Well, truth be told it was a little all over the place because of the holidays; lots of extra grains, extra sugars and raw desserts. In the past few months my eating looked something like this - nothing too extreme, but you will see where the extra sugar and sweets were creeping in.
I was also eating raw chocolate every day for about two weeks and started to satisfy an almost daily kombucha craving, not to mention an increase in my daily matcha green tea habit. This definitely pushed my adrenals into overdrive.
Pre-Cleanse Menu
Breakfast
- green smoothie with 1-2 bananas, pear, greens, superfoods
- 2 eggs
- 1 or 2 matcha green tea almond mylk lattes (about four tsps matcha green tea powder)
Snack
- handful of nuts
- a few dates
- apple
Lunch
- kale salad with avocado, hemp seeds, shredded carrot
- maybe some quinoa or buckwheat
- lentils
- a random coffee latte with almond mylk on ocassion.
Snack
- green smoothie with 1 banana, fruit, superfoods, maybe some goat yogurt
- some raw chocolate or a raw dessert (I had one too many spoons of Coconut Bliss over the holidays)
Dinner
- sweet potato or some sort of grain
- salad with carrots, goat cheese
- some sort of cooked option: soup, grain, or bean dish
During the last week of the cleanse, I also experimented with a few different recipes and foods (I need to spice up those daily kale salads, remember). At the end of the second week, I made sauerkraut for the first time; well, first time on my own - I helped make a communal batch of sauerkraut this past summer.
Making sauerkraut at home is one of those endeavours that some people (including myself) can find overwhelming. Interestingly enough, it's one of the easiest foods to prepare:
- simply chop the cabbage
- massage with some sea salt and let sit for 30 minutes underneath a weight (to help extract the liquid)
- press the mixture into jars
- let the magic happen (i.e. let the mixture sit for about 5-7 days in a dark place in order for the cabbage to ferment)
For a more thorough guide on how to prepare sauerkraut, check out Heather Pace's instructions for homemade sauerkraut over at Food and Yoga for Life.
Day 15
Breakfast
- green smoothie with kale, berries and superfoods
Snack
- chia pudding with shredded coconut
Lunch
- kale salad with greens, apple, nutritional yeast, avocado
Snack
- vanilla rooibos misto with almond mylk
Dinner
- miso soup with kombu seaweed, cabbage, mushrooms
Snack
- leftover almond pulp from almond mylk
Sleep
8 hrs
For some reason, I forgot to take my vitamins today. Oh well - life goes on. Looks as though I wasn't too too hungry today, but I felt satisfied from the meals that I had.
Day 16
Breakfast
- green smoothie with berries and superfoods
- chia pudding with 2 tbsp soaked cashews
- lemon water
Lunch
- Kale and cabbage salad with 1/2 avocado
- curried red lentils, mushrooms, and onions
Snack
- 2 apples
Dinner
- kale salad with 1/2 avocado
- sauteed vegetables with 1 tbsp soaked cashews
Sleep
9.5 hours
No sugar or caffeine cravings today - the success of the cleanse continues. However, on my way to a yoga class this morning, I came down with an awful headache (quite rare for me). I'm not sure why this happened, but the headache stayed with me throughout the day and night. Not a fan of pain lol.
Breakfast
- 3 tbsp soaked cashews
- green smoothie with berries, chard, almond mylk, and superfoods
Snack
- chia seed pudding with ground buckwheat, shredded coconut
- lemon water
Lunch
- kale salad with avocado, nutritional yeast
- curried red lentils
Dinner
- cabbage koleslaw salad
Snack
- almonds, shredded coconut, chia seed pudding
Sleep
4.5 hours
Something I haven't really mentioned in regards to my sleeping schedule, is that some nights I've been waking in the middle of the night. Again, not sure why - I don't know if it's related to perhaps eating less, but I will wake up for a few hours, and then head back to sleep.
Day 18
Breakfast
- 20 soaked almonds
- chia pudding
- green smoothie with grapefruit and superfoods
Lunch
- cooked buckwheat
- brown lentils
- cabbage salad with sesame seed dressing
Snack
- green apple
Dinner
- kale salad and sauerkraut
Snack
- green apple and handful of cashews
Sleep
8 hours
I had a big early breakfast today, because I had a long, busy day ahead of me. Sometimes I find it's best to eat more in the morning on busy days for a longer, more sustained energy flow.
