Day 15- Makes the Cheese Monster Cry and Say Goodbye

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my nickname used to be “The Cheese Monster.” At parties, my mom would hide the cheese plate from me or it was in danger of disappearing in minutes. My sister and I could polish off an entire 24 pack of Kraft singles in two days. Judging by the fact that I was at a hefty 140 pounds in 5th grade, it was probably more me than my sister… When I was diagnosed with dairy allergies in 6th grade, I listened to the doctor and stopped eating dairy products for 6 months. I was twelve and lost 30 pounds!

Unfortunately, after about a year, I rediscovered my love of cheese and suffered from constant sinus infections, headaches, never being able to breathe through my nose, and…well…a constantly uncomfortable tummy. I thought it was normal.

Dairy is NOT normal. We are the only species that drinks milk after infancy and the only species that drinks the milk of other species. And why did we pick cows? Cows produce the largest quantity of milk and it’s more economic to house them than elephants. (“Lucky elephants!” say the cows.)

“Cows’ milk, by design, grows a 90 –pound calf into a 2,000 pound cow over the course of two years. It allows calves to double their birth weight in forty-seven days and leaves their four stomachs feeling full. Sounds more fattening than human milk, right?  It is.”  Skinny Bitch

According to Freston, “So-called ‘2 percent’ milk may be 2 percent fat by volume, but it’s about 33 percent by calories, which is what actually matters.”

Remember all those nasty pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and steroids that you know are in the meat? By eating dairy products, it is just as bad as though you ate the meat directly. As a matter of fact, Eggs have 10 times the hormone content of meat and dairy, along with a hefty dose of cholesterol and very possibly, salmonella.

I just finished watching the documentary Veducated and was crying as I watched the male chicks either thrown into a grinder or simply tossed into the garbage to starve and die since they won't lay eggs. Though places that claim "grass fed" and "free range" can be certified organic, there is still no agency that governs how the animals are actually treated. No one checks on the word "humane." I feel like this really changes things for me. Here I was, feeling good about my organic eggs, picturing those happy cows on the organic farms, smugly wondering how "those other people" can eat commercial eggs and meat. Now I find out that the treatment of the animals is basically no different.

Dairy products have been linked to osteoporosis, allergies, acne, anemia, anxiety, arthritis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, fibromyalgia, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, joint pain, poor immune function, ear infections, colic, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autism, Crohn’s disease, breast and prostate cancers, and ovarian cancer.

Why do I have to keep re-learning this lesson? I swear off cheese, feel better, almost start to breathe and then...I dive face-first into cheesecake, "have to" eat the pizza, lose my mind in ice cream (pictured above.) Can I just say it wasn't my fault? That I was drugged?

Actually, yes. Casein, present in cheese, eventually breaks down through digestion to become casomorphins. Yeah, like “morphine.” So casein is an opiate, sending pleasure to your brain, soothing you and making you want more. You had no choice but to equate cheese with love. Not only are you drugged, but casein and milk proteins have been shown to “dramatically increase blood cholesterol and its associated lesion that leads to heart disease.” Not bad enough for you? It also promotes cancer development.

T. Colin Campbell is responsible for the China Study, one of the most significant studies on the pitfalls of animal products and their link to cancer and other diseases. After one of his clinical experiments, he wrote, “Even when huge doses of cancer-causing toxins were given to study subjects, tumors grew only when they were fed casein.”

The American Cancer Society recommends eating mostly plant sources and to limit high-fat foods, especially from animal sources, if you want to reduce the risk of cancer.

I was very surprised to learn that milk actually leaches calcium from the body! Where are the lowest incidences of osteoporosis on earth? Surely America, since we drink all that milk, right? WRONG. Dairy –free countries. “The more milk a population consumes, the weaker its bones get.” Yes, milk has calcium, but at the same time it also releases even more of it.  According to The Kind Diet, “Meat and dairy are the chief causes of osteoporosis, not the cures.”

So how to get your calcium? Eat fortified grains, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, cabbage, kelp, seaweed, watercress, chickpeas, broccoli, red beans, soybeans, tofu, seeds, and nuts.

Calcium Milligrams per 100-gram serving:

Butter
20
Whole Milk
118
Chickpeas
150
Collard greens
203
Parsley
203
Soybeans
226
Almonds
234
Sesame seeds
1160

“The Chinese, throughout their long and complicated history, have never included milk or cheese in their diets. It’s only in the very recent past that dairy has been introduced as a daily food, and with it has come a rapid rise in health problems like obesity and breast cancer.” – The Kind Diet, Alicia Silverstone

Where women consume high-fat, animal-based diets, the American Dietic Association reports incidences of breast cancer at the highest.

In fact, “in countries where dairy is not consumed the incidence of breast cancer is so low as to be almost nonexistent. Once women in those countries begin eating Western diets, however, their breast cancer rates increased eightfold.” – Kind Diet

So if you drop all animal products, these are the long-term benefits:
1.  More energy – Liver and kidneys work harder to digest animal products – you are testing this right now!  Do you feel lighter?
2.  Clearer skin – Animal meat contains hormones
3.  Alleviation of chronic conditions, like arthritis – “80 percent of milk protein comes from casein, and casein is believed to aggravate arthritis.” –Freston
(I can already feel a significant reduction in my chronic back pain and it's only been two weeks.)

Not to mention, much lower risk of all the other diseases listed above.

When sugar is back on the menu and you're ready for a treat, check out SoDelicious ice “cream” bars. They are made with coconut milk and they are, well, SO DELICIOUS! My favorite ice "cream" is by the Coconut Bliss brand- they have chocolate brownie and caramel fudge flavors that are incredible. I make “Tofutti” cheese sandwiches (best if you combine with veggies – the taste isn’t exactly cheese) and pizza with Daiya "mozzarella" shreds. Tofu can act like scrambled eggs, but be sure it's organic.


To be completely honest, I'm feeling upset with myself right now. I convinced myself for a year that I "needed" to be more flexible with my diet. It was a slippery slope into horrible health, weight gain, energy loss, and carelessly contributing to the demise of our precious environment. In our society where eating meat and cheese is a central part of the culture, it is very difficult to hang onto your principles, to choose tofu when cheese covered bacon is sitting next to it. To be constantly asked why, even openly challenged by loved ones and teased at gatherings. I was tired of being teased. I was tired of being "picky" and "annoying." But I'm more tired of being fat, sluggish, and achy. I'm more annoyed at how heartlessly animals are being treated. I'm feeling picky about the shape I want our earth to be in for my niece, for her children, and their children. I'm ready to stop whining, stop making excuses, and start protecting my health, saving precious lives, and preserving the environment with my consistent, daily choices.

