It's the morning before Day 1 of our detox and we're gearing up to go grocery shopping! Over the course of the next 10 days, we will be aiming to cleanse our bodies of acidity, impurities, and toxins which disrupt our endocrine systems (which are found in food AND the environment!). We're going all alkaline and all raw for 10 days, starting tomorrow. This will include lots of juicing (and smoothies!!!), and some creative snacking and entrees. We don't have meals completely mapped out yet, though, because I'm trying a new (healthier) approach: Eating All Day Long! Of course we all know that it is important to listen to our bodies, yet how many of us actually do that?
This week, we are striving to eat when we're hungry and stop BEFORE we're full. This will likely equate to healthy snacking nearly every hour of the waking day. So our shopping spree will consist of seeking out raw snack food, like fresh fruits and veggies, hummus, and maybe some quick and easy raw food bars (like Lara, mmm). My theory is that our bodies will tell us when to eat and when to stop, if we just listen. So if I'm hungry when I wake up, I'll have a smoothie, and as soon as the feeling of hunger relents, I will stop and wait for the next one. It's common sense!
I will stop by tomorrow with an update from the kitchen...
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Rawr! Not So FAST!
Happy February, Everyone!
I'm feeling energized and inspired today. Why? Because, it's the start of a new week, the start of a new month, and still pretty darn close to the start of a new year. The possibilities are ENDLESS!
Or maybe I just feel great, because I've started my morning off with a tropical fruit smoothie, loaded with mangoes, pineapple, bananas, orange juice and, of course, hemp seed powder. MMM!!!
Typically, I try to steer clear of acidic fruit, especially in my morning smoothie, but I've had these bags of frozen organic fruit in my freezer for far too long, and it was time to put them to good use. Plus, this coming Sunday, it's time for another raw cleanse. Care to join me?
My boyfriend has been struggling with his weight lately, due to a number of contributing factors:
High Stress
Low Energy
Limited Physical Activity
Late-Night Snacking
Ceasing the use of Medications (which seem to have kept him "artificially thin")
You see, we moved somewhat recently, and we've both been adjusting to life in a new home and a new town. Neither of us has kept up our fitness regimen, and I've been busy with a new job, a new school, and taking care of my sweet girl. He left his job to move here and didn't begin working again until mid-January, acting as my live-in nanny most days, so life for both of us has been fairly sedentary. However, we have taken up Yoga and the BF is religious about attending twice a week! I've been doing "living-room fitness" while watching Miami Ink, late at night. This actually works well for me, because I sleep like a dream after a gentle workout!
Out of frustration, BF (as he will be lovingly referred to, in order to maintain anonymity) has recently threatened a 10-day fast. Fasting to lose weight is dangerous and ineffective. This is not a good move. I had to do some "fast-talking" (pun intended) to curb his enthusiasm for this plan, for his own good, so I have vowed to help him get the excess weight off, and keep it off, through improving his dietary downfalls (of which there are many).
You see, the three of us residing together is somewhat of a stumbling block, as I am a vegan, my daughter is a vegetarian, and BF is a pescatarian, with the occasional venture into omnivory. This makes grocery shopping and meal planning difficult for me. I like to keep healthy snacks around for my daughter (mostly to pack in her lunch, but also to buy me time while I'm preparing dinner at night). These have proven irresistible for BF. He's a snacker, which is great, but he gravitates toward the processed, prepackaged "kid food" I keep on hand for...well...the kid.
Granted, our processed, prepackaged "kid food" beats the chips, cookies, candy, and soda of most American households, but even friendlier food, such as organic, fruit-sweetened, oatmeal animal crackers, organic "real-cheese" cheddar bunnies, and organic, whole wheat, "real-fruit" pop tarts can have their drawbacks! First of all, they still contain simple carbs and, thus, empty calories. Second, they offer no real nutritional benefit, and third, eating "kid food" in adult quantities, especially late at night, can really sabotage any effort to stay fit and healthy. Yet, as many times as we have discussed this tendency, he persists.
Therefore, I'm forced to reform the kitchen and our diets.
We all eat a good deal of raw foods, as they are incorporated into every meal, and my loves both love raw fruits and veggies! However, I think I'm going to have to make more of an effort to keep truly healthy snacks on hand for both of them. I'm afraid this means finding the time to wash and cut fruits and veggies ahead of time, for quick and easy snacking. I'm hoping that, if I do this, when BF opens the fridge and sees that a small salad is just a handful of fresh, brightly-colored, prepared veggies away, he'll opt for that, over the drab, cardboard box of tan cookies.
