Wednesday, March 23, 2011

I'm kind of a big deal...in INDIA!

I just wanted to say that this blog is really starting to take off. I just checked my stats and apparently, I've got readers all the way in India, Singapore, Greece, and Australia -just to name a few.

Of course, the readership in Greece is definitely coming from my family so... I LOVE YOU GUYS for reading- Philipia, Makis, Diana, who else?

And I know who is checking me out in the land down under -Oh Swifty... bring me back a Kangaroo!

For my readers in South Est Asia and beyond... how ever did you find me? Now if only I was Big in Japan!!!



Thank-you for reading, everybody!
Especially to my fellow Montrealers-you ROCK!

P.S. Don't forget to view some of my delayed posts on
stool stalling
;  dear cheater; and finally always a cheater!


xx

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Monday, March 21, 2011

CLEAN Lessons 101: Include/Exclude Food List



Have I ever shared the details of what I can and cannot eat during this CLEAN detox? 
I don't believe I have so here's the scoop...

Foods to include:
whole fruits, unsweetened, frozen or water-packed;
almond milk, coconut milk,
non-gluten grains and starch: brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat;
cold water fish, lean lamb, duck, chicken;
lentils, legumes, olive oil, sesame oil;
green tea, herbal teas, agave nectar;
most condiments: i.e. basil, cinnamon, cumin, dill, garlic, etc.

Foods to exclude:  
wheat, corn, barley, spelt, rye, couscous, oats;
no beef, raw fish, veal, sausage, shellfish; 
oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, strawberries, grapes, bananas;
tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers;
no dairy, soy products, butter, processed oils, spreads;
alcohol, coffee, caffeinated beverages, sodas, 
sugar, chocolate, ketchup, relish, etc.

The reason these foods are eliminated from the detox is mainly due to their ability to suppress our digestive strength, unbalance our PH levels, and inflame our body.

Certain foods act as irritants preventing our system from breaking down properly and causing fermentation, i.e. tomatoes, chocolate, potatoes, shellfish.

Simply put, you’re body needs to absorb or eliminate what was eaten. If it can’t do it normally, i.e. by eliminating waste from you know where, then any residuals will be reabsorbed into your body creating a toxic condition; abdominal rumblings, heartburn, bloating, depression, etc. Yuck!

*Adding spices to your meals is a great way to help the body break down the foods you eat.

Other foods listed are more acidic which decrease the body’s ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients; decrease it’s ability to repair damaged cells and makes it more susceptible to fatigue and illness: milk products, bananas, and grains such as wheat -but these are also the main "mucus-making" foods that cause the stickiness in the intestines which in turn makes nutrient absorption and elimination harder to achieve. 

*Note, when it says avoid acidic foods, it doesn't necessarily mean you need to avoid them at all costs. It just means that there should be a healthy balance of both acidic and alkaline forming foods. You can buy PH balance strips, if you're really interested, to see if your body contains too much acid. 

Last but not least, some foods to avoid have inflammatory effects in the body: sugars and grains, especially refined grains (white rice) cause the body to release more insulin, which regulates absorption. Insulin is a pro-inflammatory hormone...big no no.

The Eat Clean Maintenance Checklist
1.   Eat more veggies, less dairy to balance your PH
2.   Include plenty of fresh, whole foods
3.   Eat at least 51% raw (veggies, fruits, seeds, nuts, unprocessed oils)
4.   Support good bacteria in your intestinal tract with plenty of fiber, good-quality saturated fats, foods with natural probiotics.
5.   Avoid feeding bad bacteria with preservatives; sugar; wheat; refined grains; dairy products, and alcohol.
6.   Detox periodically (once/year)

And that about sums up our lesson of the day! 
Hope you learned something valuable. 

