End and final stats

Well the weekend came and went. Andy and I went skiing with a friend in the Poconos. It was a really great time and we did fairly well on our detox until two things happened. The first thing was a twix bar. While skiing we passed a fully wrapped twix bar laying in the snow, so obviously we had to take it. We gave it to Greg because he is not on our detox. In return he gave us a little piece to split. Being hungry from skiing and not having much in our stomachs we gave in and ate it. It was amazing, so delicious! That started a chain of thoughts for Andy and me about this whole detox...

Later that day we finished skiing and headed to Greg's parents house. Greg's mom had made a wonderful dinner of chicken, potatoes, and salad. The whole family was gathered so Andy and I decided that it would be polite to eat with everyone. The meal was amazing! It also continued our thinking and discussing of this detox program...

At the end of the weekend we had a good conversation about the detox and our diet in general. We felt like we had learned a great deal about our diets and health from both reading the book "Clean" as well as doing a week of the detox. In conclusion, we decided that one week was good enough for us at this point. We already eat fairly healthy (with a few snacking exceptions), so really the detox wasn't that different from our regular diet. It was just the strict regiment of shakes, times, and supplements that was so different for us. So now we are back to eating regular, with a few adjustments in our diet.

Overall I am very pleased with the detox. It was fun to read the book, learn about toxins and our bodies, and then put this detox together from everything we read in the book. I will admit that it took a lot of work on our part though, thus this blog. We wanted to be able to put everything we learned from the book into one easy place where other people could do this detox without doing all the planning, reading, and preparing that we did. So here it is! I'll be sure to add another tab of all three weeks of menu recipes that we planned out.

The detox worked too! Each day that I did the detox I felt lighter, healthier, more energetic and even more optimistic. Crazy I know! Especially since we weren't eating that much food. I will be forever impressed with how just a week of this detox helped me. I'm sure in a few months I'll do it again, maybe next time for longer.

So here are our final stats after just one week:
Ellie - 122lbs., body fat index: 18% (I lost 3lbs! and my body fat index dropped 2%, wow)
Andy - 168lbs., body fat index: 8.5% (Andy lost 2lbs. and his body fat index dropped 2% too)

How we feel:
Ellie - I feel great, like a new person! My mood has improved, losing a few pounds has made my clothes fit a bit nicer, I am energetic and ready to jump into eating more healthy and getting a good workout routine started again. I am excited to get back to eating regular food, but I am also going to keep at least one shake in my daily diet. I'll probably do the week long detox again in a few months.
Andy - What a difference a week can make! My energy levels have changed for the better and I am more motivated to pack my lunches now. I plan on making lunches in advance for the week so that I can eat healthy while at work. I am not excited to have dropped a few pounds, but I do know that I will put them back on in muscle now that I can eat more carbs and protein. Exercising is also going to be a priority now.

Day 5

* We are gone all weekend, updates on Sunday.

How we feel:
Ellie - I was not hungry at all today! I ate the shakes and meals and was completely content. In fact, the lunch portion was too much, so I didn't finish it. (It was pretty tasty though.) My energy was out of the roof!! Incredible, I am really starting to feel like a different person and only after 5 days of the clean program! I am getting some acne, but the program says that is normal because toxins come out in all different ways and forms. It should go away by next week.

Andy - I am ready to last out this program. I feel incredible. Today was the first day that I feel like I can make this program all three weeks. Although my sinuses have been acting up, I feel like I am getting rid of stuff. It's good!

