Juice Cleanse

Happy Friday! I mentioned before that I was thinking about starting up another juice cleanse to beat a weight loss plateau and I officially began a 7 day cleanse yesterday and am feeling great so far!

If you haven't seen the documentary or are thinking about starting a juice cleanse but not really sure if it's for you, I suggest watching Joe Cross's documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. You can pick it up for free on Amazon Prime and I know it was on Netflix (not sure if it still is). Joe has inspired thousands of people across America to adopt juicing into their everyday routine and hundreds of other to begin juice fasts. Below is a summary from IMDB:

"100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well- with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health. With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long-term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle. While talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it's at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well. What emerges is nothing short of amazing - an inspiring tale of healing and human connection. Part road trip, part self-help manifesto, FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD defies the traditional documentary format to present an unconventional and uplifting story of two men from different worlds who each realize that the only person who can save them is themselves." -Jamin Mendelsohn

After watching the documentary, I immediately purchased a juicer from Amazon Prime, the Breville Compact, the same juicer Joe uses in the film and I am absolutely in love with it! It's a great size for someone who lives in a tiny apartment, but uses enough power to maximize the amount of juice you get. The design is so user friendly and really easy to clean; it's literally fool proof! Today is my second day of my 7-day cleanse and so far so good. Most blogs I have read state that the second and third days are the hardest to get through since your body is in full detox mode. Hopefully this comes sooner rather than later for me. I've tried different juices in the past, but have really just stuck to Joe's Mean Green, with a few modifications, but this fast I have made 3 juices total so far and love them all! I have listed them below.

Mean Green Juice (adapted from Joe Cross's Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead)
makes about 24-32oz
1/2 bunch fresh spinach
4 celery sticks
1 cucumber, peeled
2 granny smith apples, cored
1 lemon, peeled
generous nob of ginger, peeled (1-2 inches)

Grapefruit Sunshine Juice
makes about 24-32oz
2 juicing grapefruits, peeled
1 large mango or 2 smaller ones (can sub 2 cored granny smith apples)
2 lemons, peeled
2 packs of Stevia (optional)

Mojito Refresher Juice
makes about 16-24oz
1 cucumber, peeled
2 limes, peeled
1 granny smith apple, cored
handful of mint
handful of basil

I will continue to update my blog once I discover new recipes. I have some beets and carrots in my fridge right now, but I'm a bit hesitant to use them (last time I made carrot juice I was gagging). I think I will disguise the sweet or earthly flavors with some citrus fruits since I seem to prefer citrus juices.

One thing that I'm a little weary of is exercise during the cleanse. Almost everything I have read suggests you continue your gym routine. I was a bit nervous yesterday morning when I went for my morning cardio, but was pleasantly surprised when I had the best workout of my life. When I'm not juicing, I usually eat some granola or a chia smoothie pre-workout and Greek yogurt post-workout, so I know I'm getting the proper nutrients to sustain a workout. Yesterday I made the Grapefruit Juice knowing that I would be loaded up with carbs and energy for the entire workout and I was shocked I wasn't even hungry afterwards. Tonight I will hit the gym again for my strength workout after I get my B-12 injection. Hopefully I will have enough energy to fit in another great workout!

Easter Travels and Banana Ice Cream

This past weekend was Easter so I was home in Boston for the weekend. I always get scared when I travel because it's so easy to pick up something fattening or high in calories in the airport. This time, I decided to take matters into my own hands and pack my food. For my flight home, I packed an apple and Kind granola and for my flight back to Chicago, I packed a Mojo Cliffbar. Since my flight to Boston was in the morning, I really didn't get too hungry and slept through most of my flight. My flight back to Chicago, I caved. It was a noon time flight so I decided to grab lunch at the airport. I ended up getting a Cosi Asian Salmon salad which was spectacular! I was originally just looking for fruit (literally it is non-existent in terminal E at Logan), but couldn't resist when I saw this on the menu. The total calorie count is 445 which I think its great for airport food. I ended up only eating half the salad to save on some calories. It was great that I was able to find something to support my specific diet needs, but I do suggest bringing snacks to the airport especially if you cave easily.

