tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61401984867056916252024-03-08T17:17:43.508-08:0028 DetoxifiesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-8564371193460044512010-07-25T11:48:00.001-07:002010-07-25T11:53:13.662-07:00Days 3-7Looks like I missed a few days. I've been so busy prepping food in the kitchen and enjoying it, I haven't taken time to post. I also dragged out the old canner and made short work of some lovely fresh produce I was given by a friend of mine. Too bad I can't sample it for another 3 weeks - it'll be better that way, I'm sure.<br /><br />I've been feeling amazing. Day 4, I had a slight headache and felt a little crappy, but for the most part, it's been a wonderful experience.<br /><br />Anyway, I won't give everything I ate for the past 4 days, since most of it was rather boring, but I'll highlight some of the tasty things:<br /><br />Alissa Cohen's French Onion Dip (with some kicked up modifications)<br />Everything Flax Crackers (these were amazing - I'll be posting this soon!)<br />Kristen's Raw Sun-dried Tomato Tapenade<br />Frozen bananas, blended with raw coconut milk and cocoa powder (DEEEE-licious!)<br /><br />I've got some more fun entrees lined up for the week, so stay tuned!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-57852105076565018712010-07-21T05:47:00.000-07:002010-07-21T05:51:51.334-07:00Day 2Yesterday was a great day, although I'll admit, I did have a pretty intense craving for some tortilla chips. I held firm though, probably due to the AMAZING Mexican flax crackers I made. (That recipe will be posted soon)<br /><br />Anyway, here's what I ate:<br /><br /><strong>Breakfast:</strong><br />Overnight Raw Oatmeal (super easy, super mega delicious)<br /><br /><strong>Snack:</strong><br />Spicy Indian Kale Chips<br /><br /><strong>Lunch:</strong><br />Leftovers of <a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/un-stirfry-with-ginger-sauce-i-love.html">Unstirfry with Ginger Sauce</a><br /><a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/cilantro-zucchini-hummus-i-love-to-talk.html">Zucchini Hummus</a> and carrot sticks<br /><br /><strong>Snack:</strong><br />Some fresh canteloupe and cherries<br /><br /><strong>Dinner:</strong><br />Guacamole with the Mexican Flack Crackers<br />2 tomatoes and red onion with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper<br /><br /><strong>Dessert:</strong><br />A banana, drizzled with a touch of agave<br /><br />Felt pretty good yesterday too, and ready for Day #3!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-3265623158764979642010-07-20T06:01:00.000-07:002010-07-20T06:11:16.559-07:0030 Days of Raw - Day 1What a perfect time to start up a raw diet. Summer is in full swing and everywhere you turn, there is a bounty of fresh produce.<br />I've decided to do a 30-day stretch of raw eating, in order to detox and to focus on eating better food. Most people have no idea what that looks like, and assume it means that most meals are a handful of lettuce and a banana.<br />I thought I'd keep track of my menu on here, especially so I can look back and remember some of the tasty things I want to make again.<br />So without further ado, here was Day One's menu:<br /><br /><strong>Breakfast</strong><br />An Apple<br />Lara Bar<br /><br /><strong>Morning Snack:</strong><br />Skipped unfortunately<br /><br /><strong>Lunch: </strong><br /><a href="http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/un-stirfry-with-ginger-sauce-i-love.html">Un-Stirfy with Ginger Sauce</a><br />Raw Strawberry Crisp<br /><br /><strong>Afternoon Snack:</strong><br />Fresh cherries<br /><br /><strong>Dinner:</strong><br />2 large tomatoes with sea salt and pepper<br />Zucchini hummus and carrot chips<br /><br />All in all, a very good day. What I love best about raw eating is that there is no heavy, bloated feeling from eating too much or eating bad food.<br /><br />See ya manana!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-6464650906734050562010-01-10T11:37:00.000-08:002010-01-10T11:45:47.271-08:0021?So here it is - the beginning of 2010. Usually around this time, like almost everyone else and their mother, I start thinking about ways to make changes in my life over the next year. I hate calling them resolutions, because for some reason, that phrase seems so trite and doomed to fail. <br /><br />This is also the time of year that I love to do a good detox. Sure, it's winter, and not really the time to not be eating warm comfort foods, but the social calendar gets pretty slim after the holidays, so it's perfect in that respect.<br /><br />My idea this year was to do a <a href="http://www.juicefeasting.com">juice feast</a>. Feast, not fast. There's no way I could do it for the full 92 days (although apparently you feel like a champ when you're done) I did want to try it for a shorter period. My initial idea was that I'd do it for 7 days, possibly 10 if I could hold out that long. <br /><br />Coincidentally, my friend Eva was also thinking of doing the same thing, and somehow, the 7 turned into 21. It does sort of make sense in doing it longer than a week and giving my body a chance to really get into it. Secondly, no one is really doing anything fun or exciting in January (unless you count being cold in that category) so it seemed perfect. One thing led to another and here I am, on Day 1.