The MENU for today:
Friday:
Breakfast/Dinner
Raw Green Pea Soup (Clean) – 2 servings
1 ½ c. fresh or frozen raw peas
1 medium avocado
1 c. filtered water
2 T. lime juice
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder (optional)
1 scoop (30g) flax

Lunch
Roast chicken with balsamic vinegar, garlic, & rosemary rice pilaf (Clean) – 2 servings
2 chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons minced rosemary
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups cooked wild rice, made with a vegetable stock
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 2 hours
-Heat oven to 425. F.
-In a small saucepan reduce the balsamic vinegar by simmering and stirring occasionally until it becomes the consistency of a syrup.
-Add the garlic and rosemary and simmer for 2 minutes more. Set aside.
-Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and salt.
-Place on a baking tray and roast in oven for 10 minutes.
-Brush with generous amounts of balsamic mixture.
-Turn the oven down to 375. F and roast for a further 10 minutes.
-Brush again with balsamic mixture and cook 2 minutes more.
-Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
-To make the pilaf, place chicken, rice, scallions, cilantro, mint, and sunflower seeds in a bowl.
-Mix together and season with salt and pepper.

Snacks – ¼ c. almonds and ¾ c. blueberries OR 1 cup cucumber and carrots OR 1 Apple

Day 4

How we feel:
Ellie - Today was quite good! I felt more energetic today than any other day of this program so far. The shake this morning was delicious and it filled me up quicker. I also ate less of my lunch. My stomach must be shrinking because when I eat the meals they seem like a lot of food now. It is also working out nicely to cook a meal for the next two days. That way it is all ready in the fridge to be grabbed and packed for lunch. So easy! I am feeling optimistic and craving less junk food. Yay!

Andy - Today was an excellent day. I did physical exercise and didn't realize that I was hungry until 1pm. The lunch size portions are becoming reasonable. Today's smoothie was the best so far!

The MENU for today:
Thursday:
Breakfast/Dinner
Berry Protein Shake (Clean) – 2 servings
1 cup nut/rice/hempseed milk of your choice
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blackberries (optional)
3 pitted dates
1 scoop (30g) flax
2 scoops (60g) protein powder

(Soo good!)

Lunch
Green Lentil Hummus – leftover serving

Snacks – ¼ c. almonds and ¾ c. blueberries OR 1 cup cucumber and carrots OR 1 Apple

Day 3

How we feel:
Ellie - Today I feel good. I've been having some awesome bowel movements! The last few nights I have woken up quite a bit to pee. I guess that is good because it means the toxins are coming out. The first night Andy and I forgot to take the 2 tablespoons of olive oil before we went to bed, so last night was the first time for that. It was not a pleasant experience! Olive oil may be tasty in cooked dishes, but taken straight up does not work. After taking it I went to bed with an uneasy stomach. About two hours later I vomited the olive oil along with my dinner shake. I don't think I will be doing that anymore. For Andy though, it was fine. He didn't have a problem with the oil.

Andy - My biggest struggle has been eating less. I'm finding that I am still very attracted to the foods that I perceived as healthy before. I am conerned about the amount of calories that I am getting, since my body is used to getting more. I miss eggs.

The MENU for today:
Breakfast/Dinner
Raw Spinach Soup (by Clean) – 2 servings
1 zucchini, cut in half-inch cubes
1 stalk celery
1 scallion
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. spirulina
1/4 avocado
2 cups spinach leaves, washed
4 cups pure water
(This is a large recipe, but it is a very watery soup/shake so you need more of it.)

Lunch
Green Lentil Hummus (by Clean) – 2 servings
3 cups vegetable or organic chicken stock/broth
1 cup green lentils
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup tahini
juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
sea salt to taste
cucumber and carrot slices for dipping

(This hummus is awesome!)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine chicken stock, green lentils, and bay leaf, bring to a boil and then cover and simmer until lentils are tender, roughly 40 minutes and then boil uncovered until most liquid is gone, take out the bay leaf and let cool a bit.

2. Transfer to food processor and blend with garlic, tahini, lemon juice until smooth, adding sea salt and other spices (cumin and paprika) to taste.

