Ok, so tonight is supposedly the beginning of the end. The Rapture is supposed to take place I hear around 11 pm PST or possibly 6 pm tomorrow. I'm a little bit hazy on the details. Honestly all this talk freaks me out. I mean, what if we all made fun of it and suddenly all these people started disappearing and ascending? It reminds me of a Stephen King novel and he scares the shit out of me (except when he guest writes for EW). So I decided that maybe I should write a blog post about my thoughts if this is really the end, and a reminder of what I want if it's not.
First of all, I love Becca very much and miss her while she's having her bachelor party in NYC. I wish she was beside me. Secondly, if this is really the end, I'm bummed because I just got into a new spiritual practice. I am a lapsed Catholic. Or rather my parents sent me to Catholic school as a child and rebelled as quickly as humanely possible, but those notions were still drilled into my head. Now I've started meditating and practicing yoga. It feels so good and slowly but surely I believe that I am freeing up some energy. I've been writing again! That excites me because it's been awhile and I would like to take advantage of the creativity. I believe that it is true that what you think becomes you. One of my mantras is that I am open to all creativity and here it is.
What else? What else? I guess I love my family and hope that should this really be the end, well I'm glad that I'm vegan and hope to carry my compassion even further because this is all silly and the world is not ending. Love to all!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Red Thai Tofu and Butternut Squash Coconut Rice
So another sterling victory for Isa's Appetite For Reduction! If you haven't picked up a copy, do yourself a favor and do it NOW!!!! I don't get paid to endorse anything (though should vegan companies feel like giving me freebies, I'm more than happy to oblige :P) but this has to be one of the best cookbooks I've found yet. Not only are the recipes delicious, but they're manageable even for little ol' me AND nothing is over 400 calories. It also helps you out with portion control.
Last night I decided to make the Butternut Squash Coconut Rice. I had roasted a 2 pound squash a couple nights ago in anticipation of making this recipe. I know that Becca loves butternut squash so I thought this might be fun way to incorporate it. Her trainer recommended that she only have non-processed, veggie-based meals at dinner. Of course, I've been saying the same thing for eons. Funny how she only listens to Constance! Because I wasn't sure if the rice would be filling enough, I decided to tackle the Red Thai Tofu as well. Becca isn't a fan of spice so I thought this may be a dish only for moi. However, she ended up loving it as well!
The two dishes were different in flavor and yet complimented each other very nicely. I was uber proud. We both fought over the left-overs this morning while I tried to make them as even as possible.
In other news, I started my morning with five minutes of meditation, or at least I tried. I realize it is a lot more difficult when I have two cats bellowing that they would like to be fed. The alternative of course being the ting ting of their collars hitting their food bowls while they eat. Do other people have indoor pets and still meditate? How do you find inner stillness? I'm debating shutting them both up in the bathroom for my five minutes, although I suspect that will only lead to scratching and howling instead. Maybe I will attempt to go out on the balcony instead. Who said meditation was easy right?
I also dry brushed my skin this morning. I've been reading about the importance of dry brushing in increasing circulation, working the lymph system and for all the haters out there, helping get rid of the appearance of cellulite. I won't lie, I have plenty of dimples I would love have disappear so I'm going to try dry brushing every morning in order to help with all that.
Then I had my Hour of Power work out downstairs, though it may have been more like 40 minutes of power when all was said and done. However, it was nice to sweat a little and get my heart rate up. I intend to take a 2 mile walk at lunch. I have to get this full feeling out of me. It's not bloating really, just a feeling that I'm always full. I may have overeaten last night but for serious, how do I empty myself? I had a BM this morning and I thought that would cure it but alas, still full-bellied over here. I did make myself a green smoothie with cucumber, broccoli rabe, kale, carrot, almonds, spirulina, banana and some strawberries. It was...interesting. The consistency was a little thick and Becca wasn't a huge fan but I know that I have some valuable veggie and fruit servings all without engaging my digestion too much. Yay for the future!