<br /><br />Unfortunately, my plans were changed last minute this morning, so I didn't get a chance to make a good vegetable juice before heading out. I did fill up the water bottle and took some tea along, and amazingly enough, it's held fast. I did just make a pretty good Carrot/Apple/Beet/Celery juice that was pretty palatable.<br /><br />I just have to remember that the first 3-4 days are always the hardest.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-41775089631058182372008-08-16T05:53:00.001-07:002008-08-16T06:05:58.294-07:00SushiYou're probably wondering why I'm titling this "Sushi," aren't you?? Allow me to explain:<br /><br />So earlier this week was my mother's birthday. After work, my father and I decided to take her out to dinner to one of her favorite restaurants, Wasabi, which is a great little Japanese restaurant. They have sushi that is fantastic. And not only is is fantastic, but it's super fresh. So fresh, as a matter of fact, that it leapt straight off the table into my mouth.<br /><br />Yes. My name is Christiane and I ate sushi.<br /><br />I enjoyed myself thoroughly and had a few sushi rolls and some steamed edamame, which is one of my favorite things of all times. And although I did feel a slight twing of guilt, the pleasure of eating again was much greater.<br /><br />But then it all took a turn downhill and I just couldn't bear to go back to the regimen again. So I didn't. I made it through 10 instead of the original 14 days. And I'm okay with that.<br /><br />This year was a much different experience than last year. Last year, it was extremely tough to do it, but I noticed benefits almost immediately and that helped spur me on. This year, I didn't so much. I felt great as I was doing it, but there wasn't much weight loss to speak of, which made it tough to continue doing it.<br /><br />So the Great Detox of 2008 is at a close, albeit a few days short of its intended completion date. Maybe next year....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-37013418431479942522008-08-12T13:35:00.000-07:002008-08-12T13:36:09.273-07:00Flying ThroughSo I made it through the weekend with flying colors. To be honest, I can remember that last year absolutely dragged but this year has completely flown by. <br /><br />This weekend, I went to a very large street craft fair with some friends. I must admit, I was rather tempted by the french fries they always have at these sorts of events, and they are seriously some of the best french fries I've ever had - salty, hot, greasy, and tasty! But I resisted and made it through the day with flying colors.<br /><br />My only problem this year is that I haven't lost quite as much weight as I intended to throughout the detox process. Last year, the weight practically fell away and it made it very easy to maintain the whole regimen. But this year, it's sluggishly falling off. Not sure what the difference is. I'm hoping it's not because i've entered in the "30" age bracket. I've heard rumors that once you hit that magical age your metabolism puts on some serious brakes. <br /><br />Either way, I'm almost done. I am finished on Sunday, so I only have 5 more days left. Judging by how quickly the first days went, I'm sure it will be over before I know it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-49686585469604864552008-08-08T13:28:00.001-07:002008-08-08T13:42:20.660-07:00Days 3 & 4I'm almost amazed at how quickly this has passed this year. Last year, I can remember the week absolutely dragging by, and I felt like I may never eat real solid food again. But for some reason, this week has just gone by so quickly. I can't believe I'm almost at the end of my first week. And to be honest, it's much easier than I thought. <br /><br />I did have a few moments where I almost wept, staring at a bag of Chex Mix, and then again after gazing longingly at a container of smoked almonds, but I survived. <br /><br />I have been experimenting with my fresh juices and have been trying to throw different combinations of vegetables in my juicer. My favorite so far has been the carrot-apple-beet-cucumber, which was rather tasty. My coworkers have dutifully tried every single juice I've put in my body (and to be honest, are more obsessed making sure I stick to the rules about the entire thing than I am) but they declared this one to be the best, by far.<br /><br />So now, on to the weekend, where I hope I win the battle against the evil world of Salty Snacks once again!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-67662907191832665402008-08-06T10:28:00.000-07:002008-08-06T10:29:56.843-07:00Day 2So the 2nd day has passed and amazingly enough, I'm still standing. I would like to give a hearty shout-out to the coworker who walked into my office, eating a bag of chips and declaring them the best things she's ever eaten, only seconds after I was talking to her about how I would kill for something crunchy and salty. But I digress....<br /><br />I did make it through the 2nd day with flying colors, although there were some almost-weak moments. For some reason, chips were calling my name all day. Seriously. <em>ALL DAY</em>. But thankfully, I made it through until dinner, which is usually the best time of the day.