My family and I were SUPPOSED to do a 3 day whole foods cleanse this week. We decided to put it off 1 more week for several reasons, the main 1 being that we were not AT ALL prepared for what we were about to do to our bodies. It’s not that it was going to be anything like those hard-core cleanses or juicing, but still we needed to ramp our bodies down from our regular everyday habits so we wouldn’t kill each other.
So since we put it off a week, we (meaning I) decided to use this week to gradually get us used to JUST whole foods, beans, and… and nothing else. We’re lucky because we eat lots of fruits and veggies, but we also love a good steak (tuna or beef) and salmon (mmmm). But we also eat lots of pasta (and no I do NOT make it), bread (the boys mainly), and homemade sweets.
Last week I made sure to cook and eat all the meat and most of the pasta, just so there’s NO temptation. When I tell you it was slim pickins around here, PLEASE believe it – even I was complaining! Then when I went shopping, I only picked up the fruit & veg I normally get and some fruits I rarely ever buy…. + quinoa.
After a scrumptious Sunday dinner at Grandmother’s it was REAL CLEAR that we were NOT ready! Soooo, we had stuffed acorn squash for Meatless Monday. With a simple side salad, of course. It was very filling because the filling had so much in it – black beans, brown rice, corn, mushrooms, onions & garlic, quinoa, spinach, and squash.
Then I went grocery shopping – AGAIN – just to get some fish and shellfish to eat this week. Seafood is the only “meat” we’ll have, starting with some yummy sweet and sour salmon my loving hubby made for dinner. Other than that it’s every color veg you can imagine + brown rice.
Today, I also made fruit smoothies – no yogurt, no milk, no “juice”, no added sweeteners. Just fruit (whatever you like best), ice, water (to help it along in the blender), and I snuck in some flax seeds. I know people like to buy pre-made smoothies for convenience but TWEET THIS…. make a double batch of smoothies at home, freeze the extra in single sized containers and when you’re ready for one just grab and go! They also make tasty real fruit popsicles.
By the way, when we DO start the cleanse, those flax seeds are going to give me those Omega-3 essential fatty acids that I normally get from my weekly salmon (and tuna and sardine) fix.
Only 2 more things to do to get ready:
1. sub green tea for my morning coffee (I guess I won’t be talking to y’all for a while)
2. step away from the red wine. Humph.
I think we’re going to be ready… we will all know next week! Stay tuned!
