Days 9-13

I know, I know!

I haven't blogged in days. The GOOD NEWS is that I'm still on the cleanse and my house, husband and children have received some much-needed attention.

I am in a real groove with the foods I am eating and I find it pretty easy to avoid the many tempting foods that seem to be around me at all times.

The past few Friday evenings, our neighborhood has hosted impromptu parties at the nearby skating rink. Everyone brings food, pizza is ordered, wine is concealed in thermoses -- you get the idea. My thermos held hot peppermint tea. I didn't bring healthy snacks but it was really okay, because I spent most of the time taking skates on and off Ava. She brought two pair and neither fit well but she kept trying. I avoided the food table altogether.

Another huge victory was Sunday morning, when a friend took my family out to The Original Pancake House for breakfast. Everyone ordered chocolate chip pancakes (served with whipped cream, and small pitchers of maple syrup and chocolate sauce) and bacon. I ate a hefty bowl of oatmeal before we left and enjoyed some raspberry rose herbal tea. I loved the little teapot they left at the table for me and focused on that rather than the decadent and oh-so-reachable food. (Can't walk away from it when you're in a booth!)

As the days go by and I feel healthier and thinner, it all seems well worth the sacrifices. I love grapefruit, and I really look forward to my breakfasts in the morning. I usually have oatmeal with fruit and nuts, or I go for a "donut" -- brown rice bread toast with almond butter with a side of fruit. (Sometimes I eat two donuts!)

You're looking at a bowl of steel cut oatmeal with blueberries and pecans about two seconds before I ate it. The serving is generous, and because I always drink a full glass of water before any meal it really fills me up.

Water really is a key part of this cleanse. Fill a washed 2-quart juice container with water and set it on your kitchen counter. Make sure to drink it all by mid afternoon or if you're like me, you'll have many nightime trips to the bathroom.

Here is a typical lunch of soup -- split pea in this photo -- with some veggies. Again, after drinking the water I found it so filling Darrell had to finish my carrots. (This is surprising because I typically feel like a bottomless pit.) I put some rice vinegar and EVOO on the veggies to give them a little oomph.

I always try to make my meals look nice, adding a garnish if I can. It just makes it feel more special and adds to the "conscious eating" aspect of this cleanse. I care about what I'm eating, where it came from, and how I present it to myself. And I am grateful.

Here's a little polenta for dinner topped with tomato basil pasta sauce from TJ's. I sauteed the baby bella mushrooms in EVOO. Very tasty!

Obviously, I didn't repeat these meals every day. This is just a sampling of what I did eat.

Exercise: The gym is essential for several reasons. It allows me to get out of the house, watch cable on the elliptical, and savor the steam.

Some days I even try to meditate. Meditation is one of the eight pillars of wellness presented in Freston's book and it can be difficult. I have lots of chatter going on in my head and in that steam room I find enough peace to quiet the noise.

Days 7 and 8

Happy Not-So-Fat Tuesday!

Amy hosted her annual Fat Tuesday Party tonight at church with lots of friends and a decadent amount of cajun gumbo and shrimp etouffee, ladled over waiting bowls of fragrant rice. Side dishes and desserts were EVERYWHERE.

Not to worry, Darrell ate enough for both of us.

I brought a hefty serving of my 17-bean and barley soup and some collard greens, with grapefruit chunks and kiwi for dessert. I left with a full belly and a light conscience. Though I try to be discreet about not eating what everyone else is enjoying, many people pointed out how wrong it was for me not to indulge. Besides feeling quite full and really healthy, I have six good reasons for staying on track.

Pounds. Six of them.

I realize that it's a pretty significant loss for just one week on the cleanse, but I'm also aware that it will probably even out over the next week -- I'm estimating three pounds per week given the diet change and increased exercise. We'll see.

No big meal breakthroughs these past few days, except for the yummy soup made with Trader Joe's 17-bean mix, vegetable stock, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Will my friends tell me if I reek? (I know you will, Gina!) Otherwise, I've eaten various versions of what I've already posted the past few days. I will never tire of almond butter toast. I told Darrell it tastes like a donut!

