DETOX WEEK 1 RECAP

With 7 days of detoxing under my belt,
I am feeling good, healthy, energized...and I'm 5 lbs. lighter!

The goal was not necessarily to lose weight, but if that happens, I'll take that as a bonus!
Wanting to start off the year right, this detox has been a great "jump start" to my health and has really cleaned up my eating (which turned ugly with all of the parties and holiday events that took place in December).

Here is my recap of the past week:




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 WHAT DID I EAT?
I started out every morning with a cup of warm water and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Not having much experience with juicing (and not being too sure of how to calculate the carbs), I stuck with the 7 detox smoothie choices for breakfast each morning.

They were super simple to make (in our Magic Bullet), healthy, tasty, and left me feeling energized and ready to start the day.

The Carrot Mango Herb (Mint) smoothie was by far my absolute favorite...and may have made an appearance into my meal plan several times last week!

I was afraid I would be hungry and feeling weak throughout the day, but instead felt satisfied, had more energy, and felt very focused.

WHAT WERE MY FAVORITE RECIPES?


{Spiced Butternut Squash & Apple Soup}

 The one thing I would've changed about this would be to use less ginger. It calls for "1 inch fresh ginger, grated (2 Tbsp.)". I used pre-minced ginger in a jar. 2 full Tbsp. was just too much for my taste. However, this soup was still REALLY good!

{Kale Slaw w/Red Cabbage & Carrots}

I was skeptical about being able to stomach all of the kale and cabbage, but was presently surprised by this salad. The dressing was amazing and was just the right combination of sweet and sour/bitter. The one change I made to this was using a veggie peeler to peel the carrots into thin strips instead of julienning them.

{Sweet Potato, Celery, & Apple Salad}

This salad was amazing and had the perfect combination or tastes and texture. The one thing I omitted was the sweet potato. From the recipe, I was assuming I needed to julienne the sweet potato raw. I tried one tiny bite and just wasn't too sure about it. Is it OK to eat a potato raw? Did I miss-read the recipe?



{Roasted Peppers, Cauliflower, & Almonds}

 This was such a great, savory dish, again, with the right combination of taste and texture. I had this for 2 meals and 1 snack during the week.

The only recipe I didn't try yet for week 1 was the Roasted Garlic & Beet Soup, which I hope to work into my meal plan this week.

WHAT DID I SNACK ON?
I have yet to try any of the 12 snack recipes that are posted online, but I have plans to try the Crispy Roasted Cauliflower, Minty Pea Dip, and Roasted Spiced Chickpeas in this coming week.




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In between meals I enjoyed lots of fruit and nuts, Lara Bars and Kind Bars (I later realized that Kind Bars have a little soy in them...which is OK for week 2, not week 1...ooops!).


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 Throughout the day, I'm also making sure to stay hydrated. I drink 3 large bottles of water, totalling 96 ounces. To keep from getting bored, I make ice cubes from Whole Foods flavored Italian sparkling mineral water that I add to each water bottle. This gives just a hint of flavor that makes me tolerate drinking close to 100 oz of water throughout the day. The water comes in several flavors, my favorite being Raspberry Lemon, and only costs around $1.50.




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WHAT HAS IT DONE FOR MY DIABETES?
WOW!!! My blood sugar has never been better. I've even had to lower my insulin dosages a bit.
I'm excited to report all of this to my endocrinologist and Diabetes Educator when I see them in a week from today.
***(Remember to check with your doctor before starting any new diet plan)***

DID I EXPERIENCE ANY DETOX SYMPTOMS?
Monday - Just a little extra gas.

Tuesday-awful headache from noon to bedtime. Finally took 2 ibuprofen around 10:00pm.

Wed - (WARNING...TMI) 5 bms throughout the morning. I read that 3 would be typical while detoxing. I'd like to think I'm just an over-achiever. I thought about going home from work, but waited it out. I was also a little more sluggish during the day.
But... I was able to walk by a kitchen full of leftover Christmas sweets for the first time in FOREVER.
I realized I wasn't even craving sweets, coffee, or CHEESE (I was really afraid I wouldn't be able to give them up).

Thursday - My nose ran for the most part of the morning, but my energy was through the roof.

Friday - I was feeling amazing and didn't experience any other detox symptoms. I spent most of the evening shopping and planning for week 2 menus.



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IS THIS LIFESTYLE/DIET REALLY DOABLE?
Saturday night we had some friends over. They brought chips and a cheese dip (which I didn't eat), and I supplemented it with a bowl of cherries. We decided to go to Gale Street Inn, known for having the best Ribs in Chicago! It smelled amazing when we walked in, but I wasn't craving meat. Was I just mentally prepared, or physically was I losing those cravings?

With an hour wait until we were seated, I did cave and took 1 bit of some sample plum chicken they brought around, along with a small bite of spinach bread.

I was excited when I saw an amazing Grilled Vegetable Salad on their menu (spring mix, asparagus, portabella, zucchini, with balsamic vinaigrette). I ordered a baked potato on the side, thinking I wouldn't be satisfied with just the salad.
(I asked, but they did not have sweet potato, only white).

I ended up only eating half of the salad and a few bites of the potato. I walked away full, with leftovers for the next day.
I also took a bite of my friends Mahi Mahi dish, which was really good...and made me excited to be able to add seafood to week two's menu!

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SO NOW WHAT FOR WEEK 2?
Because the smoothies worked so well for breakfast, were delicious, and great on my blood sugar, I will continue having those for breakfast.

I will move the breakfast menu to lunch and then work the lunch menu into the mix with dinners.

I'm excited to get more cardio and strength training in since I'll be eating more protein, but I also plan to continue doing yoga once or twice a week as well.

Overall, I'm pleased and shocked. I highly recommend this plan to anyone who wants to clean up their eating and get a jump start on living healthy! It's all online (grocery list, menus, tips, stretches, etc.) and you can start at anytime.

The key for me has been planning ahead. I sit down on Thursday night, print out recipes, review menus, see what we have in the fridge, clip coupons, etc. I make a detailed list of what I need and where I need to go.
I know it sounds crazy, but I typically shop at 6 stores over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It saves us money that way, hunting down the best deals, and the stores are all conveniently located.



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Stanley's for all of our produce. I got a car trunk full (literally) of produce for $25.
Aldi, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, for the rest.
Costco for bulk items (they have really good strawberries, and cheap carrot juice).
Target for other miscellaneous things, or what I have coupons for.
I spend Sunday afternoon cooking a few meals ahead.

Our workout schedule is planned the week in advance and every night I pack all of my snacks and lunch for the next day. I even set out anything I need to prep breakfast and dinner. This just makes things run smoother and keeps me from getting frustrated or overwhelmed.

Let me know if you have any questions. I will do another recap next week on how week 2 goes.
This week I can add seafood, beans, lentils, and organic soy.

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Thanks you Whole Living for this plan and great gift of good health, great eating, and a ton of motivation to make this part of my healthy lifestyle for 2012!!!