Last night I decided to make the Butternut Squash Coconut Rice. I had roasted a 2 pound squash a couple nights ago in anticipation of making this recipe. I know that Becca loves butternut squash so I thought this might be fun way to incorporate it. Her trainer recommended that she only have non-processed, veggie-based meals at dinner. Of course, I've been saying the same thing for eons. Funny how she only listens to Constance! Because I wasn't sure if the rice would be filling enough, I decided to tackle the Red Thai Tofu as well. Becca isn't a fan of spice so I thought this may be a dish only for moi. However, she ended up loving it as well!
The two dishes were different in flavor and yet complimented each other very nicely. I was uber proud. We both fought over the left-overs this morning while I tried to make them as even as possible.
In other news, I started my morning with five minutes of meditation, or at least I tried. I realize it is a lot more difficult when I have two cats bellowing that they would like to be fed. The alternative of course being the ting ting of their collars hitting their food bowls while they eat. Do other people have indoor pets and still meditate? How do you find inner stillness? I'm debating shutting them both up in the bathroom for my five minutes, although I suspect that will only lead to scratching and howling instead. Maybe I will attempt to go out on the balcony instead. Who said meditation was easy right?
I also dry brushed my skin this morning. I've been reading about the importance of dry brushing in increasing circulation, working the lymph system and for all the haters out there, helping get rid of the appearance of cellulite. I won't lie, I have plenty of dimples I would love have disappear so I'm going to try dry brushing every morning in order to help with all that.
Then I had my Hour of Power work out downstairs, though it may have been more like 40 minutes of power when all was said and done. However, it was nice to sweat a little and get my heart rate up. I intend to take a 2 mile walk at lunch. I have to get this full feeling out of me. It's not bloating really, just a feeling that I'm always full. I may have overeaten last night but for serious, how do I empty myself? I had a BM this morning and I thought that would cure it but alas, still full-bellied over here. I did make myself a green smoothie with cucumber, broccoli rabe, kale, carrot, almonds, spirulina, banana and some strawberries. It was...interesting. The consistency was a little thick and Becca wasn't a huge fan but I know that I have some valuable veggie and fruit servings all without engaging my digestion too much. Yay for the future!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Brussel Sprout Hash and Curried Tofu with Wilted Spinach
I just have to talk about my dinner (and leftovers lunch) last night. It was AMAZING. The picture here does not do it justice.
I really loved this so very much that I may have overstuffed myself (twice)! I got the recipes from Appetite For Reduction. The first is the Brussel Sprout Hash, which is basically potato and brussel sprouts seasoned to loveliness. I wish that I had a proper lid for my skillet. I think the results would have been even better but for serious, this was delish. I also modified the Scrambled Curry Tofu with Wilted Arugula, mostly because I only had spinach. This also turned out magnificently. I even felt like a proper cook weighing out and chopping ingredients beforehand so when it came time to mix, everything was in its own glass bowl just waiting. I also (somehow) managed to have both recipes come out at the exact same time! It was a fantastic night for cooking.
If you're interested in more recipes like this, check out the Post Punk Kitchen. It is full of fantastic advice and recipes about veganism. Isa Chandra Moskowitz totally rocks my world. Tonight I'm going to yoga and will not be cooking, but I already roasted some butternut squash and have EVERY intention of making her creamy Coconut Butternut Squash Rice. Here's to another beautiful day in La La Land.
I really loved this so very much that I may have overstuffed myself (twice)! I got the recipes from Appetite For Reduction. The first is the Brussel Sprout Hash, which is basically potato and brussel sprouts seasoned to loveliness. I wish that I had a proper lid for my skillet. I think the results would have been even better but for serious, this was delish. I also modified the Scrambled Curry Tofu with Wilted Arugula, mostly because I only had spinach. This also turned out magnificently. I even felt like a proper cook weighing out and chopping ingredients beforehand so when it came time to mix, everything was in its own glass bowl just waiting. I also (somehow) managed to have both recipes come out at the exact same time! It was a fantastic night for cooking.
