Day 12 – Since we don’t live in a bubble…Tips for dining out, busy days, & travel

Happy Friday!

Though it’s best to have stability in the schedule during this cleanse, our lives certainly don't have to stop. It’s likely we’ll have busy days, travel plans, dinner dates out, gatherings, etc. Especially on the weekends! Since we want to learn how to work these habits into every day life so we can continue as we find how happy our bodies can be, these are some tips to stay on track while living life. You can also keep these in mind when you go on that vacation that was recommended the other day...

• Take nuts with you wherever you go. I like to bring pistachios, watermelon seeds, almonds, and/or cashews. Nuts are high in protein and though they are high in fat, it’s unsaturated (heart-healthy), helping you feel fuller longer. Plus you eat less when you finally get to your meal. (Note: Still a good idea to notice the portions on nuts or nut butters- if you are eating more than 2 TB nut butter plus nuts, you may have trouble releasing weight.)

“Women in a Harvard School of Public Health study who ate five or more 1 ounce servings of nuts per week actually saw a 30 percent reduction of risk for type 2 diabetes compared with those who did not eat nuts regularly.  Besides protein, nuts also deliver healthy doses of magnesium, fiber, and zinc.” – 21 Day Quantum Wellness Cleanse

• When you know you’ll be gone awhile, bring some fresh fruit along. Apples are high in vitamins C and A, calcium, and dietary fiber. Granny Smiths are the best because they are the lowest in sugar content. If you forget your fruit, you are usually never far from a grocery store. Pop in for some (preferably organic) fruit.

• The Hoppin' John Salad from day three also travels well.  Add some crushed walnuts after reading all the info above on nuts. 

• It is possible to find vegan, gluten-free energy bars that are low in sugar, though I usually tend to steer clear of these. If you like them, though, they are great in a pinch. Even better, bring your Warrior Bars along.

• When eating breakfast out, oatmeal or fresh fruit are great choices. With oatmeal, make sure you request that it be made with water instead of milk or cream.

• When eating dinner or lunch out, you can ask for something made with every vegetable available in the kitchen. I'm generally pleasantly surprised- usually I get something like a delicious salad with avocado, zucchini, bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, and carrot and everyone at the table was jealous. It never hurts to ask. You can also typically order a baked potato drizzled with olive oil and/or a large salad on the side.

• If attending a dinner party, let the host/hostess know that you are adhering to a cleanse. Explain that you are thrilled to be in their company, but would it be okay if you bring something to share that fits your diet? This avoids misunderstandings and embarrassment once you are there. People sometimes raise their eyebrows when you pass on dessert, but are typically understanding. I find that when I attend family gatherings, at least one person is on some kind of diet. It might even spark some interesting conversation!

 And don’t forget – if you’re in a dire situation and you slip up on the cleanse rules, forgive yourself and start again with the next meal. Your body is already starting to process digestion more quickly. If you absolutely must cheat, it's most important to avoid animal products, if at all possible.

Since we’re in this together, I’d like to share my favorite salad in the whole world with you.  It takes a while to chop up all of the veggies, but it is so very worth it!  The flavors are unique and dance in the mouth.  Enjoy!

Bobby Flay's Chinese Salad with Red Chile Peanut Dressing
Serves 4

¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger (or more)
2 teaspoons chipotle pepper puree or powder (use less or regular chili powder if you don’t like spicy)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ head Napa cabbage, shredded
½ head romaine lettuce, shredded
2 carrots, shredded (or julienned)
¼ pound snow peas, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup thinly sliced green onion
½ cup chopped roasted peanuts
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Chili oil, optional
Grilled lime halves, for garnish

*I also add ½ cucumber, julienned.

1. Whisk together the vinegar, peanut butter, ginger, chipotle pepper, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and canola oil in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

2. Combine cabbage lettuce, carrots, yellow pepper, snow peas, cilantro, and green onion in a very large bowl.

3. Add the dressing and toss to combine. (I usually take some out before dressing to save for lunch the next day.)

4. Transfer to a serving platter and top with chopped peanuts and mint.  Drizzle with chili oil, if desired.  Garnish with grilled lime halves.

