Getting My Cleanse On

Since I had surgery and Dr.'s orders have prevented me from any form of real exercise, I've thrown caution to the wind in the diet department. I've cheated with sugary treats and salty delights. I have enjoyed pizza, pasta, cookies, wine, cheetos (yes, cheetos and lots), and a few meals out. Great healthy start to my new year, right? It was fun, but really, I feel straight up dis-gu-sting.

Truthfully, I think most of it is not being able to get my booty to the gym. The gym is my escape, my "me" time; which, let's face it, every mom needs. When I work out I feel strong, energized, and confident (ohhhhhhhh somtiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmeeeesssssss I get a good Feelin'!!). This good feeling automatically influences me to eat good green, nutritious foods that my body craves. When I can't mix it up at the gym, I feel lazy, smooshy, down, and tired. Add to that a crappy diet and I feel like what I see coming out of Baby M's diaper. Great visual right!

I knew I had to do something after this weekend. I had one of my best friends in town, she spoiled us and we had a blast. When I say blast I mean, we ate lots of amazing cheeses', drank one too many martinis, and had wine for dessert. I woke up with a not so healthy feeling. Come Sunday, I decided to have a clean week.

I needed my energy back and to rid myself of all the unhealthy foods (and uh um....alcohol) I ingested. I highly recommend a cleanse if you are feeling bloated, tired, or gross.  I don't think I need to state this, but I will do so because I married an attorney and I don't want anyone getting hurt: I am no expert --- please check with a Dr. if you have any health problems, eating disorders or illnesses before trying any cleanse.

Lucky for me, I have many books on different cleanses and how to detox. But really, many of them can be drastic and just down right unhealthy.

Dr. Brian Clement, director at Hippocrates Health Center in Miami, says in his book Living Foods for Optimum Health: "Fast one day every week, consuming only freshly squeezed green drinks, vegetable juices, purified water, herbal teas. These fasting days will allow any potential long-term toxins to be released before they can cause serious damage. It's like changing the oil in your car before your engine fails."

Sounds amazing right? But do these people have young kids? I sometimes feel that people who can pull off juice fasting must not have kids who ask them for food 24/7 or they just have an insane amount of willpower. With three young boys and one man in the house, I am around food A LOT. I think I might die trying to withhold all solids for 24 hours while constantly feeding it to others. Either that or I would turn into a wicked mean mommy. I love my family too much to subject them to that.  Now, if I was on a fab yoga retreat in Arizona I could most definitely do a juice/liquid cleanse. But I am not, so I won't.

SO...I decided to take bits and pieces of my different books and create my own realistic plan for the week. I want to give my body a break from spending too much energy breaking down all of the junk I have been eating and redirect it towards healing and detoxifying.  Who knows if it actually rids my body of all the toxins, but I base the success of a cleanse on how I feel.

Here are the major players of my cleanse:

Room temperature water with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of cayenne pepper first thing in the morning (no this is not the highly unhealthy Master Cleanse). According to Kris Carr, "This cleanses your liver and stimulates circulation."

Good Belly Probiotic Juice Drink- this stuff is so good. My bestie who was in town told me about this. I personally don't drink milk and I rarely eat yogurt. I do eat cheese on occasions. My body is not getting enough of the "good" bacteria. I have looked into probiotic pills but they can be super expensive. Enter Good Belly. It is vegan and promotes healthy digestion. I bought it at Whole Foods and I love it. I take a little every morning and it keeps things flowin'. This alone can be a good cleanse :)

Fresh Green Juice- Swiss chard or kale (asked for kale, The Husband brought home swiss chard), 5 stalks of celery, 1 head of romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, 1 large cucumber, 8 spears of asparagus, parsley, 1 pear, 1 apple, and lemon. Green juice gives you vitamins, minerals, enzymes, protein, and oxygen. Juices are powerhouses of antioxidants that fight oxidants and free radicals in our bodies which contribute to cancer, heart disease, and aging. Also, it is like drinking liquid energy. Amazing!  Read my previous post to learn more about the benefits of green juice by clicking here.  Since that post, I was gifted the Breville 800JEXL by my wonderful and incredibly thoughtful family.  I love this juicer and it can tackle just about anything.

Green Tea- a super healthy drink that your body with thank (more on this coming soon)

Water- you know, that beautifully, clear, refreshing liquid that hydrates your body and nourishes your cells?

Soup- In this case, natural pureed split pea soup

Clean, healthy foods, LOTS of greens.