If you're interested in more recipes like this, check out the Post Punk Kitchen. It is full of fantastic advice and recipes about veganism. Isa Chandra Moskowitz totally rocks my world. Tonight I'm going to yoga and will not be cooking, but I already roasted some butternut squash and have EVERY intention of making her creamy Coconut Butternut Squash Rice. Here's to another beautiful day in La La Land.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Day 7
So my detox is winding down now that I've started breaking it. The breaking of the detox is a tad confusing because it doesn't really specify which of the drinks I still drink and how often. I've tried to stay pretty well balanced. I had juice this morning. Two hours later I drank the protein so that I gave my body a chance to digest the juice. I drank my Essential Greens and tea.
At lunch I went to Whole Foods to major grocery shop, or as major as I could do with two small reusable bags and just my legs to carry me the two miles. I didn't want it to be too heavy or I would never be able to get back. While there I decided to make myself a salad. Here's the thing, if you know me, you know I'm not much of a salad girl. Before my vegan days, the only way I'd eat salad was with bacon in it. As a vegan, I do like the O.C. Raw Chopper at Native Foods, but that's on a limited basis. (Oh if you're at Native Foods and it's on the menu, the seasonal Buffalo Seitan salad is also kinda amazing.) However as far as a build-your-own, I'm usually blah about it.
Today I added a little of all the lettuce options: mixed greens, spinach, romaine and raw kale. Then I added some grated carrot, cucumber, black olives, celery, garbonzo beans, jalapenos and beets. I topped it off with Follow Your Heart Ginger Miso dressing, which turned out to be quite excellent. So here's the amazing part. When I sat down to eat my salad, I was shocked by how delicious it all seemed. Perhaps it was the extremely satiating ability to chew food but I truly enjoyed every flavor my salad offered. The textures, smell and tastes were divine. It really makes me wonder how bent out of shape my tastebuds must have been from eating nothing but processed foods. I mean, I will not hate on Veggie Grill or Gardein because they are both amazing, but they should be treats rather than the norm as they had become in my house. I look forward to to making more meals at home and keeping my life as fresh (and raw) as possible.
Tonight I'm taking a page from Appetite For Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I'm going to make Brussel Sprout Potato Hash and a simple Tofu Scramble. Becca's personal trainer has recommended no processed foods after lunch so she is pushing me for more plant-based meals at dinner. I'm more than happy to do this for her, although it does add pressure on me to make sure that I always have a meal up my sleeve!
At lunch I went to Whole Foods to major grocery shop, or as major as I could do with two small reusable bags and just my legs to carry me the two miles. I didn't want it to be too heavy or I would never be able to get back. While there I decided to make myself a salad. Here's the thing, if you know me, you know I'm not much of a salad girl. Before my vegan days, the only way I'd eat salad was with bacon in it. As a vegan, I do like the O.C. Raw Chopper at Native Foods, but that's on a limited basis. (Oh if you're at Native Foods and it's on the menu, the seasonal Buffalo Seitan salad is also kinda amazing.) However as far as a build-your-own, I'm usually blah about it.
Today I added a little of all the lettuce options: mixed greens, spinach, romaine and raw kale. Then I added some grated carrot, cucumber, black olives, celery, garbonzo beans, jalapenos and beets. I topped it off with Follow Your Heart Ginger Miso dressing, which turned out to be quite excellent. So here's the amazing part. When I sat down to eat my salad, I was shocked by how delicious it all seemed. Perhaps it was the extremely satiating ability to chew food but I truly enjoyed every flavor my salad offered. The textures, smell and tastes were divine. It really makes me wonder how bent out of shape my tastebuds must have been from eating nothing but processed foods. I mean, I will not hate on Veggie Grill or Gardein because they are both amazing, but they should be treats rather than the norm as they had become in my house. I look forward to to making more meals at home and keeping my life as fresh (and raw) as possible.
