Creating a Sense of Gratitude in your Life. Every Day.

To start the year off right, try these simple practices to cultivate gratitude.  When you're feeling blue or frustrated, use them as tools to get you back to a positive head space.

Stop Complaining.  About people, situations and events that make you unhappy, sad or depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy.  No situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to.

Commit To Your Goals.  When we look for positivity in the little things that make our lives worthwhile, we leave no room for negativity and our goals come to the forefront. Instead of recounting all events of the day, filter out only the positive ones and make a note of them. It could be anything trivial, from your bus arriving on time, your mom cooking a delicious breakfast, to remembering to pay the bills on time. You would not believe how this helps you achieve your goals — by clearing the mind.

Be Kind.  To yourself and others.  It's scientifically proven to make you feel good.  Helping someone selflessly releases serotonin in your brain and hence makes you feel good about yourself almost instantly. Try doing one act of kindness every day to flush out the toxins of depression from your system.

Practice Forgiveness.  Hatred is a negative feeling and harboring it will have nothing but negative effects on your well-being. Stop thinking about the hateful emotion/person and let it go. Remember to forgive yourself too.  

Release The Past.  When you find yourself thinking that the past looked so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening - Stop.  Remember that the present is all you have.  Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

Be Optimistic.  Treat failure as an opportunity to learn a new and better lesson from life.  Never give up trying. Once you start harboring an optimistic attitude towards life, success will automatically follow.

Don't be Afraid to Dream.  Dreams motivate, inspire and expand our sense of self. They also make us happy because they give our lives a sense of purpose. Happy people usually love what they do, and if they don’t, they love who they are. Dreams remind us who we are.

Care For Your Body. Your physical condition has a direct connection with your well-being. A fit body and healthy mind is reflective of happiness. Start working towards the
health of your physical, mental and emotional energy by caring for your body.  Exercise and meditation help calm your nerves, soothe your mind and elevate your mood.

Give.  Cultivate a habit of sharing with others — your money, knowledge, service, wisdom, care, love.  Giving has many unexpected benefits from attracting more happiness into your life, to inspiring others, and changing the lives of those you touch. In the end the whole world is made into a better place. Ask, “how can I serve?” Pay it forward. Give freely.

By practicing these steps daily and being conscious of them, you will learn gratitude at a level you could never appreciate before. You’re made out of love, and there’s an opportunity at every corner to show it.  Excerpted from wake Up World

 

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.”  - Denis Waitley

Eating Healthy Over the Holidays

The holiday season is a time to celebrate with family and friends. Unfortunately, for many it also becomes a time for over-eating and weight gain. You can change this. Focus on a healthy balance of food, activity, and fun. By implementing a few simple tips you can stay healthy through the holiday season.

Keep in mind that these tips are not about "dieting".  I don't believe dieting works.  It's about maintaining a healthy lifestyle over the holidays so that you don't feel like a total slug come January 1.


Be realistic. Don’t try to lose pounds during the holidays, instead try to maintain your current weight.
  
Use appetizer plates. Using a smaller plate helps prevent overeating.

Harness the Diet Power of Produce. If you're hosting a party, add more simple vegetable and fruit dishes to your menu instead of heavy dishes with sauces. Your guests will fill up on healthy fiber without lots of extra calories. 

Plan time for exercise. Exercise helps relieve holiday stress and prevent weight gain. A moderate and daily increase in exercise can help partially offset increased holiday eating. Short on time?  Squeeze in a 15-minute brisk walk twice a day. 

Balance Your Meals. Don't fill up your plate with only the rich, high calorie food. Instead, have a little of everything, but be sure to include lots of fruit and vegetables. That way, you'll still be able to enjoy your favorite holiday foods as well as receive an array of important, healthful nutrients. 

Watch the liquid Calories. Alcohol can lessen inhibitions and induce overeating. Non-alcoholic beverages can be full of calories and sugar.  Even if you're careful, a long evening of holiday cocktails and wine can still add up to a lot of empty calories.

•  One cup of eggnog – without added liquor – has about 350 calories and 19 grams of fat.
•  One cup of champagne has about 182 calories.
•  One, four-ounce serving of red wine has about 100 calories.   

Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed. Savor your favorite holiday treats while eating small portions. Sit down, get comfortable, and enjoy.

Continue reading below...

Scan the buffet. Choose your favorite foods and skip your least favorite. Include vegetables, fruits, and foods that are simply prepared to keep your plate balanced. Resist the urge to go back for more by waiting at least 20 minutes for your brain to register that you are comfortably full. If you're still hungry, eat more vegetables and drink water.

If you do splurge, don't beat yourself up, the experts say. Just get right back to normal eating and exercising, and try to do a better job at the next party. 

Avoid hanging around the food.  If you catch yourself socializing around the buffet table find away to bring to move the conversation into another room that doesn’t have food. When you socialize around food the more likely you are to snack more.  

Limit the Sweets. Remember that rich, sugary foods have a way of making you crave even more rich and sugary foods. If you do have a craving for something sweet, try to satisfy it with a piece of fruit or a bit of dark chocolate, or take half a serving of that piece of pie that you just can't resist.