- Bobby Flay, Food Network

*This recipe originally calls for shredded rotisserie chicken (2 cups.)  If you are not a vegetarian, but are checking out the recipes, that’s great! Eating even three more vegetarian or vegan meals each week than you currently do helps to cut down on the environmental devastation caused by livestock. It also saves you money! Tofu and beans are 30 to 40 percent cheaper than beef and chicken.

Today’s Meditation:

“I am flexible.”

“As I repeat the words, I feel myself being able to roll with whatever comes my way.  I may have to make do with some quick fixes for food when I am pressed for time.  But there are new foods I am growing to love, and new friends who share my values and interests.”

Day 11- Sugar's Evil Step Sisters- Mmm, 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!” PLEASE pour it out right now! And be careful where and on what because it will probably kill anything it lands on.

“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. 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 (like a chips and diet soda snack), 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? Remember when they told us that one was the new, safe alternative? 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. 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.” (With all due respect...) 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

Ok, in case I've upset you by talking smack about those jerks Sugar, Diet Soda, and all their nasty friends, please enjoy this gooey, comforting recipe that will have you saying, "Sugar who?"

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 (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 (or better yet, parchment paper) over the surface, then grease 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.

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 (watch the sugar and ingredients- Heinens has an organic sauce with no sugar)
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.

Day 10- She seems so sweet, but she'll kill you slowly

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 are: 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.”

Freston 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: 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.

• Dried fruit in bakery, like in the recipe below

• Trouble kicking the soda pop? How about some sparkling water with Citrus Fresh essential oil?

  

  My party drink. :-)

Do not substitute with artificial sweeteners. More on that tomorrow.

For a really eye-opening documentary on our food industry and sugar, I strongly recommend the documentary Fed Up.

A lovely meditation from the 21 Day Quantum Wellness Cleanse:

“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.”

Now for a quick & easy, sweet treat that even has chia seeds, as promised! Perfect alternative to processed snack bars with added sugar.

Super yummy right out of the oven!

 Warrior Bars (shared by Alyssa Gustwiller- Thank you!)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons chia seeds + 6 tbs water
1 cup almond meal + ½ cup coconut flakes
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
½ cup dried fruit (I used pomegranate and goji berries)
2 cups mashed banana (super ripe)
1/3 cup pepitas + 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup sliced almonds
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease or line 8 inch square baking dish with parchment (baking) paper.

2. Soak chia seeds in 6 tablespoons of water for 5 minutes.

3. Combine the chia seeds and remaining ingredients in a bowl.

4. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

5. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until golden on top. Remove from oven and let cool.

6. Slice into 8 bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Day 9: Move! And ch-ch-ch-choose Chia

 “Recognize that anything worth having is worth fighting for. Good health, vitality, more energy, more confidence, better sex, great abs, a tight ass- you either want ‘em or you don’t. You can continue plodding along in your life feeling like you’re not living up to your glorious potential or you can dedicate yourself to creating the life you want.”   Skinny Bitch

As I’m sure you know, exercise has many benefits. It is better than an antidepressant, sending pleasure hormones to your brain. According to Dr. Neal Barnard,

“Vigorous exercise not only gives you an opiate effect of its own, but also helps you sleep, boosting your resistance to cravings.” 

And of course, I’m sure you’ve heard by now that most every study ever conducted on health proves that regular exercise (30 – 60 min, five times a week) can help reverse and/or prevent nearly all health problems, from diabetes to high blood pressure to depression.

I’ve also noticed that I have much more energy the day after I’ve exercised. Honestly, I believe regular exercise to be one of the secrets of life. It makes me feel more efficient, my brain processes better, my body hums as energy moves more freely. I can get exceedingly more accomplished in a day if I’ve been exercising. Being sedentary makes life feel more like molasses. If you have missions and adventures that you would like to accomplish in your limited time on this earth, then get that momentum going and keep it going!

