Cleanse Days 5-7

After some initial rebellion and internal struggle with some of the food changes, I think I'm finally settled. Green Smoothies help tremendously. I've noticed I rarely crave sugar, and if I do I have a nice pulpy glass of orange juice. I did purchase some low sugar chocolate snacks, but haven't really needed them yet. Yesterday I went to Whole Foods and saw my favorite pimento cheese and I just stood there for two minutes, then walked on. I barely glanced at the Bothhouse farm drinks (I like the Mocha Cappuccino) and for the most part managed to make some really good shopping choices.

 Coconut Based chocolate ice cream, cacao nibs and macadamia nuts, raw almonds dehydrated and seasoned with vanilla and maple, coconut ice cream bars, vegan/gluten free dark chocolate and orange bar and raw chocolate bar with superfoods. All very low sugar options and great for chocolate cravings.

 So good, I'm addicted

  LOVE this cereal! Reminds me of Grape Nuts without  the crap

I started coffee enemas this week, and have done my meditations while holding the enema. You do a fresh water enema first, releasing immediately, then follow up with the coffee enema, which the goal is to hold for 15 minutes. So far I've gone anywhere from, not going to happen, to about 12 minutes so far. I think it gets easier the more you do it. Here's a great video from Jess the Wellness Warrior on doing coffee enemas:



I'm starting to see some results. I had major fatigue issues through October, and as the week has gone on I've had more and more energy. In fact, yesterday was the first time I didn't nap in who knows when. Not only did I not nap, I tried to go to bed, and ended up laying awake for an hour and getting back up! I still went to bed at a decent time, and got about 8.5 hours of sleep, which usually I sleep for about 12 hours, but I haven't need to. In fact I've had problems with boredom now that I'm not sleeping as much. Suddenly, I have all this time and I have no idea what to do with it. I cleaned off my two tables filled with mail and sorted through. I organized my bills and created a payment plan. I've watched some Hallmark Christmas movies and done some things around the house. I need  to make a list of activities. It occurred to me that I could do that puzzle from my 31 Things list, finish putting together the photo album, also from that list. Shoot, I could actually start writing! My brain was too foggy, but it's clearing up so now it the time. Also, exercise and emotional/spiritual exercises. So we'll see how it goes.

 Green Smoothie

 Vegan Protein Powder

 Oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon and a dash of almond milk

Right now one of my biggest projects is finding the right supplement balance. I REALLY hate that Cellect, the mineral/vitamin powder that has like 97 things in it. It's nasty, smells nasty, and just doesn't go away. There really isn't anything else like it though; however, I believe I found an herbal remedy (that I already have some of) called Merlin's Herbal Magic Root Elixir. It has over 30 herbs in it. I will still need to take all my alphabet vitamins (A, B6, B12, B17, D3, E), and Iron. There is also something called Colustrum that is in the Cellect  and a great part of it that I can get on it's own. Plus I can start doing MSM again, Bee Pollen, and look into some other things. Some of the stuff is in pill form, but several things can be tossed into my smoothies.

So what's up for week two? Adding in exercising, which will be bouncing on the rebounder. Also, dry skin brushing and I really need to do the neti pot. I plan on thawing out the pesto I made this summer and making a delicious pesto pasta with Quinoa noodles, another soup, either corn chowder or baked potato, and trying out a Creamy Coconut Beans and Rice recipe. And of course, more green smoothies. I'll leave you with a photo of tonight's Buddha Bowl. This one has brown rice, diced potatoes, orange bell pepper, green beans, and seasoned tofu. Bowls are very easy to make. Pretty much use rice as your base, then any kind of veggie you could possibly think of, toss them together, and there you go. Delicious.

Simple Gluten Free Pasta Recipe

I've been loving Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta. To me it tastes just like any other pasta, but it's so much healthier for you. I've been in the mood for a really simple sauce, so I created the following recipe:

Simple Pasta Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 bunch fresh basil, shredded
Cherry tomatoes for topping

Mix oil, garlic and basil in a small container. Toss with pasta. Dice tomatoes over pasta until completely covered. Enjoy!

Quinoa, Food of the Gods

I first talked about Quinoa in my blog entry The Protein Myth. This amazing grain is a complete source of protein and extremely versatile. The Incans planted this grain each year at Solstice, in honor of the gods. I thought I'd share a few recipes with you.

Quinoa Salad


Ingredients:
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 scallion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small cucumber, sliced
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
dash cayenne pepper
dash cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Boil quinoa in a rice cooker or saucepan with water until all water is absorbed. Set aside to cool.
2. Combine all chopped veggies and drained beans with lemon juice, oil, vinegar and spices.
3. Toss with quinoa, add salt and pepper to taste and serve. Good with hot sauce!

Makes: serves two, with leftovers, Preparation time: 15 minutes, Cooking time: 15 minutes

Nutty Quinoa Hash


Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 small onion, chopped
2 large stalks celery, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small zucchini, chopped
1 can (16 oz) corn, or pre-cooked fresh or frozen corn
favorite all-purpose seasoning (I use a spicy Creole blend)
at least 3 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter, or 3 tablespoon creamy and 2 teaspoon chopped peanuts

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring the two cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa, return to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until all water has been absorbed. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive or canola oil on medium heat. Add the potatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are thoroughly cooked and slightly crispy. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper; cook until each is slightly soft. Add zucchini & corn; cook until zucchini is soft and corn is heated through. Add seasoning to taste. Remove from heat.

Add the peanut butter to the quinoa and stir until thoroughly blended. Add chopped nuts, if using, and stir. Add the quinoa to the vegetables and mix well.

Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 20 min.

What are your favorite Quinoa recipes? Share them here!

Love and Gratitude

Shanna ♥