Here's the vegetable salad I keep around constantly. It goes with absolutely everything.
The quantities of each vegetable are not exact.
I list the vegetables that I use in the standard salad then list others you can use to "lighten" it up, change the dominant tastes, or create a full meal according to your tastes.
Experiment with the amounts of the various vegetables to get the quantities that work for you.
Basic HVS
These vegetables make up the basic salad. This can last for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator without getting wilted.
Green cabbage
Red Cabbage
Red Pepper
Green Pepper
Celery
Tomato
Fresh Herbs (Cilantro, basil, thyme,
Additional vegetables
These vegetables can get soft or discolored quicker. That mean you have to eat the salad quicker. You can add these on any day to change the taste of the basic mix.
Lettuce/Spinach
shredded broccoli
cauliflower
zucchini
avocado
Toppings
Toppings are optional. This is what makes this salad versatile enough to be the base of a fully meal, 7 days a week.
Nuts or seeds
Raisons
Left-over meat, fish, chicken
Roasted vegetables
Rice
Cheese
Cooked vegetables
Whatever else you have.
Dressings
These go from simple to complex. The tastes are so good, you can eat this salad with no dressings. I started with bottled dressings and now use a simple squeeze of fresh lemon. Sometimes I add some Olive Oil. Another alternative is a great balsamic vinegar. Of course, you can use your favorite low fat dressing.
Directions:
Wash all of the vegetables and thinly shred them with a knife. This lets them come out in thin layers that are fun to eat. You can also shred by hand, chop in chunks or "break" some of the vegetables.
Use more or your favorites and change things up a bit. Try new tastes by adding other favorite vegetables I've forgotten here. If it's something you eat raw, it can go into the basic salad. If it's cooked, add as a topping for a special meal.
As a Side Dish
I serve a version of this salad almost everyday. You can add anything else in your meal. To make it a side dish, serve a portion with your cooked protein (meat, fish, chicken, beans). It goes with ethnic foods and vegetarian delights.
Keep this around on a regular basis. It's crunchy and satisfying. Depending on other meals, you can use this and start to naturally lose weight by making it your staple meal of the day or by eating more of this than other, higher calorie foods.
Let me know how you like it.