Roast or Grill for Rich Flavor.  Roasting or grilling meat, seafood, vegetables, and potatoes, is a simple, low-calorie cooking style that brings out the natural sweetness and flavor in foods. Roasted sweet potatoes with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and a spritz of butter spray are delicious substitutes for the traditional calorie-laden casserole.  

Bring a healthy dish. Bring your favorite healthy dish to holiday parties.  This is great for vegetarians and vegans because you know you have something great to eat besides chips.  It also introduces your friends and families to something festive and healthy! 

Take the focus off food. Turn candy and cookie making time into non-edible projects like making wreaths, dough art decorations or a gingerbread house. Plan group activities with family and friends that aren’t all about food.

Be Assertive. Don't feel you must say yes to everyone that offers you something to eat or drink. If you are not hungry, then just say so. Don’t let yourself be pressured into eating something that you really don’t want.

Eat Before You Go to Parties. Never go to a party or event feeling hungry. If you arrive to a party feeling really hungry because you have been “saving up” your calories all day, you risk being so hungry by the time you get there that you lose control over how much you eat. Instead, eat well throughout the day, eating small, healthy snacks like a handful of nuts or apple slices and almond butter. And be sure to drink plenty of water. Before leaving for a party, eat a light snack to curb your appetite. You will be less tempted to over-indulge.

Practice Healthy Holiday Cooking. Preparing favorite dishes lower in fat and calories will help promote healthy holiday eating. Incorporate some of these simple-cooking tips in traditional holiday recipes to make them healthier.

• Gravy — Refrigerate the gravy to harden fat. Skim the fat off. This will save a whopping 56 gm of fat per cup.
• Dressing — Use a little less bread and add more onions, garlic, celery, and vegetables. Add fruits such as cranberries or apples. Moisten or flavor with low-fat, low-sodium stock.
• Turkey – Enjoy delicious, roasted turkey breast without the skin and save 11 grams of saturated fat per 3 oz. serving.
• Mashed Potato — Use skim milk, stock, roasted garlic and olive oil instead of whole milk and butter.
• Quick Holiday Nog — Four bananas, 1-1/2 cups skim milk or soymilk, 1-1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon rum extract, and ground nutmeg. Blend all ingredients except nutmeg. Puree until smooth. Top with nutmeg.
• Desserts — Make pumpkin pie with walnut crust. Top cakes with fresh fruit or fruit sauce instead of fattening frosting.  Or serve dark chocolate-dipped strawberries for a colorful and delicious finale.

Use these tips to take control of holiday eating, not be a slave to your cravings and to the convenience of a party buffet. In the long run, your mind and body will thank you.

Tips for Nutritional Healing

These are just a few of the incredible discoveries I made through the ton of research I did for my 6-week cleanse earlier this year. 

Foods to enjoy daily:

• At the top of the list are cruciferous veggies.  Eat as much as you can, but at least one serving raw and one cooked every day.  The health benefits are amazing!
• Eat your greens - the darker the better!  Shoot for 8 servings a day.  This has been shown to decrease risk of cancer and a whole host of other ailments.
• Raw oats, sprouted nuts, and low-sugar fruits. Combined they truly are the breakfast of champions.
• Hot lemon water in the morning 
• Drink lots of water and green tea throughout the day

Healthy food substitutes:

• Instead of chips, try rice or raw crackers with supergreens mix or raw nut cheese
• Instead of a candy bar, try carob-almond milk or raw walnut-cacao dreamy bars
• Instead of a cookie, try an apple with raw almond butter, or bake some healthy cookies like these sesame-oat-cranberry cookies
• Instead of that afternoon mocha or latte, try a decaf, sugar-free chai
• Instead of ice cream, try easy kiwi sorbet

“The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.” - Thomas Edison

Some of the key tips I want to share are about how to reduce your dependence on the 3 worst enemies of the standard American diet - Salt, Sugar, and Fat.  This trinity isn't wholly bad, but the quantities many of us ingest definitely are detrimental to our health and longevity.  Read Michael Moss' book Salt, Sugar, Fat to learn more.

Salt:

• The key here is to take control of your eating.  Cut out, or way back, on the processed foods; and start cooking at home.
• When cooking at home, try adding salt only at the end.  If the food still tastes a bit bland, jazz it up with lemon, garlic, chilies, or other spices.  And don't leave the salt shaker on the table.
• At the grocery store, look for unsalted or low-salt varieties
• Always taste your food before you salt

Sugar:

• This one's critical - Eat less sugar!  Lightly sweeten with alternatives like dates, orange juice, honey, brown rice syrup, or sucanat. Here's a great list.
• Don't go "low fat", this usually means more sugar.
• Eat fruit as a dessert
• Cut out sweet drinks
• When cooking at home, reduce the amount of sugar in a recipe.  And try using other complex flavors instead of just going sweet - coconut, fruit, nuts, spices.
• Switch to sourdough bread, instead of standard loaves made with honey and sugar.
• At the grocery store, read labels.  There's much more sugar than you might expect in salad dressing, ketchup, and many other condiments.