Generally I eat a bunch of food when I'm home. New England has some of the best food in the country, most of it is typically healthy (seafood, anyone?!) but it is easy to fall into a trap of pizza (we have the best sweet sauce pizza, don't care what anyone says), cake (Italian bakeries galore!), and fried food (mostly seafood). When I was home I made sure my parents were well-informed that I did not want to indulge. Just because I am technically on vacation doesn't mean my lifestyle can up and change. We went out to eat, actually it was take-out, once over the 3 day period, to the Cheesecake Factory. I ordered the goat cheese and beet salad because anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for some goat cheese. The whole dish is 270 calories and so rich, creamy, and refreshing. For Easter, my family was eating glazed ham... a big no-no for me. My parents and I headed out to the seafood market and I picked up a half pound of lobster meat and 10 scallops. Lobster has about 100 calories and scallops have about 15 calories. I ended up eating 2 claws and 5 scallops for a total of about 160 calories. Of course I had a salad with lemon vinaigrette and a half of sweet potato for a total of about 300 calories! Not too bad for Easter dinner!

So I've been back for a few days now, back into the habit of making my own food and buying my own groceries. I've been pinning a lot recently and saw a great recipe for banana ice cream using just frozen bananas. Yesterday I was craving ice cream hardcore, chocolate ice cream to be exact, and remembered pinning a recipe for raw ice cream and decided to try it. I modified it just a bit to add my own twist.

Raw Banana Chocolate Almond Ice Cream
Serves 1

1 Banana (frozen)
1 tbsp cocoa (I used Ghirardelli unsweetened powder)
1 pack Stevia
Splash of unsweetened almond milk

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Use more almond milk to reach desired consistency.

This recipe is perfect for when you feel like cheating. I am really not a fan of bananas and I immediately fell in love with this 'ice cream.' Its so healthy and totals a little over 100 depending on what size banana you use. I know I will definitely be making this more often!

KOMBUCHA!

Anyone who knows me knows I love tea. I'm a tea hoarder. I currently have about 10 boxes of different teas sitting in my kitchen. Tea is a great alternative to coffee or soda, it adds the caffeine or flavor you are craving without adding the calories.

All natural teas contain less than 5 calories (most are naturally calorie-free) and can be drank at anytime of the day. I've never been a fan of tea since the first time I tried it at a Chinese restaurant when I was young. Since then, my horizons have expanded and the first tea I really enjoyed was a shaken iced passion fruit tea from Starbucks. As I started becoming obsessed with it, my kitchen began piling up with different brands and flavors.

I recently started drinking Yogi Detox  every night before bed and it has significantly added to my weight loss journey. The flavors of roots and harsh 'ground' taste' aren't exactly pleasant, but they do grow on you (thanks to the spicy tanginess of it). I just watched an old episode of Dr. Oz where he was suggesting adding teas throughout the day to aid in weight loss. He mentioned to drink 2 cups of white tea after lunch to stimulate fat burn. I prefer Tazo Berryblossom White.

Last year, I was introduced to G.T. Kombucha's Synergy Chia Cherry. Kombucha is a fermented tea, but little is known about its benefits to the human body. There is some speculations and very few complete studies conducted on the tea. It is made with live bacteria and yeast, and you can often times see the mother (the slimy bacteria) which scares a lot of people. The tea is fizzy and is said to be praised by the Chinese as a immortal tea. I know when I drink the tea I feel a lot more energized and reawakened. I just got done finals (reason for my MIA fit) and drank these almost every day. I have tried most the Synergy flavors that are well stocked in health food stores and Whole Foods so I decided to give a brief overview of each one.