One more thing. Part of "the cleanse" is to tackle other areas of your life that may be cluttered. In my case, it's my laundry room and I am on Day 2 of purging. So far I have three giant garbage bags stuffed with linens, towels and unwanted clothing. That feels really good. I've been hanging on to so many things for sentimental reasons, like the half-dozen scarves a dear relative made that my children will not wear. I hope those beautiful scarves warm some little boy or girl somewhere some day soon. They do no good lingering in my laundry room.

That's all for tonight. Good night!

Days 4, 5 and 6

I am a survivor!

I endured my first party Friday night with yummy and tempting food all around me. The saving grace was bringing some cleanse-friendly treats for myself. I enjoyed veggies and hummus, popcorn and later a Cocktail Grapefruit -- which is not actually a grapefruit but a sweet, juicy cross between a Frua Mandarin and a Pummelo.

I made another trip to Trader Joe's and stocked up with some new things. (Look at my beautiful fruit above!)

This blogging business takes more time than I have, so I will no longer include all the scrumptious details of my meals. You'll also notice a decrease in photos. I'm sorry, friends, though I think my mother is the only one who actually reads this!

Breakfasts have been mainly oatmeal and fruit or almond butter toast and fruit. I try to vary the fruit so it doesn't get boring. For lunches and dinners, I love sweet potatoes, pasta, rice or beans with veggies and fruit for dessert. Soups are great, too. You can make them yourself or buy soups labeled "Vegan." Trader Joe's has a great split pea variety.

Another challenge: Yesterday my inlaws brought over pizza and this cinnamon dessert that looked like a pizza with frosting dipping sauce. Part of me felt like eating it because they seemed disappointed that I wouldn't partake -- I didn't want to appear ungrateful or high maintenance, but I've worked myself to a point where I didn't even want it. (Okay, I wanted the dessert big time, but not the sausage-laden greasy pizza.)

I whipped out some corn tortillas and warmed them in a little olive oil, topping them with black beans, rice, onions and some delicious Trader Joe's chipotle salsa. The tortillas were on the smaller side so I had three of them, which seemed like an indulgent feast. For dessert? Fresh strawberries! Darrell was happy because he got to gorge himself on the chocolate chip raspberry meringue cookies his mother made the two of us for Valentine's Day.

It makes me stronger every time I overcome one of these temptations. (Hopefully slightly smaller in the hips, too.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Day 3

I live in a zoo.

In addition to four wonderful kids and a husband, I share my home with two dogs, one cat, two gerbils, one quaker parrot, a fish and two african dwarf frogs. I love these animals with all my heart. (Secretly, I think I always wanted to own a pet shop.) They are such pure, gentle spirits and they bring me joy every day.

That said, I have spent my entire life eating and loving meat. I made it an intentional act NOT to think about the poor creature who gave its life for that grilled flank steak on my plate. I'm not going to get all preachy vegan right now, but my eyes have been opened to the horrible treatment these animals face as well as the many health risks we take consuming them.

It's time to wake up and smell the problem. Millions of Americans now say no to meat. As they do so, their cholesterol levels plummet. Their coronary arteries open up again. Their waistlines shrink, and according to nutrition researcher Neal D. Barnard, M.D., their cancer rates drop 40 percent.

Have I gone vegan? I can't say for sure. The thought of eating meat grosses me out at the moment -- even chicken. Blech. (I shouldn't have watched some of those youtube videos!) Most likely I will significantly reduce the animal-based entrees that grace my dinner table.

Understanding that beans, nuts and vegetables offer more than enough protein eliminates the myth I always bought into that we need meat.

Anyway, I feel really good today. I am amazed that after an early dinner -- a light one, at that -- I feel full at 9 p.m. There is definitely something to this and I like it.

Here's what I ate today.


Breakfast:

Steel Cut Oatmeal with Blueberries
Toasted Rice Bread
Natural Chunky Peanut Butter








Lunch:

Polenta with Organic Pasta Sauce
Leftover Greens
Celery
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus






Dinner: I blew it! I don't have a photo because I remembered two bites before it was all gone. Dinner started out as a snack. I really liked my peanut butter toast I ate for breakfast, so I made myself a slice. And then another. At that point, I decided to make it dinner so I reached in and grabbed the celery and hummus. Dessert was a delicious red apple with cinnamon. But as I wrote earlier, it is 9 p.m. and I enjoyed my early supper at 5 p.m.

