Have I mentioned that I am drinking at least 2 liters of water everyday? I know, it's good for me, I should always drink this much, blah, blah, blah. But with the ocean I'm consuming each day, I find myself making a trek to the office bathroom every half hour. It's all the way down the hall, past reception, through the kitchen, past a row of cubicles, turn left, past the copier, turn left again, past the men's room and finally sweet relief. I think everyone here thinks I have a problem.
I feel better today, hardly a trace of the monster headache. I still felt worn out by the time I get home from work, though. I thought by now I might feel more energetic. On the plus side, I have noticed that I don't get as hungry after work - no sugar roller coaster. We have decided that this will be a five day experiment, so tomorrow is the last day. Woo-hoo! I'm going to have a cup of coffee on Saturday morning in my jammy-jams and watch the end of Battlestar Galactica Season 2 with my sweetie-pie while it rains and rains.
Day 4:
Breakfast: yogurt smoothie (same as yesterday: pineapple, blueberry, banana)
Morning snack: carrots & cukes
Lunch: Lentil Soup (it never gets old,) arugula salad with orange bell peppers, tomatoes and corn
Afternoon snack: grapes
Dinner: Blackened Catfish, smashed garlic potatoes with yogurt, olive oil and scallions, steamed broccoli
2 liters of water
**my spell checker's suggestion to replace the word "detox" is "deaths"**
8.31.2006
Detox Day 3: It Gets Better
I feel better today. Not like a new person, but like a person who can make it through the day without a cup of coffee. I can't wait for Monday, which I shall rename from Labor Day to Latte Day. Or maybe Macchiato Day. I haven't decided. I'll be not working, boggling and drinking caffeinated beverages again. And eating sugar by the spoonful. Not really. Who cares about sugar when one has been denied salt? After all, there's honey. But salt? How do I love thee, let me list the millions of dishes I use you in.
Dinner today was delicious!! Even without the salt. See below for details.
Day 3:
Breakfast: yogurt smoothie (blueberry, banana, pineapple)
Morning snack: baby carrots & cucumbers (cukes from the farmers market - yum)
Lunch: lentil soup (i can't believe I'm eating it for the thrid day in a row,) arugula salad w/avocado, heirloom tomatoes and corn w/olive oil & lemon juice dressing
Afternoon snack: plum
Dinner: beefsteak tomatoes with olive oil, baked sockeye salmon with dill & lemon, baked potatoes w/sauted onions & mushrooms & a garlic/rosemary yogurt sauce
2 liters of water
Dinner today was delicious!! Even without the salt. See below for details.
Day 3:
Breakfast: yogurt smoothie (blueberry, banana, pineapple)
Morning snack: baby carrots & cucumbers (cukes from the farmers market - yum)
Lunch: lentil soup (i can't believe I'm eating it for the thrid day in a row,) arugula salad w/avocado, heirloom tomatoes and corn w/olive oil & lemon juice dressing
Afternoon snack: plum
Dinner: beefsteak tomatoes with olive oil, baked sockeye salmon with dill & lemon, baked potatoes w/sauted onions & mushrooms & a garlic/rosemary yogurt sauce
2 liters of water
8.30.2006
Detox Day 2: The Withdrawal
Detox Diet continues...
Day 2 was a bitch. When I got to work I felt really tired. I was sitting at my computer thinking that any minute I'd wake up and get my day started, but it just kept on. I had a dull nagging headache, I felt hot and dizzy and I had this intense sensation that everything was drooping: my eyelids, my head, my shoulders... I wanted to put my head down on my desk and I kept fantasizing about where in the office I could secretly take a nap. I guess my caffeine withdrawal was delayed by a day. I managed to make it through the rest of my incredibly boring temp job and home on a maddeningly crowded subway from Grand Central Terminal.
I hope that Day 3 will be better, because I'll be forced to drink a pot of coffee and eat a snickers bar if it's not. Seriously, people. I need a big pile of mashed potatoes with butter and salt.
Here's the list for Day 2:
Breakfast: oatmeal w/berries, banana and honey
Morning Snack: rice cakes w/unsalted peanut butter, raisins & banana
Lunch: lentil soup, tomatoes w/basil & olive oil
Afternoon snack: grapes
Dinner: quinoa salad w/tuna, cucumbers & carrots, arugula salad w/avocado, heirloom tomatoes and corn (leftover corn from the night before, cut off the cob.) dressing: olive oil & lemon juice
2 liters of water
Day 2 was a bitch. When I got to work I felt really tired. I was sitting at my computer thinking that any minute I'd wake up and get my day started, but it just kept on. I had a dull nagging headache, I felt hot and dizzy and I had this intense sensation that everything was drooping: my eyelids, my head, my shoulders... I wanted to put my head down on my desk and I kept fantasizing about where in the office I could secretly take a nap. I guess my caffeine withdrawal was delayed by a day. I managed to make it through the rest of my incredibly boring temp job and home on a maddeningly crowded subway from Grand Central Terminal.