Monday, July 26, 2010
29 Benefits of Better Nutrition
1. Waking up without having to be dependent on a drug called caffeine.
2. Waking up and knowing where you are because your mind in clear.
3. Waking up without blurry eyes because your natural tears are in order.
4. Seeing your stomach get flatter.
5. Being able to go to the bathroom with ease!
6. Watching your skin clear up and look smoother.
7. Having a better, deeper sleep.
8. Naturally eating less.
9. Naturally wanting to eat better, healthier foods.
10. Sores, wounds, healing quicker, faster.
11. Fingernails getting stronger.
12. Watching your hair grow out and get thicker.
13. Having enough energy to exercise each day.
14. Trying new recipes because you want to try new vegetables.
15. Ready to try new ideas and concepts.
16. Feeling the effects of drinking more water
17. Naturally being attracted to foods that digest better in your body.
18. Having a better disposition.
19. Getting along better with others.
20. Realizing that the stress levels are going down.
21. Feeling that you CAN do what you want.
22. Going more places without feeling so tired.
23. Starting to feel emotionally balanced.
24. Able to make a decision and stick to it.
25. Cleaning up.
26. Smiling more.
27. Being more calm.
28. Accomplishing things and finishing what's undone.
29. Being present in the now instead of being stuck in the past.
2. Waking up and knowing where you are because your mind in clear.
3. Waking up without blurry eyes because your natural tears are in order.
4. Seeing your stomach get flatter.
5. Being able to go to the bathroom with ease!
6. Watching your skin clear up and look smoother.
7. Having a better, deeper sleep.
8. Naturally eating less.
9. Naturally wanting to eat better, healthier foods.
10. Sores, wounds, healing quicker, faster.
11. Fingernails getting stronger.
12. Watching your hair grow out and get thicker.
13. Having enough energy to exercise each day.
14. Trying new recipes because you want to try new vegetables.
15. Ready to try new ideas and concepts.
16. Feeling the effects of drinking more water
17. Naturally being attracted to foods that digest better in your body.
18. Having a better disposition.
19. Getting along better with others.
20. Realizing that the stress levels are going down.
21. Feeling that you CAN do what you want.
22. Going more places without feeling so tired.
23. Starting to feel emotionally balanced.
24. Able to make a decision and stick to it.
25. Cleaning up.
26. Smiling more.
27. Being more calm.
28. Accomplishing things and finishing what's undone.
29. Being present in the now instead of being stuck in the past.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Pickles and Stomach Aches
This afternoon I just got really hungry. I started to snack on a fruit and nut trail mix, knowing it had too many calories. Snacking has always been a problem; that was my worse way of gaining excess weight. It's so easy to have a jar of peanuts or a few candy bars at your desk during the day.
It seems that those snacks would be used up with the energy it takes to do your work. But they go to the hips or stomach like anything else. Well, I was also very tired today from not having slept long enough last night. Only got about 6 hours of sleep and I was dragging. So I didn't feel like making any food and was bored with eating plain, unadorned fruits and veggies.
Going healthy doesn't mean starving yourself; it means paying attention to what you put in your mouth. So I decided to just eat. Somewhere in the food selection I made a really bad mistake because hours later I'm still having bad stomach aches.
I ate a Boca burger, a fake burger patty. I added mustard, pickle and ketchup then put it between two pieces of lettuce. Well, I know it wasn't the lettuce, but I don't know if it was the condiments or the Boca burger. Guess I should have just started wtih the burger, taken a check on the reaction, then tried one condiment at a time.
After a cleanse, its not easy to keep making the same food choice mistakes. I'm learnig a lot about my body and what makes it healthy. Until I learn some new recipes for raw and vegetarian foods, I need to be very careful about what I put in my mouth. I certainly pay the price when I don't.
It seems that those snacks would be used up with the energy it takes to do your work. But they go to the hips or stomach like anything else. Well, I was also very tired today from not having slept long enough last night. Only got about 6 hours of sleep and I was dragging. So I didn't feel like making any food and was bored with eating plain, unadorned fruits and veggies.
Going healthy doesn't mean starving yourself; it means paying attention to what you put in your mouth. So I decided to just eat. Somewhere in the food selection I made a really bad mistake because hours later I'm still having bad stomach aches.
I ate a Boca burger, a fake burger patty. I added mustard, pickle and ketchup then put it between two pieces of lettuce. Well, I know it wasn't the lettuce, but I don't know if it was the condiments or the Boca burger. Guess I should have just started wtih the burger, taken a check on the reaction, then tried one condiment at a time.
After a cleanse, its not easy to keep making the same food choice mistakes. I'm learnig a lot about my body and what makes it healthy. Until I learn some new recipes for raw and vegetarian foods, I need to be very careful about what I put in my mouth. I certainly pay the price when I don't.
Food and Dental Health
Today I had my regular check up with my Dental Hygenist. She kept looking at me as if something was wrong. The problem was that something was very right. The week before, I went to the Dentist to get a new set of X-Rays. He found nothing wrong with anything in my mouth. You expect to have at least a build up of plague somewhere; but there was nothing.
The hygenist also was surprised. My gums were strong and tight. No plague to dig off and no cavities. She asked what was going on and I told her I had gotten off coffee, drinking smoothies and eating more raw fruits and vegetables.
She told me that dental research confirms that a change in nutrition can affect dental health significantly. This was the first cleaning that didn't hurt. To me it verifies that food is a healer.
The hygenist also was surprised. My gums were strong and tight. No plague to dig off and no cavities. She asked what was going on and I told her I had gotten off coffee, drinking smoothies and eating more raw fruits and vegetables.
She told me that dental research confirms that a change in nutrition can affect dental health significantly. This was the first cleaning that didn't hurt. To me it verifies that food is a healer.
Determining What Works
A result of doing a cleanse is the ability to find out what works and what doesn't when it comes to eating certain foods. I'm still on a natural cleanse with high fiber, but not on the veggie, fruit raw cleanse. A few days ago, I made a Shrimp Scampi. Within a few minutes I felt muscle soreness and a tightening in my throat. I had never felt this before. It showed that shrimp is probably a problem for me.
