2015 Detox: Halfway Report

I’ve successfully made it to the halfway point of my 2015 nutritional cleanse.  While I was a bit cranky the first few days, these first few weeks have gone fairly quickly and haven’t given me too much grief (other than missing oatmeal a little).  I have three “mess ups” in my first half and will therefore be extending the whole process by a day (I had a nibble of my peanut butter-honey flourless cookies I made to ensure they tasted alright – I know, so selfless of me, a bite of a bacon dish that I didn’t realize was caramelized in maple something, and a burger with some cheese on it – I had otherwise been avoiding lactose as well). 

So what have I been feeding my inner fat kid with?  Between training, running my business, and tying up loose ends from the accident, my January has been pretty darn busy; it is not rare for me to leave the house at 5 am and not return until 8 pm.  With a schedule like this, it is absolutely vital to plan ahead when it comes to what I’ll be eating.  For lunch, I typically eat shredded chicken (which I just get from the deli), fruit, and veggies; I have a big old lunch box that I pick from as I go about the day.  Here are a few other things I’ve been munching on:

Breakfast

I love breakfast food and tend to eat between 1 and 3 breakfasts a day so this category is significantly larger than the others.



Yes, this looks weird but it's delicious!  I'll make this on weekends or days when I have a little more time and don't need something pre-made. Mashed banana, eggs or egg whites, flax seed, raisins, turkey sausage, coconut extract, and a little salt all mashed up together and microwaved for about 5 minutes (or in a pan if you have time).  I then top it off with a little coconut milk - yum!

On Sundays, I make breakfast smoothies (more of a puree actually, they're pretty thick) for the week.  Depending on how I'm feeling, I usually eat part of it before I swim and the rest right after.  These suckers are packed with fiber and nutrients with a combination of: HAMMER Vegan Protein Powder (chocolate flavor), 1 cup almond milk, kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, beets, carrots, celery, ginger root, and either an apple or some berries. 

I also make this dish up on Sunday evening and divide it into 6 portions: 12 eggs or egg whites, tomatoes, broccoli, onion, and red pepper all mixed up and put in the oven for about a half hour.

 Yummy pumpkin breakfast bake, another recent go-to for my busy days: Can of pumpkin puree, mashed banana, 3 egg whites, ground flax, raisins, baking powder/soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg all mixed together and in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

Dinner

I am the crockpot queen!  Prepare on Sunday, start on Monday, and eat all week.

 Ground turkey, pureed tomato, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, and mushrooms all cooked together and then put over spiralized/sautéed zucchini (ie zucchini pasta)

 



Pork with onion, a little lime juice, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and chili powder all cooked together and then put in a cabbage leaf shell.

Training Fuel

I’ve done a crummy job of taking pictures for this.  My go to has been baking bars with nut butter, dates (put through the food processor), coconut shreds, an egg white, and baking powder/soda.

 Looks like a brick, tastes ridic: cashew butter, dates that have gone through the food processor, 1 egg white, cocoa powder, vanilla, baking powder/soda mixed up, put in a pan, and cooked for about 10 minutes.

 

Post-workout yumminess: Greek yogurt, mashed banana, vanilla Hammer Vegan Protein Powder, and blueberries.  Sometimes I add an egg white and throw it in a pan to make a giant "pancake."

Having cleaned up my nutrition a bit, I’m feeling pretty darn good.  I do, however, have a vice that needs to be addressed.  I’ve noticed that I consume far too many sugar substitutes; I avoid aspartame but take in way to much sucralose ( ie Splenda) and it makes me feel terrible every time.  Going forward in the next few weeks I think it is necessary for my health to cut out these products and keep sugar substitutes to a small amount of stevia or monk fruit (natural sources of sweetness).  I have also deduced that I don’t include enough fat in my diet and will be integrating more olive oil, avocados, and nuts to balance things a bit.  I’ll let you know how it goes!