Encouragement from the Quantum Wellness Cleanse:

Yes, this is a lot of information, “but with awareness comes resolve. The more aware you are of why it’s so important to change the way you eat, the better you will be able to stick with the program. With this knowledge under your belt, the cleanse will feel less like a restriction and more like the upgrade that it is. And should you decide to maintain these upgrades after the completion of the cleanse, you will do so with the awareness that you have made a profound lifestyle choice with far-ranging, life-long positive benefits.”


More fabulous recipes tomorrow!

Pursuit of Wellness

 

 "Wellness is very big among my yogamates. If Wellness were a person, it would be Michael Jackson circa 1984, and my yogamates would be screaming, crying fans jumping up and down just to be so near to it." - Yoga Bitch, Suzanne Morrison

In my breathless pursuit of Wellness, that willowy, lovely ideal of balanced health, I am planning to draw my focus to the physical aspect, but for once, my resolution is not "lose fifty million pounds." It is to "Be healthy by moving regularly and eating mindfully."

Ever blown it on your weight-loss resolution?  I have some shocking news for you: It's not your fault! According to Dr. Leanne Deardreuff, DC in Inner Transformations Using Essential Oils,

"Starting a weight loss diet in the winter works against the system and actually makes the body want to put on more weight since it thinks it has been thrown into the starvation mode during the cold months when it already needs to conserve all the energy it can. This is one reason that New Year's weight-loss resolutions often fail: It's simply the wrong time of year."

The trouble is, if you've gone off the holiday deep end like me, the body may be craving balance and respite from the feasting. Dr. Deardreuff goes on to say that cleansing in the winter can still be beneficial, "especially if your body is screaming for it."

So, to honor my screaming body, I'm doing a cleanse! I've decided to use my blog posts from 2012 that were based on Kathy Freston's 21 Day Quantum Wellness Cleanse, but I will also be integrating other things I've learned about and experienced over the last couple of years, like juicing, green smoothies, and using essential oils and essential oil enhanced products. I may even have some new recipes.

I'm starting this coming Monday- January 12th. Would you like to join me? My blog posts each day will have enough information for you to follow along, whether for the full 21 days or to flirt for a week, even a day here or there. If you simply read along without doing it, you'll still find surprisingly great recipes and info.

This cleanse is the perfect way to refresh your digestive system. It gives your body a break from all of the things that contain the most toxins and use up all of the energy for digestion. These items are:

•     Caffeine

•     Alcohol

•     Gluten

•     Animal Products

•     Sugar

Some of the changes you can expect, according to the author are:

•     More energy

•     Clearer skin and eyes

•     Weight Loss

•     Cessation of certain aches, pains, and digestive ailments

•     Release from addictive habits

•    A profound and deepened awareness of your personal power and the effect you have in the world

Well, those things sound awesome! And it's only 21 days. You'll be done by Valentine's Day...but will you still look at the candy the same way? Hmmm... So you're in, right?

A Refreshing Way to Welcome Fall

With the changing of the seasons, this is a great time to participate in a cleanse – a stepping out of your food habits and giving your body a break from working so hard on digestion.

The ancient Eastern wisdom of Ayurveda recommends simplifying both physical and emotional elements in your life.  For the physical, you can avoid canned and frozen foods for a week, opting for very simple foods, like soup, rice and beans, or just vegetables, focusing on one type of simple food for the whole week.  For instance, make one giant pot of soup and eat it all week.  If you can, omit cheese, milk, and coffee.  Drink only water and tea. 

On the emotional/mental side, this is a wonderful time to take extra special care of yourself.  Get a massage, make sure your house is clean to refresh yourself visually, use a sauna/steam room every other day, go outside in nature as often as possible and enjoy the quiet, listen to gentle music, release any negative emotions, turn off the TV, and find a yoga class or other gentle exercise to get your energy moving.  Ayurveda recommends cleansing for one week, though many other cleanses you can find go anywhere from 7 days to 28 days.  It’s all a matter of finding what works for you and your schedule, but still refreshes your system for the new season.

It is part of our American culture to rush ahead always, constantly pushing ourselves on from one thing to the next.  Our bodies are naturally in tune with the changing of the seasons and even the changing from day to night.  This is an important time to recharge- to let yourself get ready for the new season and take a little breath.

The most nurturing way you can kick off your cleanse is to make some homemade soup completely from scratch.  It is not difficult to make soup stock, it just takes some time to stick close to the kitchen mainly to stir and initially to chop.  Please enjoy this step by step recipe from last year, towards the middle of the post. It even has pictures.  The top is a little embarrassing, as it’s titled “Get Silly and Make Some Soup (from Scratch)!”  But enjoying yourself and having some fun is important, too! 

Also, the post is labeled as “Day 13” of a 21-day Cleanse from Kathy Freston’s book Quantum Wellness Cleanse.  If you are interested in participating in a 21-day cleanse, start here  and follow day-by-day.  You’ll find the cleanse posts in July and August 2012.  There are recipes each day to support the cleanse, as well.

However you decide to do it, this is the time to honor your body, your emotions, and the seasonal change from summer to fall.

*This article was originally published in the Geauga Family Farms CSA Newsletter in my weekly column, Creative Cooking for an Organic Life. 

This post is linked to Party Wave Wednesday at HolisticSquid.com!

Summer, Delicious Summer!

It’s that wonderful time of year again!  The beautiful veggies from Geauga Family Farms CSA are making me jump up and down with glee this week.

There is nothing like fresh, local, organic produce that I can feel so good about eating on a physical AND spiritual level.

“In the eye of the cook or the gardener or the farmer who grew it, this food reveals itself for what it is: no mere thing but a web of relationships among a great many living beings, some of them human, some not, but each of them dependent on the other, and all of them ultimately rooted in soil and nourished by sunlight.”
– Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto

Pollan also writes, “To shop at a farmers’ market or sign up with a CSA is to join a short food chain and that has several implications for your health.  Local produce is typically picked ripe and is fresher than supermarket produce, and for those reasons it should be tastier and more nutritious.”

It’s true!  I made my delicious Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs and now it’s finally summer!  I even cut up the garlic scapes (those curly green things in the picture – they are the tops of garlic and are milder) and added them with parsley and basil.  It was delicious!

Don't Forget Your Milk and Cookies!

Did you know that in 1912, the government recommended bread, a giant serving of milk, and cookies as a healthy dinner?  They also recommended cutting back on fruit and veggies since they weren't high in protein.  Milk and cookies were the recommended diet for energy for factory workers.

Parents were told to choose whole milk over skim and don't forget to butter your bread!