I've never liked shell fish too much. What surprised me was that realize that it is possible to be eating foods that cause problems in the body on a regular basis. Because we get accustomed to being a bit under the weather on a regular basis, the feelings of being sick don't strike us so much. When a food is isolated and results in a reaction, it becomes more apparent. Fortunately, I confirmed that I need to be leery of shell fish and shrimp in particular.
The next day, I decided to venture out to eat and ended up at a new restaurant in my city that was rather like a deli. I ordered a Cobb salad, feeling it wouldn't be too bad. It was my first taste of chicken since coming off the fasts. The salad was alright; I had it with balsamic dressing.
Today, I created another chicken salad. Habit took over and I made two chicken meals in one day. It's a habit to think we have to have animal protein at each meal. It is not sitting well on my stomach late at night. In fact, sitting on my stomach is the problem. I need to get up and do some exercise. Focusing on a vegetable based diet is definitely what is going to work for me.
I've never liked shell fish too much. What surprised me was that realize that it is possible to be eating foods that cause problems in the body on a regular basis. Because we get accustomed to being a bit under the weather on a regular basis, the feelings of being sick don't strike us so much. When a food is isolated and results in a reaction, it becomes more apparent. Fortunately, I confirmed that I need to be leery of shell fish and shrimp in particular.
The next day, I decided to venture out to eat and ended up at a new restaurant in my city that was rather like a deli. I ordered a Cobb salad, feeling it wouldn't be too bad. It was my first taste of chicken since coming off the fasts. The salad was alright; I had it with balsamic dressing.
Today, I created another chicken salad. Habit took over and I made two chicken meals in one day. It's a habit to think we have to have animal protein at each meal. It is not sitting well on my stomach late at night. In fact, sitting on my stomach is the problem. I need to get up and do some exercise. Focusing on a vegetable based diet is definitely what is going to work for me.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Relearning Tastes
Probably the hardest thing to do when changing how you eat is to learn to change tastes. Taste is a learned behavior. Think about it; some people can eat things that make you gag while you do the same. Consider raw oysters. With a heritage from New Orleans, oysters should be something I can understand. But I've never developed a taste for anything raw that used to be alive and walking. The distinction is made because raw veggies are totally one of my greatest joys. But raw slimy oysters are something I don't think I'll ever willingly eat. That goes along with other raw meats or fish. However, I certainly respect that some people adore these foods. That's what diversity is all about. It also illustrates my point that tastes are learned behaviors.
Here are some of the tastes I have the most struggles with as I change my consumption patterns.
1. Coffee. What I miss is the rich, full taste of coffee. However, after the experience of the withdrawal the desire has definitely diminished. Will I ever enjoy it as much again? Probably not because of what I know it did to my body. Something with that powerful of a hold on my life has no place in it. Instead, I have a new box of Oolong tea on my kitchen counter that I'm going to try. I can tell there's a fear of caffeine addiction. I was informed by the nutritionist at the health food store that one cup of caffeinated herb tea has about 30 mg. of caffeine compared to 150 mg. in one cup of coffee. That's a lot to consume.
2. Chai Tea. I also miss chai tea. That's because the brands I use have a lot of sugar and I don't want to get back on so much is that white sugar. Unfortunately, artificial white sugar is found in almost all prepared foods in the US. That is a taste that a lot of people are developing and small children are bribed with a sweet taste. That's a taste that needs to be unlearned. I'm sure I can find a way to enjoy a god tea without having to aldd any sugar. A splash of soymilk could do the trick.
3. Fried Fish. Living on the Central Coast makes fish and chips a normal meal. You get spoiled having fish straight off the fishing boats to eat along with freshly fried garlic fries. A new thing is sweet potato fries too. This fried meal is probably the most difficult thing to change at this time, but my health dictates that move. I have been working on some good recipes for oven baked fried foods that have the same crispy, crunchy tastes and flavor without any of the calories and fats. Even though I use olive oil for frying my food, that’s not the best thing for me either. I'm going to perfect the oven baked recipe and share it with you.
