mixture-make this "better butter" by missing a half cup of cold-pressed canola oil (or olive or flaxseed oil) into a soft (room temperature) half-pound of butter, then place in a dish and refrigerate. use about one teaspoon per meal or a maximum of 3 teaspoons daily.

11 am and 3 pm: one-two cups vegetable water, saved from steamed vegetables. Add a little seasalt or kelp and drink slowly, mixing each mouthful with saliva.

Evening: Herbal teas only, such as peppermint, chamomile, pau d'arco or blends.

NOTE: You may feel a little weak or have a few symptoms the first couple of days; this will pass. Clarity and feeling good should appear by day 3 or 4, if not before. If during this diet you start to feel weak or hungry, assess your water intake and elimination. You needed, you can eat a small portion of protein food (3-4 ounces) in the mid-afternoon. This could be fish, free-range, organic chicken or some beans.

I am not a medical professional nor am I endorsing this detox plan but I will keep you posted as the week progresses. And yes, I already broke down and ate 4 ounces of wild salmon today. I did 40 minutes of cardio this morning and I was starving!

Christmas DIY: Sugar Scrubs!

The holidays are upon us and if you’re like me, you’ve had your moments of being overjoyed and also moments of being overwhelmed. Like every year, I started off by declaring that my gift list would be short and only include a few children. And like every year, the list grew to include adult relatives, teachers, and friends. I decided to make gifts more meaningful and inexpensive this year by creating some of them myself. I recruited my children to help make their (numerous) teacher gifts.

I am not the most creative person in the world, so I recycled a recipe I learned from the fabulous Karen Peters at one of her blending workshops. We made candy cane scented sugar scrubs for the teachers and packaged them with a little poem that explained how to use them and also some chocolate covered peppermint sticks. We used finely ground pure cane sugar purchased from our local grocery store and added a blend of olive, grapeseed, and avocado oils. Then we scented the scrub with a couple of drops of candy cane fragrance oil. It smelled absolutely edible! The teachers loved the unique gifts and I can defintely say that they were a hit!

Home/Work Basics: Starting the Day Off Right!

As each year begins, I promise myself that I will be diligent in my meditation. When I meditate at the beginning of the day, I feel more calm, peaceful, and focused. However, I always seem to get off track and let my quiet time fall to the wayside. This year was no different. I started off meditating and journaling. However, as I got busier with work and family obligations I found other things to do besides meditate.

Reading one of my favorite blogs, Moptop Maven, inspired me to get back on track. Her insightful article on meditating made me realize how valuable that time is. I took her advice and found my "peaceful place" and now I meditate at least three times a week after my jog over this bridge.

I sit in a picnic area at the base of the bridge and just spend some time focusing on me.

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce

Continuing in the theme of heartier vegetarian fare, I made a vegetarian Bolognese sauce that very “meaty” in texture and flavor. I wish I could take credit for creating all of my recipes from scratch but I must admit that Cooking Light’s website and magazines have provided me with many great ideas.

So what made this sauce different than your typical veggie pasta sauces? Mushrooms! And I am not a big mushroom fan but a combinations of chopped fresh mushrooms and crumbled dried mushrooms created a ground beef like texture when added to the sauce.

The ingredient list was pretty basic. I was able to find everything at my local Publix:

Ingredients

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/4 ounce)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 (8-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (28-ounce) can organic crushed tomatoes with basil, undrained

1 (2-inch) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind

12 ounces uncooked whole-wheat penne (tube-shaped pasta)

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

I used my Magic Bullet to process the dried mushrooms until finely ground. The recipe says you can also use a coffee or spice grinder.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms; sauté 10 minutes. Add wine; simmer 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add 1/4 cup warm water and next 4 ingredients (through cheese rind) to onion mixture. Stir in ground porcini. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes. Keep warm. Remove rind; discard.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Place 1 cup of pasta in each of 6 bowls. Top each portion with 3/4 cup sauce and about 1 tablespoon cheese.