In 1939, the USDA recommended getting your vitamins from cereal and butter.

So now you're thinking, "well, that was a long time ago.  Surely we've come a long way since then."

In 1992, concerned about high fat diets that were causing heart disease, the USDA produced the Food Guide Pyramid, which we all know and love, recommending 6-11 servings from the "Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group."  As a matter of fact, considered more nutritious than fat- any fat, including the healthy ones - was saltines and white bread.

The Food Guide Pyramid gets even shadier.  “In 1998, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed a federal lawsuit against the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services.  PCRM claimed that federal laws were violated when the USDA selected six out of the eleven people with financial ties to various food industries to serve on the Dieteary Guidelines Advisory Committee….[These] affiliations included the American Meat Institute, National Livestock and Beef Board, the American Egg Board, the National Dairy Promotion and Research Program, the National Dairy Council, Dannon Company (yogurt), Mead Johnson Nutritionals (milk-based infant formulas), Nestle (milk-based formulas, ice cream, condensed milk, and Slim-Fast (milk-based diet products.)  How dare they?” – Skinny Bitch

And continuing in that vein, even the US surgeon general has propagated questionable information.  “In the first-ever report on the ‘state of the nation’s bones,’ the US surgeon general warned of an impending ‘osteoporosis crisis’ expected by the year 2020.  In order to ward off this potential disaster, the Surgeon General’s report recommended three glasses of milk a day.  [The report was issued by] The Department of Health and Human Services.  Trust no one.” – Skinny Bitch

If you remember the information on dairy, drinking milk can actually cause osteoporosis.  These authorities who we have trusted all our lives to tell us what to eat have ulterior motives.  Do the research.  A long and healthy life is worth it!

Of course, the USDA has introduced a new directive now:  "Fill half of your plate with fruit and veggies, half with grains and protein, and get a little low-fat dairy on the side."  Better, yes.  But do you want to take their word for it entirely?

Have you looked around?  Does everyone look healthy to you?  Somewhere along the food chain something has gone wrong.  Marketers actually have experimented to appeal to our chemistry - to make us crave unhealthy foods so that they can make money.

Watch:  Food, Inc.  Check out PCRM's site to stay on top of current legislation and how to make a difference.  The more you look, the more you find that is VERY interesting...

Easing Into Health

Recently, a friend emailed me: “My life is too busy to participate in the full cleanse right now, but can you offer some advice to help get me started on a healthier track?”

You, too, may have deemed the vegan cleanse a bit too intense at this time in your life, but would like to take baby steps towards a healthier lifestyle.  

Following is my advice based on where I started three years ago, after reading Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.

Pollan’s advice boils it down to the basics: “Eat [whole] food.  Mostly Plants.  Not too much.”

Look for whole foods- try to get away from prepared meals with powdered mixes.  Replace with brown rice, quinoa, and other complex carbs.  Pollan further explains the meaning of “whole foods” in his book Food Rules: 
“Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients,”
“Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce,” and
“Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.” 
Basically, the more ingredients and the bigger the words on the package, the worse for you and less food-like it is.

My friend Colleen also read In Defense of Food and made simple changes like these.  She recently wrote to me, “The way that Christians have accepted Jesus into their hearts, I have accepted that every day I need to eat veggies and walk.”  She has lost more than 40 pounds over the last year.  Every little change you make, every conscious bite, every step you take- makes a difference!
For breakfast, try to alternate between oatmeal and smoothies (fruit or 50% fruit, 50% any veggies you like.)  If you have an egg breakfast on a weekend, try to use organic, free-range eggs and real potatoes for hash browns.

Most important things to cut out entirely:
•    Sugar and sugar’s ugly relatives (especially High Fructose Corn Syrup – HFCS- never eat that, even if you re-introduce sugar.)
•    Lunch meat – it is highly processed and has really gross chemicals in it.  If you can, lighten up on the bacon, too (for the same reasons).  I know that’s a tall order, so do your best.
•    White flour/white bread – White flour is highly processed, just like sugar, making your body process it too quickly and wreaking all kinds of havoc on your digestive system.  OatNut bread is good and much better for you.  I’ve heard a lot about sprouted bread being really healthy, but I’m still working on finding the right brand for me.
•    Hydrogenated oil, partially hydrogenated oil – if this is listed as an ingredient, drop it like it’s hot.  This is one of the most dangerous chemicals in our food.
•    Vegetable oil

Reduce:
Meat – Pollan recommends, “Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food.”
When you do, opt for free-range & grass fed (it’s better for you and tastes better, too.)  The main thing is, don’t think of it as needing to accompany every meal.  First reduce to one meal a day with meat, then maybe you will be able to declare one day a week a vegetarian day.  Replace with beans, lentils, or meat substitutes (Morningstar's Black Bean Burgers are wonderful.)  Consider omitting meat as you discover the delicious new substitutes and as your taste buds adjust to less meat.  Not only is it good for your diet, it’s good for the environment, too. 
The Environmental Defense Fund explains, “If every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetables and grains, for example, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off U.S. roads.”

Add fish to replace beef and chicken as often as possible.   Avoid farmed fish and opt for wild.

Reduce Beer (don’t hate me!)  It contains the most simple, streamlined carbs you can get.  Bad for blood sugar and bad for bellies.   You don’t have to give it up completely, but reduce as much as you are able.

Also, avoid using the microwave.  It may actually change the chemical make-up of your food and there are still studies being done on the effects of the radiation.  Plus, the food tastes better and has a much better consistency when you use the stove or the oven and most things don’t take that much longer.

Your dinner plate should be ½ veggies, ¼ grains, and ¼ protein. 

Some good snacks:
•    Organic tortilla chips & salsa
•    Popcorn -not in a microwave bag – you can pop with oil on the stove and drizzle with a little olive oil or butter, and sprinkle with salt.  It feels indulgent, but is so much better than chemicals in the microwave.  Air-popped is even better, but making it on the stove is one of my fun things that keeps me from feeling deprived.
•    Raw veggies with unsweetened, natural peanut butter
•    Fruit
•    Whole wheat (or gluten free) crackers and unsweetened, natural peanut butter

And finally, try to walk after each meal if at all possible.  Move as much as you can, whenever you can, even if it means using a Wii fit, dancing in your bedroom, or even doing calf raises at your desk.  I recommend walking for 20 minutes each day, then increase to 30, 60, and adding additional activities.  My personal favorites are running, yoga, and dancing in my living room.

Why is it so important to make these changes?

“The three most common causes of death in [America] – heart disease, cancer, and stroke- have all been linked to the standard Western diet, rich in animal products, refined carbohydrates, and processed food.” – Scott Jurek

By eating whole foods- mostly plants- and omitting processed “food”, you can make positive strides in health for you and your family.