I hope that Day 3 will be better, because I'll be forced to drink a pot of coffee and eat a snickers bar if it's not. Seriously, people. I need a big pile of mashed potatoes with butter and salt.
Here's the list for Day 2:
Breakfast: oatmeal w/berries, banana and honey
Morning Snack: rice cakes w/unsalted peanut butter, raisins & banana
Lunch: lentil soup, tomatoes w/basil & olive oil
Afternoon snack: grapes
Dinner: quinoa salad w/tuna, cucumbers & carrots, arugula salad w/avocado, heirloom tomatoes and corn (leftover corn from the night before, cut off the cob.) dressing: olive oil & lemon juice
2 liters of water
8.28.2006
Detox diet: Lentil Soup & Yogurt Smoothies
It's a sad state of affairs around the fork this household. We've banished salt! and sugar! and wheat! and (arrgghh) coffee!! and (soft sobbing...) cheese!! But not forever - this test of strength will only continue for a week, thank god, and then back to the glory of dairy products! Yes, we are going on a detox diet.
Normally, I detest the word "diet." I could stand to lose a few, but dieting has always seemed to be about extreme deprivation. The more promising the results, the more radical the program. It just can't be good for your body.
I did Atkins for about 4 weeks a few years back. I had cottage cheese and coffee with whole cream and brought bacon to work in a plastic baggie to eat as a snack. I didn't lose a pound. (I didn't gain anything either - despite all the fat I was eating.) I had fantasies about crackers, mashed potatoes and bread with butter. Of course I did! Completely eliminating carbs meant that I wasn't eating a full and healthy range of foods.
So why the seven day plan? I guess because I've fallen back into some unhealthy eating patterns and I feel like I need to snap out of it. I also want to see what happens when I eliminate wheat products. I've heard that many people are allergic to wheat and have no idea. It can make you feel fatigued and lethargic.
I'm not sure how I'm going to make it through without salt to season all those veggies and salads I'll be eating. I made a big pot of lentil soup last night and it is so bland! I used garlic, a bay leaf, cumin, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, parsley and lemon juice. And it still tastes bland to me. Maybe that's why I need to cut back on salt.
Here's what I'm not eating: salt, sugar, wheat, dairy (except yogurt,) alcohol, coffee, meat, eggs, white rice
What I am eating: fruit, veggies, brown rice, quinoa, lentils, yogurt, oats, fish & seafood, beans, juice, herb tea, rice cakes, unsalted nuts & seeds, plain popcorn, olive oil & balsamic vinegar, unsalted peanut butter, tofu
This is the lentil soup I usually make that has amazing flavor! Items marked with an "*" should be removed to make it detox friendly.
Lentil Soup Original & Detoxified:
Olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
*1/4 lb. pancetta (sliced no greater than 1/8" and diced)
1 1/2 cups drained diced tomatoes
2 cups lentils, washed and sorted
8 cups chicken stock + 2 cups water (*or use all water)
fresh ground pepper
red pepper flakes
*salt to taste (at least 2 teaspoons kosher)
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
*Parmesan for garnish
Sauté the garlic in olive oil over medium heat until fragrant, add the carrots, onion and celery and sauté for 4-5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the pancetta and sauté for another minute or two. Add the lentils, tomatoes, chicken stock, water, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until the lentils are soft. Add the parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes longer. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and serve. Top with grated parmesan.
For the rest of the week I'm making heirloom tomato salad with basil and olive oil, quinoa w/low sodium tuna (canned in water,) with cannelloni beans, shallots, cucumber and cilantro, steamed broccoli, cauliflower & carrots over brown rice with nutritional yeast flakes, sweet white corn on the cob, arugula salad with avocados & tomatoes, baked salmon, prawn stir fry with bok choy, mushrooms, red pepper, garlic and tofu, oatmeal with berries & honey, yogurt with sugar/wheat-free granola.
This morning I made yogurt smoothies. I'm not usually a big fan but these turned out pretty darn good. Here's the recipe I made up:
Yogurt Smoothies
2 cups plain unsweetened yogurt
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup organic berries (I had to use frozen, but I'd use fresh if possible)
1 small banana
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
Blend until smooth.
(This could be sweeter if a different juice were substituted, like grape or apple juice.)
