DETOX WEEK 2 RECAP

One more week down on the 2012 Whole Living Action Plan!
Another successful week of healthy eating is behind me.


I am still feeling more energized than I have been before and am sleeping better than I have in the past.


This week in particular I've noticed my nails are growing faster and stronger.
I typically cut them really short because they are so
weak, and they peel and split.
They normally take really long to grow anyways, so it's not often that I'm having to cut them.


I noticed after the first week that they had grown at a quicker rate, but I cut them anyways. This week I really took notice that as they grew, they weren't as weak!


I haven't lost any more weight and am still holding steady at a 5 pound loss from my initial weight at the beginning of my detox.

I didn't work out as much as I had planned, but I did make it to Indigo Studio for their open house. Their Yoga Booty Ballet class is a lot of fun, and a good work out! I bought a Living Social Deal for 1 month of unlimited classes. It expires next month, so now is a good time to cash that in!!!

WHAT DID I EAT?
I continued to follow the weekly meal plan, however, I didn't get around to making the Red Lentil Soup from this past week...OR the Roasted Garlic & Beet Soup from Week 1. They both look great...I just haven't taken the time to make them yet.

Like I mentioned in last week's RECAP, I continued drinking smoothies this week for breakfast. I moved the recommended breakfast items to lunchtime and mixed the lunch recipes between lunch and dinner time.

WHAT WERE MY FAVORITE RECIPES?

Vegetable-Miso Soup w/Chickpeas

This soup was by far my favorite recipe this week. It was hearty, flavorful, and had a great texture!

I couldn't find White Miso, so instead I opted for a Brown Rice Miso I found at Whole Foods. The price was really reasonable, and I plan on using it again in other recipes.

Although this was meant for breakfast, I spread this out and made it last for 5 meals, which I ate for lunch, dinner, and even an afternoon snack. I've had so many leftovers, that I am finally finishing up the soup for lunch today.



Raw Kale Salad w/Pomegranate & Toasted Walnuts

This salad was delicious! This was the first time I've ever tried Pomegranate...and loved it! It was a little messy cutting and pulling out the seeds, but it was worth it. Surprisingly, I haven't tired of eating Kale or Red Onions yet. There seems to be a lot of those ingredients in the recipes, but I've been able to stomach it.

Roasted Winter Vegetables w/Cannellini Beans

This dish forced me to eat veggies I would've never eaten otherwise. Even as I walked through Stanley's and Whole Foods, I had to google items like Leeks, Rutabagas and Parsnips. This recipe also left me with plenty of leftovers that I will be finishing up this week. I imagine sprinkling pumpkin or sunflower seeds on this would add a nice touch!



"Grilled" Salmon & Bok Choy w/Avocado Salsa

I believe you can never go wrong with Salmon! The only grill we have right now is a small George Foreman grill. I was too lazy to pull it out, so I baked the salmon in the oven instead. Grilling the Bok Choy would've been nice, but I just tore it up like a salad and served the salmon on top of it. The Avocado Salsa added a really nice taste and texture.

Derek even ate this for dinner (w/a side of white cheddar mac & cheese)! Without this recipe, I would've never tried Bok Choy! The taste was really mild and I froze some leftover leaves to use in smoothies this week...for an added health benefit, without the taste.

Scrambled Tofu w/Collards & Tumeric



This recipe was quick and easy to make. Trader Joe's sells Extra Firm Organic Tofu in 2 ("Tear & Share") single serving sizes. I used leftover Bok Choy in place of Collard Greens and baked a side dish of Alexia Oven potatoes with Rosemary & Garlic.

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For Derek, I made a cheese omelet with a side of the potatoes and leftover Trader Joe's Sweet Basil Pesto Sausage.

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As much as I tried, I could not bring myself to enjoy the sardines in the Watercress w/Sardines, Tarragon, & Clementines Salad! The Watercress I bought had gone bad, so I substituted it with Arugula. I honestly think I would've enjoyed this salad...if it weren't for the SARDINES!!!

WHAT DID I SNACK ON?
In addition to the snacks I ate last week, I also tried out two of the Balanced Snacks, Whole Living recommends.

Crispy Roasted Cauliflower

I'm normally not a big fan of Cauliflower, but this tasted amazing when roasted and spiced!
I had part of this for a snack and part for today's side dish at lunch.

Roasted Spiced Chickpeas

Maybe it's just my imagination or because it's been a while since I've eaten junk-food...these tasted like french fries to me!!! Go out right now and make these!

WHAT HAS IT DONE FOR MY DIABETES?
My #'s continue to look good! I had a doctor appointment on Monday and my doctor seemed to roll his eyes at the thought of me being on a detox diet. He said I shouldn't be eating as much fruit as I am because it will spike my blood sugar. He suggested to eat more grains. The funny thing is (which I gladly pointed out to him) that when I eat oatmeal or cereal for breakfast, my #'s spike like crazy. With the fruit, I've been fine. My doctors appointment is worth an entirely different post some other time.

DID I EXPERIENCE ANY DETOX SYMPTOMS?
Nothing has been new in this area. I continue to have hot lemon water first thing in the morning...and that has made my digestion really... consistent!
I developed a pimple on my cheek...could this be a sign of my body detoxing?!
My hands have been EXTRA dry...so I've been washing with Dr. Bronner's Lavender Soap (insted of the soap they offer at work) and using Neutrogena Hand Cream religiously. Both items are small enough to carry to the bathroom with me or to stick next to my computer desk at work. Not sure if the dry skin is a detoxing symptom.


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 IS THIS LIFESTYLE/DIET REALLY DOABLE?

We celebrated my brother's birthday on Tuesday with Giordano's Pizza and Portillo's Chocolate Cake...definitely not on my detox menu plan! I packed up a dish of Baked Sweet Potatoes w/Toasted Nuts & Oranges (w/a sprinkling of leftover Pomegranate Seeds on the side).

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Because we were short on time, I opted for frozen diced sweet potatoes instead of baking a whole sweet potato.

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While my family enjoyed their chocolate cake for dessert, I opted for a cup of unsweetened applesauce with pistachios mixed in!

Later on in the week we celebrated my father-in-law's birthday with Lou Malnatis pizza and Guinness Chocolate cake! My mother in law made a salad and offered me a Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette. For my dinner I packed a Tupperware full of Baked Trout w/ Broccoli, Apple, & Fennel Slaw.

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I substituted Tilapia for Halibut...and for dessert, I enjoyed a sweet tangerine!

Derek and I even enjoyed Chipotle on Friday for dinner. I've never tried their salad until now. It came with a really good Vinaigrette on the side. The salad consisted of lettuce, black beans, tomatoes, corn, grilled onions and peppers, and guacamole. This just might replace my normal vegetarian bowl I get from there!!!

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While I ate leftover fish and black bean salad for dinner last night, I made ground turkey tacos for Derek, and shared some of my Spicy Black Bean Salad with him!

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SO NOW WHAT FOR WEEK 3?

With a lot of leftovers still from week 2, I will finish those first and then continue on to Week 3's menu. I'm looking forward to adding in brown rice and quinoa into the mix. I'll continue to enjoy my breakfast smoothies...and hopefully really add in more cardio this week :)

The key this past week has been in planning ahead. I'll definitely continue to do that and even have a post in mind about how I've stayed organized throughout this 2012 Challenge!