Day 19
Breakfast
- chia pudding
- 10 soaked almonds
- 2 eggs with veggies
- green smoothie
Lunch
- cooked buckwheat and brown lentils
- kale slaw
Snack
- green apple
Dinner
- kale salad
- 5 soaked almonds
Snack
- hazelnuts
- goat yogurt
Sleep
7 hours
I notice I'm starting to snack on nuts more and more these days - could it be that I'm not eating enough? I'm not sure. Usually when I am hungry I will reach for a piece of fruit, but since that is not an option for the cleanse, I've been making due with veggies or nuts.
Day 20
Breakfast
- chia pudding with goat yogurt, bee pollen, hazelnuts, almonds
Snack
- rooibos misto with almond mylk
Lunch
- kale salad with sauerkraut
Dinner
- White Bean and Garlicky Kale Stew with buckwheat
Snack
- 4 Cconut Orbs (recipe coming soon)
Sleep
8.5 hours
I've been adding spirulina to my salads lately, just for an extra dose of superfoods - I like how it combines well with the apple cider vinegar dressing. I also made my favourite new stew recipe again for dinner, plus a fun new raw dessert (recipe coming soon). The Coconut Orbs are gluten free, dairy free, and sugar free (no dates!). Stay tuned for the recipe.
Day 21
Breakfast
- green smoothie with green apple, kale, flax, and superfoods
Snack
- handful of hazelnuts
- 1 apple
Lunch
- egg scramble with mushrooms and cabbage
Dinner
- kale salad with sauerkraut, 1/2 avocado, hemp seeds
- curried red lentils and buckwheat soup
Snack
- handful of hazelnuts and bee pollen
Sleep
8 hours
I tried a new method of cooking eggs today; lightly steaming them in the pain, rather than cooking them with oil. To do so, place a bit of water in the pan, steam veggies, pour egg mixture into the pan, place lid on top, and let cook for a few minutes. The result is a fluffy frittata still cooked to perfection while retaining more moisture and nutrition.
The Verdict:
I decided to stop the cleanse at around 21 days - they say it takes about 21 days to implement and stick with new habits. Intuitively, I also felt that eating in a higher protein way had served itself for the time being - right now, I'm feeling drawn to eat a bit lighter, and have been craving more raw food and some green juices (I still need to purchase a juicer, since I didn't bring one with me when I moved).
I'm not sure if it was the shift in eating alone, or my yoga practice, but my clothes have also started to fit better and my muscle tone has improved immensely, especially in my legs and back. My body also feels more lean and lighter, which is the opposite of how I felt the past few months. Yay!
My hair has also dramatically improved in the past few months, and eating higher protein foods has helped to stimulate some much-needed hair growth. I've also taken a break from highlighting my hair, a move that has helped the overall condition of my hair too. My skin has also been clear with no breakouts (something that had become a bit of an issue over the past few months due to a more wayward eating schedule in the summer, lifestyle stressors, and a higher sugar diet).
Yet, even with more rest, I still look 'tired' in the face which is something new for me - I feel I look very different from a few months ago (could it be I'm also getting older lol?). I'm not sure if this is related to lifestyle stressors, or a potential food allergy but I think this will shift in time.
I found this cleanse was perfect for getting me back on track with eating on a schedule, being mindful of when- why-what I was eating (i.e. for nourishment, for pleasure, or for emotional comfort). It also helped that my man was eating a low-sugar version of the candida diet cleanse as well. Moral support can be quite helpful during times of cleanse.
I notice that I also eat more when I am tired; with my sleeping schedule, it is easy to see why I was eating more on certain days. I'm hoping the sleep issue sorts itself out, but since it's only one or two days where I wake up in the night, I figure it will. Overall, my energy levels have improved and I can definitely function without caffeine (although I do miss it on an emotional level from time to time).
I'll definitely be implementing many of the new habits I established with this healing cleanse - bring on the greens, eating on a schedule, lower sugar, and contined daily yoga practice!
What are your thoughts on cleansing?
2 comments:
Great to read. For some reason I totally lost the feeling of when to eat and what. This comes from eating to much sugar. In the past I was eating in the same way as u did now, I also had the lack of sleep but still felt energized and having a tired face. In the end it's all about balance in diversity I guess. I really need to get back on track by curring carbs, reading your experience is motivating to do so. Thanks :)
@Suzanne - thank you for the comment! I felt exactly the same way when I was eating more sugar - very lost as to what I should be eating, and then I would just reach for more sugary options (still healthy, like fruit, but still sugary!). I'm happy this post has motivated you to get back on track.
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