Fat:

• Again, the key here is to take control of your eating.  Cut out, or way back, on the processed and fast foods; and start cooking at home.
• Avoid all trans fats
• Don't go "low fat".  This usually means more sugar, salt, processing, or all of the above.
• Fall in love with olive oil.  Olive oil is great for you, and delicious in sweet and savory dishes.  Here's a full list of good and bad fats.

Healthy changes to your way of thinking:

• Don't eat foods that are out of season.  Not sure, check out this handy guide.
• Eliminate all processed foods, GMO foods, artificial ingredients and preservatives
• Eat whole foods 
• Eat all the vegetables you want - the darker in color the better
• Lower your intake of carbs + potatoes
• Try going veg or flexitarian.  Here are a couple good cookbooks by chef Peter Berley to get you started - veg + flex)
• Cut back on the coffee + alcohol

“If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it”   - Common sense

You Are What You Eat

A saying so cliched we've come to ignore the wisdom in it.

I was so impressed by the changes I felt after my cleanse at the beginning of the year, that I've decided to do a 2-week cleanse biannually.  One of the most pronounced changes was in my perception of food.  Not just something to stuff in my mouth when I'm hungry, or to enjoy simply for the taste, but the conviction that food is medicine. 

Americans are bombarded with information about "healthy eating," but we suffer from higher rates of obesity and chronic disease than ever before. We are told one year to avoid fat and the next to avoid carbohydrates. It's enough to make anyone distrust nutritional advice altogether, particularly anything that claims that "food is medicine."

If we're honest with ourselves, we don't really need much advice because we already know what we should do: eat a variety of foods, especially whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; minimize or eliminate processed foods; and be mindful of how much we eat. And, do some physical activity each day. If we know all this, then why do we have all the complicated nutritional advice, contradictory research studies, and endless health diets? In part because they give the food companies a way to sell more products. And for us, it is often easier to read about what we should do, then actually change our eating patterns. As a result, our standard American diet is ruining our health.

As a nation, we're doing less cooking and increasingly eating more processed foods that have little to no nutritional benefit.  We're also eating less variety of foods. Ironically, while 17,000 new products are introduced each year, two-thirds of our calories come from just four foods: corn, soy, wheat, and rice.  It's easy to fall into the pattern of eating fast, convenient, prepared food, especially in our often frenetic lives. But we are not nurturing ourselves by doing so. 

A John's Hopkins study found that only 10% of Americans eat the recommended "five a day" of fruits and vegetables. At least 50% don't eat any vegetables. Shocking statistics given that the people surveyed considered themselves nutrition "savvy". (American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2007).

Diet and exercise have long been two important ingredients to staying health and living longer, but now there is a belief in using food as medicine. Foods may appear healthy because the sugar content is zero or it's “low carb.” But real health cannot be found in synthetic foods which falsely promise health by focusing merely on numbers.  We need real food to thrive. Depriving our bodies of basic nutrition is more an attempt to fool our systems, not heal them!

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food"  - Hippocrates

Eating well is not just about putting good food into your body, but also about enjoying the experience. People complain that healthy food doesn't taste good.  This has a lot to do with the fact that we've become accustomed to the excess of salt, sugar and fat in our daily diets.  Every year, the average American eats 33 pounds of cheese (triple what we ate in 1970) and 70 pounds of sugar (about 22 teaspoons a day). We ingest 8,500 milligrams of salt a day, double the recommended amount, and almost none of that comes from the shakers on our table. It comes from processed food. It’s no wonder, then, that one in three adults, and one in five kids, is clinically obese. It’s no wonder that twenty-six million Americans have diabetes, the processed food industry in the U.S. accounts for $1 trillion a year in sales, and the total economic cost of this health crisis is approaching $300 billion a year. (excerpted from Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss)

The good news is that taste in a food can be changed. People often dislike certain foods because they’re not used to them. Once you’re used to a food, it can taste great . And when you know that that food is actually good for you, and is healing your body from the inside out, it can taste magical. Here's a great A-Z list of healing foods.

There are so many benefits of a healthy diet, but the primary one is that you only have one body. Does it make sense to harm the most precious thing that you have? Don’t wait until you have no choice but to become healthier. Adopt a healthy lifestyle that makes you look and feel better. A healthy lifestyle shouldn’t be something for the short term - it's a “lifestyle”. Head to your local farmer's market this week - it's never too late to start being healthy.

"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."  - Buddha 

Lessons from the Wild #4

Even when we can't get "away" to the wilderness, it's still important to spend time in nature.

Particularly for urbanite's, we need open green spaces to improve our physical and psychological health, strengthen our communities, and make our cities and neighborhoods more attractive places to live and work. Unfortunately, too few Americans are able to enjoy these benefits. 80% of Americans live in metropolitan areas, and many of these areas are severely lacking in park space. Only 30% of Los Angeles residents live within walking distance of a nearby park. Atlanta has no public green space larger than one-third of a square mile. And low-income neighborhoods populated by minorities and recent immigrants are especially short of park space.

Not only are green spaces are an essential component of a healthy community, but they're a great benefit for the whole environment.  They filter pollutants and dust from the air, they provide shade and lower temperatures in urban areas, and they even reduce erosion of soil into our waterways.