These are my "Cliffs notes" after three years of reading, cooking, and journeying towards a healthier lifestyle.

Other recommendations by Colleen:
Bob Greene's The Best Life Diet (contains a journal to reflect and get to deeper food issues)
David Kessler's The End of Overeating (discusses the chemical manipulation of food companies to make us want more of their food)

Tips for Continuing on a Healthy Journey

"When diet is wrong medicine is of no use.
When diet is correct medicine is of no need."
-Ayurvedic Proverb

Wow, we did it.  We committed to 21-days to take care of ourselves and to improve our health and our awareness of what we put in our bodies.  You should be so proud!

If we’re being scientific, the best approach is to re-introduce each of the “Big 5” one at a time, so that you can evaluate the effects on your body in an isolated manner.  These are my recommendations for optimal health:

I recommend continuing to omit Animal Products.  After all that we’ve learned about meat and dairy, it makes sense to keep out of our bodies.  Plus, there’s that lovely, light feeling after eating.  If you do decide to reintroduce dairy, watch out for sinus congestion or stomach upset.  If these things show up, you may be one of the 50% of people who are allergic and don’t even know it.

When dining out, you can always ask if you don’t see something on the menu that works for your diet.  In New York City at a steak restaurant, I asked the waiter for a vegan meal, and this is the beautiful dish the chef whipped up, just for me!  It’s best to call ahead, whenever possible, if requesting off-menu meals, but is not typically required.  You may be surprised how accommodating and creative chefs can be.

It's always fresh, made just for you, and usually presented rather artistically.  This was another delicious vegan meal that was prepared for me at a wedding on Saturday (veggies with a balsamic reduction sauce):

Vida commented that the baked red skin potatoes on my plate were tastier and better seasoned than the scalloped potatoes on his!

If you did not find many changes from omitting gluten, slowly reintroduce it into your diet.  Look for whole grains like barley, buckwheat, oats, and whole wheat.  Pay close attention to noticing if you experience headaches, asthma, skin rashes or hives, weight gain and/or loss, bloating, fatigue, or depression.  It could mean you have a gluten intolerance and then you would want to continue to omit.

I strongly recommend leaving caffeine out of your diet.  You’ve already gone through the withdrawal, so why put your body through the deleterious effects again?  If you decide to partake on occasion, pay close attention to how you sleep and if you notice a rise in anxiety and/or irritability.  You may also experience tummy troubles.  And remember, coffee is acidic.  Too much acid in the body keeps us fat and sick.  To boot, if you are a cream and sugar addict like I used to be, that’s added fat and calories that you can spare yourself daily.

Ah, alcohol.  Again, we’ve broken the habit, so why not leave this one for special occasions?  And pay attention – you will be more likely to notice the way your body reacts, both while drinking and after.  Evaluate if that’s what you want to experience and make your conscious choice instead of succumbing to peer pressure or habits.  Alcohol is really pure sugar – it’s grains processed down until the body uses them too quickly.  That’s bad for blood sugar and your metabolism.

If you are going to re-introduce sugar, I hope you will do so much more lightly than before you began the cleanse.  Sugar is another toxin that makes our body acidic, causing our body to cling to fat cells and also increasing the fuel for cancer.  Of course, if you have dessert at a party every now and then, that’s fine.  And I will have dark chocolate from time to time.  But if you can resist, take advantage of the fact that your body has broken its craving.  And again – pay close attention to how you feel.

These are my recommendations.  Of course, you and your body know best.  Hopefully you’ve become more in-tune and will be able to discern what is best for you at this time in your life.

Have a wonderful week and I’ll have another delicious recipe for you on Thursday.  Please keep the comments and questions coming.  Enjoy your healthy journey!

Day 21- The Beauty of a Plant Based Diet

“What we eat is a matter of life and death.  Food is who we are.” – Scott Jurek

It’s the 21st day!  We’ve done it!  I’ve heard wonderful stories from many of you about losing up to 11 pounds, feeling lighter and happier, performing better in sports and increasing running distance, and feeling liberated by the consciousness of your choices.  I concur with all of these, although I’ve only lost 7 pounds (so far).  Works for me!

We’ve learned a great deal about how beneficial it is to eat a plant-based diet.  Here are a few more facts.

“Genetically and structurally, we are designed to thrive on plant foods…Plants store the sun’s energy, which we receive by eating them.  If you can, just picture the light energy from the sun beaming down to the vegetables and fruits, and as we eat those foods, imagine that energy being transmitted into our bodies.  Our nervous systems are maintained and stimulated by this light.  What an amazing gift from nature- to be able to eat such pure foods that give our bodies so much!” – Skinny Bitch

If you’d like to step it up a notch, opt for organic, preferably locally grown veggies.  According to Dr. Todd Pesek’s book, Eat Yourself Super, based on studies performed on individuals who display longevity, it’s “worthwhile to note that their foods are locally produced whenever possible and grown in rich soils.  Your sense of place is in your local ecosystem.”

The picture to the left is all produce from local farmers.  I'm not sure what I will do in the winter!

Click here if you would like more info on where to find local produce.

If you would like more information on going vegan or vegetarian, there is some great info at Goveg.com and you can even order a free vegetarian starter kit.
 If you enjoyed this 21-day program, another one that I would strongly recommend (that I have done several times and really like) is PCRM's 21-Day Vegan Kick Start.  They share delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all 21 days.

“My refusing to eat flesh occasioned an inconveniency, and I was frequently chided for my singularity, but, with this lighter repast, I made the greater progress, for greater clearness of head and quicker comprehension.” – Ben Franklin

Not only does a vegan diet “restore health and tighten waistlines, there’s evidence it extends our lives as well.  The U.S. National Institute on Aging did a study of the longest-lived peoples in the world and found the people of Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia, and Seventh Day Adventists are among the longest lived on earth.”  Their common traits are:

• They eat lots of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains

• They don’t smoke

• They are active every day

• They stay socially engaged

• The Adventists also eat lots of nuts and beans

-The Kind Diet

Thank you for joining me on this journey of learning and experimenting with health and nutrition.  It has been an absolute joy for me to share this information with you and I hope you’ve found it helpful.  I’ve found this way of living to be so beneficial that I plan to continue a vegan lifestyle, while avoiding gluten, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol.  It sounded so difficult at first, but now I’ve found many delicious substitutes and new recipes.  I will re-introduce occasional dark chocolate (it’s dairy free!) and may have a glass of wine, a cup of green tea, or fresh baked bread from time to time, but I fully intend to maintain this healthy lifestyle.

