Spring Cleanse: Week 3

Blue Green Smoothie

Week three of the cleanse came and went 1.5 weeks ago.  You'd have heard about this sooner but I'm a few blog posts behind. Lots of post ideas are lined up in the waiting room of my brain.  There's the Spring Filoli photography class, the Gamble Garden Tour, all about organizing,....,.  But I've not yet worked out  a posting rhythm that works for me and allows time for all the other things (and rhythms) that demand time and attention in life.  Work/Coaching.  Family.  Home.  Health.  Cats.  Friends.  Garden.  I'll work this out though as its a "problem" my creative self wants solved.

Pesto Bruschetta with Sprouts

I wish the picture above was clearer but this one will have to do.  It was nothing short of divine to go back to eating "solid" foods after the two day juice fast at the end of  Week #2.  Even the blue green smoothie was a delight. By week three we were back into the clean eating habits that we'd been in before my back went out. So this week was a real "coming home to" in some aspects.  It's good to be home!

Warm Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

I cannot get enough of that warm quinoa breakfast.  Must be the carob nibs and splash of honey.  Nice to know that quinoa is a complete protein too.  Along with losing a few pounds, feeling  light and energetic, and getting new and tasty recipes to incorporate into our meal planning, I'm also delighted to share that during the cleanse, my back stopped hurting chronically on a daily basis.  It's more intermittent now.  The first day I experienced a no-to-low pain day - was bliss.  A dream coming true! 
 

(Delicious) Nori Wrapped Salmon

 I'm not sure if the back is better because I eased off of my "PT approved" weight training program during the cleanse - opting instead for a lot of walking, or, if this has something to do with going off of gluten.  Apparently 75% or so of people have some level of intolerance to gluten.  Could I have this too?  I've found some great non gluten breads and pastas, so I think I'll stay on this track and see where it leads, while easing slowly back into my weekly weight training routine.  Crossing fingers that the good news continues.

Herbed Quinoa Salad

2012 Spring Cleanse: Deep Cleaning Week 2

Week 2 of the annual Spring Cleanse came and went last week.  This is the "deep cleaning" part of the 21 day food cleanse, and this year there were four different tracks one could follow including Track 1: staying on the same path as week 1, eating healthy and nutritious foods in meals throughout the day; Track 2:  moving to a more liquid based diet, with one "Big Feast" at noon; Track 3:  a blend of the Big Feast track with a 2 day Juice Fast, or Track 4: doing a Master Cleanse (drinking a lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne concoction only).

Last year I did the Big Feast track, so this year I picked the Big Feast/Juice Fast to try out something new.  

Pic taken from the parking lot of one of my corporate clients while "siesta'ing" between meetings

They say week 2 is where the real deep cleansing happens.  This week it's even more important to be  gentle and kind with yourself while your body is releasing whatever toxins have built up over time.  Of course, it was also a super busy work week for me, and I was on the road, visiting different client sites, all while trying to stay true to the principles of the cleanse.  

I snapped the picture above, in between meetings, while sitting in the car in a client's parking lot and dining on my Dolmitos ( a marriage between a dolma and a burrito).  I can't say it was the most relaxing week for me, but at least I made the most of savoring my surroundings.

Dolmitos ready for the oven

The 2 day Juice fast was an experience.  We were given the ingredients for our juice/smoothie - which we were to drink 4 times a day for the 2 days - along with instructions to tinker with the amounts until we had it to our taste.  

It took A LOT of tinkering to get this to be a meal to look forward to.   Mint, which isn't pictured below, finally did the trick for me.  I also added bok choy and lime for some of the drinks.  I don't know what my insides are looking like now, but over the last two weeks I have lost the 6-7 lbs I was hoping to shed , and I am feeling a lot more balanced energy wise than before.   Must say though I'm looking forward to week 3 and transitioning back to a food based diet.

Ingredients (minus mint) for the 2 day juice fast