Gingerade: Although this isn't a from the "Synergy" sector of Kombucha, this is my favorite everyday Kombucha. I love gingerale and ginger beer and this tastes eerily similar. Ginger has so many healing benefits such as relieving nausea (I always drink ginger juice after a night of drinking), preventing colds/flu, aiding in absorption, maintaining blood circulation, and preventing a laundry list of chronic diseases and cancers. The flavor of the gingerade Kombucha is very tolerable and can be drank often.

Synergy Trilogy: This is another everyday favorite of mine. The flavors are mild and add just enough "juicy" flavoring to the tea. It is mixed with raspberry, lemon, and ginger juices for the perfect combination of sweet and sour. Raspberries are loaded with antioxidants and have recently been found to aid in weight loss. They also have great anti-inflammatory properties. Lemons are a super food: they help with infections, lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol, preventing certain cancers, and curing the common cold and flu, just to name a few.

Synergy Grape and Cherry Chia: The chia synergies are loaded with 8g of fiber in each bottle! The texture might be a little daunting to those unfamiliar with chia (especially slimy chia in liquid), but chia is a natural way to lower blood sugar, increase energy, detox the body, and help with weight loss. Once you are over the initial texture (it took me about 3 bottles) you will definitely fall in love with the way these taste. They are also great for that boost before a workout!

Lavender No 3: This is my all-time favorite Kombucha. My Mom loved lavender and she collects every type of lavender soap, cream, shampoo, bath oil, etc imaginable. She claims that it has natural calming properties and it does. When I was shopping in Chicago Health Food store, I saw this flavor for the first time and decided to pick up this flavor since I have yet to try it out. It was kind of a mixture of floral and fruity and was really refreshing even if it was raining out. Lavender relieves bloating, soothes the nerves, calms the body, and can soothe a headache.

Synergy Cosmic Cranberry: This is what I am drinking as I write this blog. I have had it a few other times and its either a hit or miss for me. Today, I'm not really feeling the flavor so much, I'm not sure if the juice mixed with the Kombucha wasn't ripe or what (they use fresh-pressed juice in their teas). I had it about a week ago and thought that one was delicious. Like I mentioned, it is made with all-natural unsweetened juice from cranberries which are loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients (plant based nutrients). Cranberries also have been known to prevent against UTIs, support the immune system, help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and so many other great benefits!

Multi Green: This is by far my least favorite. I am not a fan of seaweed and that's what this flavor tastes like to me. I know a bunch of people who swear by the Multi-Green version, but it's just not for me. It is made with blue-green algae, chlorella, and spirulina, which are all basically nutrient rich algae found in sea plants. The health benefits in this version probably outweigh all the other flavors combined, but I just can wrap my tongue around the awful flavor. 

Citrus: The citrus flavor is very refreshing and only contains lemon juice. It's a lighter version of the Synergy Trilogy with all the benefits of lemons. 

I can't wait to try more Kombucha flavors. Each bottle varies in price from $3-$5. I actually found them on sale for 2/$5 at Dominick's a few weeks back but I'm not sure if they even stock them anymore. However, most health food stores and Whole Foods have a substantive selection to chose from. 

Updates and Skinny Pizza

I wish I had more to post about this week, but the truth is, it's been a pretty boring week. My weight is still refusing to move no matter what I try to do. This week I introduced cardio for an hour each morning before work and began drinking 100oz of water a day! I saw a .4lb budge this morning and am hoping to see more this coming week.

Last night I cooked up a delicious Greek flat bread pizza. As you can probably tell, I really love Greek food... in fact, I'd probably eat bugs drenched in feta and Kalamata olives! This super quick and easy dish is perfect for lunch and dinner. Sorry I don't have a picture of the final product, I literally ate the thing as soon as it was done! I ended up eating half last night and half today for lunch.

Skinny Greek Pizza
serves 1-2

1 low calorie, whole wheat/grain flat bread (can also use pita or a tortilla)
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp hummus (I used artichoke spinach)
1 medium boccaccini mozzarella
2 tbsp crumbled feta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
handful of spinach
Kalamata olives (optional)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Pop in flat bread for 3-5 minutes or until crispy.