If you decide to continue omitting any of the Big 5 from your diet, Kathy Freston encourages us, “remind yourself that you have free will and it is your choice to have or do whatever you want.  And then say to yourself, ‘Okay, I can have this piece of cake [or jigger of Scotch or chunk of cheese, or what have you], but if I do, these are the consequences.’ And then list them.” 

Starting tomorrow, I will begin regularly posting on Mondays and Thursdays.  I hope you will follow my adventures as I continue the search for life’s balance through nutrition, exercise, and whatever else life brings!

To conclude the cleanse, I would like to share Kathy Freston’s parting words:

“Now you know just how powerful you are.  Now you know that you are the healer who can heal yourself and extend that healing out into the world.  May you be well and thrive in every respect, and may you use this foundation of power to help move us all forward.”

Day 20 - Awakening to the Power of our Food Choices

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” – Albert Einstein

There are some weighty health and spiritual implications that we have now managed to free ourselves from for nearly 21 days – long enough to change a habit!  We will discuss conditions that affect our health in the big business of meat and dairy, a little bit about the abilities of animals, as well as the severe environmental toll caused by these industries.

This is all so important – I wish everyone could know these scary facts about what happens to our meat.  You must know what you are putting into your body.  You have a choice.  Though this gets a little heavy, I left out the bits about the animal treatment in the slaughterhouses.  You can look that up for yourself, if interested.

“You have just dined, and, however scrupulously the slaughterhouse is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

First, let’s continue talking about our health:

“Illegal hormones are regularly pumped into veal calves, which are suspected of increasing the growth of cancer cells in the humans who eat them.  The USDA has not only been accused of overlooking these practices, but also of falsifying lab results, altering records, and pressuring staff to lie about events.” *  If they operate like this with veal, who is protecting the rest of the meat?

When a worker in a horse slaughterhouse was interviewed, he said, Might be part of him’s [a contaminated horse] bad, might be the pneumonia’s traveled everywhere.. The meat’s supposed to be condemned, but still you’d cut it up and bag it.”  When asked, “Doesn’t it have to be stamped ‘USDA inspected?’ the factory worker replied, “He [his boss] got the stamper.  He can stamp it himself when the doc leaves…You take a condemned horse, skin him up, sell the meat…We’ve sold it as beef.”

The USDA has also allowed the processing of “downed” animals, or ones that are too sick or injured to walk.  In 2004, with the outbreak of mad cow disease, this was banned.  But then in 2005, it was announced that downed animals could once again be used for human consumption.  “So in addition to all the other filth you’re eating, you’re also eating whatever illness the animal had.  You are what you eat.”

At the expense of our health, large corporations are making billions of dollars.

Did you know that the USDA is “responsible for ‘the safety’ of meat, poultry, dairy and eggs and also promotes the sale of them.  In fact, they even go so far as to purchase the products themselves, using our tax dollars.  The USDA will spend $30 million a year on beef buyouts alone.  Another $30 of our hard-earned money goes toward pork purchases…” 

And where do these products go that couldn’t be sold to consumers?  The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is “a nation-wide $4 billion scheme that allows the USDA to buy up all this meat, milk, and cheese with our tax dollars, and then dump this crap into the bodies of more than 26 million school children.  Ever wonder why school lunches are required to include milk?  The NSLP directly benefits the meat, dairy, and poultry industries at the expense of our nation’s children.”

When we hear the terms “grass-fed” beef, “free-range”, “free-roaming”, we imagine happy animals enjoying sunshine, fresh air, and the company of other animals.  “But labels- other than ‘organic’ on egg cartons” or beef products are not subject to regulation by the USDA.  And even if the farm is free-range and humane, the animals are still being sent off to the slaughterhouse, where the conditions are unconscionable. 

Then there is the spiritual side – the kinship with other living beings.  Did you know that “cows actually nurture friendships and bear grudges?  One study showed cows displaying excitement while solving intellectual challenges.”

“Chickens are as smart as mammals, including some primates…they are apt pupils and can learn by watching the mistakes of others…A PBS documentary revealed chickens’ love for television and music.”

And here’s a fun one – Pigs can play video games!  “They’ve been labeled as more intelligent than dogs and three-year-old humans.”

If you choose to go vegan, you are sparing the lives of over ninety animals a year.

“An individual can adopt the way of life of the future- the nonviolent way- without having to wait for others to do so.  And if an individual can do it, cannot whole groups of individuals?  Whole nations?” – Mahatma Gandhi

There is also issue of environmental devastation.  In Quantum Wellness Cleanse, Kathy shares the results of a United Nations scientific analysis of raising animals in order to eat them.  They declared eating meat, dairy, and eggs is “one of the …most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems at every scale from local to global” and “should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.”

According to Freston, the meat and dairy industry’s deleterious effects on climate change, for instance, are more significant than “all the cars, trucks, and planes in the world combined.”

To look at the even bigger picture: “The amount of feed that it takes to funnel through an animal to create one 8-ounce steak could fill forty to fifty bowls with cooked grain….the world’s passion for meat is a much bigger cause of global hunger than its passion for the car.”  This means that choosing to eat a vegan diet helps to combat world hunger!

In Matthew Scully’s book, Dominion, he writes “…inside the factory farm, animals…received no comforts, no names, no affection, no nothing, only my silent and resolute indifference…  Each creature bred and born just for me.  Confined and isolated just for me.  And then in lonely terror packed off to die, just for me.  And every time I saw and heard them I would have to remind myself just why I as doing this, to ask if my taste for pork loins or ham or steak or veal was really worth this price, to ask if this was really my choice and there was no other way…Therefore, I want no part in any of it.  I do not want this product…When you eat flesh extracted in this way, as novelist Alice Walker puts it, ‘You’re just eating misery.  You’re eating a bitter life…’ For me, it comes down to the question of whether I am a man or just a consumer…Whether to side with the powerful and comfortable or with the weak, afflicted, and forgotten.  Whether, as an economic actor in a free market, I answer to the god of money or to the God of mercy.”

*All quotes are from Skinny Bitch unless indicated otherwise.

Meditation (From Quantum Wellness Cleanse):
“I awaken.  I am no longer asleep.  What is good for my body is good for my soul.  I can take a huge leap as I move along the continuum of consciousness by staying alert and adhering to the great wisdom passed down through the ages that advises us to be loving, merciful, and compassionate.  I am no longer willing to be greedy, gluttonous, or ignorant.  Eating with spiritual integrity is of the utmost importance.”

Also, be proud that your choices can make a positive impact in the world.  By voting with our choices and our economic power, we can make a difference!


