Day 8- Caffeine Conquered and an Honest Update

 
Yesterday was not actually a day of rest for me, but a full day of training others. What a joy! I never could have imagined this while sitting in my cubicle years ago. I get to teach people to do things that I love, sharing healing modalities that changed my life so that others can also find healing! But more about that later...

Today, I am actually taking my own advice. Because I worked intensely over the weekend, I'm declaring Monday my Sunday. I'll take things at my own pace today, resting for balance but also focusing on being active in whatever way best serves my body. I've actually started cleaning the house a bit- now that I'm cleaning toxins from my body, I want the air I breathe and the surfaces I look at to also be clean.

This cleanse has been a little bit harder than I remembered. Last time, I was already a vegan, so I wasn't detoxing from the animal products, too. With starting directly after the overindulgence of the holidays, I'm still having headaches, fatigue, aches and pains, and nausea. Most cleanses say that you will feel better within 3-5 days from the detoxing, but this continuing discomfort is illuminating the true damage that I'd done to my body. Instead of feeling guilty or berating past Laura, however, I am just going to focus on continuing forward one meal at a time, making the best choices that I can and knowing that I will feel better very soon.

I'm also surprised by the headaches and brain fog. Since I wasn't drinking coffee, I had created a fake halo for healthy products with caffeine, like green and oolong tea. I was drinking them every day while praising myself for not drinking coffee. Now I see that my body was still being pummeled by my most difficult addiction - falsely pushing myself forward. I'm finding instead, I can dig in to the natural energy and passion that has been here waiting for me by living a life that I love.

I was sincerely panicked to lead an all-day training without my "energy shot." Would I space out and forget what I was saying? Would all of the information fall out of my head? Would I fall asleep and take a nap while people were sitting there looking at me?

Guess what? None of those things happened! It was a wonderful, interactive day and I was fueled by sharing my passion for helping others find healing. I was energized by the excitement of the trainees. And I underestimated the power of adrenaline, which launched me out of bed at 5:56 am before my alarm!

What if I had let those fears take over and had sabotaged my efforts, this whole week of caffeine withdrawal? Instead, I found strength and an unexpected vigor. CAFFEINE CONQUERED! BAM!

In the interest of resting, there is no recipe today. I was only planning to write a paragraph on why I'm resting today, then here I go pouring my heart out again. But today's plan is to do what flows without a deadline- this post flowed.

Have a great day and I hope it's a fabulous start to week two for you!


Pictured above: Breakfast today was juice of apples, carrots, cilantro, ginger, daikon radish, and celery to enjoy with the gluten-free, sugar-free scone made by my very supportive husband!

Day 7- Chill Out

“Yes, you have to live your life with all its regular demands, but you also have to give yourself the time and space to heal.” The 21 Day Quantum Wellness Cleanse tells us, "Do what you have to do to keep your life running, but make a point to take some time to rest during the cleanse.”

Your body is extremely busy getting rid of toxins and resetting your digestive system, so go easy on yourself. You could need a little more rest than usual.

According to Wellness Cleanse (as well as Ayurvedic practices), your body does most of its healing, detoxifying, metabolism burning, and re-balancing work while you sleep. Aim for 7-8 hours each night.

• Sleep refreshes the nervous system.
  

• HGH (human growth hormone) is produced during deep sleep. Not only is HGH critical for restoration and maintenance of bones, tissue, and muscles, but it also helps us build muscle and burn fat. You must sleep deeply to get the full benefit.
  

• Sleeping regularly and deeply regulates hormones like adrenaline and corticosteroids, relaxing us. Testosterone and fertility hormones are secreted while we sleep, as well (upping sex drive).
  

And here’s a fun fact you can take to the beach: “An annual vacation has been shown to cut the risk of heart attack in men by 30 percent and in women who take two vacations a year by 50 percent.” Vacations reverse burnout, which is real and very bad for your body. Any questions? Now book that trip you've been daydreaming about!

"Homework":
Kathy writes, “Go to bed early with a good book, and sleep in as much as you can during these twenty-one days.”

