Lazy Bum Thursday & The Ben and Jerry's Binge

My arch nemesis

I officially have decided to deem yesterday as "Lazy Bum Thursday." My day consisted of hours of (guilty pleasure) T.V. watching i.e. Sex and the City, Laguna Beach, E! News, SpongeBob Squarepants (Yes...I said SpongeBob), South Park, Selling New York and, my new obsession, Teen Wolf (Don't judge, it's a great show). After indulging in a delectable avocado Cobb salad drizzled with red wine vinaigrette at Amsterdam Cafe, I took a nice long nap. To top off "Lazy Bum Thursday," my roommate and I made an emergency trip to Kroger to buy two pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream--Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Peanut Butter Cup, to be exact--and let go of all inhibition. Considering I am mildly lactose intolerant, Ben and Jerry are not usually my best friends, but a little peanut butter bliss is sometimes worth it :)

Although it seems as though I have not a care in the world, "Lazy Bum Thursday" was a big challenge for me. The tiny voice in the back of my mind scolding me for my lazy tendencies kept getting louder and louder, "Go work out!" "You're eating too much!" Sometimes I listen too much to that nagging voice and not enough to my body. Yesterday (Lazy Bum Thursday) I silenced my nagging conscious and listened to what my body needed...well maybe wanted. Now I am definitely not advocating pigging out on ice cream as a great habit, but sometimes you need to indulge a little. In the past I would have let my "Lazy Bum Thursday" festivities consume my every thought, but I am slowly working towards letting go and not dwelling on the past. Focusing on the present moment is something I learned in Yoga and I find it to be not only the most challenging part of class, but a huge challenge applying it my everyday life. Accepting and allowing myself to indulge in "Lazy Bum Thursday" was a true testament to my progress in learning to let go. So next time you find yourself guilt-ridden after a Ben and Jerry's binge, take a breath, move forward, and let go.

My Condensed Detox

Sample of a Typical Day:

I do not give exact measurements, so feel free to adjust the suggested portions to your liking! Digestive enzymes will help further break down your food--especially if it is not raw--so I would suggest taking 1-2 with every meal! Try this for 2 weeks (if not, longer!) and spend the last 2-3 days fasting by either juicing or substituting the superfood shake for every meal.

Pre-Breakfast: Rise and shine time! Water with fresh squeezed lemon revs up your metabolism and begins the cleansing process!
-Squeeze a fresh, organic lemon into your water

Breakfast: Most important meal of the day—do not skip breakfast!  

Superfood Shake Recipe:

            -Almond milk

            -1 banana

            - Your choice of frozen fruit (i.e. frozen strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, acai berry, etc).

            -Around ½ cup spinach

            -1 to 3 tbsp of approved protein powder

 Digestive enzyme*

Mid-Morning Snack 

4 Raw Almonds

1 Apple 

   Slice of Manna/Ezekiel bread with almond butter 

   2 Fenugreek Seed Capsules*

Lunch: Should be your largest meal; attempt to include fresh fruit, vegetables and a protein

  Recipe Suggestion #1: Strawberry Walnut Salad:

            -Spinach

            -Slice strawberries

            -Raw walnut halves

            -Approved protein

            -Small amount of approved dressing

  Recipe Suggestion # 2: Organic veggie burger with hummus and/or avocado

  Recipe Suggestion # 3: Lettuce Wraps

            -Head of iceberg lettuce

            -Hummus/Fresh guacamole

            -Avocado

            -Raw carrot/celery carrots

            -Edamame beans

            -Raw nuts

Digestive enzyme*

Mid-Afternoon Snack 

  Laramar bar   

  Fresh fruit and veggies  

 Raw nuts (in moderation) or edamame  
 Slice of Ezekiel Bread with almond butter and fresh fruit

 Synergy Kombucha tea*  

2 Fenugreek Seeds Capsules*

Dinner: Should be your smallest meal; this meal can include your 40% cooked items but still attempt to include as much raw fruit and vegetables (foods higher in enzymes) because the digestion system/metabolism slows down toward the end of the day and therefore produces less enzymes.

Brown rice    

Baked/grilled/steamed asparagus with olive oil and sea salt  

Salad  

Approved proteins

Optional supplements*

Guidelines  

• Drink water and herbal teas throughout the day (optional added lemon)  

•   May NOT Have:

            -Dairy

            -Sugars

            -Caffeine

            -Yeast products

            -Hydrogenated oils

            -Simple carbohydrates

            -Red meat

•   Do NOT eat after 8pm   
•  Attempt 60% raw, 40% cooked

Holistic Tips and Suggestions

Take Your Time Eating! It is vital that you take time in your day to prepare and enjoy your meals!