Spread hummus on top of flat bread.

Dice onion and crush garlic. Saute oil olive, onions, and garlic until onions are translucent and lightly browned. Spread onion mixture on top of hummus.

Layer with tomatoes and spinach.

Slice boccaccini into thin slices and spread on pizza. Crumble feta on top.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and place in oven for 10 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Optional: slice olives in half and top the pizza.

Motivation Monday and Greek Lentils

Motivation Monday!
"I never regret it when I do it, but I always regret when I don't."

This morning I woke up at about 5am and could not get back to sleep. I was thinking of how great I felt after a quick 30 minutes of cardio on Saturday and debated whether or not to get out of bed for the treadmill. That's when this quote I saw on Pinterest popped in my head. I knew I had a long day ahead of me, but I also know exercising gives you energy so I stumbled out of bed, laced up my sneakers, and headed to the gym at the bottom of my building. By the time I got down there it was already 5:20 and I knew I could only workout for 30 minutes. I used to workout all the time, but have gone about 2 years without stepping foot in the gym, so my first time back on Saturday was a reality check. I want to build my endurance to about an hour 6 days a week, but I also want to start small so I can get into the hang of it. I have to say I do feel much better, I feel like I have accomplished so much already and it's only 9am here!

Saturday I also cooked all day. I still have some of my Garbage Chili left that I froze in 1 cup Tupperware containers for an easy lunch, but I can't live on the same flavors for days at a time. I absolutely love Greek food so I knew I wanted something with Kalamata and Feta in it. After browsing the internet for ideas, I came across a recipe for a White Greek Chili and decided to modify it into a lentil dish. I will admit, I made way so much of it, I had to use 2 pots just to contain all the ingredients!

Greek Lentils
Makes about 20 servings (I know, but you can cut in half, fourths, etc.)

2 yellow onions
5 cloves garlic
2 orange peppers (I used small, sweet ones)
2 zucchini
1 summer squash
4 sticks of celery
1 bunch of asparagus
1 16oz can artichoke
1 16oz can chickpeas
1 1lb bag lentils
1 large can tomatoes
6 cups of water
1 1lb bag spinach
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash Italian seasoning
Generous handful of Kalamata olives
Lemon juice
Feta

Dice all raw vegetables into bite size pieces.

 

Saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes until lightly browned.

Add remaining raw vegetables plus 2 cups of water.

Cook vegetables for 5 minutes. Add lentils and remaining water.

Add seasoning and cook covered for about 30-45 minutes until lentils are tender. In a separate pan, heat chickpeas and artichokes.

Dice canned tomatoes and add them to chickpeas and artichoke along with all liquid from them. Heat for 10 minutes.

Add two mixtures together, plus Kalamata olives, and cook for an additional 10 minutes until all liquid is evaporated.

Serve warm on a bed of spinach. Top with feta and fresh squeezed lemon.

I used sundried tomato and basil feta which just added to the flavors of this dish. Also my Kalamata olives were marinated in garlic. I had no idea how much this would make. I felt like I just kept cutting up veggies and before I knew it, I was using two pots. I have frozen about 10 1 cup servings and have about half in the fridge. This is a great dish to add to a salad to make it that much heartier!

Weight Struggles

As you know, so far I have already lost 20lbs by changing to a vegetable based lifestyle. I'm proud and excited for myself, however, I have been stuck here for the whole week! The same thing happened around the 10lb mark and I decided to try out some juicing. I'm thinking I might return to an all day juice cleanse just to reboot my weight loss.

About a month ago, I watched Joe Cross's documentary "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and decided to buy a juicer. There are plenty on the market, but Joe specifically suggests trying a Breville. I bit the $100 price tag and decided to just do it! By consuming nothing but juice and nuts for an entire day was just what I needed to reboot my system. I would juice for longer, but between working full-time and taking 6 classes, I think I might kill someone if I don't have solid food in my belly. Juicing acts as a quick way to get nutrients into your body for absorption while suppressing hunger. I was actually surprised at how well sustained I felt why juicing.