Tonight I'm taking a page from Appetite For Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I'm going to make Brussel Sprout Potato Hash and a simple Tofu Scramble. Becca's personal trainer has recommended no processed foods after lunch so she is pushing me for more plant-based meals at dinner. I'm more than happy to do this for her, although it does add pressure on me to make sure that I always have a meal up my sleeve!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Day 6
Day 6! I can't believe it. So rather than continuing my detox and drinking the protein drink, I decided to start to break the detox. Five days was a good amount of time for me, though I look forward to trying this again in the near future, most likely before my wedding.
What I ate: I started my day with the berry drink and then my vanilla protein drink. I went to yoga class at the Heartbeat House, which I loved soooo much. I haven't tried Kundalni Yoga before. It was fantastic. I love the chanting and singing. Though the moves seem relatively simple (stuff like rock pose, frog pose, etc), it really did get my heart rate up and had some muscles trembling with exertion. I look forward to attending this class on a regular basis. I literally felt my head and hands tingling during the exercises. It was great.
In the afternoon, Becca and I went to The Gentle Barn. I must say that I prefer Animal Acres because it feels much more like a sanctuary than a business. The Gentle Barn seemed to have some lackadaisical animals that were motivated more by food than love and attention, although the cows were fantastic.
I stayed mostly on schedule with my Green Drink and VegeSplash. Becca and I went to Real Raw Live for lunch. I was ready to try my hand at solid food and figured a raw food restaurant would be perfect. I got a tofu pesto wrap and Becca got the chicken parm wrap. First of all, the service was horrific. Becca and I waited about 20 minutes in line just to pay. The women behind the counter were rude and unfriendly, especially when we said that we didn't want a smoothie as well. Also, their credit card machine was down so we had to do it old school where they took an impression of our cards. When Becca asked for a receipt, the girl said, "Abso-fucking-lutely." Just not proper way to talk to paying customers. When we got home, I realized that the wrap was not raw at all as I previously thought it would be. I thought the "bread" was dehydrated zucchini or something along those lines but nope, regular tortilla. They also don't make the food in house it turns out. Instead they ship it in from San Diego. So much for that place. I will never return.
The food almost instantly made me sick, I think because of the tortilla so I put it in the fridge for some other day. Instead I just drank my VegeSplash instead.
For dinner I made a quick steamed stirfry made of collards, celery, carrots, green beans and garlic. I didn't use any oil because I was afraid it would hurt my tummy. I ate about a cup and felt even hungrier than I did when I started eating. It's the first time in about 48 hours that I've felt hunger pangs so obviously I restarted my digestion.
Tomorrow I plan to eat a salad for lunch. I will probably go to Native Foods and get the dressing on the side in order to make sure I don't eat much of it. I don't know what my stomach can or can't take at this point. I also plan to make some hummus (I roasted garlic on a whim last night!) tomorrow night and possible start cooking some beans. I have been craving them for days now.
All in all, I think my stomach is a little sensitive so I want to be kind to it. I don't want to immediately put the wrong food into my body. I have lost 5 pounds and intend to keep it off while continuing to lose for my wedding. I am going to be one hot ass bride!
What I ate: I started my day with the berry drink and then my vanilla protein drink. I went to yoga class at the Heartbeat House, which I loved soooo much. I haven't tried Kundalni Yoga before. It was fantastic. I love the chanting and singing. Though the moves seem relatively simple (stuff like rock pose, frog pose, etc), it really did get my heart rate up and had some muscles trembling with exertion. I look forward to attending this class on a regular basis. I literally felt my head and hands tingling during the exercises. It was great.
In the afternoon, Becca and I went to The Gentle Barn. I must say that I prefer Animal Acres because it feels much more like a sanctuary than a business. The Gentle Barn seemed to have some lackadaisical animals that were motivated more by food than love and attention, although the cows were fantastic.
