21 days and 1 litre of Extra Virgin Olive Oil later, I'm done my cleanse!
Things I've learned:
• have 1/2 cup grapefruit juice with breakfast and 1/2 cup veggie juice with dinner. Any other beverage throughout the day should be water or herbal tea.
• have 50% raw and 50% steamed veg at lunch
• no raw fruit or veg after 4 pm
• limit intake of red meat (once a month) and no pork (bye, bye bacon) but enjoy chicken and fish several times a week (preferably organic chicken and wild fish – not the bottom-feeding, mercury laden kind)
• have an egg once, or twice a week
• raw shredded beets and carrots tossed with sunflower oil and balsamic vinegar is yummy and apparently a good cleanser
• no white sugar (which is refined using arsenic) – use raw sugar, maple syrup or honey
• use sea salt not regular table salt
Tonight I think I will celebrate with some popcorn (dressed in organic butter and sea salt).
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Cleanse... Week 3 Day 6
That's right folks, only 2 days (including today) to go!!
That tally so far... 10 lbs lost internally (ie. I haven't changed clothing sizes), energy is high, I feel fantastic, I've eaten a bunch of new things I hadn't tried before (quinoa, lentils, swiss chard, steel cut oats, broccoli rabe, white turnips...there are probably more that I can't remember).
The cleanse is great and because it's all food related, you don't need any other supplements or have to have and special powders or pills. My mother is interested, although wants to know the "science" behind it, but if she does it, I'd totally do it again. It's more like a restorative cleanse and 21 days is how long it takes for the intestinal bacteria to reset/regenerate. Dr. Rau says, "Our goal is to substitute healthy cells for weak or damaged cells. Providing the right nutrition helps create a healthier organ by establishing an optimal internal environment for at least one or more generation spans of the organ's cells." He then gives a list of Life Spans of Various Cells...Blood Cells–1 month, Lymph Cells–2 months, Liver–6-12 months, Nerves–2-7 years!!
Anyway, I found it fascinating and easy to follow. My main reason for doing this was to get my intestines working properly again so I didn't feel my digestive system working, so I would feel better and have more energy. Now that I've almost completed the cleanse, I have had a chance to see what I've been eating and what I really don't need to eat. It is a total mind shift. I'm hoping that I can continue eating this well and get the rest of the family to eat this way too. That's my next project!
That tally so far... 10 lbs lost internally (ie. I haven't changed clothing sizes), energy is high, I feel fantastic, I've eaten a bunch of new things I hadn't tried before (quinoa, lentils, swiss chard, steel cut oats, broccoli rabe, white turnips...there are probably more that I can't remember).
The cleanse is great and because it's all food related, you don't need any other supplements or have to have and special powders or pills. My mother is interested, although wants to know the "science" behind it, but if she does it, I'd totally do it again. It's more like a restorative cleanse and 21 days is how long it takes for the intestinal bacteria to reset/regenerate. Dr. Rau says, "Our goal is to substitute healthy cells for weak or damaged cells. Providing the right nutrition helps create a healthier organ by establishing an optimal internal environment for at least one or more generation spans of the organ's cells." He then gives a list of Life Spans of Various Cells...Blood Cells–1 month, Lymph Cells–2 months, Liver–6-12 months, Nerves–2-7 years!!
Anyway, I found it fascinating and easy to follow. My main reason for doing this was to get my intestines working properly again so I didn't feel my digestive system working, so I would feel better and have more energy. Now that I've almost completed the cleanse, I have had a chance to see what I've been eating and what I really don't need to eat. It is a total mind shift. I'm hoping that I can continue eating this well and get the rest of the family to eat this way too. That's my next project!