The first juice I made is still the best, to this day. I have tried many other combinations and nothing has compared. If you don't use enough fruits, its bitter. If you use too many fruits, its overly sweet. This green combination, however, is just the perfect marriage between fruits and veggies.

Green Machine Juice
Makes approx. 32oz

Half Bunch Spinach
2 Granny Smith Apples
1 Lemon
4 Celery Sticks
1 Lemon
1 Cucumber
1 Inch Nob of Ginger

Cut the apple into 4. Peel the lemon, ginger, and cucumber. Juice ingredients. Mix and serve with ice.

My Food Routine for Work

Hey guys!

It's finally Friday! I still have to work tomorrow, but only for three hours in the morning. Since it's the end of the week, I allowed myself a little taste of Starbucks. I ordered something I had never tried before: a skinny, sugar-free hazelnut latte! It was really delicious but a bit to sweet for my palate! I miss the skinny peppermint mocha... I don't know how I'm going to hold out to November 1st for that one!

Today, I want to share my food routine at work. Since I get here a little after 8am and leave at 5pm, it's important that I bring enough food to get me through the hours. Sitting at a desk all day can sometimes make me munch of food laying around my work (candy, trail mix, coffee). By bringing my own food, I have made temptation almost nonexistent.

Every day, I start off with a Greek yogurt. I can usually last until about 9am or 10am before I start eating it and it lasts me about 30-60 minutes. I used to only buy Chobani, but decided to venture out and try Fage. My gosh, this was the best decision I could have made! Fage is creamier, thicker, and overall more natural. I like the Total 0% with either the fruit cup or honey. Also, if I happen to have fruit in my fridge, I'll generally take that to work to munch on. Last night Target had raspberries 2/$5 so I had to grab a few and today, that's my fruit of choice. Since I went to Starbucks this morning, I am drinking espresso, something that I have kind of traded in for tea. I love all kinds of tea and they generally don't need cream or sugar like coffee does.

For lunch today I brought a massive salad. Last night grocery shopping I decided to pick up some Tupperware to store salad in. I bought 4 pack of red and green Artisan heads of lettuce from Aldi to be the base of the salad.

Aldi is basically a discount grocery store who indirectly owns Trader Joe's through a trust. The only thing I will buy from Aldi is canned vegetables, sauces, and produce (generally have to eat it within a few days). For the salad, I added tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and cucumbers. I am obsessed with tomatoes and love them in my salads for some reason. I picked up the sugar snap peas at Target because they were on sale for $2.99. They added a sweet crunch. I also love cucumbers in salads. There's something about them that is just so refreshing and crisp.

But what I'm most excited about is the dressing! I had been meaning to try this Amish health food store in Chicago and finally had the time yesterday. Each week, they drive 2 and a half hours each way to an Amish community in Indiana to stock their store... that's dedication! I ended up picking up a lot of healthy snack dips (two 16oz cans of apple butter and one 16oz can of sweet pepper relish), some pears, dressing, and this great chap stick made of cheyenne pepper and lemon. All for $30, which might seem pricey, but acceptable just by their quality standards. I love supporting local shops and don't mind dropping a few extra dollars for quality and some damn good customer service. Back to my dressing! I picked up a Sweet Vidalia Onion Summer Tomato dressing. When I opened it last night, I was shocked at how thick it was. The serving size is 2 tablespoons and has about 70 calories! There is no fat or cholesterol and is made from onions, tomatoes, and seasonings. That's it! I'm a dressing fanatic and love extra dressing on my salad (so bad, right?) so I took the two tablespoons and added 1 tablespoon of water to make it go further. The new concoction looked like your average dressing thickness.

I generally take my lunch late around 1pm or 2pm. Today I have a meeting directly after work and need something that will sustain me through about 7pm. The salad is extra big and really nutritious so it should keep me hunger free!