End of Week One & Sweet Raw Beet Salad

One week down on the diet, and I am feeling so great I can't even tell you! My head doesn't get foggy in the afternoon anymore, I've dropped a few pounds already, and my mood has greatly improved. I guess that's an argument for me to maintain eating tons of veggies on a regular basis as I am now, and cutting out all the sugar. I am going to add in some salmon tonight as I have my long run tomorrow and I want to make sure I have plenty of energy to get me through - can't wait...

Anyway, I made this salad last night after receiving some beets and carrots in my produce box, and I love it! You can't really tell much detail from the photo below - I was so excited after tasting it that I didn't want to waste time looking for my camera, so I took a picture with my phone instead ;)

The combo of beets, carrots, apples, and fennel is so yummy with the fresh ginger and garlic in the salad dressing (I am in love with the Green Apple Salad Dressing from Ali's blog Nourishing Meals!) If you don't have fennel, you could substitute with celery or sweet onions or celery root, or leave it out entirely. If you've never tried fennel, it's a wonderful veggie with a hint of licorice - I love it raw, so give it a try!

Sweet Raw Beet Salad
serves 4 as a side, or 2 as a main dish

Grate the following veggies (I used my food processor - much faster that way!):
1 beet (any type will do)
2 carrots
1 apple (I used Granny Smith)
1 fennel bulb

Mix together, then add the following:
1 inch chunk of ginger, finely grated
dash of sea salt or herbamare

Mix together again, and you are good to go!

To serve, top with Green Apple Salad Dressing and sunflower seeds. I also add a dash of cayenne because I like things spicy. Enjoy!

Day 3

I am on the 3rd day of the Elimination & Detox Diet from Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen, and I am loving how good I feel! For once I'm actually full, not needing to snack through the morning. I feel totally balanced, no crazy sugar or caffeine cravings - I'm loving this!

Last night for dinner, I made a recipe I've been itching to try from 18 Hour Kitchen - Sweet Potato & Pea Quinoa - and it was awesome! I had to leave out the almonds, and I used water instead of broth, but other than that I made it as written. So good!!! And the perfect lunch at my desk :)

Now I won't lie, the green smoothie fast was not the most fun thing I've done, but since I really enjoy green smoothies it wasn't too bad. I was definitely drinking a lot of tea to stay warm though! Here's my favorite new recipe:

Cran-Apple Green Smoothie

1 apple
1/2 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
2 cups green cabbage
1 inch chunk of ginger
1 Tbsp chia seeds
handful of spinach/salad greens
1 cup water
dash of cinnamon

Blend everything together (I used my Blendtec) and you are good to go.

I used radicchio on hand for salad greens, so this turned out nice and pink - yummy! Hope you enjoy too :)

Countdown...

I really did have the best of intentions for maintaining this healthy gluten-free sugar-free lifestyle. I know I feel much better when I eat right. I know I'm happier, therefore my hubby is happier. But then reality hit, the holidays hit, a trip to Kansas to visit my brother hit, along with dinners with friends and holiday parties... and I caved.  Now I find myself in the unfortunate position of having jeans that are too tight (muffin top is back!) and I've been feeling awful for weeks. It's time to do something about it!

Wes & I at Ft. Riley, Kansas in November

I've been wanting to do the Elimination & Detoxification Diet from Ali's book The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook for several months now (if you don't know Ali, her book has wonderful recipes and her blog Nourishing Meals is phenomenal). I've heard the diet is great for getting back on track, healing your digestive system, and establishing healthy eating habits. Since my hubby is travelling for work for the next few weeks, (though he's supportive, he is not at all interested in doing the diet with me) now is the optimal time! So starting on Saturday, I will commence the 2-day green smoothie fast, then start Phase 1 on Monday.

We'll see how it goes - I'm looking forward to feeling great again, and hopefully looking a little better in those jeans...