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Cleanse... Week 2 Day 5
Had some lovely Guacamole (with 6 baked tortilla chips) for a snack and a Black Bean with Cashew and Carrot "Burger" for dinner. Not too shabby. Tomorrow is Eggplant for lunch and Beet Soup for dinner. Although I'm not craving the sweets, when I took fresh made (not by me) Long Johns out to Craig yesterday (it was our 9th anniversary and he had to work a 12 hr day... I took 15 buns out for the 15 years we've been together... I know, too sweet, pun intended) I was mighty tempted to sink my teeth into that icing sugar piece of heaven. Drool....
Well, I'm almost done the cleanse. I do feel "cleaner"... lighter and healthier, much more energy. I've lost 10 lbs although you wouldn't know it to look at me. I cannot fathom that I had 10 lbs of toxins in me! That's is seriously disgusting. I haven't changed sizes so it must be all internal. Gross, eh?
I feel I've been remiss in the last little while posting schtuff. I told Craig last night that I feel all I've been doing to making salad, steaming veggies and then washing the dishes to use at the next meal. It's a lot of work! And then, because the kids and their daddy aren't interested in eating all these veggie dishes, I'm making other stuff for them to eat. Every time Craig tries a dish, he feels sick. Could it be that his body cannot handle all the veggie goodness? I'm also finding that groceries are quite expensive. I've been buying for the week and it's always around $200 by the time I get done. This diet is going to cost me $600 for 3 weeks!! Yikes!! That's one thing I wish I could change... for people wanting to be healthier, to eat healthier, you'd think it would be more affordable and the selection would be better without having to travel all over the place (gas is too expensive!!!). And would it hurt to get a Whole Foods here?!?!?
Well, I'm almost done the cleanse. I do feel "cleaner"... lighter and healthier, much more energy. I've lost 10 lbs although you wouldn't know it to look at me. I cannot fathom that I had 10 lbs of toxins in me! That's is seriously disgusting. I haven't changed sizes so it must be all internal. Gross, eh?
I feel I've been remiss in the last little while posting schtuff. I told Craig last night that I feel all I've been doing to making salad, steaming veggies and then washing the dishes to use at the next meal. It's a lot of work! And then, because the kids and their daddy aren't interested in eating all these veggie dishes, I'm making other stuff for them to eat. Every time Craig tries a dish, he feels sick. Could it be that his body cannot handle all the veggie goodness? I'm also finding that groceries are quite expensive. I've been buying for the week and it's always around $200 by the time I get done. This diet is going to cost me $600 for 3 weeks!! Yikes!! That's one thing I wish I could change... for people wanting to be healthier, to eat healthier, you'd think it would be more affordable and the selection would be better without having to travel all over the place (gas is too expensive!!!). And would it hurt to get a Whole Foods here?!?!?
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
My street
It is strange that I wonder what is in the delivery trucks cruising down our street... or is it even more strange that I judge the contents by the logos on the trucks. Mostly I wonder how people can spend so much money on their places (or maybe I'm a bit envious of it). I see landscaping trucks, furniture trucks, lawn care companies, renovators, restorers, hundreds or thousands worth of product and merchandise traveling down the street. Just once, I think I'll get a delivery from some hoity-toity delivery service to see what the neighbours say... Dream big Heather, dream big.
The cleanse... Day 3
I'm enjoying a half a grapefruit, 1/4 cup steel cut oats sweetened with one date, cup of alkalizing broth, 1 tbsp flax seed oil and 1/2 an apple this morning for breakfast (as well as my HMF powder and yeast killer). I'm trying not to look at the leftover steak Craig made for himself and the kids and trying not to lick the leftover S'mores Ice Cream out of the dishes from dessert last night...
Actually, today is not that bad. Yesterday I had a mini meltdown when the kids ate hot dogs for lunch while I was preparing all my veggies with a splitting headache. But today, the headache is gone and I'm trudging along through this cleanse. I can hardly wait until next week when I can have toast with butter and preserves!!
Well, for those who aren't suffering through a cleanse, please visit What's Cooking Wednesday for some treats... I'll be bookmarking them and making them in a couple of weeks!
