Cereal-Like Breakfast

Breakfast

For breakfast I decided to have something cereal-like: Good Morning Muesli. I first discovered this dish during my raw food week and it's definitely a keeper. It's so filling, uh! All it is:

• 2 small Fuji apples, sliced small
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/8 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/8 cup raisins
• 1 cup almond milk

It's also supposed to have flaxseeds but I only have milled and decided that wouldn't be so great.

It's very much like cereal, super crunchy, easy to eat with a spoon, great with milk. It satisfied my craving to eat a bunch of fruit in the morning for sure! I also had a mug of peppermint tea and my two Cleasne Tablets and a Women's One a Day.

I got a ride home after choir with Savannah and left my bike on campus so now I have to walk to class. I actually have a lesson at 11 so I better get scootin'! I have one class today. Did you catch that? One class! I am so stoked to have some downtime. I'm going to try to use that time wisely and study for the midterm that is two days after my recital (why???). I don't want to be thinking about it when I'm gettin' my diva on!

Ok really gotta go now. Toodles!

Recap on The Cleanse, Finally It's Over!

Lunch

For lunch I made the last soup of my cleanse! I went with the "Metro Mex Avocado Soup".

I ate half of it for lunch and saved the other half for dinner on the go.

Dinner

I had my soup out in the sun during the opera break. I watched a video on how to make nut butter in preparation for my return to food! More details on that in just a sec!
Magical Friday= out of opera early! We got out when the sun was still out can you imagine that!? It was just setting as I was riding back home so I busted out my camera while still on my bike and decided to snap a shot.
I whizzed by Freebirds with my camera out. I'm sure I looked pretty crazy! I decided it's time I give a little mini-tour of my town.
Here is my beloved Co-op! This is where I do basically all my shopping.
Look at me go!
This is the view down the intersection where my apartment is. Nothing special? Well if you look closely at the horizon, that's the ocean!!
I realized that I haven't made an appearance on my blog in a while and I wanted to show that I am cleansed! Do I look cleansed? haha I wasn't completely satisfied with this picture and I would've stayed outside and attempted to take more with my auto timer but then some weirdo boys pulled up in a car right outside so I retreated.
I came inside and tried again using a shelf and was successful until something awful happened...this is the last picture I took with my camera...before it fell to it's death! My camera committed suicide off the shelf and now I am camera-less and distraught!!
I am definitely going to try and get a new camera tomorrow but I will miss my old one. I had the baby for four years and it was a gift from my best friend Billy. Any suggestions on what kind of camera I should go for?

Dessert

I don't have a picture :( but I had my last coconut shake after I got home. It was great!

Feelings on The Cleanse

Overall, I am very glad that I decided to do this cleanse and that I actually stuck with it. I didn't cheat and I followed the rules! (except the wheatgrass shot..) It's really satisfying to see something through till the end and complete a goal.

The Cons: I was HUNGRY! This cleanse was no where near a substantial amount of calories to keep me feel throughout the day and dealing with the hunger pains was not easy. I had to really stretch out my 'meals' so that psychologically I wouldn't lose it. Also, there was a lot of preparation involved in each recipe and I had to account for that time each day.

The Pros: I did this cleanse because I was feeling totally out of control of my portions. I was just eating way too much! Going on this cleanse really put things into perspective for me in that I don't need so much to be full! It also exposed many moments when my hunger was completely related to appetite as opposed to actual physical hunger. Sometimes I just want to eat to eat and I am much more aware of those moments now. Not to mention I lost a few pounds! I also noticed that since doing the cleanse, the head aches I was having for days in a row are gone, and in the morning I have energy to get up and go. I hope that my system appreciated the discipline it took to pull through and is now a blank slate of cleanliness!

Coming Off The Cleanse

After doing a fairly intense cleanse as the one I did, it is recommended to start slowly and stick with raw fruits and veggies and some cooked veggies. After a few days you can decide if you want to start eating cooked protein again. In preparation for my return to food, Kelsey and I have decided to go raw for a week!! We have spent the last hour (at least) planning out each meal for the coming week. I am just excited to eat food for breakfast tomorrow! We have made sure to chose recipes that have common ingredients and scheduled prep time when we have the time to spare. We are so busy during the week that going raw is a pretty ambitious ordeal. (As if a cleanse wasn't!) It's also tough when you're dealing with produce that can get pricey and go bad if it goes unused. Having Kels for a raw partner is going to make this a breeze!

Get ready for some ridiculously tasty raw food coming your way!

I am putting myself to bed! The plan for tomorrow is an early departure for the Farmer's Market Downtown and I am so stoked!

See you in the AM!

Day 5 LAST DAY!