So here is what my diet looked like up till Wednesday.

Monday 

•  wake up with room temperature water with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
•  8am- 4 oz of Good Belly probiotic juice drink.
•  9:30am- 16 oz of fresh green juice
•  glass of water
•  noon: pureed split pea soup
•  2pm- green tea with lemon
•  3pm- big glass of water
•  4pm- 30 oz of fresh green juice
•  6pm- green tea with lemon
•  7pm- big green spinach salad with walnuts, avocado, and craisins
•  8pm- more water :) 

Tuesday 

• wake up with room temperature water with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
•  8am- 4 oz of Good Belly probiotic juice drink.
•  9am- Amazing Meal smoothie with kale, frozen banana, and almond milk
•  glass of water
•  noon- huge spinach salad
•  2pm- green tea
•  4pm- 30oz of fresh green juice
•  6:30- whole wheat, light on cheese, enchiladas (I'm not perfect :) )
•  rest of night water

 Wednesday

• wake up with room temperature water with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
•  8am- 4 oz of Good Belly probiotic juice drink.
•  8:45am- 4oz of greek yogurt with banana and a tablespoon of granola
•  water
•  noon- Ezekiel bread with avocado, spinach, and cucumber.
•  water
•  3pm- green tea
•  4pm- 30oz of fresh green juice
•  7pm- quinoa and asparagus

For the rest of the week, my diet is going to consist of mostly easy digestible liquids and fresh clean foods. No processed foods, meats, dairy, etc.

If I cheat, I don't beat myself up too much, I let it go and continue with my cleanse.

And that my friends, is getting my cleanse on!

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Treat: Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Halloween is hands down, my favorite holiday.  I adore the crisp, cool morning, the leaves changing, comfort food, spooky decorations, and dressing up.  It also makes me want to transform into a domestic diva.  No, this is not a trick, rather a sweet treat, especially for The Husband.  I don't know what comes over me, but I suddenly feel like cleaning, cooking, and doing crafts. Scary!

E is probably more excited about Halloween than Christmas, Disneyland, snow, candy, and sadly his family.  As early as September he wanted to start decorating the house.  Superheroes have been replaced by skeletons, goblins, witches, bats, vampires, and mummies.  Last week we made a calendar for October because I wanted him to realize that even though it is October, Halloween doesn't come for another 31 days.  My child doesn't really even care about the candy!!  He is more excited about all the decorations and spooky critters at home and in stores.  Today he asked me if we can ask Santa for a new soccer ball with a witch chasing a goblin on it.  Adorable! 

Do to the fact that we MUST get pumpkins wherever we go, they are rather quickly taking over my house.  Being surrounded by them, I felt inspired.  As you may know, I drink my Amazing Grass Amazing Meal smoothie every morning.  Today I wanted to see if I could transform it into a delicious pumpkin smoothie.  I guess I am sick of Starbucks having all the fun with their insanely good pumpkin spice latte (one that I seem to constantly crave).  Even  though this isn't a warm, cozy treat, it might just make you smile and your mornings a little yummier. 

Pumpkins are not just the perfect squash to carve silly or spooky faces into, they are actually really healthy.  They are packed with disease-fighting nutrients.  They are rich in antioxidants, vitamins,  and minerals, and both the flesh and seeds are equally nutritious.  Best part, they will not hurt your waist line (unless it is in a pie) because they are low in fat and calories.    

Pumpkins are high in:

Alpha-carotene and beta-carotene- these are powerful antioxidants and are pro-vitamin A carotenoids, meaning the body transforms them to vitamin A.  The beta-carotene might also reverse skin damage caused by the sun and act as an anti-inflamimatory.  Alpha-carotene is thought to slow the aging process and also reduce the risk of developing cataracts and prevent tumor growth. 

Fiber- one-half cup serving contains 5 grams of fiber.  Fiber helps reduce bad cholesterol levels, protect the body from heart disease, controls blood sugar levels, promotes healthy digestion and plays a critical role in weight loss. 

Vitamins C and E- the C in pumpkins boosts immunity, reduces the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, and regulates cholesterol levels.  The E in pumpkins promotes healthy skin by protecting the body from sun damage and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and certain cancers. 

Potassium- aids in balancing fluid levels in the body, promotes strong bones, is necessary for energy production, and helps to control blood pressure. 