I stayed mostly on schedule with my Green Drink and VegeSplash. Becca and I went to Real Raw Live for lunch. I was ready to try my hand at solid food and figured a raw food restaurant would be perfect. I got a tofu pesto wrap and Becca got the chicken parm wrap. First of all, the service was horrific. Becca and I waited about 20 minutes in line just to pay. The women behind the counter were rude and unfriendly, especially when we said that we didn't want a smoothie as well. Also, their credit card machine was down so we had to do it old school where they took an impression of our cards. When Becca asked for a receipt, the girl said, "Abso-fucking-lutely." Just not proper way to talk to paying customers. When we got home, I realized that the wrap was not raw at all as I previously thought it would be. I thought the "bread" was dehydrated zucchini or something along those lines but nope, regular tortilla. They also don't make the food in house it turns out. Instead they ship it in from San Diego. So much for that place. I will never return.
The food almost instantly made me sick, I think because of the tortilla so I put it in the fridge for some other day. Instead I just drank my VegeSplash instead.
For dinner I made a quick steamed stirfry made of collards, celery, carrots, green beans and garlic. I didn't use any oil because I was afraid it would hurt my tummy. I ate about a cup and felt even hungrier than I did when I started eating. It's the first time in about 48 hours that I've felt hunger pangs so obviously I restarted my digestion.
Tomorrow I plan to eat a salad for lunch. I will probably go to Native Foods and get the dressing on the side in order to make sure I don't eat much of it. I don't know what my stomach can or can't take at this point. I also plan to make some hummus (I roasted garlic on a whim last night!) tomorrow night and possible start cooking some beans. I have been craving them for days now.
All in all, I think my stomach is a little sensitive so I want to be kind to it. I don't want to immediately put the wrong food into my body. I have lost 5 pounds and intend to keep it off while continuing to lose for my wedding. I am going to be one hot ass bride!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Day 5
Ok, so today will be my final day of the detox. I woke up this morning worse than ever before. My head was killing me, my stomach was upset. I decided to stop taking the Inner Cleanse because lots of people have trouble with it. However, I still vomited up my juice and could do nothing more than go to sleep. I walked downstairs to work out but just going down two flights of stairs made my heart pound like I'd run a marathon. I thought I would faint. I think that this detox is no longer safe for me to continue. Plus, Becca just about force fed me out of sheer worry.
So I had a protein shake this morning. I chose vanilla and it was actually pretty good. Otherwise I stayed mostly on track. I could barely get through the soup though. It made me nauseous to even smell it. So I ate some but not all.
I am disappointed that I didn't make it the full 7 days, but my body obviously wanted something very different. Annemarie Colbin says that it's dangerous for people to push their bodies just to stay on track so I'm taking that advice to heart. She says that you should always ask your body, "Is this OK or not OK." This morning I knew that it was NOT OK. So I leave my detox with a mild sense of regret at my failure but knowing that I did well for the 5 days I've stayed on track. I will still break my detox properly with raw veggies tomorrow and slowly moving up to beans and rice, which is all that I've wanted since I started this detox.
So I had a protein shake this morning. I chose vanilla and it was actually pretty good. Otherwise I stayed mostly on track. I could barely get through the soup though. It made me nauseous to even smell it. So I ate some but not all.
I am disappointed that I didn't make it the full 7 days, but my body obviously wanted something very different. Annemarie Colbin says that it's dangerous for people to push their bodies just to stay on track so I'm taking that advice to heart. She says that you should always ask your body, "Is this OK or not OK." This morning I knew that it was NOT OK. So I leave my detox with a mild sense of regret at my failure but knowing that I did well for the 5 days I've stayed on track. I will still break my detox properly with raw veggies tomorrow and slowly moving up to beans and rice, which is all that I've wanted since I started this detox.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Day 4
So I won't lie. This morning was a bit rough on me. First of all, I didn't get up early as planned to have my Hour of Power as Tony Robbins calls it. And by that I mean I work out for 30 - 60 mins while expressing gratitude, picturing life as I wish it looked and having a mantra. My mantra goes something like this, "Every day and every way my ass is getting smaller" or "Every day and every way I am getting more successful." Instead I slept in as late as possible. In fact, I can't seem to get enough sleep. Maybe it's catching up on my sleep debt or I'm being lazy, not totally sure. What I do know is that I'm having bizarre dreams, this time I was living in Sex In The City and I think I was Samantha. That's not totally the weird point though. What is strange is that for the last two nights, I have been able to wake up then go back to sleep and resume my dreams! This has not happened to me before. I don't know if this is because my body is cleaning itself or my mind is reaching some place of lucidity.
