second week of the cleanse and kale salad love

Moving through the second week of my healing cleanse, I started to notice my craving for fruit sugar would dissipate (that's right, I said it - dissipate) as I substituted my meals with higher protein choices (for example, adding in more spirulina, hemp protein powder, nuts, seeds, eggs).

Judging by the menu for week 2, can you tell how much I love kale salad? The one below features some shredded rainbow radish on top, but otherwise my favourite kale salad recipe follow the same pattern and look a little something like this:

My Favourite Kale Salad 
Serves 1

1 small to medium-sized head of curly or lacinato kale, washed and chopped
1/2 an avocado, sliced
1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp hemp seeds
handful of sunflower sprouts (optional)
assortment of chopped vegetables (i.e. broccoli, radish, cabbage)
1 tbsp oil (I've currently been using sesame)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
dash of sea salt

Combine the chopped kale with avocado, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, and sprouts in a large bowl.

In a separate dish, mix the oil, vinegar, and salt together to create a fabulous vinaigrette.

Massage the vinaigrette into the kale, integrating the avocado and nutritional yeast to cover the chopped kale.

Serve immediately for instant pleasures and satiety.

Day 8

Breakfast
- 10 brazil nuts
- green smoothie

Snack
- quinoa
- sip of green smoothie

Lunch
- kale salad

Snack
- raw burger and taco salad

Dinner
- miso soup with vegetables

Snack
- goat yogurt with bee pollen and goji berries

Sleep
6.5 hours

I met up with a sweet friend for lunch at a local health and raw food cafe, where we munched on a raw burger and taco salad. While it was a little nut heavy for me, I enjoyed trying these dishes as it has been quite some time since I dined at a raw restaurant. I didn't snap a pic, but the meal looked as a raw burger and taco salad should.

Day 9

Breakfast
- 12 brazil nuts
- green smoothie with berries, chard, spirulina, chia seeds, he shou wu, bee pollen, maca, vanilla goat yogurt, 1/2 cup quinoa flakes, cinnamon

Snack
- goat yogurt

Lunch
- kale salad with avocado, nutritional yeast

Snack
- green smoothie

Dinner
- curried red lentils
- miso soup with vegetables

Snack
- quinoa flakes with goji berries, chia seeds, bee pollen, coconut milk

Sleep
8 hrs

I used to eat quite a bit of quinoa flakes combined with chia seeds and other superfoods, and I've recently started to revisit it again this year. It's sort of like a superfood comfort foot for the winter months (although, there is no snow where I am currently living, and the weather barely dips below freezing).

nut tip: soak your nuts in water with a dash of lemon juice for increased alkalinity

Day 10

Breakfast
- 12 brazil nuts
- chia and quinoa flake pudding
- green smoothie with berries, grapefruit, superfoods

Snack
- 1 dried plum
- 1 green smoothie

Dinner
- kale salad

Snack
- quinoa flakes with sesame seed mylk

Sleep
6.5 hours

Well, I had my first piece of dried fruit on the cleanse (see the plum above). My colleague had these luscious plums in her office, and I just had to take her up on the offer of having one. It was so sweet, and I realized how much my taste buds have changed since being on this plan. 

Day 11

Apologies, but Day 11 found me quite busy and I didn't write down specific details about my meals (very similar meals to the other days, I had a smoothie, lentils, eggs, and cooked vegetables, salad, and a few apples for a snack).

Day 12

Breakfast
- 2 eggs with cooked kale and mushrooms
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- chia pudding

Lunch
- kale slaw and red curried lentils

Snack
handful of cashews

Dinner
Cauliflower and Lentil soup

Snack
1 apple

Sleep
5-6 hours

The Cauliflower and Lentil Soup was an improvised soup recipe combining cauliflower, brown lentils, vegetable broth and spices. Very comforting and oh-so-nourishing for the soul and spirit. I'll make sure to make it again and post the proper recipe. 

Garlicky Kale and White Bean Stew 

photo courtesy of My New Roots

Day 13

Breakfast
- green smoothie with berries, goat yogurt, spirulina, hemp protein powder, bee pollen, cinnamon
- handful of soaked almonds

Snack
- two apples

Lunch
- kale salad with avocado, nutritional yeast

Dinner
- version of Garlicky Kale and White Bean Stew from My New Roots 

Sleep
6 hours

Without a doubt, you must must must try making this Garlicky Kale and White Bean Stew recipe from Sarah over at My New Roots. an incredibly simply recipe with room for adjustments; for example, I used lima beans, added in some cooked buckwheat, herbs de provence, and increased the liquid and paprika for a heartier stew. 

Day 14

Breakfast
- green smoothie with berries, goat yogurt, superfoods
- handful of soaked almonds

Snack
- rooibos latte with almond mylk

Lunch
- kale salad with avocado and apple

Snack
- chia seed pudding

Dinner
- my version of Garlicky Kale and White Bean Stew from My New Roots

Sleep
8 hours

What can I say, I had to have the Garlicky Kale and White Bean Stew again for dinner tonight; love those limas! I also had a rooibos latte (technically a misto) with some almond mylk at a local cafe. I've been trying to reduce my consumption of store bought almond mylk on account of the preservatives and sugar, but figured a little sip wouldn't hurt before teaching a yoga class.

Second Week in Review:

Looking back on my menus for this week, I'm amazed at how little amount of food it took to keep me satisfied once my metabolism adjusted to this new eating plan. The increase in protein also combated my fatigue levels, and I found most days my energy was thriving (as was my yoga practice).

Apart from daily yoga, I also walk a fair amount every day (with living in the city, it's quite easy to do so, and the walk to my yoga studio is a good 30 minute return trip each day). I still don't feel my energy levels are near what they were this time last year, and I don't feel ready to take hot vinyasa yoga classes quite yet. Yet, my regular practice is helping to increase my flexibility and overall well being. I still would like to take the meditation up a notch, though. 

Interestingly, during the second week of the cleanse I started to experience some releasing of emotions dealing with a past relationship. I'm not sure if the cleanse had anything to do with this per se, but perhaps the lack of stimulants in my diet (i.e. no sugar and caffeine) brought these issues to the surface. It's interesting how we can, on a subconscious level, use food to suppress certain emotions. Have you ever had this experience before?

Stay tuned for week 3 of the cleanse - I'm making sauerkraut!