Spring Cleanse - Day 2

Yesterday was day two of my Spring Cleanse. Like Monday, it wasn't a difficult day. I made all of my food for the work day on Monday evening - oatmeal for breakfast, fruit salad for a morning snack, quinoa salad with spinach for lunch and collard wraps for an afternoon snack. Unfortunately, I forgot the oatmeal. I ended up having the fruit for lunch and the collard wraps for my morning snack.

The quinoa salad was a good choice for lunch, because it was really filling and kept me satiated for the afternoon. I mixed together cooked quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion and chickpeas with a little bit of olive oil and lemon juice. I served it over a large bed of raw spinach.


I had an appointment after work, and I knew I'd be hungry by the time I got home, so Dennis picked up dinner. We had steamed veggies and brown rice from Veggie Heaven.

During a detox, it's important to slow down and spend more time relaxing and meditating. This week is already super busy for me though, and I haven't had any extra time to spare! I'm going to make an effort to do less later in the week though. (How strange is it that I need to make an effort to do less??)


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Spring Cleanse - Day 1

My Spring Cleanse has begun! I am doing a one week detox along with clients. It's a pretty simple detox for those who are already eating a relatively clean diet. The day begins with a tonic made from water, lemon juice, ginger, maple syrup and hawthorn berry. The diet is a whole foods, plant-based diet, which includes fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds. The diet for days 5 and 6 excludes grains, beans, nuts and seeds. Each day is devoted to detoxing a different organ with simple exercises and supplements.


Day 1 is devoted to getting adjusted to the modified diet. It wasn't difficult and I pretty much ate what I usually do. My day started out with oatmeal loaded with fruits, seeds and nuts. I had a big fruit salad for a snack and then a large garden salad for lunch. I found myself having some cravings in the afternoon - hummus and crackers, chickpeas and chocolate! I'm sure it's because I didn't include any grains or beans in salad.


For dinner, I made quinoa with a veggie-stir fry consisted of onion, garlic, asparagus, mushrooms, red pepper and kale. I used a little olive oil (up to three tablespoons a day is allowed but I'm trying to stay under) and lemon juice to flavor it.


I recommended that my clients make a small side salad with dinner each night, but I ignored my own advice. Instead I made collard green wraps, which were inspired by my friend Donna's delicious creations in the raw class we taught on Saturday. I mashed up an avocado with lime juice and and some seaweed flakes, spread it over collard leaves, then topped it with some pea shoots and chopped bell peppers. I rolled the whole thing up into a little spring roll-like bundle. It was delicious, and I've already made more to take to work tomorrow! I also used the leftover cooked quinoa to make a big quinoa salad for tomorrow's lunch. I'm hoping the quinoa, along with some chick peas, will keep the afternoon cravings away!


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Collard Greens with Rice and Black Eyed Peas

This is a recipe from my friend Donna that I altered slightly. I chopped up half of an onion and sautéed it for a a few minutes and then added chopped collard greens. Then I added Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley, vegetable broth and a can of diced tomatoes and let it all simmer together. Once the rice was almost cooked, I added a can of black eyed peas. This meal is nice and warming and is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter's evening!


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