I'm still alive...Detox Days 5, 6 & 7

Sorry for the delayed post folks!  Went snowboarding on Friday night and continued to have a busy weekend!  Time flew by and I never got the chance to sit at the desk and start typing!

The past few days have been just "okay"--definitely getting sick of eating a lot of the same foods/meals each day.  This plan has me making one big meal that I split up into 5 or 7 meals for the week.  Not sure about you, but after the 2nd or 3rd time eating it, I'm done.  I would say that's been a big challenge for me.  Especially if it's a meal I'm not that jazzed up on to begin with.  This week it's chicken soup----whoopee!!  (insert sarcasm here)--not a huge fan of chicken soup....

Yesterday I got to make a sweet potato hash for breakfast that was missing one thing...eggs.  Otherwise, it would have been amazing!  Today, I'm back to my smoothie, that I actually really love and look forward to.  It keeps me full all morning and tastes great!

During this detox, I've been thinking of the folks that normally do not eat or like veggies/smoothies/prep work, etc. and wondering how they would do on this plan.  I would think that by the end of the first week, they would tap out.  It's a BIG COMMITMENT with the amount of food prep, expense, time, and sacrifice.  I'm one of those folks that is used to vegan/paleo and limited foods, and I'm struggling here.  All I can say is if you decide to try it, prepare well in advance by limiting your sugars/grains/caffeine/alcohol now......

The biggest disappointment came in the form of my SNACK that I am allowed to make for in between meals (or some have it for breakfast if they are not into smoothies)--it is a "blueberry bar".

I followed the recipe and it included everything from blueberries, shredded coconut, walnuts, chia, etc.  all mixed in with coconut oil.  Sounded and smelled delicious while I was putting it together and I couldn't wait to try it!!! Once it set up in the fridge for a bit, I grabbed a square to try.....now, put yourself in my shoes:  Looking for a bit of a sweet bite,  a week of no sugar or anything sweet, ....just looking for a nice crunchy snack to have with my tea......only to have my hopes DASHED with the first bite of this "bar"--it tasted like oil.  Just oil.  No sweet, no crunch, nothing but oil!!!  Major sigh.  Yeah, that snack went right into the bucket.  Bummer.

So,....Moving onto week 2.  Hoping it gets a little easier.....

Callily

Coffee cravings...Detox Day 3

Woke up today to over 14 inches of snow!  My daughter actually had school, but I had to call her out because I could not get out of my driveway!  Completely snowed in!  Luckily, hubby came back mid day from his all night plowing gig and he and my son got us all plowed, shoveled and snowblowed!  This crazy March weather is insane!  Less than a week until Spring!  I cannot wait for sunny days and flowers!

Today's cravings are just COFFEE.  What I wouldn't give for just a nice, piping hot cup of coffee right now........sigh.

Breakfast was a typical smoothie, just changed up the ingredients a bit.  I made it quite late (10:00) due to my daughter and I sleeping in, and here it is 2:30 and I'm not at all hungry :-)  I have chicken salad for lunch but I'm really not hungry right now so I'm going to hold off.  Dinner is a crockpot stew recipe that is jammed with veggies and kale.

I'm surprised my energy level is pretty good considering I'm running on zero caffeine....that's surprising.  I do not feel as "puffy" and "bloated"--I'm guessing this is from not eating any dairy.  My body hates dairy.  I've always had issues with cheese, eggs and milk.  Kills my asthma and my gut.  But, I'm always trying to sneak dairy in someplace because I just love the flavors.....Hopefully this detox will help me keep it out of my diet for good.  Hopefully.

Well, that's about all there is to report today.  Did I mention I really would love a coffee?? ;-)

Until tomorrow,

Callily

Detox - Day 1

I have been looking forward to, and dreading this day all at once if that's possible!  LOL  21 days of no coffee, alcohol, sugars and grains as part of this spring "Detox".  And let me tell you, I will miss all four of those components, in that exact order.  Can't imagine how I'm going to get through St. Patrick's Day without my "Cheers to the Irish" pint of Guinness :-(  But, it should all be worth it in the end.....a healthier me and a cleaner me!  Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm a "Detox Newbie"...I've never done this before!  Feel free to check in on my progress if you're a newbie too and afraid to try a Detox!  I will be writing my honest feedback on how I'm feeling and all that jazz!!

I ran around like a crazy woman at the Whole Foods yesterday trying to gather up my produce for the week.  I think everyone else is either 1.) Detoxing at the same time or 2.)  preparing for the blizzard and buying up food like it's armageddon!  The place was packed with people and all the produce was picked over/gone!! Crazy!

So far, Day 1 is going pretty well.  I had a jam-packed smoothie for breakfast that included everything but the kitchen sink in it!  I would say it kept me feeling pretty full for a few hours.  I'm not normally a "breakfast person", with oatmeal being the only choice if I do have it at all.  I'm used to smoothies so it's not too much of what I'd consider a loss.  Now, If you're the eggs and bacon type breakfast eater, this may be a struggle from day 1...(just sayin') ;-)

I was supposed to have made a special Vegan Artichoke Dip for snacking with veggies, but forgot the artichokes!  So, no mid morning snack :-(.  Made a Yogi Tea with the recommended "coconut manna" rather than my usual honey, and that was a tough one.  I really am going to miss my raw honey...not sure if I'm loving the floating oil in my tea, honestly.  It's definitely something I'll have to get used to.

The lunch for the day was chicken salad lettuce wraps-- the one big hardship I'm noticing is the amount of cooking/prep that is required.  I will probably look ahead and try to prep and get most of these recipes ready because I feel like I spent all morning slicing and dicing just for lunch!

It's now mid day and I'm not feeling starved.  I'm on my 2nd large bottle of water with lemon.  So far, so good.  Granted, by this time tomorrow, I may be ready to rip someones face off, but that remains to be seen!  LOL  I'd say this Detox newbie is doing pretty well!!  Until tomorrow....

ta ta,

Callily

Chia Seed Breakfast Recipe

Good Morning!

Today, I started my day with a new recipe that I found using my favorite new "super food", Chia seeds.  This was a welcome change from my typical norm....Oatmeal.  Very crunchy and fun!  I used coconut/almond milk, fresh banana & strawberries, walnuts & almonds, coconut & honey.  I omitted the spices today, but I'm sure they add some amazing flavor, too.  Here is the recipe:

Chia seed breakfast recipe. 

3 Tablespoons chia seeds

2/3 cup milk of choice

Handful of fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc..)

1 tablespoon of walnuts or slivered almonds

1 teaspoon of shredded or flaked coconut (optional)

1 pinch of cinnamon

1 pinch of cardamom

Drizzle of honey or sweetener of choice 

INSTRUCTIONS

In a bowl, mix the chia seeds with the milk. Let sit for at least 10 minutes so that the chia seeds soak up the liquid. If you are in a rush, you can heat the seeds with the milk in a pot which will expedite the absorption process. 

Once the liquid is absorbed, top with berries, nuts, spices, coconut flakes, and honey. Enjoy!

Here is some general info on the health benefits of Chia seeds:

1. Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper.
2. Feel fuller faster: They can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.
3. Hydration for athletes: They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body.
4. Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure.
5. Omega-3: They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect against  inflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!
6. Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.
7. They are easier to digest than flax seeds, and don't need to be ground up.