<br /><br />For dinner, you eat a soup that's basically pureed greens and vegetables. And let me tell you how tasty it is. You can't use any salt, but you are allowed to use Bragg's liquid aminos, as well as any salt-free seasoning. I used a healthy squeeze of Bragg's and a very healthy portion of Mrs. Dash's Montreal Steak Seasoning, which is by far my favorite blend. I also used fresh spinach, fresh collards, and fresh greenbeans with a piece of ginger. To finish it, I added just a touch of asian chili garlic sauce, which I think I could literaly put on anything. All in all, the soup was amazing and very filling, and it definitely holds me over.<br /><br />So day 2 down and a few more to go. (I'm not letting myself keep track of how many left until it's under a week)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-26655506337454712572008-08-05T13:14:00.001-07:002008-08-05T13:14:35.503-07:00Day OneSo Day 1 wasn't hateful. I do remember that the first 2-3 days are wicked hard, so I was expecting to have all sorts of cravings, which I did. At work, I have a dish of chocolate that sits out for people and I can easily look at that and not be tempted. However, any sort of salty snack sings a sweet siren song and I almost can't refuse. But I was strong and held out and adhered to the regimen.<br /><br />My new job is not extremely conducive to the routine. At my last place of employment, I had a water cooler, an ice machine, a refrigerator, and a bathroom all within paces of my desk. For lunch, I would just walk a block home and throw some fresh veggies in the juicer. Here, I'm a lot more limited. The water cooler is a flight of stairs away and I'm way too far to go home for lunch. I also am in and out of the office quite a bit, so I have to make sure I'm prepared with juices in my car. And going to the bathroom can be a bit of a hassle, especially if I'm out and about, and especially since I'm peeing every 30 minutes or so. (It could be more, but it feels like I'm getting up to go all the time)<br /><br />So the first day was a success - onto to the next!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-37896300584894334622008-08-04T06:44:00.000-07:002008-08-04T06:45:57.770-07:00Detox 2008Another year and another juice fast is here. I wanted to make sure I did this detox sometime this summer when fresh produce is so readily available and cheap. You can't drive more than a few minutes without hitting yet another fresh produce stand, which I absolutely love. <br /><br />This year, my goals are really to get my eating back on track. With my new job, I find it extremely hard to come home from work and cook something. I usually end up eating out and it's not always easy to make the right choices. I could also stand to lose a few pounds, and that's always an added bonus of the detox. My main goal, however, is to just detoxify my body and give it a rest from all of the toxins and punishment I've put it through over the past year. <br /><br />The first few days are always the hardest, so I'm sure I'll be kicking myself for doing the detox again. But after day 4, it's pretty smooth sailing. By the end of it, I remember feeling positively amazing and that's what I'm hoping to get back to again this time.<br /><br /><strong>Wish me luck!</strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-1678109103565612652007-08-05T15:36:00.000-07:002007-08-05T15:51:51.480-07:00Days 10, 11, & wrapping up the 12thIt must be something about drawing to the close of the detox that is causing me to obsess about food. Or maybe it's the fact that I haven't done any real cooking in my kitchen in almost 2 weeks that's driving me crazy. Sure, I've been experimenting with my evening soup, but there's only so much you can do with it. It's not the same as my normal process of scribbling down notes and flavor points I want to try together, hashing together a recipe, etc. Even though I won't be doing any real cooking for a few more days, I've already been making my list of what I'm going to make as soon as I can eat.<br /><br />My father decided to wrap up the detox a bit early. The original idea was to do the detox 21 days and then start the "ramp up" portion, where you slowly add the food groups back into your diet over the course of a week. Since he's on sabbatical, he will be doing quite a bit of traveling towards the end of the month, which will make it hard to maintain his regimen. So we've decided to start our ramp up on the 15th day, which if done correctly, should take us up to the full 21 days. (To be honest, I'm not sure I'm going to make it the full week - I've been craving some serious solid food)<br /><br />I've been feeling really good. Although the routine is a tad monotonous at times, it really does help to break up my days, especially if I'm working. I also feel really good and haven't had any headaches or irritability that normally comes from detoxing.<br /><br />For those who were curious about the weight loss, my father is up to 18 pounds lost, which he was very excited about. Good for him! I am up to(or should I say down) 13 pounds, which is actually pretty cool. I'm be satisfied if I dropped another 3 or 5, but I'm good with where I'm at.<br /><br />All in all, I think the detox has been very successful. Although I can't be technical about the amount of toxins I have left in my body or those that I lost, I can say that I feel pretty darn amazing. I have energy, I'm sleeping very well at night, and overall feel pretty spiff. I could definitely see doing this routine once every 6 months or so (although perhaps not for the full 21 days) just to give my body a break.