Spicy Black Bean Soup (in the Slow Cooker)
2 cups dried beans
8 cups water
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 roasted red pepper from a jar or bell pepper of any color, diced
2 ½ tomatoes, diced large
½ habanero pepper, diced small (optional)
1 TB olive oil
2 tsp cumin (one in the beginning and one for later)
2 tsp chili powder (one in the beginning and one for later)
2 tsp garlic powder (one in the beginning and one for later)
1 tsp salt
2 ears of corn, grilled or cooked (frozen corn would be okay, too – ½ cup)
½ yellow squash, grilled and diced into small pieces
For the garnish:
½ diced avocado
½ diced tomato
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, chopped

1.    Heat the olive oil in a small pan on medium heat.  When hot, add the onion and sauté for about 2 minutes.  Add 1 tsp each of cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder.  Then add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, until garlic is aromatic.

2.    Place onion mixture, beans, water, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, and habanero pepper into slow cooker.  Stir, set on low, and cook for 8-9 hours

3.    One hour before serving, stir in 1 tsp each of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt.  Re-cover and let continue to cook on low.

4.    Use an immersion blender or hand mixer to puree some of the beans to thicken the soup.  It’s up to you how many beans to puree and how many to keep whole based on the texture you like.

5.    Grill the corn and yellow squash, then scrape corn off and dice ½ of yellow squash.  (I used the other half in a salad that I served on the side.)  Place corn and yellow squash into slow cooker, stir and you are now ready to serve the soup.  Check seasonings and add more salt/chili powder/cumin, if necessary.

6.    Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with diced tomato, avocado, cilantro, and green onions.

If you like, you could bake corn tortillas, cut them in strips, and float on top of the soup.  This would probably take 2 hours on the stove.  If you don’t have a hand-held immersion blender, you could scoop some of the soup out and put it in a blender to thicken.



I served with a salad on the side to make it a beautifully balanced meal.

Day 17- Sugar’s Evil Step Sisters- Mmmm, Chemicals!

Let’s talk about Soda (“Liquid Satan.”)  Not only does a typical soda have 10 teaspoons of sugar (which I bemoaned yesterday,) the high levels of phosphorous can leach calcium from your body, which can lead to bone loss and even osteoporosis. 

“There is nothing in soda that should be put in your body,” according to the Skinny Bitches.

If you are proudly saying, “I drink diet soda, I’m good!” you may, unfortunately, be even worse off.

“Aspartame (an ingredient commonly found in diet sodas and other sugar-free foods) has been blamed for a slew of scary maladies, like arthritis, birth defects, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes.” – Skinny Bitch

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received more complaints from the public on aspartame than any other “food” product.  There are actually aspartame victim support groups.  Also according to Freedman and Barnouin, “Some of the ninety-two aspartame side effects listed by the FDA include memory loss, nerve cell damage, migraines, reproductive disorders, mental confusion, brain lesions, blindness, joint pain, Alzheimer’s, bloating, nervous system disorders, hair loss, food cravings, and weight gain.”  No, I didn’t make a mistake.  Diet soda leads to weight gain.

NutraSweet and Equal are the chemical sweeteners that contain aspartame.  So why is aspartame so dangerous?  When eaten, methyl alcohol, one of the ingredients in aspartame, changes into formaldehyde, a deadly neurotoxin which is carcinogenic (cancer-causing.)

Also, when aspartame is combined with carbs (chips and diet soda), it “causes your brain to slow down its production of serotonin.  A healthy level of serotonin is needed to be happy and well balanced.  So drinking diet soda can make you fat, sick, and unhappy.” – Skinny Bitch

Equal goes even a step further, increasing your risk of seizures, depression, and schizophrenia due to high levels of phenylalanine that go to your brain.

So, you prefer Sweet & Low?  (You thought you were going to sneak on by, didn’t you?)  It contains “saccharin, a coal-tar compound.”  Mmmmm.

And Splenda?  Ah, I wish I could go back in time and take Splenda out of my cabinets years ago.  It contains small amounts of heavy metals, methanol, and arsenic.  Sucrose, in Splenda, is made by chlorinating sugar and “has been found to cause diarrhea; organ, genetic, immune system, and reproductive damage; swelling of the liver and kidneys; and a decrease in fetal body weight.” – Skinny Bitch 
Additionally, there is evidence that Sucralose may increase appetite.  (Wait, what?)

Please, throw those nasty chemicals AWAY!  I won’t even go into the legal battles that happened to get them into our food, but I will say that they were shady and not in the best interest of human health.  (Hint: $)  According to The Kind Diet, all artificial sweeteners followed the same path: “failing safety tests, being approved by the FDA anyway, and now producing ever-growing anecdotal evidence of ill effects.”

Also, beware of “low-fat” or “fat-free” claims on packages.  What these words really mean, according to Skinny Bitch, is “Chemical Shit Storm.”  Foods go through more processing to take out the fat.  Typically, it means adding extra forms of sugar (or sweeteners), stripping the “food” of more minerals and vitamins, and adding hydrogenated oils (not diet food, really.)



I just heard someone say, “I’ll eat what I want now and just take medicine later.”  Ugh.  If your body is saying, “I don’t like this,” that’s a natural signal to keep it out of your body.  “Every time you take medicine, you interfere with your body’s natural ability to heal itself.  You are alleviating those intelligent responses that alert you to a problem, and sending false signals to your brain…most likely, your body is having an adverse reaction to the unhealthy crap you’re eating.” – Skinny Bitch


When we pay attention to our bodies and take proper care, the body is a perfect machine.  We have the ability to heal ourselves.  When we cover up the problems with medicine (chemicals), we cause other side effects that ruin the balance in other ways.  Of course, there are times when medicine can be a necessary evil, but if you have a little headache, drink some water (you could just be dehydrated.)  Or rest!  The more chemicals that we regularly add into the body, the more likely we will be to fall out of balance and have to take more and more to ease the symptoms.


“He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skill of the physician.”
-Chinese Proverb

Polenta Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce

¼ cup olive oil
Prepared polenta (follow instructions on box.  I like to buy a pre-made roll of polenta from Trader Joes- I know what you’re thinking and I checked the ingredients – organic yellow corn meal, salt, water, vitamins)
2 cups spaghetti sauce (hopefully leftover from yesterday- if not, see below for a quick sauce)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley or basil, for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper

1.    Prepare a baking sheet by placing a layer of aluminum foil over the surface, then greece with half of the olive oil.

2.    Spread the polenta in a smooth layer on the baking sheet and refrigerate the polenta until cool and firm, 2 to 4 hours.  Use a biscuit or ravioli cutter to stamp out rounds of polenta (this is why I buy it in a tube – I just cut the circles.)

