Day Two- Seriously? No Caffeine?

How was Day One for you?  Hopefully, you are feeling a little bit lighter as you are beginning to free your body of common toxins.

If you would like a really super-powered breakfast, try this smoothie:
1/4 avocado, 1 leaf rainbow chard (or kale, swiss chard, etc), 1/2 green apple, 1/3 banana (Frozen), 1 tsp fresh minced ginger, a squeeze of lemon, and chia seeds soaked in water (1/4 -1/2 cup). Blend well. It's really refreshing, surprisingly sweet, and gave me a nice energy boost.  Plus, that’s three servings of fruits and vegetables already!

As I’m writing this, I wish I could have a little sip of green tea to perk me up and help me focus just a tiny bit more.  The No Caffeine rule has been, and still is, the toughest one for me.  Why is it so important?

Kathy Freston shares that Caffeine:

• Is a central-nervous-system stimulant

• Affects perception, mood, and behavior

• Raises dopamine, increasing feelings of pleasure, but depleting future stores of dopamine, making you need more and more

• Blocks adenosine receptors, which calm you and help you sleep, leading to anxiety, restlessness, and inability to sleep (but it does not take away the need for sleep.)

• Exhausts the body by stimulating adrenaline production, also raising cortisol (stress hormone)    Extended overuse of caffeine leading to stress fatigue and high levels of cortisol can lead to:  lowered thyroid function, cognitive problems, decreased bone density and muscle tissue, higher blood pressure, lowered immunity, raised inflammatory reaction in body

According to Freston, “The very things we take caffeine for – more energy and mental focus – are sacrificed over the long term by ingesting it.”

What to avoid:
Coffee, tea, caffeinated soda (or sodas with guarana), green tea
Energy drinks
Dark Chocolate
Coffee-flavored desserts
Medications containing caffeine

Enjoy:
Herbal tea
Decaf coffee

A warning, though – when I drank decaf coffee, I wanted real coffee and that led to one of my backslides…

And now for a recipe!

Spicy Basil Green Beans & Rice

1 Tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (optional)
½ to 1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger, or ¼ tsp dried ground ginger
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce, or tamari sauce
1 Tablespoon red chili paste (a little less if you don’t like spicy)
1 cup brown rice
¼ cup chopped peanuts
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)

1.    Cook rice according to package.  Before boiling, add a drop of sesame oil, some sesame seeds, and a couple drops of soy sauce (separate from ingredient measurements.)
2.    Heat the oils on medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet.  If using, add the chipotle chili powder and cook, stirring, for 15 seconds.
3.    Add the beans and cook, stirring constantly, until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.
4.    Add the garlic and fresh ginger (if using), and cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until beans are just tender, about 3 minutes. 
5.    Add the soy sauce, chili paste, and ground ginger (if using), and let come to a boil.  Cook for 30 seconds, tossing and stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, mix in half of the basil, and get ready to serve quickly.
6.    When rice is ready, mix in half of the fresh basil.
7.    Spoon the rice on the bottom, beans on top, then garnish with chopped peanuts.

*Adapted from The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen. Changed a bit by me.
Please note: Technically, soy sauce contains some gluten.  The ideal is to have the Tamari sauce, but if soy sauce is all you have, don't worry about it.  Progress, not perfection.

And finally, a meditation:

“Find a quiet spot and sit or lie down and close your eyes.  For at least ten breaths, drop down as deep into yourself as you can and connect to the part of you that wants to heal and flourish.  Feel the little buzz of magic that is getting stirred.” 

Think about why you are doing this cleanse.  Imagine yourself feeling lighter, happier, cleaner.  Be gentle with yourself and acknowledge that this is a big step- you are doing your best and are already doing better than last week.  Feel the pride in your commitment.

Use whatever time you can squeeze in – even letting these thoughts settle quietly as you breathe deeply is a good starting point. 

When I first did the cleanse, I would take 3 minutes out of my lunch break and close my eyes at my desk.  The main thing is to take some time to reflect and to let the good of the changes you are making settle in.

Asian Inspired Ginger Stir-Fry

Asian Inspired Ginger Stir-Fry (serves 2)
About 45 minutes total

Ingredients:
1 TB Canola Oil
½ yellow bell pepper, julienned
1 medium sweet onion, julienned (or red would be nice, too – then ½ onion)
2 trees broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces (not a whole bunch, just two trees)
1 carrot, julienned
2 cups peas, still in pods
1 small can water chestnuts, diced
2 cups sliced bok choy
2 leaves kale, sliced
4 green onions, chopped (top half of tops removed)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB fresh chopped (and peeled) ginger (*a little extra work, but SO worth it!)
1 TB rice vinegar
¼ cup sesame oil
½ cup soy sauce
3 TB honey
1 TB red chili paste (optional)
1 TB garlic powder
3 TB sesame seeds
Cooked brown rice to feed 2-4 people (optional)

Tip:  It’s a good idea to chop all of your veggies and to measure all of the ingredients before-hand so that you can just throw them in as you are stir-frying.  Otherwise, I get a little bit frantic…Better to be smiling and adding love as you cook rather than swearing and burning or cutting yourself!  This one goes fast.

1. Heat canola oil on high heat in a wok or large pan.  First add the onions, then immediately the peppers, carrots, and broccoli.  Sprinkle a little extra garlic powder.  Stir.  Saute for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, peas, and water chestnuts, then the ginger, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, chili paste, and garlic powder.  Stir and wait about 2-4 minutes (until carrots are getting softer.)

3. Add bok choy & kale, stir for 2 more minutes.  Finally, sprinkle the sesame seeds and toss in the green onions.  Reserve some of both for the top when serving.

4. Serve over rice (if desired.)

Enjoy!

Improvisations:  Would be great with tofu, shrimp, chicken or beef.  My husband kept commenting how beef would be perfect with the flavors… poor husband, he’s such a good sport with his pescatarian wife! (That means I occasionally eat fish.)
Other great veggie additions:
2 cups fresh bean sprouts (would add at very end)

1 cup zucchini in half moon slices

1 cup yellow squash in half moon slices

baby eggplant cut in chunks

sliced bamboo shoots, (add all of these before garlic)

chow main noodles on top.

Would also be really nice garnished with fresh cilantro, but I didn’t have any at the time.

If you were to add all of these things, this would easily feed four.  I would double the ginger and perhaps add a little more soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in that case.

And if you want a side dish:

Easy Sesame Soy Cucumber Salad

½ cucumber, peeled and sliced into strips
¼ sweet onion, julienned (or red)
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sesame seeds

Mix together, top with some of your sliced green onions.  It’s refreshing and blends with the flavors of the stir fry.

Would be nice with julienned peppers, julienned pea pods, and cilantro, too.  If you like spicy, mince up about 1/8 jalapeno to add and mince 1 clove fresh garlic.