4. Fries. I have to go back to the fries. The classic French fry is one of my favorite comfort foods. Why I don't really know whey I can easily eat a baked potato and be happy. I think I just enjoy fried foods. The reason is that I only trusted fried foods in restaurants for a long time. I felt that nothing could be "messed" with and that the food was well cooked. So I would eat fried foods when out. Plus, my comfort food is crunchy. Therefore, the other hard potato is of course the potato chip or other fried snack such as Cheetos. Baking fries is an option. Also, using Jicama, a root vegetable often found in Mexican foods. It's sweet with a character like potato. I'm going to work on substituting this vegetable for the potato and fries.
5. Oatmeal cookies. I am a true Cookie Monster with no excuses. Give me a bag of cookies and it is impossible for me to eat just one. I can eat fewer potatoes than cookies and oatmeal raisons are my favorites. I like the crispy one of course. Crunch again; comfort food for me. Another difficult to resist cookie is the shortbread. Not all shortbread cookies are good. The really buttery ones that are flaky and light are the best. I love Pecan Sandies; can eat the whole bag unfortunately. .
6. Good Cake. I have to emphasize, the "good" with the cake. There's nothing like a light, fluffy cake that makes you feel like you're to really cheating on your calories. The other is a just sweet enough and very dense, perfect pound cake. My favorite cake is a great carrot cake. I used to be a carrot cake queen in college and kept cake baked and on my table in my college apartment. Anyone could come by and get a hunk of cake. Of course there was the great crème cheese icing too, all home made from scratch. There was nothing like it. I have to find that recipe. I'm grateful for places that sell one slice of cake instead of making you buy the whole thing. I found only one place in Los Angeles that has the perfect red velvet cake. I'll also work on that recipe. The question is can you really create a real low-fat cake without losing the texture and taste? I'll let you know.
I'm sure I'll think of several more foods as soon as I sign off. That will have to be another post.
tge
Here are some of the tastes I have the most struggles with as I change my consumption patterns.
1. Coffee. What I miss is the rich, full taste of coffee. However, after the experience of the withdrawal the desire has definitely diminished. Will I ever enjoy it as much again? Probably not because of what I know it did to my body. Something with that powerful of a hold on my life has no place in it. Instead, I have a new box of Oolong tea on my kitchen counter that I'm going to try. I can tell there's a fear of caffeine addiction. I was informed by the nutritionist at the health food store that one cup of caffeinated herb tea has about 30 mg. of caffeine compared to 150 mg. in one cup of coffee. That's a lot to consume.
2. Chai Tea. I also miss chai tea. That's because the brands I use have a lot of sugar and I don't want to get back on so much is that white sugar. Unfortunately, artificial white sugar is found in almost all prepared foods in the US. That is a taste that a lot of people are developing and small children are bribed with a sweet taste. That's a taste that needs to be unlearned. I'm sure I can find a way to enjoy a god tea without having to aldd any sugar. A splash of soymilk could do the trick.
3. Fried Fish. Living on the Central Coast makes fish and chips a normal meal. You get spoiled having fish straight off the fishing boats to eat along with freshly fried garlic fries. A new thing is sweet potato fries too. This fried meal is probably the most difficult thing to change at this time, but my health dictates that move. I have been working on some good recipes for oven baked fried foods that have the same crispy, crunchy tastes and flavor without any of the calories and fats. Even though I use olive oil for frying my food, that’s not the best thing for me either. I'm going to perfect the oven baked recipe and share it with you.
4. Fries. I have to go back to the fries. The classic French fry is one of my favorite comfort foods. Why I don't really know whey I can easily eat a baked potato and be happy. I think I just enjoy fried foods. The reason is that I only trusted fried foods in restaurants for a long time. I felt that nothing could be "messed" with and that the food was well cooked. So I would eat fried foods when out. Plus, my comfort food is crunchy. Therefore, the other hard potato is of course the potato chip or other fried snack such as Cheetos. Baking fries is an option. Also, using Jicama, a root vegetable often found in Mexican foods. It's sweet with a character like potato. I'm going to work on substituting this vegetable for the potato and fries.
5. Oatmeal cookies. I am a true Cookie Monster with no excuses. Give me a bag of cookies and it is impossible for me to eat just one. I can eat fewer potatoes than cookies and oatmeal raisons are my favorites. I like the crispy one of course. Crunch again; comfort food for me. Another difficult to resist cookie is the shortbread. Not all shortbread cookies are good. The really buttery ones that are flaky and light are the best. I love Pecan Sandies; can eat the whole bag unfortunately. .