I'm convinced that 10 days of raw will yield better benefits than 10 days of forcing his body into starvation mode, encouraging it to feed off of his store or muscle proteins, depleting his energy, and preventing him from getting physical exercise. Call me crazy!
Valentine's Day is the deadline. 6 pounds is the goal. Let's see if the centuries-old method of eating close to nature and close to home can win him over for good! :)
Love you, BF!!!
I'm feeling energized and inspired today. Why? Because, it's the start of a new week, the start of a new month, and still pretty darn close to the start of a new year. The possibilities are ENDLESS!
Or maybe I just feel great, because I've started my morning off with a tropical fruit smoothie, loaded with mangoes, pineapple, bananas, orange juice and, of course, hemp seed powder. MMM!!!
Typically, I try to steer clear of acidic fruit, especially in my morning smoothie, but I've had these bags of frozen organic fruit in my freezer for far too long, and it was time to put them to good use. Plus, this coming Sunday, it's time for another raw cleanse. Care to join me?
My boyfriend has been struggling with his weight lately, due to a number of contributing factors:
High Stress
Low Energy
Limited Physical Activity
Late-Night Snacking
Ceasing the use of Medications (which seem to have kept him "artificially thin")
You see, we moved somewhat recently, and we've both been adjusting to life in a new home and a new town. Neither of us has kept up our fitness regimen, and I've been busy with a new job, a new school, and taking care of my sweet girl. He left his job to move here and didn't begin working again until mid-January, acting as my live-in nanny most days, so life for both of us has been fairly sedentary. However, we have taken up Yoga and the BF is religious about attending twice a week! I've been doing "living-room fitness" while watching Miami Ink, late at night. This actually works well for me, because I sleep like a dream after a gentle workout!
Out of frustration, BF (as he will be lovingly referred to, in order to maintain anonymity) has recently threatened a 10-day fast. Fasting to lose weight is dangerous and ineffective. This is not a good move. I had to do some "fast-talking" (pun intended) to curb his enthusiasm for this plan, for his own good, so I have vowed to help him get the excess weight off, and keep it off, through improving his dietary downfalls (of which there are many).
You see, the three of us residing together is somewhat of a stumbling block, as I am a vegan, my daughter is a vegetarian, and BF is a pescatarian, with the occasional venture into omnivory. This makes grocery shopping and meal planning difficult for me. I like to keep healthy snacks around for my daughter (mostly to pack in her lunch, but also to buy me time while I'm preparing dinner at night). These have proven irresistible for BF. He's a snacker, which is great, but he gravitates toward the processed, prepackaged "kid food" I keep on hand for...well...the kid.
Granted, our processed, prepackaged "kid food" beats the chips, cookies, candy, and soda of most American households, but even friendlier food, such as organic, fruit-sweetened, oatmeal animal crackers, organic "real-cheese" cheddar bunnies, and organic, whole wheat, "real-fruit" pop tarts can have their drawbacks! First of all, they still contain simple carbs and, thus, empty calories. Second, they offer no real nutritional benefit, and third, eating "kid food" in adult quantities, especially late at night, can really sabotage any effort to stay fit and healthy. Yet, as many times as we have discussed this tendency, he persists.
Therefore, I'm forced to reform the kitchen and our diets.
We all eat a good deal of raw foods, as they are incorporated into every meal, and my loves both love raw fruits and veggies! However, I think I'm going to have to make more of an effort to keep truly healthy snacks on hand for both of them. I'm afraid this means finding the time to wash and cut fruits and veggies ahead of time, for quick and easy snacking. I'm hoping that, if I do this, when BF opens the fridge and sees that a small salad is just a handful of fresh, brightly-colored, prepared veggies away, he'll opt for that, over the drab, cardboard box of tan cookies.
I'm convinced that 10 days of raw will yield better benefits than 10 days of forcing his body into starvation mode, encouraging it to feed off of his store or muscle proteins, depleting his energy, and preventing him from getting physical exercise. Call me crazy!
Valentine's Day is the deadline. 6 pounds is the goal. Let's see if the centuries-old method of eating close to nature and close to home can win him over for good! :)
Love you, BF!!!
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