                                                                                     *according to Jennifer Murray from Suite 101

Pumpkin Spiced Latte Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp of maple syrup

1 frozen banana

sprinkle of Pumpkin Pie Spice (I got this at Trader Joes)

* 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Amazing Chocolate Meal

*optional.  I do this for my morning breakfast and love it.  On the days I need an extra treat,  I add some dark chocolate chips.

Also, I left out kale.  I do blend it into my smoothies for added nutrients. 

There are so many options you could do to add a little flare- vanilla ice cream, yogurt, chia seeds, spinach, dark chocolate....  

If you make smoothies regularly, get in the habit of freezing bananas.  I always have them in my freezer and they do wonders for smoothies.  They make it creamy and add just the right amount of sweetness. 

FYI- this smoothie without the Amazing Grass powder is only about 195 calories.  With the Amazing Grass it close to 305.  Not bad for a breakfast with all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.  Plus it keeps me satisfied (and the kids) until lunch.

Directions- combine all ingredients and BLEND baby BLEND!

You will be so happy you made this.  I actually look forward to getting out of the bed in the mornings because of it. 

 

Adore: Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion

I think we all know how much I love my smoothies and juices in the morning.  However, I just found the perfect protein/energy/grass/100% magic powder to marry my smoothies.  It is called Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion by Amazing Grass.  Oh-my-gawd, it is yummy and ridiculously healthy.  I have tried other protein powders but really there is no comparison.  I like Vega, but I was getting a little tired of the Natural flavor.  Vega is pretty sweet because it is made by a vegan and professional Ironman Triathlete.  I really love the nutrients in Vega but really, it made whatever I made taste like grass.  I possibly need to try another flavor.  In the meantime, I am over the moon about Amazing Meal. 

Why Amazing Meal is wicked awesome:

• Organic, raw, vegan, gluten free, soy free, and dairy free.


• One scoop has 10 grams of protein containing all essential amino acids


• Rich in antioxidant and phytonutrients. 


• It has chlorophyll rich organic wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa, and kale.


• Organic super fruit- acai and goji berries


• Has 6 grams of fiber to keep things running smooth, balance blood sugar, and improve digestion


• It has a healthy dose of digestive enzymes and probiotics to help support digestion


• 100% whole nutrition, no fillers or isolated vitamins

Main Ingredients

Protein Blend - 15,000 mg
Organic Hemp Protein Powder, Organic Rice Protein
Greens Blend - 3,100 mg
Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Kale, Organic Alfalfa

Antioxidant Fruit & Vegetable Blend - 2,800 mg
Organic Açaí, Organic Carrot, Organic Blueberry, Organic Goji, Organic Rose Hips, Organic Maca, Organic Banana

Organic Flax Seed Powder - 500 mg
Digestive enzyme blend - 20 mg

Other Ingredients
Organic Cane Juice, Organic Guar Gum, Organic Red Dutch Cocoa, Sea Salt & Natural Flavors

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Here's the deal, if you aren't used to protein powder (especially the ones that aren't filled with sugar) then it can taste a bit earthy at first.  You quickly get used to the taste and compared to the Vega Natural Flavor, the Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion is de-lish! 

Amazing Grass is the brand and they have lots of products to keep you healthy and on top of your A- game.  I have only tried this.  Now don't be confused with the other Amazing Grass Chocolate products, I have only used the Amazing MEAL.

Today I woke up a bit groggy from surgery yesterday and this drink was flirting with my mind. 

Amazing Meal Chocolate Banana Smoothie

1  1/2 frozen bananas

1 hand full of organic spinach

3/4 cups of Almond Milk (I used Vanilla unsweetened) use enough for the consistency you like

1 scoop of Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion powder

Then with the trusty Vita-Mix, blend the ingredients.

I sprinkled some Chia seeds on top of my smoothie.

 

"You are what a sunrise and sunset are about,

You are what a SMILE AND HUG ARE,

When you walk in a room, no one else is there.

 Your smile and laugh can melt a heart."

-Jayne

On a side note, I am sad to report that our Napa date trip has to be postponed.  I had surgery yesterday and apparently I won't be fully recovered for swimming and a massage.  We are going to wait until I can fully enjoy my time with my only worries being; do I have the Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, do I get the hot stone or the aromotherapy massage, or should I finish reading The China Study or People magazine?  Those are the things I want to "worry" about. 

Nonetheless, my birthday will rock no matter where we are.  We are hoping to go to San Fran for the night.  I know my honey will plan something special :)