6. Good Cake. I have to emphasize, the "good" with the cake. There's nothing like a light, fluffy cake that makes you feel like you're to really cheating on your calories. The other is a just sweet enough and very dense, perfect pound cake. My favorite cake is a great carrot cake. I used to be a carrot cake queen in college and kept cake baked and on my table in my college apartment. Anyone could come by and get a hunk of cake. Of course there was the great crème cheese icing too, all home made from scratch. There was nothing like it. I have to find that recipe. I'm grateful for places that sell one slice of cake instead of making you buy the whole thing. I found only one place in Los Angeles that has the perfect red velvet cake. I'll also work on that recipe. The question is can you really create a real low-fat cake without losing the texture and taste? I'll let you know.
I'm sure I'll think of several more foods as soon as I sign off. That will have to be another post.
tge
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Day 7 - Coffee Detox and Cleanse
CI can hardly believe a week has passed since I decided to make a drastic change in my life. Finally, I'm reaching the goals I've always wanted to reach by just saying "Yes" to my desire to be healthier and to help other reach their desires to be healthier.
Today, Day 7, I finally, finally, have relief in this coffee detox experience. My body is "sore" as if I've been on a long climb that used every muscle. But for the internal pain, it's essentially gone. I guess it was so bad that this relief is something that I am just thrilled to experience now.
I still realize that I'm a bit dehydrated. I always thought I was drinking a lot of water, but now I realize that the caffeine masked a lot of dehydration in the body. That certainly had a lot to do with the cramps. Also, I'm going to look for a high quality vitamin mineral supplement. Magnesium, calcium and zinc are three essential minerals that are depleted with high level caffeine intake.
As for the Raw Foods Cleanse, I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed going through that process too. I don't think I'll go completely raw in my life but I'm definitely adding more raw foods to my diet on a regular basis. I've learned that it's possible to exist with uncooked foods and feel satisfied. I missed hot foods. I know that foods can be heated to around 140 degrees without destroying their enzymes and all. But I really enjoy really hot foods; probably from my Peace Corps years in Africa where hot foods were all I knew.
Either way, my intention is to stay more vegetarian in my diet. I don't think this is best for everyone.
In fact, I have a client at this time that is studying to be a Personal Trainer and he is very interested in a high protein, meat based diet. Every body requires a different diet. That's the point of working with a professionally trained nutrition and health counselor. I certainly would love to be your health counselor and will continue to let you in my adventure this year as I become healthier.
Today, Day 7, I finally, finally, have relief in this coffee detox experience. My body is "sore" as if I've been on a long climb that used every muscle. But for the internal pain, it's essentially gone. I guess it was so bad that this relief is something that I am just thrilled to experience now.
I still realize that I'm a bit dehydrated. I always thought I was drinking a lot of water, but now I realize that the caffeine masked a lot of dehydration in the body. That certainly had a lot to do with the cramps. Also, I'm going to look for a high quality vitamin mineral supplement. Magnesium, calcium and zinc are three essential minerals that are depleted with high level caffeine intake.
As for the Raw Foods Cleanse, I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed going through that process too. I don't think I'll go completely raw in my life but I'm definitely adding more raw foods to my diet on a regular basis. I've learned that it's possible to exist with uncooked foods and feel satisfied. I missed hot foods. I know that foods can be heated to around 140 degrees without destroying their enzymes and all. But I really enjoy really hot foods; probably from my Peace Corps years in Africa where hot foods were all I knew.
Either way, my intention is to stay more vegetarian in my diet. I don't think this is best for everyone.
In fact, I have a client at this time that is studying to be a Personal Trainer and he is very interested in a high protein, meat based diet. Every body requires a different diet. That's the point of working with a professionally trained nutrition and health counselor. I certainly would love to be your health counselor and will continue to let you in my adventure this year as I become healthier.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Day 6 Coffee Detox - Evening
Since it's July 3rd, my husband and I went to one of our favorite restaurants for lunch this afternoon. I choose to break the cleanse and ordered a roasted vegetable sandwich on Fortini bread with sweet potato fries. Probably should have ordered a simple salad but the food was getting boring to me with just veggies and fruits and nothing else. I miss various tastes. Still I realize that the best health comes with no fried foods and sweet potato fries are not the best to have. The common idea at this time is that sweet potato fries are healthier than regular fries, but oil is oil.