Breakfast

It's the last day of the cleanse!!!!!!! I can't lie, I am really ready to be done and I am glad that today is the last day. I have a lot of tasty things planned for this weekend!

For breakfast I am sipping on my Coffee-Break Green Healer Juice. I also took two of the cleanse tablets. (I took two last night too, I think I forgot to mention).

I need to slow down on this baby and make it last, I'm already 3/4 done!

I will probably also make some Hot Lemon Water before I head out.

See you at lunch time. Happy Friday!!

Day 4 Over The Hump

Update: Day 4

Breakfast

I got right to work this morning on my Coffee-Break Green Healer Juice and somehow I ended up making all the green juice first and then the beet juice separately.

It looked really cook when I added the two.
It's a magic genie!
The complete spread: Hot Lemon Water, Coffee-Break Green Healer Juice, and two cleanse tablets.

Lunch

After my voice lesson, which went really well, I stopped at the coop on my way home to pick up some essentials that I had run out of. I decided to make "Bridge-and-Tunnel Beet Greens Soup" which included

• 1 cup purified water
• 1 cup beet greens, washed and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 cup sprouts
• 1/4 tsp. jalapeno, deseeded and minced
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 apple cored
• 1/2 large avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1/8 tsp. Celtic sea salt

I forgot to get avocados at the coop! I decided to go ahead with it anyways and see if I could just go without.
Blended till smooth. I tasted the soup with a straw and literally, immediately after grabbed my wallet and a plastic bag, got on my bike and zoomed to the coop to get avocados. It just wasn't going to fly without them! It's a good thing I forgot avocados actually because I had also left my coconuts without realizing it!
Then I added the avocados to the disaster soup.
And blended again till smooth.
I topped it with the usual culprits: salt pepper and cholula.
This wasn't the best tasting soup in the world but it was alright. The beet greens have a really planty taste to them which I could live without but with salt and pepper it was fine.

I dreamt last night that I cooked fried pickles... think it has anything to do with the cleanse? haha. I am really craving solid, cooked foods again and it doesn't help that I love to read food blogs! All I want is banana bread and oatmeal and a sandwich! Only one more day to go though, and best believe I will have my first meals all planned out!

I'm going to make my coconut shake right now and maybe even my soup for dinner. I have opera from 4-8 tonight and I don't want to get caught starving.

later!

Day 3 Part One

Update: Day 3

Breakfast
For breakfast I made some lemon water snans cayenne and sipped on my pre-made breakfast juice. Normally I would make the juice fresh in the morning but I knew I wouldn't have time this morning. There was even extra enough to fill a glass tumbler! In the mix was

• 1 cucumber
• 9 stalks of celery
• 3 stalks of collard greens
• 1 apple
• 1 beet
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger
• pre-squeezed lemon juice
  

I also took two of the cleanse tablets.
Meals for the entire day!
I pre-made everything the night before, including a huge jar of carrot juice. There was a little extra from to coconut which I had in a little shot glass.
This is the carrot soup which included carrot juice, sprouts, half and avocado, ginger, garlic, and cayenne.

Day 3 has been really tough so far. I'm suuuuuper hungry and I'm doing everything I can to distract myself so I can stay on track!

Day 2= Hunger!

Update: Day 2 of the cleanse

Breakfast
For breakfast I used one of my handy prepacked bags of veggies and juiced up

• 1 cucumber
• 9 stalks of celery
• 3 large stalks of collard greens
• 1 beet
• 1 apple
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger

I also added some of my pre-squeezed lemon juice.
Filled it right to the brim! The collard greens made juice that was super dark green. Adding the apple was really the way to go. It added just the right amount of sweetness to turn this drink from weird to kinda good!

Lunch
For lunch I made the "Back to Greens" Soup. It called for

• 2 cups of spinach
• 1 cup srouts
• 1 medium tomato
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 2 tsp. lime juice
• 1/8 tsp. Celtic sea salt

I made my breakfast juice, lunch soup, and coconut shake all at the same time in the morning. I was still undecided about coming home during my little break before opera and work.
I did end up coming home after all and decided to make my dinner soup before I even sat down to eat lunch. That's how to not get caught by the clock! For dinner I made the "Metro Mex Avocado Soup" again with some slight variations. I used grape tomatoes instead of medium sized and added a 1/2 cup purified water.

Lunch was pretty tasty with all my toppings!
I also had half of my sweet coconut shake as a treat.
I'd been feeling pretty good but I think I hit a second day hunger slump because I was HUNGRY! I wanted more of everything and it has been sooo hard not to cheat but I am proud to report that I have not! I'm starting to see that lunch time is one of my weak times. I come home and want to just fill up on everything. I think packed lunches might have to be mandatory for me!