Green spaces can come in many forms, and can be started by YOU -

• Plant a tree - It's one of the most simple and effective things you can do to improve your green space.
• Create a Community Green - These are shared open green spaces on the inside of city blocks, created either when residents merge backyard space or reclaim underutilized urban land such as vacant lots and alleyways.  Communities that create backyard commons have increased interaction with neighbors throughout the planning and implementation process, which results in a stronger overall sense of community. 
• Apply to Install a Parklet - These mini sidewalk parks are popping up in many cities.  Parklets are aesthetic enhancements to the streetscape, providing an economical solution to the need for increased public open space.
• Create a Park in Your City - This takes more work, but there are organizations like The Trust for Public Land that provides tools to help.
• Become an Urban Gardener - Besides making your food as "local" as possible, urban gardening provides all the other green space benefits. 

 

Lessons from the Wild #1

I recently returned from a 4-day backpacking trip in the Sierras of California.  Though I've been an avid backpacker for the past 10 years, I never cease to be inspired by the awe of a vast mountain vista, or the tranquility I feel listening to a babbling mountain stream.

John Muir once said, "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks".

Nature teaches us many lessons. It reminds us that we need to constantly adapt to conditions, outside forces, and every day challenges in order to survive. It tells us that there will be a tomorrow and that there is beauty in simplicity. Nature is all around us, ready to teach, but many times we’re too busy with everyday life that we forget to tune in and hear what it has to say.  

As a society, we have gotten away from nature. We've moved from an agricultural country to a high-tech world filled with gadgets. Yet the current season seems ripe for many to once again get back to nature and to the land.  There's a growing desire to learn how to not only respect what nature offers us, but to learn from it, and to be in tune with it. From growing your own food, to composting, to preserving food, the time for getting back to nature is flourishing.

Every time that we choose to be in nature, we can also choose to be with nature. What's the difference? There are many people who go to nature, but don't really commune with it. When we're with nature, we become a part of it... of the whole vast and interconnected universe. We are free and playful.  Nature is creation, and when we merge with it, we merge with our own creative self.  

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.”   - John Muir

Your New Habits for Health and Longevity

As I mentioned in my previous post, there were so many great discoveries I made over the course of this 6 week cleanse.  Things that are beneficial and delicious enough that I'm permanently changing my diet to include them.  Eating right is certainly cheaper than buying a bunch of supplements, and it's definitely cheaper than battling a medical condition.

Foods to enjoy daily:

• At least 1 serving each of superfoods + cruciferous veggies every day
• A smoothie for breakfast, or chopped fruit (low sugar - granny smith apples, berries, melon, grapefruit) with raw oats or homemade granola, raw almonds, 1 Tbsp. essential seed mix (3 parts flax seeds to 1 part each sesame, pumpkin + hemp seeds - raw, ground) + maca powder
• Afternoon snack of raw, sprouted crackers or store-bought organic rice crackers with supergreens mix
• A glass of rejuvelac (great as a wine substitute with dinner)
• Hot lemon water in the morning 

Healthy practices to perform daily:

• Don't eat 3 hours before bedtime (giving yourself a 12-16 hour break of not eating) so your body can heal itself and not simply work to digest food.  Check out the great interview on "Forum". 
• Drink 8 glasses of water
• Reduce stress - spend more time outdoors and try to meditate for at least 10 minutes every day when you first wake
• Take 10 minutes of your morning (or at the beginning of your workout) to do 2 sets of Sun Salutations.  Hatha style - holding each pose for 30 seconds.  It's a great way to stretch your muscles, loosen joints, and set your intention for the day.
• Exercise 30-60 minutes 5x a week - Yoga is particularly good, or other aerobic activity 
• Get 8 hours of sleep every night  
• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly
• Eat smaller portions

 

Healthy changes to make in your environment:

• Switch to natural cleaners - it's easy to make them yourself
• Beware of electromagnetic pollution - don't keep your phone on your body
• Clean your air - open windows to clear out carbon dioxide build-up

Healthy changes to your way of thinking:

• Don't eat foods that are out of season.  Not sure, check out this handy guide.
• Eliminate all GMO foods and preservatives
• Lower your intake of carbs + potatoes
• Try going veg or flexitarian.  Here are a couple good cookbooks by chef Peter Berley to get you started - veg + flex)
• Cut back on the coffee + alcohol
• This one's critical - Eat less sugar!  Lightly sweeten with alternatives like dates, honey, orange juice, brown rice syrup, sucanat or stevia.

Healthy food substitutes:

• Instead of chips, try rice or raw crackers with supergreens mix or raw nut cheese
• Instead of a candy bar, try carob-almond milk or raw walnut-cacao dreamy bars
• Instead of a cookie, try an apple with raw almond butter, or bake some healthy cookies like these sesame-oat-cranberry cookies
• Instead of that afternoon mocha or latte, try a decaf, sugar-free chai.  Or better still, switch to green tehttp://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/benefit_of_drinking_green_teaa.
• Instead of ice cream, try easy kiwi sorbet

Now that you're armed with more information, suggestions, and recipes than you'll probably ever need, I hope that you'll use it as a guide to create your own new habits for health and longevity.  Here's to YOU!