Before leaving I tried to find a raw food or vegetarian reswtaurant in the area. Being along the coast I was surprised to not find a lot of choices. Guess I never looked before. It was surprising to me that the choices weren't much more than deli's, Thai restaurants or other sandwich shops with vegeatable sandwich choices. It made me wonder how people that eat raw or strictly vegan or vegetarian ennjoy a family meal out in th earea? Do they have to bring their own foods?
The coffee temptation wasn't too much fortunately. I usually get coffee at this restaurant for lunch. After my week of detoxing from coffee, there was no temptation. I skipped it without a second thought and stuck with water.
Fortunately, the fries were shared so I didn't eat all of them. I also removed about 90% of the bread from the sandwich, eating it with a fork. I just wanted to get the fresh basil sauce from the bread which was actually quite delicious. The sandwich was simple; portabello mushroom, tomato, pesto sauce, roasted on the bread. It was good.
We usually go for a long walk along the shoreline after eating but neither of us was feeling up to it today so we just drove along the shore and came home. Something about the ocean is always refreshing and stress relieving. My legs are sore this evening but I'm praying the cramping is gone. It really hits when I try to rest so I'll find out in a little while. So far today has been much better. I'm having hope.
It's been a good day. I think the worse is over - I'll let you know.
Before leaving I tried to find a raw food or vegetarian reswtaurant in the area. Being along the coast I was surprised to not find a lot of choices. Guess I never looked before. It was surprising to me that the choices weren't much more than deli's, Thai restaurants or other sandwich shops with vegeatable sandwich choices. It made me wonder how people that eat raw or strictly vegan or vegetarian ennjoy a family meal out in th earea? Do they have to bring their own foods?
The coffee temptation wasn't too much fortunately. I usually get coffee at this restaurant for lunch. After my week of detoxing from coffee, there was no temptation. I skipped it without a second thought and stuck with water.
Fortunately, the fries were shared so I didn't eat all of them. I also removed about 90% of the bread from the sandwich, eating it with a fork. I just wanted to get the fresh basil sauce from the bread which was actually quite delicious. The sandwich was simple; portabello mushroom, tomato, pesto sauce, roasted on the bread. It was good.
We usually go for a long walk along the shoreline after eating but neither of us was feeling up to it today so we just drove along the shore and came home. Something about the ocean is always refreshing and stress relieving. My legs are sore this evening but I'm praying the cramping is gone. It really hits when I try to rest so I'll find out in a little while. So far today has been much better. I'm having hope.
It's been a good day. I think the worse is over - I'll let you know.
Day 6 Coffee Detox
Woke up this morning feeling a bit better. Some cramping was still there. The chills came and went yesterday by the way which I forgot to mention. Right now at 11:00 a.m. on day 6, my legs are still sore but feeling better. Mentally and emotionally, I need some relief from the pain.
I'm going to drink water like crazy today. I cleaned the water filter yesterday. I had put lemon in the tank but found they get rather funky. So don't take that step, just add lemon to the glass of water instead.
Today is also day 6 of my raw food cleanse. That's going pretty well. I have to admit that I cheated a bit on that. I started putting some raw cashews in my veggie salad about two days ago which set up eating the raw cashews. I guess I'm just really feeling hungry at times. Last night for dinner I fixed a piece of salmon for my husband and had a small piece in my veggie salad. Adding that small piece of protein probably wasn't too bad.
Overall I'm really pleased with the cleanse and detox. I feel much lighter in one week and it's obvious that some weight is coming off. That is a great reward for this "jump-start" program. No doubt I'll keep going on that. I doubt that I'll go back to coffee after this, even for a small amount. It just doesn't seem worth it right now; I'll see how I feel afterwards.
Getting through today will be the problem. It's the 4th of July holiday weekend so I expect my husband will want to go do something. I'm usually the one talking about getting bar-b-que ribs. I can't see doing that after a week of raw foods without tearing up my stomach. But I might fall for a bit of fish.
Everything on the coast will be fish and chips I know. We leave by the Pacfific Ocean where the smaller towns always have some type of festival or something on holidays. It's really a fun thing to enjoy.