Thanks for stopping by.
xx

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Day 8: Once a cheater, always a cheater

On Sunday, my parents decided to have a few family members over for some food. Naturally, they told us they'd have some detox-friendly food -like lean lamb chops -yup, believe it or not, it's on the CLEAN menu- for us to chow down on... And my parents did not disappoint. True to their word, there was plenty of lamb chops for my brother and I to eat. Of course, what they didn't tell me was that they were also planning a pizza party for themselves and the rest of the family members!

Now, I don't know if you know this but my grandparents make some pretty good pizza.

Side note: my grand-folks are so cute. They baked pizza for everyone in their apartment building a couple of weeks ago. The tenants were from France and loved the pizza so much that they invited my grand-folks to a party they were having and my grandparents went-with more pizza too!! How cute are they? They were a hit.

So we love their pizza. It's bee-u-tifoo, as my grand pops would say. And pizza is fun! How could I NOT have any pizza? The worst part was that by the time the pizza's were out of the oven, I was hungry again!!!

What to do, what to do?

My brother, God bless him, doesn't have much of a conscience like I do. When I asked him if he was going to cheat, he gave me his million dollar smile and said "the weekend doesn't count!" Of course not, this detox was written for 5 days out of the week only. "Neither does my birthday". That's right. The author also made note of birthdays being exceptions. Yes. I remember now. Mmhmm.

Yes, and my brother's birthday is today, March 21st. Should I tell you what he's doing right now? He's having drinks with a friend of his. Oh, and also, we're officially celebrating the day of his birth this Thursday during 5 a 7 at a new favorite local bar (alcohol, alcohol, alcohol). On top of that, this Sunday, my family is combining my granny's bday with my brother's because her's is on the 25th. So more cheating for him, and more torture for me. YAY!

So back to the pizza party. Everyone sits down at the dining table and I put salad on my plate and stared at everyone else eating their pizza. They kept telling me to forget the detox for one day... "what's ONE day?" they said "we won't tell anyone, c'mon, have some. It's the best pizza your grandfather's ever made. EVER!" I could have killed them, and they almost had me convinced too. I began rationalizing why I should eat the pizza. It's just preliminary week, I thought to myself. What's the big deal? I'm allowed to make mistakes, aren't I? It's just an adjustment period. I'll eat it, and have more liquid meals throughout the day tomorrow to compensate. Right? No biggie.

Then someone at the table would yell, "don't do it, Jen, you're doing so well" and I'd pull my hand back from the pizza platter. I tried not to breath in the aroma of all the ingredients mixed together baked to perfection by the stove, but it smelled. so. good. The cheese, the pepperoni, the mushrooms, the dough, the crust...oh...and the chili peppers, and Frank's Red Hot Sauce!!! TORTURE! Ahh, I want some now!

Meanwhile, my brother was enjoying his fourth piece and washing it down with beer. "Do you feel bad yet?" I asked. "Like, are you bloated yet?" He looked at me and said "No, I'm not bloated, but I am starting to feel guilty." A-HA! This immediately made me feel better about my choice! That's exactly what I was trying to avoid- guilt. I look at him with a big smile on my face and just when I was about to claim victory he turns to me one last time as he grabs his fifth piece and says "just kidding. I don't feel bad at all. I feel great!"

Damn him. 

The struggle to NOT eat the pizza went on for a while until my father made me realize that I could just get up from the table and walk away! Wow! What a revelation that was. It helped too. I tried to distract myself but of course I was still thinking of that pizza until the moment I left. I can't believe I have to go through this all over again this weekend.

As for everyone else who taunted me, they all felt extremely bloated afterward! So there! Hmph...! And as for my brother, well... he admitted to getting mucho cravings this afternoon. He partly regretted cheating. Partly. But once a cheater, always a cheater. So I suspect he'll cheat again. Even after all his birthday celebrations.

Good news is, I didn't cave (SPIRO!!!). My family was proud of me, and I was too.

I really should have taken pictures of my brother cheating this weekend... remind me to do this next time.

xx



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