To all the non-foodie cleansers - Thank you for your patience these past 6 weeks.  Though it may have seemed like a major digression from my usual topics, your health (which is strongly linked your diet) is directly related to your overall happiness, and being the best YOU you can be.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

    

The Results

Well, I must say I've learned a lot of new tricks these past 6 weeks.  I definitely learned about myself, and my cravings, and that I'm the boss of them.  I was pleased to discover many things I'd already been doing right, and I'm excited to incorporate several new standards into my daily diet.  Some of the biggest, positive revelations were:

• How refreshing it is to start off the day with a hot mug of lemon water
• That soaked dried figs and dates make amazing, natural substitutes for sugar
• A glass of Rejuvelac is a tasty and uplifting alternative to an afternoon coffee 
• That I was able to break all of my cravings in as little as a few days, and in only 2 weeks for the stronger ones 
• That I haven't been nearly adventurous enough when it comes to making my own herbal teas, and how nice it is to have the knowledge of what herb to use for each medicinal purpose
• Raw, sprouted breads are not only delicious, but good for you and a cinch to make
• That just 2-3 days on a juice cleanse can really clean you out - and it's tasty too!
• What have I been thinking by never adding yam to my smoothies before?!
• Salted nuts are OK as an afternoon snack, but some raw sprouted almonds + flax-rice crackers with Supergreens mix is way tastier 
• That a macrobiotic diet makes a lot of sense.  You eat delicious + nutritious foods, feel satisfied, full of energy, and detoxify all at once.  I'll definitely be incorporating much more of these principles into my standard regime.

Truth be told, there were also a few cons (or things I'm still unclear offer more benefit):

• Raw, sprouted grains.  They're tasty made into raw breads + crackers, but not so much as a side dish.
• A full "Raw" diet in general.  I really liked some of the dishes I discovered - raw cheeses, nut mylks, raw quiche, marinated beet salad, raw carrot cake, chilled soups - and will continue to include in my regular diet going forward.  But, both my boyfriend and I experienced lots of loud stomach gurgling, which I discovered is not uncommon for a raw foods diet for the first 90 days of transition.  Also, I'm just not convinced that eating cooked whole grains and other well-prepared cooked foods is a bad thing.  I will incorporate more raw in general and now have some great, new recipes to pull from.

 
Overall, it was a great experience!

• My energy is high and stable
• My skin is clear
• I lost weight
• My teeth are whiter (from making my own sugar-free toothpaste)
• My nails are super-strong now

What were the biggest surprises?   

• How satisfying most of the meals were.  Even the juice cleanse brought it's own satisfaction, because we felt so good and energetic with our systems not being bogged down with it's constant effort of digestion.
• That it took up to 2 weeks to break my habits + cravings for a cup of coffee in the morning and a glass of wine with dinner.  After that, I barely gave them a second thought.
• That I could use so much olive oil and nuts and still lose weight
• What a powerful stimulant coffee is.  Before the cleanse I was drinking 1-2 big cups a day.  Now, I'm down to 1 small cup and still feel the effects up to 5 hours later!  My boyfriend is having the same experience - jittery, sweating, teeth clenching, difficulty sleeping - none of which occurred during the cleanse.  By comparison to green tea, this stuff is rocket fuel and should be used with caution, and in moderation. 

So, would I do it again?  

Yes!  I plan to make cleansing a bi-annual ritual as well, as eating healthier all the time.  I feel great on a vegetarian diet and will definitely be limiting my consumption of sugar and non whole grains going forward. 

What would I do differently?  
In the future, I feel it makes more sense for me to detox for 2-3 weeks every 6 months. Doing it after the start of the new year feels like the right time, and during swimsuit season.  I'll follow a combo macro-raw diet with a juice fast in the middle.  No need for the slow reintroduction period.  I'll still following the basic meal plan structure I outlined and prepare many of the same recipes.  Next time, since I'll already be starting from a healthier point, I'll prepare simpler dishes for the cleanse - cooked brown rice or kitchari, superfoods + lightly cooked cruciferous veggies, sprouted + fermented foods, and raw foods, follow the 6 golden rules of detox, and include many of the extra detoxification habits into my routine.

Another valuable thing I learned:  
These lessons are even more important as we get older.  Eating healthy in old age increases psychological acuteness, resistance to disease and illness, provides higher energy levels, faster recuperation times, and better control of chronic health problems.  Eating well can also be the key to a positive view and staying emotionally balanced.  So why not start now?

Eating a meal full of vital nutrients has a positive effect on healthy aging, and it prevents the decline that can come along with it.  Keeping fit as you get older includes a reasonable combination of a balanced diet and suitable exercise.  There's an excellent film Forks Over Knives that talks about how diet can prevent, and even cure, long-term illnesses and eliminate our dependency on costly pharmaceuticals as we get older.


I know that I want to age better than my parents, and their parents did.  And now I know I can.  There's no time like the present to start those good habits for a long, and healthy life. 

“The best and most efficient pharmacy is within your own system.”  - Robert C. Peale

Reintroduction

Many people experience a shift in health, energy, mood and mental clarity over the course of their detox.  You wonder, "Should I be eating like this all the time?"  The answer is "Yes!"  Don't imagine that you can just go back to your old ways of eating without difficulty.  Now that you've come this far, it's a great opportunity to slowly reintroduce those things you've eliminated, one by one, to check your body's reaction.  If you do reintroduce something with a bad reaction, just remove it again, and go on to the next one.