Note:  For a thicker sauce, puree in a blender for 10-15 seconds.  It makes it even and it spreads more nicely on the polenta.

3.    Preheat the oven to 400 F (204.5 C).  Prepare a baking dish by coating it with the remaining olive oil.  Arrange the polenta gnocchi so the pieces are slightly overlapping one another in the bottom of the baking dish.  Generously spoon the sauce over the polenta gnocchi and bake until hot, about 30 minutes.

4.    Remove the gnocchi from the oven and sprinkle with the parsley, then grind some fresh pepper over the top.  Serve immediately.

Great with a salad!

Quick and Easy Pasta Sauce
Your favorite jarred (32 oz) sauce (I like Mids and Ragu)
1 TB olive oil
1 onion, diced
½ yellow bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
½ tsp parsley
1 pinch rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder

1.    Heat the oil on medium-low and sauté the onions when hot.  After 2 minutes, add the pepper.  Add the oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, and garlic powder.  After 3 minutes, add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds (it gets aromatic.)

2.    Pour about half to ¾ of the jar into the sauce pan (depending on if you want leftovers.)  Bring to a gentle boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

You can add diced tomatoes if you add a tablespoon of agave nectar and simmer for at least an hour.

Day 16 – Your Love for Sugar is Unrequited

This is really awkward… I’m so sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but your sweetheart, Sugar – she’s never going to love you back.  As a matter of fact, your SweetTart, your Love, your Sugar…has been trying to kill you for years.  I know it must be hard to hear.  But from what I can see (the attempted murder and all), I’m not sure it’s going to work out between you two…

“Sugar is like crack, and food manufacturers know that if they add it to their products, you’ll keep coming back for more.” – Skinny Bitch

White sugar, often called an “antinutrient” actually steals nourishment from your body.  It leaches vitamins and minerals from your blood and bones.  That’s why you get cavities, as I’m sure you know, but it also leads to bone loss, depression, and weak blood.

Additionally, “Refined sugar, a simple carbohydrate, has been linked to hypoglycemia, yeast overgrowth, a weakened immune system, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, enlargement of the liver and kidneys, mental and emotional disorders, cavities, and an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain.” – Skinny Bitch

Not bad enough?  White sugar is associated with cancer.  “Cancer cells swarm to sugar like bees to honey, because it is an important source of food for them.” – The Engine 2 Diet, Rip Esselstyn

Sugar contributes to insulin resistance and diabetes, where your “blood sugar remains high, but your cells are starving.” – Kind Diet

Also according to Alicia Silverstone: “Sugar makes you fat…Because excess refined sugar converts to fat, every soda, every cupcake, and every candy bar is going straight to your thighs.”

Rip Esselstyn agrees, “When sugars are refined, adulterated, and processed, they become empty calories: They contain almost no nutritional value, can raise cholesterol levels, and make a beeline for your waistline.”

Did you know that it was the arrival of refined flour and sugar that brought disease to isolated areas?  “Western diseases followed closely on the heels of the arrival of Western foods, particularly refined flour and sugar and other kinds of 'store food.'…When one Western disease arrived on the scene, so did most of the others and often in the same order: obesity followed by type 2 diabetes followed by hypertension and stroke followed by heart disease.” – In Defense of Food, an Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan

According to Kathy Freston's Quantum Wellness Cleanse, “the most important thing to realize  is that no matter how out of balance your system is, even if you have type 2 diabetes, you can do a great deal to get healthy again by cutting out sugars, refined carbs, and high-fructose corn syrup, and by exercising regularly.” 

Continue to avoid:

• Soda (Deemed “Liquid Satan” in Skinny Bitch)

• Store-bought cookies, cakes, or pastries

• Candy

• Condiments that contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is processed even more than refined sugar

• Ice cream or frozen yogurt

• Other words for refined sugar on packages: evaporated cane juice, sugar, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, honey, barley malt, or beet sugar.

• Also, a tip from The Kind Diet: “All ingredients ending in “-ose” should be considered white sugar: Dextrose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, and fructose are all simple sugars.”

Kathy recommends avoiding fruit juice because “it contains high concentrations of naturally occurring sugar.”  If you really love your juice, I have a trick to share that was taught to me by my good friend, Arlyn.  Pour yourself ¼ glass of juice, then fill the rest with water or sparkling water.  You get the flavor, but much less sugar.  It’s especially good with pomegranate juice, which has a strong flavor.

If you get a craving for sweets, these are some delicious substitutes:

• A piece of fruit (mango, apple, peach, banana, grapes, whatever you like!)

• You might just be thirsty – have some water with a squeeze and slice of lemon (or soak some cucumbers, oranges, or lemons in water for a couple of hours in a pitcher- so refreshing!)

• A spoonful of unsweetened, natural peanut butter- this has been my lifesaver.  It tastes sweet and indulgent and the high protein and healthy fat keeps me full.

• Agave nectar (actually contains vitamins and minerals and does not affect blood-sugar levels), maple syrup, molasses, Stevia, brown rice syrup, Turbinado sugar, and raw sugar.  Do not use artificial sweeteners.  More on that tomorrow.

Today's meditation is below the recipe.

My dad used to start this sauce at 6am on Sundays to serve the family (early) dinner.  Everyone loved getting an invitation to Joe’s for pasta!  The longer it simmers, the sweeter it gets- that's one of the secrets.

Joe-Daddy’s Famous Sauce Goes Vegan!

2 TB olive oil
3 medium onions, diced large
4 cloves garlic, diced large
1 yellow bell pepper, diced small
9 roma tomatoes, skin peeled and crushed by hand (or a 32 oz can whole tomatoes)
1 small can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 small can diced tomatoes (16 oz)
1 small can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 TB oregano + 1 tsp
1 TB basil + 1 tsp
2 tsp dried parsley + ½ tsp
½ TB garlic powder
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf
2 TB Molasses
Gluten-free Pasta of your choosing (quinoa pasta, brown rice pasta, etc.)

1.    Heat the oil on medium.  Once hot, add the onions.  After about 2 minutes, add the spices (oregano, basil, parsley, red pepper & garlic powder- use the first measurement – the second comes later.)  Stir.

2.    Once onions are getting soft (about 3 more minutes), add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.  Immediately add the crushed tomatoes.

3.    Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste (fill can once with water & add), bay leaf, and Molasses.

4.    Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to very low and simmer with lid tilted for 2.5 to 4 hours, stirring every 15-20 mins.

5.    Add diced yellow pepper and spice measurements after the “+” sign (oregano, basil, parsley) and simmer for another 1-2 hours.