Actually, today is not that bad. Yesterday I had a mini meltdown when the kids ate hot dogs for lunch while I was preparing all my veggies with a splitting headache. But today, the headache is gone and I'm trudging along through this cleanse. I can hardly wait until next week when I can have toast with butter and preserves!!
Well, for those who aren't suffering through a cleanse, please visit What's Cooking Wednesday for some treats... I'll be bookmarking them and making them in a couple of weeks!
Monday, June 9, 2008
My artist son
I had doubts that my children would inherit their parents' artistic skills. Not any more. It's all Tyler wants to do... draw, colour, illustrate. Today he told me he wants to do the drawings like the artists do for the comics (he means animation for superhero comic shows). How awesome is that! Here's a sample to show he's well on his way.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Slings & Arrows
I am currently watching the gift I gave Craig for his birthday on DVD. Craig has been working unbelievably long hours so we haven't had too many nights where we can just sit back and watch movies together. We had watched a couple of episodes and I'm totally hooked. Slings & Arrows stars Paul Gross, Rachel McAdams and a bunch of other amazingly talented artists. The New York Times called it "charming and lovely" which is totally accurate. It has such brilliant comedy and softly touching parts (the last 3 words probably shouldn't be repeated aloud out of context). It's SO GOOD!!!! And DVD is so convenient and crazily addictive, I just want to keep watching but I'm showing admirable restraint by turning off the telly and blogging before bed.
On another note, on Monday I will be commencing a Swiss Detox diet (cleans out all the toxins invading your body and apparently elevates energy). I think I've convinced my sister Jill to try it too and hopefully Craig, if his crazy working schedule will allow it. Lots of veggies and no meat products for 3 weeks. To a carnivore like me, this will be complete torture but if it reboots my digestive tract and gives me an energy boost, I'm all for it. Right now, I'm eating all the food in the house that I'm not allowed to eat after Monday (a bag of cookies, pop, lunch meat etc). What! I don't want it to go to waste!! (Jill did mention that perhaps the kids could help me with this...I figure if I have to go a minimum of 3 weeks without cookies that I need to get my fill now!). I wonder if I should have a wager with someone that I can actually do the detox without cheating...
On another note, on Monday I will be commencing a Swiss Detox diet (cleans out all the toxins invading your body and apparently elevates energy). I think I've convinced my sister Jill to try it too and hopefully Craig, if his crazy working schedule will allow it. Lots of veggies and no meat products for 3 weeks. To a carnivore like me, this will be complete torture but if it reboots my digestive tract and gives me an energy boost, I'm all for it. Right now, I'm eating all the food in the house that I'm not allowed to eat after Monday (a bag of cookies, pop, lunch meat etc). What! I don't want it to go to waste!! (Jill did mention that perhaps the kids could help me with this...I figure if I have to go a minimum of 3 weeks without cookies that I need to get my fill now!). I wonder if I should have a wager with someone that I can actually do the detox without cheating...
Sunday, June 1, 2008
When did this happen?
I look around and Addison is sitting. When I left her, she was doing her version of the army-man-crawl but now, she is sitting. She should be cruising around, pulling herself up on things but give the girl a break... she was 3 weeks early. I'm just so overly impressed that on her own, her has figured out how to get from horizontal to vertical. And she's so proud of herself. She'll 'crawl' over to an open drawer, sit up, and ceremoniously start pulling everything out.
Also, I've noticed that her new 'sign' for when she's done eating (or just doesn't like what I've made) is to gently pick the food off her tray and, while keeping her eyes solely on me, drop the food on the floor to the ever-patience pooches. I'll kindly ask her to leave the food on the tray and she laughs at me.
Yes, I certainly do have my hands full with this one.
Also, I've noticed that her new 'sign' for when she's done eating (or just doesn't like what I've made) is to gently pick the food off her tray and, while keeping her eyes solely on me, drop the food on the floor to the ever-patience pooches. I'll kindly ask her to leave the food on the tray and she laughs at me.
Yes, I certainly do have my hands full with this one.
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