<br /><br />BTW, this detox was based on the book "<a href="http://www.21pounds21days.com/">21 Pounds in 21 Days</a>." It's gotten some mixed reviews, but i thought it was a fairly good detox diet. I do agree with some of the criticisms in that most of the book is testimonials and not solid information and buying the kit is more expensive than just buying what you need at your natural food store. But overall, I was very satisfied with it and plan on doing it again in the future. <br /><br />I'll be back later this week with reports of the Ramp Up.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-5679849433437623702007-08-02T17:58:00.000-07:002007-08-02T14:08:03.935-07:00Days 8 & 9 - the RevisionI'm happy to say I'm still feeling quite fantastic on this whole little detox thing. Although I've still got the same cravings, I'm feeling quite lovely.<br /><br />And - we're starting our "ramp up" on Wednesday, which is where you finish out the detox by adding certain foods every day so you don't throw your body into shock by going straight back to regular foods. I believe fresh vegetables in their natural state (aka. salad) are on the docket for Wednesday, although I'm still trying to remind myself that fresh vegetables does not equal nachos, which I've had a very intense craving for lately.<br /><br />A funny story - I was at Walmart a few weeks ago, before the detox, and was just buying some vegetables. I didn't have a large order, only about 6 or 7 bags of different produce, which I placed on the belt. There was a little 7 or 8 year old boy in front of me with his mother who was eyeing my purchases for awhile before he leaned into his mother and whispered, "Why does she have all of those vegetables??" His mother, turned and looked at my order, looked at me, and then turned back to her son and with a dead-serious voice said, "Because that's what weird people eat." I almost started giggling because it was so odd, but at the same time sad that buying vegetables anymore constitutes "weird behavior." <br /><br />And now it's time to go start warming up "dinner."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-42519522830069688062007-07-30T09:34:00.000-07:002007-07-30T09:40:42.407-07:00Soon, you shall be lunch...<center>Isn't this beautiful lunchtime goodness??<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28cooks/952316819/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1219/952316819_e6daeb6d9a.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Lunchtime Goodness" /></a><br /><br /><em>Unfortunately, the post-juicer shot isn't nearly as gorgeous...</em></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-87835035562664258962007-07-30T08:24:00.000-07:002007-07-30T08:40:53.282-07:00Days 4, 5, & a touch of 6Allegedly, there was an incident on Saturday that involved a moment of weakness and 4 tortilla chips. Allegedly. If it did actually happen, I'm sure I would probably have felt pretty guilty (and had a slight stomach ache) for the remainder of the day. But I would have also have been reassured that I am 100% human. <br /><br />Actually, despite that "alleged" incident, I'm feeling pretty incredible. Honestly. I think I got my 1 cheat out of the way and I'm not really tempted by anything. I haven't felt hungry or irritable, and to be honest, I've got some pretty good energy going. I'm also sleeping pretty fantastically at night.<br /><br />I spent part of the weekend with my parents, and it was nice to have someone on the same "every-2-hour" schedule as myself. I did juice lunch for both my father and I, although I'm still having a hard time getting him to actually like the taste of veggie juice. I think since I've tried so many bad ones, and since I've been juicing at least once or twice a day for the past couple of weeks, I've gotten used to it, and have actually come to enjoy it. For the most part. I'm still using the same basic formula that I posted a few days ago, but I often will toss in whatever else sounds good, such as fresh broccoli or a beet. <br /><br />I also tried a great recipe for a soup last night. For the evening meal, we do a stripped down version of soup, which is basically nothing but pureed vegetables with some herbs and liquid aminos. Although I've made some pretty decent soups so far, last night's was defintely the best. It was loaded with fresh spinach, kale, fresh ginger and garlic, a touch of onion, and a touch of Asian chili sauce. It was so good, I'm sure a version of it will appear on <a href="http://www.28cooks.com">28 Cooks</a> at some point in the future.<br /><br />Thanks for the well-wishing emails and comments. I love to get them! And if you have any questions about the process, feel free to leave them in the comment area or send me an email to 28cooks AT gmail dot com.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-29166674783069343362007-07-27T13:45:00.000-07:002007-07-27T14:24:14.147-07:00Day 3 - Still hereWell, here I am, almost at the end of my third day, and I can honestly say I'm still feeling good. I'm never really hungry, although today I was in a training class at work that sort of jacked up my "every 2 hour meal" schedule. I did have a moment after work where I probably would have held up a convenience store for some sort of salty snack, but I made it through. Oddly enough, drinking a fresh veggie juice seems to cure that craving. I haven't really branched off of my favorite recipe from yesterday, and I'm still enjoying that combination of flavors.