6.    Make pasta according to package directions.  After straining, spoon 3 large scoops of sauce into the pan with the pasta.  Mix to coat.  Serve on plates and then add several generous scoops of sauce to top the pasta. Sprinkle with a dash of red pepper flakes, if desired.

Save some for tomorrow's recipe - you should have quite enough.

Today’s post on sugar is dedicated to my Love.  I caught that damn mistress Sugar trying to poison him again and I just wish he would stop loving her so blindly…
And to Jess G.  You can do it!

Dedicated especially to Joe-Daddy.  I didn’t share all your ingredients, so don’t worry!  I know you are chuckling about the ones I still don’t know…Thanks for teaching me to make real sauce.  I know you’re with me every time I make it and I hope you can hear me talking to you while I stir in a  little extra love.

Kathy’s Meditation:
“I choose wisely.  I am more than just a body on autopilot.  I am a thinking, rational, strong person who has pointed myself in the direction of ever-evolving wellness.  I am no longer willing to do things just because they feel superficially or temporarily good.  I want to experience a deeper sense of satisfaction now, which includes being responsible to myself and to the world around me.  I know that sweating it through this period of discomfort will pay off.    I choose wisely, and with each day, that wisdom lifts me to a higher level.”

Day 14- How are YOU?

Since it is Sunday and a day of rest, I will give your brain a break, as well as my fingers.  Please take today to feel the glow of pride for the amazing things you are doing for your body.

I've been blogging and sharing how I am feeling, but I would like to know how you are feeling! 

Do you have any questions?

Have you adopted any part of the cleanse and want to share your experience?

Have you discovered some new recipes or go-to foods?

Is there anything that you would like me to add on the blog as we approach the last week of our cleanse?

This cleanse is an exciting journey so far.  I've learned even more about myself  and nutrition by sharing the information with you.  Thank you for reading!

Below is a recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine.  It's a raw breakfast recipe created by an Ayurvedic lifestyle counselor.  That means that it balances all six tastes, which in Ayurveda is how you know you are getting everything your body needs.

Note:  It was much tastier when I cooked it on the stove.  If you like it raw or know you have a busy morning the next day and prefer to make it overnight, the cold recipe is decent.  But when you warm it, it's really incredible.  I could eat it every day!

Overnight Chai Steel-Cut Oats

1 cup steel-cut oats

1 cup almond milk (or soy, hemp, any non-dairy milk)

2 TB chia seeds

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground ginger or 1 TB crystallized ginger

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 pinch nutmeg

1 pinch black pepper

1 TB maple syrup

1 TB shredded coconut, optional (but delicious!)

1 TB chopped pistachios, optional (delicious!)

1. Combine oats, almond milk, chia seeds, cardamom, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and maple syrup in a glass jar with lid.  Stir, close lid, and refrigerate overnight.

2. Open lid, stir, and sprinkle with coconut and pistachios, if using.

I made this a couple of days ago and it's very portable.  I took my jar with me today.  It stretched to 3 breakfasts for me.

I usually like my oatmeal warm.  I think I'm going to try it on the stove tomorrow.  Take your pick!  It would be good to make overnight if you know you'll have a busy morning and need something to grab and go.

Day 12- Food for your Spirit

“There is a sacrosanct quality to taking something into your body to nourish it.  Treat the foods you eat with the respect they deserve.”- Eat Yourself Super, Dr. Todd Pesek

You’ve made it through eleven days!  We are more than halfway there, and I’m sure you’re starting to feel amazing.  Have you started noticing a more kind, spiritual connection yet?  I know that I was surprised by it the first time I did the cleanse.  I felt, and still feel, more gentle in the world and proud of myself.

“By giving up meat and dairy, you withdraw your support from industries that take a toxic toll on the environment and on the well-being of your fellow humans…By not eating animals, you are reducing the needless suffering that occurs in the world, on many levels.  Whether or not that’s a priority for you, isn’t it nice to know that being good to yourself benefits others?  You’ve arrived at the place where kindness to yourself meets kindness to the earth meets kindness to other creatures, and that’s pretty cool.  Abstaining from animal products is a profound act, with physical, emotional, and even spiritual benefits.” – The Kind Diet, Alicia Silverstone

Kathy writes that by changing a few eating habits, we also align our behaviors with our spirituality, our sense of values.  She encourages us to keep our eyes – and our hearts- open and to think deeply about everything that goes into feeding ourselves the diet that we’ve grown accustomed to.  In this way, we become more conscious eaters.  She writes: “Just slow down enough to ponder the big picture, and soon enough, it will begin to come into focus.”

The reason that I have posted a new recipe every day is to share with you how abundantly delightful vegan, and even gluten-free eating can be.  You have traded in brown and gray colored foods for the colors of the rainbow, for vegetables so delicious they make you crave more, grains that are nourishing and make your body sing, like quinoa and brown rice, new sources of protein like black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, seeds, and nuts.  An avocado can taste like butter and is wonderful on top of spicy, Mexican dishes in place of cheese.  I never used to like green beans until I found the recipes I’ve shared with you.  This has been a great opportunity to reach outside of my comfort zone and to try new vegetables and recipes. 

In Eat Yourself Super, Dr. Todd Pesek writes:
“There is no substitute for home-prepared, close-to-nature whole foods…plant based, nutrient-dense, calorie sparse.”   He also says, “When you love people, feed them.  But only yummy, healthful food.”

Kathy urges us, before sitting down to eat, ask yourself:
How can I eat in a way that is kind, responsible, and attuned to the needs of my body?
What can I do to bring my life to the highest vibration possible?

Kathy’s Meditation:

“I open my eyes so that I might heal.  What a powerful statement.  It means I am ready to confront the darkness within (the parts of myself that care only about immediate or personal satisfaction) and darkness in our world.  By nudging myself to open my eyes, I will begin to see what needs to shift on a fundamental level.  By healing myself and becoming more aware and thoughtful about my choices, I am also offering that light and healing outward into the world.”

It was really hot today, so I was in the mood for a nice, light veggie salad.  This is one of my go-to recipes.

Light Summer Tomato Salad
3 tomatoes, diced large
1 avocado, diced large
½ medium onion, diced or sliced
1 large cucumber, diced large
1 TB Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TB Good Olive Oil
2 TB Fresh Italian Parsley
1 TB dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion salt
Salt & pepper to taste
plus a couple handfuls of walnuts

Mix together, let marinate for 10-15 minutes, serve and enjoy!



We had the tomato salad with grilled corn on the cob and grilled bell peppers.  Tastes like summer!

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.