3. Serve warm or at room temp with 2 cups of cucumber and carrot slices.

Snacks – ¼ c. almonds and ¾ c. blueberries OR 1 cup cucumber and carrots OR 1 Apple

Day 2

How we feel:
Ellie - Today I felt good, but I was dizzy a few different times. I went to the gym and had a good workout surprisingly. It is definitely hard not to snack on whatever I see.
Andy - I felt slightly queasy and quite hungry today. I also have a particular draw to junk food right now.

The MENU for today:

Breakfast & Dinner
Blueberry Coconut Kale Smoothie (by Ellie) – 2 servings
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raw kale leaves
¾ c. coconut milk
1 t cinnamon
1 scoop (30g) flax
1 scoops (30g) protein powder

(The smoothie for today. We each make two servings in the morning when we wake up, then we put the second serving in a mason jar for dinner.)

Lunch

Roasted Salmon with Broccoli and Quinoa – leftover serving

Snacks – ¼ c. almonds and ¾ c. blueberries OR 1 cup cucumber and carrots OR 1 Apple

Day 1!!

Today we started the 'Clean Program'! I am so curious to see how this detox will affect us over the next three weeks and even beyond. Just from doing the shopping for it I know it will make us healthier, but I hope to really feel it.

So here are our stats to start off:
Ellie - 125lbs., body fat index: 20%
Andy - 170lbs., body fat index: 10.5%

How we feel:
Ellie - I feel pretty much the same as usual. I have had a wired/giddy feeling since drinking the morning shake, but that could just be me excited to start this program.
Andy - I feel the same as I usually do, just less food in my belly.

The MENU for today:
Monday: WEEK 1

Breakfast & Dinner
Energy Smoothie with Almond Butter and Cardamom (Clean) – 2 servings
¼ c. almond butter
1 t. ground cardamom
1 ½ c. pure water
1 c. frozen peaches
1-2 t. agave syrup
1 scoop (30g) flax

1 scoop (30g) protein powder

(Mmm, a brown smoothie. Appetizing.)

Lunch
Roasted Salmon with Broccoli and Quinoa (Clean) - 2 servings
2 (5oz.) portions of wild salmon seasoned with ½ t. sea salt
1 bunch broccoli, washed and chopped
2 cloves garlic split lengthwise
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. cooked quinoa
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place salmon in skillet with 1 T. olive oil and sear on each side for 2 minutes. Place salmon in baking pan and bake for 7-8 minutes. In skillet add 1 T. olive oil and saute garlic, adding broccoli and ¼ c. water. Let it steam for a few minutes.

(The plan is to make a meal every two days, so the other half of this is tomorrow's lunch.)

Snacks – ¼ c. almonds and ¾ c. blueberries OR 1 cup cucumber and carrots OR 1 Apple

Organic Shopping

Last night Andy and I went shopping at Yes Organic Market. It was quite the experience! We have shopped at Yes before, but only for a few select items. This time we did the next two weeks of our grocery shopping for the 'Clean Program' and it was pricey! The program says to try to eat everything organic, but organic is expensive!! I think when this round of food is out we will go back to non-organic and see how that goes.

What we're up to

Before we get started I just wanted to lay down the details of what we will be doing. The 'Clean Program' lasts for three weeks and in those three weeks we will be eating and making a menu from the YES list of food. (see 'Yes and No Foods' tab) Some of the recipes will be taken from the book, and some will be created by us.

We will also be following a list of things to do daily. (see 'Daily Rules' tab) These things will aid in the detox and help our bodies get the most out of this program.

Lastly, we will be posting daily recipes, pictures, and comments about how we feel. Then every few days we will post our stats, such as weight and body fat index. We bought a special scale that measures these things. I do want to point out that our goal is NOT to lose weight (although, my butt could be a little smaller), but really just to get healthy. Neither of us needs to lose weight, but we could use more energy, get sick less often, feel more joy in life, lessen our allergies (especially Andy!), have consistent bowel movements, and eat more healthy foods. The scale is just something for fun. (Ellie & Andy exposed, nothing to hide)