I still need to get my green smoothie for the day. That's a part of this adventure that's going very well and I'll start letting you know about that soon.
I'm going to drink water like crazy today. I cleaned the water filter yesterday. I had put lemon in the tank but found they get rather funky. So don't take that step, just add lemon to the glass of water instead.
Today is also day 6 of my raw food cleanse. That's going pretty well. I have to admit that I cheated a bit on that. I started putting some raw cashews in my veggie salad about two days ago which set up eating the raw cashews. I guess I'm just really feeling hungry at times. Last night for dinner I fixed a piece of salmon for my husband and had a small piece in my veggie salad. Adding that small piece of protein probably wasn't too bad.
Overall I'm really pleased with the cleanse and detox. I feel much lighter in one week and it's obvious that some weight is coming off. That is a great reward for this "jump-start" program. No doubt I'll keep going on that. I doubt that I'll go back to coffee after this, even for a small amount. It just doesn't seem worth it right now; I'll see how I feel afterwards.
Getting through today will be the problem. It's the 4th of July holiday weekend so I expect my husband will want to go do something. I'm usually the one talking about getting bar-b-que ribs. I can't see doing that after a week of raw foods without tearing up my stomach. But I might fall for a bit of fish.
Everything on the coast will be fish and chips I know. We leave by the Pacfific Ocean where the smaller towns always have some type of festival or something on holidays. It's really a fun thing to enjoy.
I still need to get my green smoothie for the day. That's a part of this adventure that's going very well and I'll start letting you know about that soon.
Day 5 - Coffee Detox
Yesterday, Friday, was Day 5 of the detox. I was too busy then too tired to write even though I lay in bed thinking about getting up to make at least this one post. The leg cramps really got to me yesterday. One reason was that I had a business meeting all morning; was out of the house by 9:00 and got back around 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon.
The meeting was to scout out a new place for an event so it involved a lot of walking up and down stairs, hills, and on trails. The place is gorgeous and will make a lovely setting for a health retreat. I drank a fabulous herb tea from Africa and sipped water all morning.
I was famished on the way home but that was my fault for not thinking ahead to bring some fruit or a veggie mix to munch on until I got to really eat.
But the leg cramps set in as soon as I got home. They were so bad I was almost crying by 2:00. I did some extra research because of course, the mind starts to go crazy thinking there's all type of diseases going on in the body at this point. What I learned was essential.
A large dose of caffeine can affect various minerals in the body. I knew about the calcium but learned that potassium and magnesium are also affected. It also has a dehydrating effect. So my legs were probably suffering from a lack of essential minerals and possibly dehydration. I did notice that although I've been drinking water like an empty lake I'm always thirsty.
So it's possible my body is regulating the water needs that I never noticed before. I have a wonderful health drink called "Calm." It's a shot of magnesium in powder form. I put it in a cup of hot water and drank a cup of that like tea. The only bad thing is that it contained stevia, a natural sweetener but another trigger for a headache! I took two Aleve and tried to rest. That helped for a while.
So this leads to the theory that the minerals are depleted in some areas of my body as well as a problem of dehydration which causes cramping. I drank water for the rest of the day and tried to rest.
By night time, the legs cramps were back so much I had to get out of bed and took another Aleve and drink another huge glass of water. I hate admitting I took so many tablets but I never expected to hurt getting off my levels of coffee consumption. If I had to do it again, I would probably get off coffee slower instead of cold turkey. I was trying to do raw foods cleanse and cold turkey coffee in the same week. That's a real shock to the system. My way of doing this is to just make up my mind and get something done rather than piece-mealing it. That's why I'm doing the cold turkey thing.
My coffee habit was so severe it really is drastic to get off. Your consumption levels might not be as severe as mine so take a detox problem in a personal way. I am going to develop pa program to start assisting others with this process as it will lead to so many other health benefits too.
The meeting was to scout out a new place for an event so it involved a lot of walking up and down stairs, hills, and on trails. The place is gorgeous and will make a lovely setting for a health retreat. I drank a fabulous herb tea from Africa and sipped water all morning.
I was famished on the way home but that was my fault for not thinking ahead to bring some fruit or a veggie mix to munch on until I got to really eat.