Dinner
Now, I know what you're probably thinking about my dinner soup and that it doesn't look very appetizing but don't judge a book by its cover! This soup was delicious! I didn't blend it completely smooth so there was some crunch to it. While I was eating this soup, it was so good that it made me want to go raw! Kelsey and I have already been discussing logistics for a raw food week. It would be the perfect way for me to come off my cleanse too. If only dehydrators weren't so expensive :(
During my break at work I savored the last of my coconut shake like a 'dessert'.
I like the technique of splitting this shake into two mini snacks. Makes it last longer!
I was wearing a huge ring, by the way, that I got from Kelsey for my birthday. Gotta represent!
During opera I read further in my cleanse book and...not to get too intimate, but it suggested getting a natural laxative like magnesium oxide to take at night. I stopped off at the coop after work and picked up these cleanse capsules. I took two right away and during my cleanse I'm going to try to take four a day.
We'll see what happens! I'm feeling pretty good so far. What I have noticed is that I feel a little weak when I'm singing, like I can't sustain my breath as long. I think I was just tired at opera haha.
Only 3 more days to go!!

The Urban Revitalizer Begins!

Cleanse!
Guess what everyone: I'm doing a cleanse!! I am using "Super Cleanse" by Adina Niemerow as my guide and I'm doing a five day cleanse called "The Urban Revitalizer". It's supposed to be particularly good for stress. It was a no brainer! Here is the meal by meal break down of my cleanse:

On waking: Hot Lemon Water
Breakfast: Coffee-Break Green Healer Juice
Snack: Coffee-Break Green Healer Juice
Lunch: Soup of my choice (I'm also supposed to have a shot of wheatgrass but I haven't been. I should look into it!)
Snack: Rush-Hour Coconut Shake
Dinner: Soup of my choice

I had the bright idea last night that because there's so much juicing and blending to do for the cleanse that I should make bags with exactly what I need ahead of time. It's all about making it convenient for myself!
Breakfast
Here's my morning Hot Lemon Water. It's a tablespoon of lemon juice, hot water, and a small shake of cayenne pepper. Not the tastiest thing in the world but it's growing on me and the warm liquid is comforting and filling.
For 'breakfast' I juiced celery, ginger, a cucumber, and a beet. I also added some lemon juice. (I forgot to all the collard greens! Shoot!)
Beet juice is intense! I was tying to catch a drop falling but my camera isn't savvy enough.
The finished product!
Later on, I came home after class and got to work. It takes a ridiculous amount of limes to make a substantial amount of lime juice sheesh! I decided to juice some lemons and all of the limes in advance so I won't have to deal with it again for a while.
Lemon and lime juice in convenient little jars.

Lunch
For lunch I decided to make the "Metro Mex Avocado Soup". I had to alter it a bit so I will just include what I used here:

• 4 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 medium radishes, chopped
  
• 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. Celtic sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• dash of Cholula hot sauce

First I blended the tomatoes and radishes. That was a lot of tomatoes!
Next the cup of cilantro. I am crazy about this herb!
The book suggests Himalayan or Celtic sea salt. I couldn't find Himalayan so I went for Celtic. Looking back I wish I'd gotten some that was more finely ground but the price difference was dramatic and I'm only using this for a 5 day period. I can make it work!
I put it all in the blender for a whirl!
Cholula is my all time favorite hot sauce!
Not to shabby, huh? I blended it till it was smooth since there were a lot of different things going on in there.
It was sort of like a moose, thick but light. It was pretty tasty too!

Snack
For my "Rush-Hour Coconut Shake" I had to do a little battle with this young coconut. You're supposed to cut off all the outer skin till you reach the brown exterior and cut at a 45 degree angle then pop the top of like the lid of a can... yeah not so much! I ended up whacking the outside with garlic press like it was a hammer just so I could get my knife in.
Eventually I was successful!
I blended all the coconut water and 4 Tbsp. of the meat in the blender till it was smooth and voila: my shake! I made another batch of lemon water and headed to choir.
This was actually really delicious and is quickly become my snack/dessert that I look forward to very much! It's so coconutty and refreshing!

Dinner
For dinner I decided to make the 'Cream-of-Commuting Carrot Soup'. I used:

• 1 cup carrot juice
• 1/2 cup cucumber juice
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 cup sprouts
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup purified water
• 1 tsp. lime juice

It was a very liquidy soup and could easily be drunk if I was on the go.
Dessert was the rest of my coconut shake.
So far so good! I am feeling a little hungry but for the most part, I am excited to detox and put good things in my body. I feel like I'm making a blank slate for myself! ...I did dream (literally) about making waffles for breakfast... that should pass though haha!
Update on Day Two coming soon!