Meditation:
“Take a few minutes to sit in the sunshine (or the snow)- or in a beautiful spot out in nature- and soak in the beauty.  Look around and see how life thrives without our pushing it to do so.  The trees grow and flowers bloom; day turns to night, the seasons change, and the complex ecology thrives on its own.  Notice how life as a cycle of pushing forward and resting, of action followed by stillness.”

Your body is processing to let go of the old, healing and rejuvenating.

Today, focus on saying to yourself, “I trust the intelligence of my body.” 

While you are resting today, let your food cook itself in the crock pot!

Comfort Food - Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Chickpea Curry
Since this is cooked in the slow cooker, the ingredients get gooey, but retain the nutrients.  Delicious!
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you may make it like a stew and simmer for at least an hour or two.

1 cup dried, split chickpeas
1 cup red or brown lentils
3 cups water (or more depending on what package says for chickpeas and lentils)
2 teaspoons pure chile powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 can diced tomatoes
½ cup coconut milk
Salt to taste
¼ cup cilantro (optional)
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced small (optional)
diced green onions

1. Put chickpeas, lentils, water, turmeric, chile powder, sweet potato, and diced tomatoes in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until chickpeas and lentils are tender.

2. Remove the cover and gently stir in coconut milk.  Add salt to taste and also sample to see if you should add more turmeric & chili powder.  Cook for another ½ hour to an hour.

3. Serve and top each serving with one tablespoon of cilantro, green onions, and a bit of chopped jalapeno.

*Note- I needed less water than the recipe called for. If you are home and can keep an eye on it, I would use less and add if needed.

Get Ready + Shopping List

Are you ready? I am getting really excited for Monday!

The Quantum Wellness Cleanse is “about choosing foods that don’t tax the body and make it work so hard; it’s about taking a break but not about starving.”

Remember to be kind and gentle with yourself as you are cleansing. Go to bed a little earlier (getting 7-8 hours is especially important  so your body can process the changes most efficiently), make some time for yourself, but also show yourself some compassion. This cleanse is pretty hard core- if you make a mistake, kindly vow to do better at the next meal without any guilt. As you get used to the changes, it will get much easier.

From my own experience, I do find that it’s easiest for me to be as strict as possible. If I have a piece of bread, then I find myself craving more bread at the next meal and it’s much harder to fight off the cravings. I “treated” myself with a caramel mocha at the end of the cleanse one time and next thing I knew, I was drinking coffee every morning, anxious, and not sleeping well. I had to go through the withdrawal headaches all over again to re-quit. So be kind to yourself and do your best to stick with it. It gets easier as you go.

Today, I made myself a "healthy" shake with protein powder and chocolate almond milk. Curious, I looked at the sugar content of the almond milk. It was over 20g, which is pretty ridiculous and truly not worth it as a source of sugar! So be careful, be sure to check those labels of your usual "healthy" products and double-check. I will make the adjustment in the future of using raw cacao powder instead, along with unsweetened almond milk or I may even try to make my own!

Okay, savor that coffee and toast, have your last omelette for awhile, and now get excited to meet the healthiest you! Hide that bread and stock up on gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan ingredients (I promise, you will find them and they’re yummy!)

So here we go, These are some of my favorite staples (shopping inspiration):
Tortilla chips (What diet? See!) Make sure they are certified by the non-GMO project.
Hummus (If you like it spicy, mix with Sriracha – almost tastes cheesy!)
Salsa (I like Jack's Special Garden Fresh Salsa)
Guacamole (Wholly guacamole or homemade)
Decaffeinated herbal tea (Mint helps you focus, there is decaf chai, Yogi teas tell fortunes!)
Brown rice or Organic Jade Pearl Rice (http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_heirloom_rice.htm) (My favorite!)
Quinoa
Pasta made with brown rice/quinoa (I like Ancient Grains)
Lentils
Beans of any kind
Potatoes (Organic)
Steel-Cut Oats
Nuts & Seeds (almonds, walnuts, pepitas, pistatios)
Peanut butter/almond butter (unsweetened, natural)
Vegan Mayo (I just tried Veganaise –it was not bad!)
Vegan Butter (Earth Balance or Smart Start are good)
Tofu (Organic)
Lots of veggies! (kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, garlic, broccoli, green beans, etc)
Salad (Lettuce, cabbage, spinach)
Almond milk- unsweetened
Coconut Milk
Maple Syrup, Honey
Fresh herbs (basil, flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, fresh ginger root)
Popcorn (Organic)
Vegetarian broth
Tamari (Gluten-free soy sauce)
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Gluten free bread (Ezekiel Bread has one with almond rice)
Try to avoid processed foods and buy as many whole foods as possible.

