Eat food!

If you are trying to be more conscious of what you eat and just want to make a few small changes to optimize your health, then my recommendation to you is to eat food. This may sound obvious but unfortunately it's not as obvious as it should be. Let's do a quick what is food lesson.

Food:

• should not have a label (in general) or come in a bag with ingredients that you cannot decipher
• may have a label that reads peanuts or lentils
• may have lived and breathed but now does not and has not had anything added to it such as fillers, preservatives, dyes, or other animal parts like bones, feathers, etc (I know....gross!)
• examples are apples, carrots, almonds, eggs, spinach

Are you with me so far? Good! How about some bullet points of things that are not food.

Not food:

• if it comes in a can that says cheez whiz or imitation this or that or cheese-like product
• if the ingredient list on the label is longer than a novel
• if it's been shaped into a fun animal shape but is not in fact an animal
• if the label has a fun cartoon character on it and your kids want it
• if it contains artificial sweeteners (that turn into formaldehyde in your body...yuck!)
• examples include....wait....there are way too many to name. Let's just say this: if it comes from one of the aisles in the middle of the grocery store, don't eat it!

Think about it this way, food contains things (and by things I mean vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc) that your body recognizes and can metabolize. Processed food however is the major cause of chronic disease and obesity in this nation. So if you wondering why your belly fat will not go away then look no further than your kitchen. Because chances are you will find more not food than food in those cabinets.

And here is a delicious whole foods muffin that I think you will enjoy! This was copied directly from elanaspantry.com

Gluten Free Carrot Banana Muffins
2 cups blanched almond flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup dates, pitted
3 ripe bananas
3 eggs
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 ½ cups carrots, shredded
¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped

1. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
2. In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs, vinegar and oil
3. Transfer mixture to a large bowl
4. Blend dry mixture into wet until thoroughly combined
5. Fold in carrots and walnuts
6. Spoon mixture into paper lined muffins tins
7. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes

Makes 18 muffins

Adventures in Detoxing

My spring detox is underway and presenting less of a challenge than the winter detox. Why? Because I’m eating foods my body craves this time of year when it’s hot and muggy: fruits and vegetables. During the winter detox I constantly thought about food as my stomach growled for days on end craving comfort foods in the cold, depressing weather. But the mental challenge of the limited choices are so much easier when I can have watermelon shakes (recipe to follow) and raw, crisp veggies.

Detoxing the harmful fat-soluble toxins from the body several times a year is more important for some than others. If you work, or have worked, with chemicals or if you consistently breathe in the pollutants lots of bigger cities produce, or if you have trouble losing weight, than you are a prime candidate. Here’s a little of what to expect with a 10 day detox based on my experience in the winter and up to day 6 of my current spring detox.

Day one: eliminate “flesh foods” or basically meat (eggs and dairy are acceptable this day), eliminate alcohol, refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine. I’m feeling great this day and highly optimistic and excited about the detox. The caffeine withdrawal has not set in yet…oh wait. There it is. Feeling foggy, cranky, irritable, if only I could have just one small cup of coffee….

Day two: continue eliminating. Today is day one of a vegan diet so eliminate eggs and dairy. Start consuming the rice protein mix.* Caffeine withdrawal has set in with a vengeance. Raging migraine. Don’t talk to me, I hate you all, I may bite your head off. Stupid detox…

Day three: Eliminate gluten and corn. Feeling better but still missing my morning cup o java. Slight headache.

Day four: Eliminate all remaining grains, nuts/seeds. I can eat only fruits, veggies, and legumes in addition to the shake. Totally over the caffeine withdrawal. Feeling much better (and my pants are looser…..).

Days five-seven: Drink the shake 4 times daily and only consume cruciferous veggies, dark greens, apples, and pears. Stomach growling, missing food. These days are hell in the winter, not so bad in the spring. Would probably be easier to get through with coffee…

Day eight: Gently adding back fruits and veggies and some rice. I’ve never craved rice more! I feel clear and confident and completely energized. The last three days were totally worth it!

Day nine: Add back gluten-free grains, legumes, nuts/seeds. Feeling energized and several pounds lighter.

Day ten (and beyond): adding back one food item at a time every 48 hours to note any negative reactions. Feeling like I could be a vegan but may add animal protein back anyway to see if I react.

*This detox uses Ultra Clear Renew (Metagenics) and can only be purchased from a doctor or nutrition office. Do not try doing this detox without the shake as you will be weak and protein deficient. The goal is to lose body fat and preserve as much muscle as possible. Without following this plan exactly as prescribed you will most likely lose muscle mass and potentially become ill. Just sayin’….

Here are just a few delicious recipes that I have concocted during my adventures in detoxing:

Watermelon aguas frescas

Serves 1

Blend 2 cups watermelon with juice from half a lime in a blender. Add a few drops of liquid stevia to bring out the sweetness.

Roasted cruciferous vegetables

Cut broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts into small pieces and spread out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20-50 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Days 5-7 pear smoothie

4 oz pear juice, 2 oz applesauce, cinnamon to taste, 1 whole pear, 2 scoops detox shake. Blend and enjoy!

If you have questions about detoxing or just want more information, please let me know!