<br /><br />Last night, a few friends of mine wanted to go out for dinner so I ate my little dinner, threw some hot tea in my purse, and went out. Although they had dinners to die for (see also:grilled pizza, topped with tenderloin tips, roasted red peppers, spinach, and truffle cream, or an avocado melt with roasted red peppers, Gruyere cheese, and pesto), I actually wasn't tempted or hungry. <br /><br />So here's hoping I make it through the weekend just as smoothly.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-67962966789586749842007-07-26T08:43:00.001-07:002007-07-26T12:23:21.451-07:00Day 2 - In the MiddleSo here it is, Day Numero Dos, and I have to say I'm still feeling good. I keep waiting for the "Big Detox Crash" that they all talk about, where you are irritable and hungry and tired, but so far I feel good. Despite an intense urge to eat something crunchy and salty, I'm not hungry most of the time and look forward to my every-2-hour "meals."<br /><br />Actually, for me, being at work during the day is the most ideal. There's a bathroom a few paces away, which is great since I'm going to the bathroom a lot more frequently. Yesterday, since I was out of town all day, I used more public restrooms than I have in the last few months. I also live about a block away from the hospital I work at, so I'm able to go home over my lunch break and make fresh veggie juice. I picked up a pristine juicer at my local Goodwill for $4.97 a few weeks before my fast started and tried a few different recipes. Some were okay but most were not good. Today, I just threw the veggies I had in my crisper into the juicer and it was actually quite tasty. Here's the recipe:<br /><br />1 tomato<br />1/2 of a cucumber<br />1 carrot<br />1/4 of a lemon, peeled<br />handful of parsley<br />1/3 of a green bell pepper<br />Splash of Tabasco to taste<br /><br />For those of you know followed me over here from my other website, <a href="http://www.28cooks.com">28 Cooks</a>, you know i love to have pictures of my finished recipes. However, I've discovered juices do not really photography well or come out looking like anything you'd want to drink.<br /><br />Hopefully the rest of the day will be smoooooth sailin'........Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-25105036238509422662007-07-25T23:05:00.000-07:002007-07-26T05:24:31.470-07:00Day One and Still AliveWell, here it is at the close of Day One, and amazingly enough, I'm still alive and kicking. Actually, it wasn't nearly as tough as I thought it would be. <em>*knocks on wood*</em> I did have a headache in the middle of the afternoon, which was probably due to my separation from my longtime companion and steady confidante, Caffeine.<br /><br />It wasn't too hard keeping to the schedule, which is basically taking in plenty of fluids as well as some sort of protein shake or fresh juice every 2 hours. It was a tad difficult just coordinating it all, as I was out of town and spent the day monkeying around and doing a bit of shopping. It was also a touch hard going to some of my favorite stores, like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, and not doing my normal shopping there.<br /><br />To answer a few questions I've gotten from either email, comments, or from my coworkers:<br /><br />A - No, I do not have any control over the ads that are placed on this website from Google. I did give permission to have ads on my site, however I don't pick the ones that show up there. So any sort of colon cleansing/colonic/tar in your gut web pages you click on have nothing to do with me.<br /><br />B - I should have clarified earlier. I am not only drinking fresh vegetable juices, but am also trying to maintain as balanced a diet as possible. A few times a day, I am drinking some Superfood protein shakes, which are loaded with a lot of the healthy grasses (such as wheatgrass, spirulina, etc) as well as fruits, veggies, and protein. I'm not starving myself, but am trying to only feed my body with whole foods.<br /><br />And now, onto Day 2. Feel free to ask me any questions about the process in the comments and I'll answer them the next day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140198486705691625.post-49939331864983349702007-07-24T10:13:00.000-07:002007-07-24T10:15:34.963-07:00<strong>A Midsummer's Cleanse</strong><br /><br />So I've been kicking around the idea of a detox for a few months now since it's been years since I've done one. Although I eat fairly healthy and consume plenty of veggies and fruits, I do still ingest a fair shair of toxins and unhealthy foods.<br /><br />My father decided he wanted to do a 21-day juice fast, so I've decided to join him. For the next 21 days, we plan on only consuming fresh fruit and vegetable juices, supplemented with vitamins and plenty of water. <br /><br />I plan on documenting the process, which will hopefully be a lot smoother than I'm anticipating.<br /><br />We'll see you tomorrow, which is Day Numero Uno!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1