Reintroduce Dairy.  Do this on the day after you've completed your detox.  Have a large glass of milk, or cheese, or yogurt, or all of them.  All in one day.  Besides that, stick to the diet.  Notice how you feel over the next 48 hours.  If you have adverse reaction, you could be lactose intolerant and should get tested.  Even if you feel fine, it's still best to minimize your dairy intake to 2 cups a week, or eliminate it altogether. 

Reintroduce Wheat.  Do this on the third day after you've completed your detox.  Have a slice of bread - in fact, why not have three? Notice how you feel over the next 48 hours.  If you have adverse reaction, you could be allergic to wheat or yeast and should get tested.  Even if you feel fine, it's still best to minimize your wheat intake in the long run to avoid developing an allergy (it's actually fairly common).  Aim to limit wheat products to twice a week.  With so many other delicious grains available, and armed with the new techniques I've learned during this detox, it's a goal worth striving for.

Reintroduce Alcohol.  Do this on the sixth day after you've completed your detox.  Like me, you were probably tempted to break open the champagne the very day you completed your detox - and why not?  We deserve it.  However, the reason you need to reintroduce dairy and wheat first is that alcohol increases your allergic reaction by irritating the gut.  It's best to start with a yeast-free drink, so champagne actually is the best pick.  Have a glass, or two, or three in a row and notice how you feel over the next 48 hours. Pay particular attention to your mood, and cravings.  Next, test yourself with beer and wine.  If you notice a physical reaction to these, and not champagne, then you may be allergic to yeast.  Get tested for it.  In the long term, no matter what your reactions, it is best to limit alcohol intake.  Yes, booze has it's bonafide benefits, especially wine, but it's still best to consume in moderation - ideally 0-1 glasses a day for women, and 0-2 for men.  On those occasions when you do have more, drink plenty of water along with the alcohol, have 1 tsp. of Glutamine powder in water before bed, and exercise the next day.  All this will help minimize the damage. Also,drink herbal tonic/tea like "Love Your Liver" or dandelion the following day to help ease the stress to your system.

Reintroduce Meat.  Do this on the tenth day after you've completed your detox, if you must.  The truth is though that a plant-based, whole foods diet is your best course to lasting health, and it makes a positive impact on the environmental sustainability of our planet.  You don't have to search hard on Google to find countless stories about the toxins in our meats, overfishing, hormones, methane... it's all true, and bad news.  Help yourself and the planet by switching to a vegetarian diet.  If you really find this impossible to do, please reduce your consumption to 2 meals a week, and make sure it's all organic.  Read more about the benefits of a Flexitarian diet.  Thank you!

Reintroduce Caffeine.  Do this on the twelfth day after you've completed your detox.  I opted to hold out until a Sunday because I wanted to treat myself with a fantastic Sunday brunch to celebrate the end of the detox and my success.  Most people, myself included, experience so much more energy at the end of a detox - and you've kicked the habit - that you simply don't need that short-term energy boost.  If that's the case, stay caffeine free, or make it a weekend treat.  If you do want to test it, notice your mood, and then reconsider.  Either way, it's best not to exceed 1-2 cups a day.  Switching to green tea, especially in the afternoons, is a wonderful alternative, and you get your antioxidant boost too!

Reintroduce Bad Fats.  Actually, don't.  And why would you when there are so many other oils that are delicious and nutritious.

Reintroduce Sugar.  There are so many negative side-effects, you really shouldn't.  It's much better to switch to alternatives - agave nectar, organic brown rice syrup, sucanat, raw cane sugar, molasses, maple syrup and honey.  These are wonderful ways to sweeten up your life with less of the negative side-effects.  Still, they really all sugars.  Try to reduce your intake going forward.  Better yet, start using soaked dates and dried figs instead.  Just blend them up with their soaking juice and you have something so tasty you'll never go back to sugar again.

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”  - Jim Rohn

MY Plan - Part 2 - Raw Recipes

Here are some tried and true recipes to help with your own meal planning.  I've taken these from my research materials and tweek'd them a bit. There are scores of raw recipes online, in books, and many links in my previous post.  Doing your own research to appeal to personal tastes, and checking out what's fresh at your local farmer's market, is a great way to get inspired to detox and not feel like you'll be deprived. All quantities listed are 2 servings.


Supergreens Mix 

8 Kale or Collard leaves
1 bunch beet greens (optional)
4 cups chopped spinach
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup chopped dill, basil or mint (I like to switch this up with each batch)
Juice of 1-2 lemons (to taste)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup organic, cold-pressed Olive Oil
Salt + Pepper to taste

Combine all in food processor until blended to dipping consistency
1 serving = ½ cup

Look-alike Mashed Potatoes

1-1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked for 1-2 hours
1/2 head cauliflower
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Water
Salt + pepper, to taste.  Rosemary (optional)
Parsley

Blend cashews, cauliflower, oil + garlic in a food processor.  Add water a little at a time until you have a creamy consistency.  Season to taste. Top with mushroom gravy + parsley.

