Day 6- Drop Your Glass

Raising a glass is the most common way to celebrate and socialize. So, what’s the big deal? Why are we giving up it up?
Many health and wellness authors have concerns about alcohol:

“Alcohol…raises the level of hydrochloric acid in your stomach, wreaking havoc on the digestive process. If you suffer from poor digestion, then your food will not pass through your body properly... To make matters worse, some alcohol (and non-organic wines) still contains urethane, a cancer-causing chemical…And don’t kid yourself: When you have a hangover, you’re bound to eat shit all day long.” -Skinny Bitch, Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin

“Alcohol possesses no nutritional value, it inhibits your body’s ability to burn fat by more than 30 percent, and it’s loaded with empty calories.”
-The Engine 2 Diet, Rip Esselstyn

“Yes, some studies have shown that one glass of red wine a day (or two for men) may be good for the heart. But that’s only because we’re walking around with meat-battered, stress-stricken tickers, and a little booze helps to relax us, thins the blood, and contains antioxidants. However, giving up meat and dairy, eating your veggies, and getting some exercise will do all of the above. Red wine is a pretty extreme “medicine” for a condition caused by extreme foods.”
-The Kind Diet, Alicia Silverstone

Drinking alcohol can move our body into a low-grade fight-or-flight metabolism by raising cortisol (stress hormone) levels. Additionally, it depletes vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid, which can interrupt REM sleep.

According to Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, if you are female and are having even one glass of wine every day, you have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer, compared with women who drink less frequently.

Sometimes, we drink to loosen up at social gatherings. I would urge you to give your weird self permission to come out without alcohol. Why do we have to be drunk to feel free to act how we want? Of course, you could always be an ass and then SAY you were drinking- save yourself the headache and the health problems. Just sayin’.

I’ve often used drinking to loosen up/unwind from an awful day/talk to people/have a free stupid pass at parties. But I’m taking my own advice (and all the professionals above) and have considerably slowed down my alcohol intake in the past few years. After the cleanse is over, it’s really not a big deal to have a glass of wine occasionally. But now we know the consequences if we overdo it and will hopefully consider reducing the frequency in which we imbibe. And the best wine to choose would be organic and free of sulfites.

Alternatives to that glass of wine after a rough day:
-Take a bath  with essential oils (like lavender) and salts and breathe deeply. The salts will help to release any toxins built up from the day.
-Go for a walk or a run- it will actually increase the dopamine (happy hormone) in your brain.
-Take a yoga class. It will relax, rejuvenate, detox, make you feel good, and all that in just over an hour.
-Curl up with a favorite book.
-Just changing clothes can help to strip off the day and get ready to relax.

I've been playing with different flavors of sparkling water and I love to put it in a pretty glass. When attending parties, I often bring my own sparkling water and essential oils like orange, lime, lemon, Stress Away, and Citrus Fresh (Young Living Essential Oils.)  Sometimes I'll also add a tropical juice or my favorite- NingXia Red. Then I get a boost of energy, too, and it feels like an even more special drink than everyone else has.

Relaxing with some sparkling water and one of my favorite meals: Pistachio-Crusted Eggplant Cutlets & Quinoa with Roasted Tomatoes & Herbs.

Pistachio-Crusted Eggplant Cutlets
Serves 2
1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios (why do they say “shelled” when they mean “unshelled?”)
8 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 jarred roasted red peppers, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into ¼ inch-thick slices (6 to 8 slices each)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190.5 C) and coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Blend pistachios in blender or food processor until finely chopped.  Transfer to plate or shallow bowl.

3. Add sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and garlic to blender or food processor (no need to rinse) and puree until smooth.

4. Spray 1 side of each eggplant slice with cooking spray, and place sprayed-side down on baking sheet. Spread 2 Tablespoons sun-dried tomato mix on each eggplant slice, and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon ground pistachios.

5. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and pistachio topping is browned and crispy.

- Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Quinoa with Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs
½ cup quinoa
1 pound cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
½ cup mixed herbs (basil/parsley/chives)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 375 F (190.5 C), while cooking the quinoa according to package.

2. Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatoes, garlic 1 TB oil, and ½ tsp salt.  Roast, tossing once, until the tomatoes begin to burst, 15-20 minutes.

3. Toss the quinoa with the tomatoes, herbs, and 1 TB oil.