Here's an ingredients list for recipes that will be posted in the next few days in case you need some inspiration:
First recipe for slow cooker:
Carrots (at least 2 - they are great to cut up and snack on, too)
yellow onion
garlic
curry powder
ground coriander
ground cayenne pepper
organic potatoes (at least 2 large)
green beans (at least 8 oz or more)
chickpeas/garbanzo beans (one can or dried ones that you've soaked overnight)
one can diced tomatoes
1 can vegetable stock (about 2 cups)
frozen peas
coconut milk (1 can)

Second Recipe:
Brown rice
sesame oil
1 pound green beans
garlic
fresh ginger (or dried, but fresh ginger root is best by far)
chipotle chili powder
tamari sauce (this is gluten-free soy sauce)
Chinese chili paste

Message me if you have any questions!  Can't wait to start this journey with you!

Day 7 – Chill Out!

“Yes, you have to live your life with all its regular demands, but you also have to give yourself the time and space to heal.” Kathy tells us, "Do what you have to do to keep your life running, but make a point to take some time to rest during the cleanse.”

Your body is extremely busy getting rid of toxins and resetting your digestive system, so go easy on yourself.  You could need a little more rest than usual. 

According to Freston (as well as Ayurvedic practices), your body does most of its healing, detoxifying, metabolism burning, and rebalancing work while you sleep.  Aim for 7-8 hours each night.

• Sleep refreshes the nervous system.

• HGH (human growth hormone) is produced during deep sleep.  Not only is HGH critical for restoration and maintenance of bones, tissue, and muscles, but according to Jillian Michaels, it also helps us build muscle and burn fat.  You must sleep deeply to get the full benefit.

• Sleeping regularly and deeply regulates hormones like adrenaline and corticosteroids, relaxing us.  Testosterone and fertility hormones are secreted while we sleep, as well (upping sex drive).

And here’s a fun fact you can take to the beach: “An annual vacation has been shown to cut the risk of heart attack in men by 30 percent and in women who take two vacations a year by 50 percent.”  Vacations reverse burnout, which is real and very bad for your body.  Any questions?  Now go!

"Homework":
Kathy writes, “Go to bed early with a good book, and sleep in as much as you can during these twenty-one days.” 

In the interest of rest, here’s an easy-peasy dinner: 

Full disclosure: In case you noticed that the pic is a bit grainy...This is a recipe that I’ve made several times and it’s delicious.  The picture is a picture from my Food Network Magazine.  Appropriately as this is rest day, I will be on a short getaway with my husband and we will be dining out.  (That was not planned – very cool how things work out!) 

Mango Black Bean Sweet Potato
15 oz can black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 diced mango
½ cup diced tomato
1 minced jalapeno
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons red onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 2 limes

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve over baked sweet potatoes.  Yum!

How to bake sweet potatoes:  Bake 50 minutes (or until tender) at 400 F (205 C).  Split open, fluff with a fork, and stuff with mixture above.

This is perfect with a salad.  This recipe serves four, so I find that I usually have enough topping to put on lettuce and it pretty much works as the dressing, too.  I like to dice avocado for the salad and add cumin, peanut or canola oil, chili powder, and salt with a little more lime juice as dressing, but it’s not necessary.

Recipe from Food Network Magazine

Meditation:
“Take a few minutes to sit in the sunshine- or in a beautiful spot out in nature- and soak in the beauty.  Look around and see how life thrives without our pushing it to do so.  The trees grow and flowers bloom; day turns to night, the seasons change, and the complex ecology thrives on its own.  Notice how life as a cycle of pushing forward and resting, of action followed by stillness.”

Your body is processing to let go of the old, healing and rejuvenating.

Today, focus on saying to yourself, “I trust the intelligence of my body.”