Mushroom Gravy

1-1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. tamari
1 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. thyme
Salt + pepper, to taste

Blend all ingredients until you have a creamy consistency. Season to taste.

Look-alike Salmon Pate

1 cup raw walnuts, soaked for 6 hours
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded + chopped
1 shallot, peeled + chopped
1/4 tsp. kelp powder

Blend all ingredients until you have a smooth consistency.  Season to taste.

Spanish Rice

1/4 cups wild rice, soaked for 12 hours+ sprouted 3 days
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. red onion, minced
2 tsp. cuminseed
Jalapeno or chile powder, to taste
Lime, to taste
Salt + pepper, to taste

Drain grain, and let sprout for 3 days in a bowl covered with a dishtowel, rinsing 2-3 times per day until sprouted. Mix remaining ingredients with sprouted rice and let sit in a bowl for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld. Season to taste.

Wannabe Refried Beans

3/4 cups raw sunflower seeds, soaked for 2 hours
1/2 cup adzuki beans or black lentils, soaked + sprouted for 3-4 days
2 Tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (soak for 1 hour if not packed in oil)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin seed
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 clove garlic, chopped
Jalapeno or chile powder, to taste
Water
Salt + pepper, to taste
1/4 cilantro, chopped
1/2 avocado, sliced

 
Mix first 8 ingredients in a food processor.  Add water until you achieve a consistency you like.  Season to taste. Top with cilantro + sliced avocado.

Jicama Crunch Sticks

1/2 jicama, peeled + cut into strips
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (not a raw product, but full of vitamins)
1 Tbsp. olive oil (reduce if tomatoes are packed in oil)
Chile powder, to taste (chipotle, or your chile of choice)
Sea salt, to taste
 
Combine all ingredients and toss well. Season to taste.

Hemp Seed Ranch

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. tamari
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soaked sunflower seeds
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried dill or 1/4 cup fresh

Blend all ingredients, then stir in 1/2 cup chopped parsley. Adjust as desired.

MY Plan - Part 2 - Raw Meal Plan

This is a 2 week meal plan + 2 additional weeks of slow reintroduction to check for allergic reactions.  Refer to my raw structure in the prior post for breakfast, snacks and drinks.  Something to consider, especially of you're a "Vata" dosha or detoxing during colder months - Because this diet is raw, it can feel cooling.  Add warming spices like ginger and cayenne to your recipes to heat you up.  You'll notice that cruciferous vegetables and/or superfoods are included every day, and that the 5 elements are also in balance.  Remember to review your recipes 4 days in advance to allow for any soaking + sprouting time.  Desserts are optional, but if you include them think of the serving as a 3-bite size.  Stay tuned to my next post for more recipes.  

Day 1
Lunch - Beetroot-apple salad with horseradish cream, supergreens mix + raw crackers (made with leftover sprouted brown rice from the rejuvelac)
Dinner - Nori rolls with look-alike salmon pate, daikon "rice", avocado, cucumber, seaweed salad, tamari-wasabi dip, miso soup

Day 2  (special meal) 
Lunch - Spring green rolls, supergreens mix + raw crackers
Dinner - Look-alike mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, spinach salad
Dessert - Raw carrot cake

Day 3  (weekend)
Breakfast - Look-alike scrambled eggs and tomato jerky bacon
Lunch - Mixed greens salad with cruciferous veg, herbs, walnuts + lemon-tahini dressing, supergreens mix + raw crackers
Dinner - Mezunte burrito with carob mole, raw corn chips or corn-kale chips with guacamole

Day 4  (weekend)
Breakfast - Fresh fruit, sweet raw walnut yogurt, raw oats, 1 Tbsp. essential seed mix 
Lunch - Mixed greens salad with cruciferous veg, herbs, walnuts + cranberry dressing, "essene" or other raw sprouted bread
Dinner - Sunny burgers with raw ketchup on collard green buns, raw jerusalem artichoke fries with olive oil + sea salt

Day 5 
Lunch - Mixed greens salad with herbs, walnuts + hemp seed ranch dressing, supergreens mix + raw sprouted bread
Dinner - Spanish rice, wannabe refried beans, spicy jicama crunch sticks, corn chips
Dessert - Leftover carrot cake

Day 6 
Lunch - Celery soup, supergreens mix + raw sprouted bread
Dinner - Raw kitchari (seasoned for your dosha), palak, curried lentil crackers 

Day 7
Lunch - Leftover burgers + fries
Dinner - Raw pad thai

Day 8
Lunch - Mock tuna salad in cabbage cups (alternate recipe), supergreens mix + raw crackers
Dinner - Lentil and sage sausages with red pepper coulis, marinated broccoli salad
Dessert - Carob almond milk

Day 9  
Lunch - Curried cauliflower soup, supergreens mix + curried lentil crackers, daikon pickle
Dinner - Mushrooms with pesto, spinach quiche (alternate recipe)

Day 10 (weekend)
Breakfast - Chia pudding (alternate recipe) with grated yam
Lunch - Mint-pea soup, leftover tuna salad, supergreens mix + raw crackers
Dinner - Nori rolls with look-alike salmon pate, daikon "rice", avocado, cucumber, kale-seaweed salad, tamari-wasabi dip, miso soup