•   Sit down while you are eating
•   Eat until you are satisfied not stuffed: Do not feel restricted by calorie counting or specific measurements but do not eat till you cannot move   
•  Turn off the TV: Try not to multitask when you are eating and really focus on your meal
•  Remain seated and digest your meal after you are finished eating
•  Read the ingredients labels—the less ingredients, the better 
• Attempt to buy fresh, preferably organic or natural food items 
• Always remember to not get discouraged if something goes awry, simply get right back on track :)

 

Approved Food Items 

Protein: Attempt to buy high quality (preferably organic) proteins:

           -Grilled chicken/salmon

           -Organic eggs

           -Edamame

           -Raw nuts/legumes (i.e. almonds, walnuts, lentils, chickpeas, etc). 

           -Avocado

Protein Powder: This should include organic (preferably raw) ingredients that are free of dairy or any other animal bi-products (Look for spirulina as an ingredient)  
Dressing: Organic olive oil, balsamic or red wine vinaigrette, etc. (Just make sure the dressing follows the guidelines by reading the ingredients label and remember to use sparingly for flavor)
Salt: Sea Salt 

Sweetener: Stevia in the Raw

Bread: Manna or Ezekiel Bread (My favorites are Cinnamon Date Manna Bread or Cinnamon Raison Ezekiel Bread)

Spreads: Almond butter (Obviously raw almond butter is the best, but if you find raw almond butter ain't your thang, there are other delicious flavor options, such as honey roasted!)    
Milk Substitute: Almond milk (avoid soy milk)  

Desert: Organic dark chocolate (Attempt to get 60% or higher cocoa in the ingredients)

Holistic Nutrition and My First Detox Experience

What exactly is holistic nutrition? 

According to holisticnutrition.com, "Proper Nutrition is the basis for optimum health and well being. Holistic nutrition is the modern natural approach to developing a healthy balanced diet while taking into account the person as whole." 

The "New" Food Pyramid

My First Detox
My first encounter with holistic eating came to me when I participated in a Spring Detox held by Jessica Schneider of Nourished4Life. I was instantly skeptical of the word "detox" because of its negative connotation. The word "detox" conjured images of miserable addicts attempting to rid their bodies of toxins. Although I thankfully avoided substance abuse, I soon realized my body was still plagued by toxins--both physical and mental.  

Mental Toxins

As I have mentioned, I have struggled a lot with my relationship with food and my overall body image. At that point in my life I was at an all time low and felt completely hopeless. My eating disorder was running rampant and I dreaded going on spring break with all of my skinny, gorgeous, supermodel-esque friends. I will admit, I initially began my detox journey solely to lose weight--which I did--but my end result was so much more fulfilling than shedding the pounds. For the first time in my life I was at peace with my food and felt stronger, happier and healthier than ever before!  This was the first step in the detox: truly coming to terms with who you are, and knowing that only you have the ability to become the person you want to be. My favorite thing that Jessica ever said to me was that, "If you fall off your horse, you need to not dwell on falling off, and get right back on!" (O.K. she said it in a profound manner, but you get the idea).  Jessica got me thinking, I have always been a person who works incredibly hard, but the moment something goes awry (I devour mass quantities of doughnuts) I instantly become discouraged and give up. I was focusing all of my energy on the negative and not attributing anything to what I have accomplished. After two intense weeks of clean eating and detoxing, I had not only freed my body from sugar cravings and a few pounds, I freed myself from my worst enemy: me.

Physical Toxins 

Attempting to finding balance in Eka Pada Koundiyanasana and in life 

Along with giving me a new perspective on food, the detox cleansed my body of physical substances. I had never felt so good; my skin glowed, I had an outrageous amount of energy, I did not crave sugar, and I had managed to lose a healthy amount of weight. My body was in harmony and I realized balance was the composer. After I completed the detox I was surprised that I felt no desire to stuff my face full of junk. I no longer felt dependent on, nor deprived of any particular food. Unlike many short-term diets, I avoided the "post-diet weight gain" because I continued to incorporate what I had learned during the detox.    

Moral of the Story

Completing that detox was one of the most challenging, yet rewarding experiences in my life. It garnered multiple aspects of my life and made me accept both myself, and my imperfections. Holistic eating and detoxing are not quick fix diets, but are lifestyle choices and choosing to nurture and listen to your body is essential to a balanced and happy life.