Summer’s End Part I
August 30th, 2010All in all it was a pretty good summer. One main reason was that for the first summer in several summers, I have been at what I think of as my “happy weight.” You know that weight, when your clothes hang properly and you don’t have that stuffed sausage feeling.
I didn’t arrive there on my own however, I had some help from my favorite accupuncturist and a little something called the Standard Process Cleanse (www.standardprocess.com). Now, I know what you must be thinking… cleanses are trendy, unhealthy, and not for me. Well, that’s what I thought. Let me preface all of this by telling you that I did NOT go on this cleanse to lose weight. I just wanted to feel better, healthier, lighter and happier. The weight loss was just a huge fringe benefit.
This cleanse is a detox diet, and I highly recommend it for those that would treat it as such. The duration of the cleanse is three weeks, but the way you learn to eat carries over so that it becomes a part of your daily routine. You eliminate dairy, sugar, wheat, caffeine and alcohol. You can add these things back into your diet in moderation if you feel like it, or not. Mostly, I have chosen not, because I just like the way I feel without these items much, much better. I started the cleanse in May, which was a great time to start because all manner of fresh produce was in season. Asparagus, strawberries, peas, etc. were available and for the first ten days, you are eating only fruits, vegetables and limited grains and oils. So do yoursef a favor and start this during a time when the veggies you love are abundant, or purchase a large freezer.
Okay, so the cleanse itself is not free, it’s actually about $200.00, depending on where you buy it. Then, you have to factor in the cost of all of the food that you need to purchase to maintain the detoxification diet. I admit that I did most of my shopping at Whole Foods (www.wholefoods.com), Trader Joe’s (www.traderjoes.com) and my local farmer’s market- none of these were cheap. Over the three weeks I did find some things that I really enjoyed, that were not terribly expensive, that made the three weeks go by like a breeze (sort of). In this tough economy, we all need a few short cuts, so I thought I would pass these along…The pre-cooked lentils and beets at Trader Joe’s (www.traderjoes.com) saved my life. Unless during this three weeks you have the luxury of taking a vacation and cooking all of your meals from scratch, which I did not, these pre-packaged lovelies will be your best friends. Eaten hot or cold out of the package, thown over some rice, into a bowl of greens- you really can’t go wrong. Don’t just buy one package, buy four or five. Trust me on this. When you walk in the door at lunch or after work, starving out of your mind, you will eat one package at the counter before you even put your briefcase down. And you can’t beat the price, $3.99/box. TJ’s also has frozen organic brown and jasmine rice that comes in handy for those nights you don’t feel like waiting an hour for your rice to cook. At Whole Foods, buy the frozen fruit for your protein shake that you will need to drink 1-3 times a day on the cleanse. I found that I only did one shake, at breakfast, but you can have three if you need to. My personal concoction is mango, strawberry and banana. You add the Standard Process powders along with a little water and oil (if you like). I still drink these every morning. I just got into the habit and loved them. You could use any fresh or frozen fruit, but I really like the Whole Foods 365 brand. It’s a great price as well, $1.99/ bag for the strawberries and $2.49/ bag for the mango (www.wholefoods.com).
During these weeks, you will find yourself hunting and searching for different ways to eat the same old, same old- I know I did. One recipe that I kept going back to and still make today is written below. I hope you enjoy it and happy cleansing!
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls:
1 head of organic green cabbage- leaves washed and left intact (an economical choice at roughly $.69/lb)
1 package of wild rice (I like Trader Joe’s brand- $4.99/package) washed and cooked according to package instructions
1 jar of organic marinara sauce (I used Whole Foods- only $2.99 a jar)
Pat the cabbage leaves dry and spoon cooked wild rice in the center of the leaves. Roll up and place seam side down in a lightly oiled baking dish.
Pour sauce (I used half of the jar for six stuffed leaves) over cabbage rolls and bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.
-Heather