Day 11 (weekend)
Breakfast - Fresh fruit, sweet raw walnut yogurt, raw oats, 1 Tbsp. essential seed mix 
Lunch - Leftover quiche + sausage
Dinner - Mexican salad with cruciferous veg, with chipotle dressing, corn chips with easy cashew spread cheese


Optional Juice Fast  (recipes are listed in my Smoothie post + read these helpful tips)

2-3 Days (can go longer with doctor's approval) 
Breakfast - Liver Cleanse or Berry Power Blast smoothie
Lunch - Green smoothie - Detox, Mighty Green, DandeLion or Rising Tiger
Snack - Avojito smoothie
Dinner - Green smoothie - Detox, Mighty Green, DandeLion or Rising Tiger

Note:  You should still start your day with the hot lemon water, then follow with a glass of water with 1 Tbsp. psyllium husk. You can have any of the smoothies listed, but no yam or soy milk. Ideally, it's best to use a juicer, or strain out the fiber from your smoothie. It isn’t that the fiber isn’t good for you, but by chewing the pulp you’re not allowing your digestive system to take the rest it should get to expedite detoxification. During this time, it's also great to do oil pulling to help expedite detoxification.  Also drink several cups of herbal + detox teas throughout the day. Continue with reintroduction as listed below.


Reintroduction

Day 1  (raw) 
Breakfast - Liver Cleanse or Berry Power Blast smoothie
Lunch - Beetroot-apple salad with horseradish cream
Dinner - Shitake-seaweed soup, bok choy-granny smith apple salad with miso dressing

Day 2  (raw)
Breakfast - Liver Cleanse or Berry Power Blast smoothie
Lunch - Cabbage curry salad, daikon pickle, supergreens mix + raw crackers
Dinner - Raw taco meat, avocado, cilantro, raw corn chips or corn-kale chips, sauteed cauliflower with cumin + lime

Day 3  (weekend) *Reintroduce dairy + resume macro diet
Breakfast - Fresh fruit with plain yogurt, raw oats, walnuts
Lunch - Butternut squash soup, supergreens mix + raw crackers
Dinner - Meze platter with raw falafel, spinach salad with lemon-tahini dressing, cucumber, feta cheese (dehydrator-free recipe), besam chapati

Day 4  (weekend)
Breakfast - Fresh fruit with plain yogurt, raw oats, walnuts
Lunch -  Mixed greens salad with herbs, walnuts + hemp seed ranch dressing, supergreens mix + raw sprouted bread
Dinner - Brown rice risotto with mushrooms + parmesan, sauteed broccoli with garlic + lemon
Dessert - Carob almond milk

Day 5   *Reintroduce nightshades
Lunch - Roasted yams with arugula + hazelnuts
Dinner - Eggplant parcels stuffed with smoked mozzarella, mashed potatoes, sauteed collard greens

Day 6
Lunch - Raw sprouted rye bread sandwich with dijon marinated tempeh, sauerkraut, salad with beets
Dinner - Polenta with roasted vegetables + chickpeas, tomato sauce

Day 7  *Reintroduce white rice 
Lunch - Raw BLT sandwich with eggplant bacon, arugula, avocado butter or vegan mayo
Dinner - Indian spiced dal, cauliflower "gobi" + cabbage, basmati "jeera" rice, daikon pickle
Dessert - Badam milk (no sugar, sweeten with dates)

Day 8  
Lunch - Leftover meze platter
Dinner - Korean-spiced brown rice bowl with kale, kimchee, pickled daikon, sprouts, tamari sprouted almonds, tofu-ginger-tahini sauce (aka "I am Whole")

Day 9   *Reintroduce wheat
Breakfast - Smoothie, bread with olive oil or raw almond butter
Lunch - Roasted butternut squash, white beans, sauteed chard with garlic
Dinner - Pasta with tomato-tempeh bolognese + parmesan cheese, salad

Day 10   (weekend)  
Breakfast - Smoothie with homemade granola + nuts
Lunch - Buckwheat noodle salad with red cabbage, edamame, feta cheese
Dinner - Bread with mediterranean sides

Day 11   (weekend) *Reintroduce caffeine
Breakfast - Pancakes with dates + walnuts, orange syrup, coffee
Lunch - Mixed greens salad with roasted beets, walnuts, cider vinaigrette, chinese fermented tofu (similar to blue cheese), supergreens mix + raw crackers
Dinner - Vegetarian tamales with jalapeno, cheese + adzuki beans, green beans + carrots with roasted pumpkin seed sauce

Day 12 - 15  Combination Raw + Macrobiotic diets - dairy, nightshades, wheat, rice + caffeine OK

Day 16  *Reintroduce alcohol

Day 18  (weekend - Sunday brunch)  *Reintroduce eggs
Breakfast - Egg omelette with mushrooms + rosemary + cheddar cheese, fig danish, fruit, coffee 
Dinner - Butternut squash-sage-spinach lasagna with raw nut cheese, salad


It's time to resume your standard diet - new + improved - incorporating the lessons you've learned + tasty, new recipes.  I'll explain the in's and out's of reintroduction in more detail in my next post.

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” - Jim Rohn