gettin' all detoxy

Just over a week ago, I decided to do something crazy. How crazy you ask? Depends on your relationship with coffee, meat, cheese, cookies, beer, wine, etc.

For 21 days, I have signed up to remove all traces of caffeine, dairy, sugar, gluten, alcohol and animal products from my diet. Before I began, I was really quiet about it and I didn't tell many people. I didn't want to fail. I mean, I was sure I would fail. It just seemed like it would be too hard. But here I write from Day 9 and I'm totally hangin' in there and feeling pretty good about it. Guess I'm not out of the woods yet!

The first week has been an absolute culinary adventure and has really started shifting the way I look at food. I'm actually really enjoying the experience and looking forward to creating some new good habits as a result.

The inspiration for this detox comes from Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet. I wasn't looking for a diet book when I stumbled upon her book. I kept seeing it at Whole Foods and thinking "What's up with that book? What's so Crazy & Sexy about it?" Mind you, I'm not trying to be too crazy or sexy, but I am really very extremely (yes really) interested in food and healing.

Kris' original gift to this world was a documentary called Crazy Sexy Cancer (which I haven't seen). She suffers from a rare form of cancer that is untreatable. That is, no chemo, no radiation, just lots of wait and see. She, like many other wellness warriors out there, decided to take matters in her own hands and educate herself in the ways in which diet can improve your total health. She doesn't stop there either, she's got a lot of ideas about incorporating meditation into your daily life as well as many other tips & tricks to give your life a giant shot in the arm.

I celebrated my last night of freedom by weaning myself off a wine hangover from the night before and enjoying a big old bowl of drunken noodles from my local Thai delivery joint. I savored all that gooey noodley gluteny goodness, knowing that my life was about to become an austere prison of vegetables. I couldn't have been more wrong. After just one week, I like to think that my life has become a vibrant, colorful menagerie of fruits, veggies and leafy greens! 

I hope to follow up with some posts featuring more of the play by play / day by day stuff, but I thought I'd share some of my favorite snacks and meals from the first week so you could get some idea of the yummy foods one can eat while on a restricted diet. I don't feel restricted at all, I feel empowered!

Any links below go right to a photo of that dish, to see an overall set of images from last week, check out the detox! set on flickr.

corn/quinoa/sesame thin cakes with raw almond butter 
celery sticks and miso cilantro white bean dip
butter lettuce salad with shallots, sunflower seeds and raw apple cider vinaigrette 
spicy ginger lime braised tempeh
gluten-free angel hair with cilantro pesto
lemon garlic roasted brussel sprouts
lots and lots of GREEN juice featuring cucumber, celery, romaine, apple, pear, ginger
coconut chickpea curry
collard green wraps filled with caramelized onions, sweet potatoes, black beans & corn 

Thankfully, I have a special buddy on this adventure with me, which makes it all the more fun. We're cookin' up a storm over here, so look us up if you're hankering for a healthy meal!

Comments

[Salas]

Sounds/looks awesome!
Corey and Jason convinced me to sign up for a CSA (Down to Earth Harvest) that runs 26 weeks and starts in June. I'm doing something of a trial run this month- starting to cook more to prepare for the bounty of veggies. Will be watching this space closely for inspiration!

[Jimshreds]

abby and i have been debating on doing a cleanse/detox. have been doing a bit o research. interested to follow along.

good luck!

[Theresa]

Good luck with the detox. My interest in healthy eating and wanting to feel more energetic led me to participate in a detox called the Engine 2 diet (free through Whole Foods) and have decided to stick with the vegan (no oil, no processed foods, no refined sugar) plan. Honestly, the no oil is the hardest part. I knew about Kris Carr but will have to check out her book. I recommend Vegan Yum Yum (the blog and cookbook), especially for the chickpea tomato soup recipe. Another great blog is Healthy Girl's Kitchen.

[stellargirl]

Wow, no oil! Why no oil? Seems so fundamental to your body dealing with food. No sugar and dairy has been interesting for me.

[Fitness Gal]

You go girl. I know changing your diet is extremely hard but so beneficial for your body. I just want to encourage you. Even if you mess up, you still are making good changes that will make you healthier - and you can always start over. Make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals so your body gets fed the essential nutrients. You especially need them when your body is under stress. Liquid vitamins are absorbed the best. Good luck!