I think we'll be eating some really great meals. I'll continue to post the daily meal plan and maybe even take some photos.
Day 1: (UPDATED)
Breakfast: Yogurt smoothies
Morning snack: rice cakes with unsalted peanut butter (these are cute little rectangular cakes about 1 1/2" by 3" and 1/4" thick - surprisingly tasty.)
Lunch: Lentil soup and a Minneola orange
Afternoon snack: red grapes
Dinner: Quinoa salad w/tuna, cucumbers, carrots and red onion, sweet white corn on the cob, tomatoes & basil with olive oil
2 Liters of water
1 glass of apple juice
Normally, I detest the word "diet." I could stand to lose a few, but dieting has always seemed to be about extreme deprivation. The more promising the results, the more radical the program. It just can't be good for your body.
I did Atkins for about 4 weeks a few years back. I had cottage cheese and coffee with whole cream and brought bacon to work in a plastic baggie to eat as a snack. I didn't lose a pound. (I didn't gain anything either - despite all the fat I was eating.) I had fantasies about crackers, mashed potatoes and bread with butter. Of course I did! Completely eliminating carbs meant that I wasn't eating a full and healthy range of foods.
So why the seven day plan? I guess because I've fallen back into some unhealthy eating patterns and I feel like I need to snap out of it. I also want to see what happens when I eliminate wheat products. I've heard that many people are allergic to wheat and have no idea. It can make you feel fatigued and lethargic.
I'm not sure how I'm going to make it through without salt to season all those veggies and salads I'll be eating. I made a big pot of lentil soup last night and it is so bland! I used garlic, a bay leaf, cumin, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, parsley and lemon juice. And it still tastes bland to me. Maybe that's why I need to cut back on salt.
Here's what I'm not eating: salt, sugar, wheat, dairy (except yogurt,) alcohol, coffee, meat, eggs, white rice
What I am eating: fruit, veggies, brown rice, quinoa, lentils, yogurt, oats, fish & seafood, beans, juice, herb tea, rice cakes, unsalted nuts & seeds, plain popcorn, olive oil & balsamic vinegar, unsalted peanut butter, tofu
This is the lentil soup I usually make that has amazing flavor! Items marked with an "*" should be removed to make it detox friendly.
Lentil Soup Original & Detoxified:
Olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
*1/4 lb. pancetta (sliced no greater than 1/8" and diced)
1 1/2 cups drained diced tomatoes
2 cups lentils, washed and sorted
8 cups chicken stock + 2 cups water (*or use all water)
fresh ground pepper
red pepper flakes
*salt to taste (at least 2 teaspoons kosher)
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
*Parmesan for garnish
Sauté the garlic in olive oil over medium heat until fragrant, add the carrots, onion and celery and sauté for 4-5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the pancetta and sauté for another minute or two. Add the lentils, tomatoes, chicken stock, water, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until the lentils are soft. Add the parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes longer. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and serve. Top with grated parmesan.
For the rest of the week I'm making heirloom tomato salad with basil and olive oil, quinoa w/low sodium tuna (canned in water,) with cannelloni beans, shallots, cucumber and cilantro, steamed broccoli, cauliflower & carrots over brown rice with nutritional yeast flakes, sweet white corn on the cob, arugula salad with avocados & tomatoes, baked salmon, prawn stir fry with bok choy, mushrooms, red pepper, garlic and tofu, oatmeal with berries & honey, yogurt with sugar/wheat-free granola.
This morning I made yogurt smoothies. I'm not usually a big fan but these turned out pretty darn good. Here's the recipe I made up:
Yogurt Smoothies
2 cups plain unsweetened yogurt
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup organic berries (I had to use frozen, but I'd use fresh if possible)
1 small banana
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
Blend until smooth.
(This could be sweeter if a different juice were substituted, like grape or apple juice.)
I think we'll be eating some really great meals. I'll continue to post the daily meal plan and maybe even take some photos.
Day 1: (UPDATED)
Breakfast: Yogurt smoothies
Morning snack: rice cakes with unsalted peanut butter (these are cute little rectangular cakes about 1 1/2" by 3" and 1/4" thick - surprisingly tasty.)
Lunch: Lentil soup and a Minneola orange
Afternoon snack: red grapes
Dinner: Quinoa salad w/tuna, cucumbers, carrots and red onion, sweet white corn on the cob, tomatoes & basil with olive oil
2 Liters of water
1 glass of apple juice
8.10.2006
Delicious Sandwiches
Saturday, August 26th @ 1pm at Prospect Park: The Delicious Sandwich Social!
See their web site for all the details. Cupcakes provided by Cupcakes Take The Cake. This promises to be an extra tasty event.
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