But the leg cramps set in as soon as I got home. They were so bad I was almost crying by 2:00. I did some extra research because of course, the mind starts to go crazy thinking there's all type of diseases going on in the body at this point. What I learned was essential.
A large dose of caffeine can affect various minerals in the body. I knew about the calcium but learned that potassium and magnesium are also affected. It also has a dehydrating effect. So my legs were probably suffering from a lack of essential minerals and possibly dehydration. I did notice that although I've been drinking water like an empty lake I'm always thirsty.
So it's possible my body is regulating the water needs that I never noticed before. I have a wonderful health drink called "Calm." It's a shot of magnesium in powder form. I put it in a cup of hot water and drank a cup of that like tea. The only bad thing is that it contained stevia, a natural sweetener but another trigger for a headache! I took two Aleve and tried to rest. That helped for a while.
So this leads to the theory that the minerals are depleted in some areas of my body as well as a problem of dehydration which causes cramping. I drank water for the rest of the day and tried to rest.
By night time, the legs cramps were back so much I had to get out of bed and took another Aleve and drink another huge glass of water. I hate admitting I took so many tablets but I never expected to hurt getting off my levels of coffee consumption. If I had to do it again, I would probably get off coffee slower instead of cold turkey. I was trying to do raw foods cleanse and cold turkey coffee in the same week. That's a real shock to the system. My way of doing this is to just make up my mind and get something done rather than piece-mealing it. That's why I'm doing the cold turkey thing.
My coffee habit was so severe it really is drastic to get off. Your consumption levels might not be as severe as mine so take a detox problem in a personal way. I am going to develop pa program to start assisting others with this process as it will lead to so many other health benefits too.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Day 4 - Caffeine Detox
Four days into this and I'm still feeling the detox. As a result of this, I've learned that caffeine can affect your levels of calcium in the body which can be serious in women at an older age. According to a Personal Trainer who is just starting to work with me to help me through this, large amounts of caffeine can affect glucose levels in the body. That means metabolizing fat is not normal in a body that is filled with this drug.
I've let you know that I love drinking coffee. It's a social event as well as a good tasting beverage for me. But I've turned into something else. I've allowed it to take over my life and my body.
On this fourth day, my legs are still cramping. I'm doing stretches and getting ready to do a few minutes on my Elliptical machine this afternoon. Keeping up with my workouts seem to help although I couldn't do it yesterday. I took a short nap today and that helped. I'm on my second green smoothie since they are so delicious. I know that keeping my body full of fresh vitamins and minerals will be the biggest help with this.
As you know I'm also doing a one week raw foods cleanse. Yesterday was difficult for that. I wanted to start eating everything in the refrigerator. I did fall a bit in that I act some raw cashews instead of sticking strictly with fruits and veggies. But I don't think that's going to hurt. I am looking forward to getting back on more food however.
I've fasted for up to five days before on just water so this is not a fast at all. Instead, it's a cleanse. If you need to get your body moving (can I be more direct and say, your bowels), this is a great way to do that in a gentle and natural way. If you don't have the detox going at the same time, you will love how you feel as your body starts rejuvenating itself.
I've let you know that I love drinking coffee. It's a social event as well as a good tasting beverage for me. But I've turned into something else. I've allowed it to take over my life and my body.
On this fourth day, my legs are still cramping. I'm doing stretches and getting ready to do a few minutes on my Elliptical machine this afternoon. Keeping up with my workouts seem to help although I couldn't do it yesterday. I took a short nap today and that helped. I'm on my second green smoothie since they are so delicious. I know that keeping my body full of fresh vitamins and minerals will be the biggest help with this.
As you know I'm also doing a one week raw foods cleanse. Yesterday was difficult for that. I wanted to start eating everything in the refrigerator. I did fall a bit in that I act some raw cashews instead of sticking strictly with fruits and veggies. But I don't think that's going to hurt. I am looking forward to getting back on more food however.
I've fasted for up to five days before on just water so this is not a fast at all. Instead, it's a cleanse. If you need to get your body moving (can I be more direct and say, your bowels), this is a great way to do that in a gentle and natural way. If you don't have the detox going at the same time, you will love how you feel as your body starts rejuvenating itself.
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