To be honest, I’ve been guilty of hibernating this winter. Working on this blog post today is actually my motivation to get active. That and reading Light on Life, where Iyengar discusses the importance to keep moving:

“If we break off our practice, inertia reasserts itself…it takes more energy to overcome inertia than to pick up speed. For instance, it is more difficult to push a stationary car up to one mile per hour than to push it from one mile per hour to two miles per hour." 

 Yep, I’ve definitely been feeling like a “stationary car” lately. Or maybe even a truck. But this is a great reminder to jump back in now, knowing that it will get easier once I get moving and that if I only make it easier on myself and keep going this time, perhaps energy and balance will join me!

NingXia Nitro and chia seeds help me with that extra push of energy when I need to get going. Have you tried chia seeds? In Born to Run, Christopher McDougall calls chia seeds “Home-brewed Red Bull!”

He continues, “In terms of nutritional content, a tablespoon of chia is like a smoothie made from salmon, spinach, and human growth hormone. As tiny as those seeds are, they’re superpacked with omega-3s, omega-6s, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber, and antioxidants. If you had to pick just one desert-island food, you couldn’t do much better than chia, at least if you were interested in building muscle, lowering cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease; after a few months on the chia diet, you could probably swim home.”

According to Dr. Todd Pesek in Eat Yourself Super, chia has more calcium than cow’s milk.  Also, an excellent Superfood, chia can stabilize blood sugar, contributing to the prevention and reversal of diabetes.

You can eat the seeds raw, sprinkle into soups or whole grain dishes, or add them to baked goods.  The best way for your body to streamline the nutrients, however, is soaked in liquid for at least 10 minutes.  It forms a gel.

As you can see, the gel is not the prettiest or the most pleasant drink, but it makes a HUGE difference if I chug a glass right before a run. I find a bit more endurance. Try it.

If you are sore after a tough workout, marjoram oil is an excellent muscle relaxer. I find I have much less muscle pain for the days following, especially that brutal first week, if I rub myself down with marjoram oil or take a bath with a few drops sprinkled into the water.

Now for a treat! This is the perfect after-exercise snack (or a great way to start the day as breakfast.) The banana in this smoothie will nourish your muscles and replenish your carbohydrates. 

Fun banana fact: When running long distances (over an hour,) a banana is a perfect snack for refueling – the high water content keeps you hydrated and the carbohydrates keep you going.  It’s very popular with marathon runners. “Is that a banana in your pocket…?”

Bananas for Peanut Butter “Milk” Shake
1 Frozen banana, in small chunks
¼ cup chia gel
½ cup almond milk (unsweetened vanilla for now – the chocolate almond milk is wonderful in this but contains sugar)
1 ice cube
1-2 Tablespoons of peanut butter (depending on if you plan to snack on nuts later, if so, have just one)
2 scoops protein powder, like Power Meal or Balance Complete

Blend together. I pulse a few times, then blend for 30 seconds straight, pause and blend another 15 seconds, then check consistency. If it’s too thick, add a little more almond milk and blend for 15 more seconds.

You can also add cacao powder.

*In today's picture, I added a heaping teaspoon of cacao powder and 2 teaspoons of steel-cut oats. I put the oats in first, then poured the almond milk and chia gel over so that the oats could soak for about 5 minutes, then started adding the other ingredients. It was delicious! If I had more time, I would probably use more like 1/4 cup oats and soak in boiling water, then let cool (or make a bunch to keep in the fridge?) The raw oats surprised me by disappearing though - I barely noticed them.

It tastes like a milkshake and is my favorite smoothie of all! You are welcome!

Stay tuned- tomorrow I will be sharing another amazing recipe with chia seeds- contributed a couple of weeks ago as a response from the recipe request shout out! Is it yours?

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.

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.