Okay everyone! It's that time of year again: the time to make resolutions for the new year and then promptly forget about them on January 2 :) Last January, Ryan and I did pretty well during our 21 day cleanse and I'm confident that we'll do even better this year and get the same great feeling we did from eating so healthy during that time (we're also hoping to continue many of the habits throughout the year).
Last year, we did not do the suggested 3-5 days of the Elimination Diet before the cleanse. This year we are trying to do better so when we got back in to town today, I went grocery shopping and only purchased "clean" ingredients using the shopping list found here.
About a week ago, I joined every woman's new favorite addiction: Pinterest and started collecting "Clean" recipes in addition to ideas for crafts I'll never make, but have every intention of doing so :) One recipe in particular, Broccoli and Tahini, caught my eye and so tonight I set about making it (pictured above). It so so good!! At first it tasted a bit bland, but with each bite, I discovered new flavors like the tang of the lemon and the creaminess of the tahini. My taste buds just needed to adjust to the lack of sodium, fat and sugar that usually accompanies all of the junk food I have been eating lately! The blogger who posted this recipe also told me of another Clean recipe she has on her blog, Gluten-free Butternut Squash Pasta, which I am hoping to try later this week (later than I originally thought, the broccoli and tahini makes a TON of food, not complaining!).
Another thing I made today came directly from the Clean Program page on snacking, which is going to be crucial for me to get through the cleanse this year. I think my biggest problem in the past was that I was not eating enough and felt deprived. The website clearly states that you can snack on approved foods but that you need to have 12 hours of fasting each night. I misunderstood that last time and I was miserable more than a few days! Anyway, these balls are made up of dates, almonds, sunflower kernels, sesame seeds, a bit of stevia, coconut oil and unsweetened coconut flakes. If you have ever had a Lara bar, they are pretty similar to that. If you have a food processor, you can make these lil snack balls and they are delicious!
Things I learned from the Clean Program last year that I'll use this year:
- Don't get carried away and buy a bajillion different ingredients for a million different recipes. We got carried away last year and bought way too much stuff and spent more money than we needed to. This year, we know to keep it simple!
-Prepare, prepare prepare! The more food you have ready to eat, the less temptation you'll have! We learned last year to make lunch in advance so we could just grab and go.
-Eat snacks! If you're eating healthy snacks and feeling full, you will not be tempted by the office donuts, the popcorn and soda deal at Target or the gingerbread pancakes that IHOP is advertising right now.
-Avoid the weird recipes that include items that you KNOW FOR A FACT you do not like. If you don't eat it, it doesn't do you any good OR if you eat it and hate every bite, you just may be tempted to hit up Pizza Hut the next day to compensate for the torture food.
-ANYONE can do this cleanse. I don't exactly have discipline, it's one of the reasons I can never be a runner (unless half a block counts) but I still managed to complete this cleanse last year with only a few lapses (did not resist the gingerbread pancakes).
-Cleanses don't have to be the scary, dangerous diets that you hear about. If you're only eating lemon and cayenne pepper, THAT'S A BAD IDEA. If you're eating a wide variety of food and receiving more nutrients than you probably ate the entire year before, that's probably okay! When people ask, "don't you miss real food", remind yourself that a McValue meal or Easy Mac is not real food and that during this cleanse, you're finally eating "real" food.
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