I knew going into this cleanse that it's possible to evoke some long-stored emotions and boy did they come up this morning. I woke up so lethargic that I could barely drag myself into my shower. I had to tell myself that I am grateful for this day, this body, this life. But I'm sorry if my brain refused to believe it. Instead all I could think was that I was a failure. I would fail. There was no way I could ever finish this cleanse and I would have to tell my friends, family and the blogosphere (is there anyone out there?) that I didn't succeed. But the thing is I haven't failed at all. I've stayed on my regimen every day so where were those feelings welling from? Well, they were accompanied by the strongest desire to eat pasta, lots and lots of pasta, particularly from a restaurant called Goodfellas on Melrose. Now I've maybe eaten there twice but realized that the first time was with my ex-boyfriend Derek when we were 18 and drove to LA on a whim. We were broken up at the time but he desperately wanted to get back together and I was considering it even though I knew we weren't right together and the relationship would fail. Could it be that I stored those feelings of failure and doubt along with the sensory memory of pasta? That I finally released it out of my fat cells and dumped it into my bloodstream?
So my muscles ached and I also had a stuffy nose. This lasted through most of my morning, especially when my stomach started growling at 11:45 am and I almost threw in the towel and ate some Lays potato chips, which are all over my office. But alas, I sipped my tea and something miraculous happened. Levity hit and I felt an overwhelming wave of OK. By that I mean, I suddenly felt like everything was alright with the world. Or as Elizabeth Gilbert would say in Eat, Pray, Love: "All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well."
My soup is a tad disappointing. I made it up and hoped to give it more flavor but alas it tastes fairly bland. Again, I am not eating for pleasure, I am eating for my health. I have to give my body fuel to clean out its closet. I look forward to the weekend and only hope that I can stay on schedule.
I knew going into this cleanse that it's possible to evoke some long-stored emotions and boy did they come up this morning. I woke up so lethargic that I could barely drag myself into my shower. I had to tell myself that I am grateful for this day, this body, this life. But I'm sorry if my brain refused to believe it. Instead all I could think was that I was a failure. I would fail. There was no way I could ever finish this cleanse and I would have to tell my friends, family and the blogosphere (is there anyone out there?) that I didn't succeed. But the thing is I haven't failed at all. I've stayed on my regimen every day so where were those feelings welling from? Well, they were accompanied by the strongest desire to eat pasta, lots and lots of pasta, particularly from a restaurant called Goodfellas on Melrose. Now I've maybe eaten there twice but realized that the first time was with my ex-boyfriend Derek when we were 18 and drove to LA on a whim. We were broken up at the time but he desperately wanted to get back together and I was considering it even though I knew we weren't right together and the relationship would fail. Could it be that I stored those feelings of failure and doubt along with the sensory memory of pasta? That I finally released it out of my fat cells and dumped it into my bloodstream?
So my muscles ached and I also had a stuffy nose. This lasted through most of my morning, especially when my stomach started growling at 11:45 am and I almost threw in the towel and ate some Lays potato chips, which are all over my office. But alas, I sipped my tea and something miraculous happened. Levity hit and I felt an overwhelming wave of OK. By that I mean, I suddenly felt like everything was alright with the world. Or as Elizabeth Gilbert would say in Eat, Pray, Love: "All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well."
My soup is a tad disappointing. I made it up and hoped to give it more flavor but alas it tastes fairly bland. Again, I am not eating for pleasure, I am eating for my health. I have to give my body fuel to clean out its closet. I look forward to the weekend and only hope that I can stay on schedule.
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