Exercise: 45 minutes on the recumbant bike today!

Day 2

I am flying high!

So far, so good. The food has been delicious and abundant. I feel ridiculously healthy and definitely don't feel deprived. Last night I had to bring my dinner to a social function and the tables were "decorated" with colorful M&Ms. I didn't even want one! (Granted, Day 1, highly motivated!)

If you're interested in trying the cleanse, you need to do two things. First, buy Kathy Freston's book, Quantum Wellness Cleanse. Second, find your nearest Trader Joe's (or Whole Foods or Outpost) and stock your fridge and cupboards with beans, fruits, vegetables, more beans, rice-corn-potato products (grains, pastas, crackers and bread), organic pasta sauce, polenta, steel cut oatmeal, organic peanut butter, raw nuts, and more vegetables.

I love Trader Joe's because they make healthy eating very convenient with things like ready-made polenta, brown rice blends, and so much more. Their Soycutash blend (frozen corn, soy beans and red pepper) is outstanding, too.

In the mindset of trying something new today, I made collard greens! I followed the recipe on the back of the package for "Simple Greens." They are de-licious! I ate a lot -- I'm not sure what that will do to my insides.

Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast:

Polenta

Baby Bella Mushrooms and Spinach
Pecans sprinkled on top

Stewed Prunes (I'm weird that way)

Lunch:

Sweet Potato with EVOO

Collard Greens (Onions, Garlic, Tomatoes)

Apple

*Favorite meal so far!

Dinner:

Leftover Brown Rice & Bean

Blend with Peanut Satay Sauce

More Collard Greens (YUM)

Fresh Blueberries

Note: I am no longer listing my beverages, which consist of water and many herbal tea varieties to keep it interesting. I drink my tea hot as well as iced.

Exercise: 35 minutes on the WaterRower -- my stationary rowing machine that uses a tank of water for resistance. (You're actually turning a paddle so you get the benefit hearing the sounds of rhythmic, soothing water.) I also took the dogs to the dog park and slogged through deep snow on two trails.

It's nice not to be measuring or counting calories.

More tomorrow ... I have some reading to do.

Day 1

I am all about fresh starts.

For the next 21 days, I will refrain from eating all animal products (including dairy), caffeine, alcohol, gluten and sugar -- following the guidelines of Kathy Freston's Quantum Wellness Cleanse.

Doing the cleanse will be like a vacation, a reprieve, from my old and tired ways. And they most definitely ARE tired. While I'm not thrilled to give up my Valentine's Day Godiva chocolate and champagne, it is an opportunity to kick-start a momentum of consciousness and healing. I want to experience what it feels like to live on a plant-based diet for 21 days. If I like what I feel, it may evolve into a significant lifestyle change. Whatever the case, it can't hurt to experiment. There's also that nagging thought of swimsuit shopping in the months ahead!

Why the blog? Already some friends are curious about the process and my daily menu choices. Helping to inspire even one other person, if I can, is just one more reason to stay on track -- as I would have a more difficult time letting a friend down than myself. Accountability is motivating.

So, on to Day 1!

Breakfast:
Steel Cut Oatmeal
Blueberries
Raw Almonds
Water & Peach Blossom Tea






Lunch:
Brown Rice Medley (long-grain brown rice, black barley and daikon radish seeds) with kidney beans, fresh tomato and chopped Peru onion
Orange Slices
Edimame Rice Crackers



Dinner:
Black beans with Guacamole, Salsa and Lime
Celery Stalks & Spicy Hummus
Gluten-free Bread with Fresh Peanut Butter
Water & Jasmine Green Tea



(I intended to eat corn tortillas with my mexican mix, but we were out so I substituted gluten-free bread.)

Snacks today included an orange, rice crackers and hummus.

Exercise has been a regular part of my weekly routine and I will remain active. I work out at the gym 3 to 4 times a week and use a WaterRower at home.

Today's Exercise = 55-minute Bootcamp at the gym. Intense and fun!

Day 1 was a success and I feel really good. Thanks for reading!