green goodness

Hello, Day 3!

This morning's shake was very good- my favorite so far. We also had it last night for dinner. We decided to create our own concoction this time. We stayed within the portion size and ingredients available to us.

Apple Pear Butter

1 medium apple

1 pear

2t almond butter

1 cup almond milk

1 scoop Amazing meal (vanilla chai)

1T flaxseed meal

1t vanilla

pinch of cinnamon

handful of ice

*I keep forgetting to mention in the other posts that the portion size used in the smoothies is for 2 servings.

The green coloring can be attributed to the color of Amazing meal powder. You can see the sprinkles of cinnamon and flax meal.

I dont think my body has quite adapted yet to the new eating habits. I have been feeling a little more tired and definitely pretty hungry at times. Particularly between lunch and dinner. But its only day 3 and I know the cleanse takes an adjusting period. But after about a week, you are acutally suppose to have an increase in energy. This is because your body is using less energy to digest foods that are described as 'hard to digest.' It makes sense... but I will let you know how that works for me. :)

And just for some general encouragement, I created a board today at Polyvore.

Tasha Tulayla flower clip $28

Open Weave fedora hat $95

Indie Sarong $35

Gauze tunic $95

Calypso Love Lurex scarves $95

Ocean Gisele Top $75

Ocean Kate bottom $75

Triangle Top $75

String bottom $75

Calypso fold over shorts $69

Valencia tote $95

Zanzibar sandal $95 

Wisteria copper colored glass vases (Set of 3) $119

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Amazing shakes

First of all... THANK YOU for all of your kind and encouraging comments! I can't tell you how much it means to me to read all of your posts.

Today is Day 2.

Today's Morning Shake:
Becky's Morning Shake
8 ounces of water
3-4 ounces unsweetened Almond Milk
1/2 of an avocado
2 teaspoons organic almond butter
a pinch of sea salt
1 scoop Amazing Meal (vanilla chai)
1T flaxseed meal
1t agave nectar
Teence of nutmeg for taste

This shake is very different. We added the nutmeg to the recipe... which I can really taste this morning. The consistency is great; very smooth and creamy.

Last night's dinner shake:
Mango Cardamom Blast

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1 cup coconut water
2 tablespoons dried and unsweetened shredded coconut

Zest and juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
Handful of ice cubes
Garnish with lime zest and freshly ground black pepper

1 scoop Amazing Meal (vanilla chai)

1T flaxseed meal

A little note about the Amazing Meal I have been referring to. I wish I could remember where I first saw Amazing Meal and how I came about their website... but either way, I found it. It's a whole new take on Protein Powder, which can be so grainy and full of chemicals & fillers. Here are the stats for the Vanilla Chai:

We also ordered the Original flavor from their website. We are just awaiting the shipment. In the meantime, we bought a small container at Whole Foods (aka my mecca). I like this product because they use Organic ingredients and a mix of greens and veggies. It's also high in fiber & nutrients and low in fat & sugar.

I realize with all these wordy posts, I am really going to have to start working on some pictures. I will aim for that tomorrow.

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Day 1

Good Morning! Thank you for the sweet comments and encouragement from yesterday's post.

Today is Day 1 (of 21).
Last night, we prepped our shakes and food for today. This morning I am enjoying the Berry Protein Shake, which is one of the listed recipes on the Clean Cleanse. For lunch, grilled chicken breast, quinoa and broccoli. Dinner is yet to be determined.

Today's Morning Shake:

Berry Protein Shake:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1.5 cup frozen blackberries
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon flax meal
1 scoop of Amazing Meal (vanilla chai)

There are lots of recipes listed that you can use for lunch. We need to lock down a couple to try each week and stock up on all the recipes. But you can also chose from listed foods on the Include/Exclude food list... what I call the Eat/Don't Eat list: (Please excuse the long list, I just want to get you all the info in case you're interested.)

                               Eat:                                                                         Don't Eat:

Fruits:    Whole fruits, unsweetened, frozen or                 Oranges, orange juice, grapefruit,
                water-packed, diluted freshly-made juices         strawberries, grapes, banana     
            
"Dairy":  Nut milks such as almond, rice, brazil               Dairy and eggs, milk, cheese, cottage
                  nut, hemp seed                                                   cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, 
                                                                                             non-dairy creamers

Grains &  Brown rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth,               Wheat, corn, barley, spelt, kamut, rye,
  Starch:    buckwheat                                                         couscous, oats :(

Protein:    Cold water fish: salmon & trout, wild               Raw fish, pork, beef, veal, sausage,
                  game, lean lamb, duck, chicken, turkey            cold cuts, canned meats, hot dogs, shellfish

Veggie       Split peas, lentils, legumes, and beans              Soybean products (soybean oil,
Protein:                                                                               tempeh, tofu, soy milk, soy yogurt)
            
Nuts &      Walnuts, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower,              Peanuts, peanut butter, pistachios,
Seeds:       hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews,              macadamia nuts
                  nut and seed butters

Veggies:    Preferably fresh, raw, steamed, sauteed,           Corn, creamed vegetables, tomatoes, white
                   juiced, roasted                                                    potatoes, eggplants, peppers

Oils:         Cold pressed olive, flax, sesame, almond,          Butter, margarine, shortening, processed
                 sunflower, pumpkin, walnut, coconut                  oils, canola oil, salad dressings,
                                                                                             mayonnaise, spreads

Drinks:     Filtered water, green tea, herbal teas,                Alcohol, coffee, caffeinated beverages, soda
                  seltzer or mineral water, yerba mate,                 soft drinks
                  coconut water

Sweets:    Brown rice syrup, agave nectar, stevia               Refined sugar, white/brown sugars, honey
                                                                                             maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup,
                                                                                             evaporated cane juice, Splenda®, Equal®,
                                                                                             Sweet’N Low®, juice concentrate

Sauces:   Vinegar, all spices, sea salt, dried pepper,          Chocolate, ketchup, relish, chutney, soy
                 basil, carob, raw cacao, cinnamon, cumin,         sauce, barbecue sauce, teriyaki, other
                 dill, garlic, ginger, mustard, oregano,                  condiments
                 parsley, rosemary, turmeric, thyme, wheat-
                 free tamari, nama shoyu (live fermented
                 soy sauce), miso

Well now that we got that out of the way... I won't have to list that all out again.

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goodbye oats, hello smoothies

The decision has been made... The bird & I are starting the Clean cleanse on Monday. I am sick with nerves. and hungry already. and really going to miss my oats.

Let me start of by mentioning, I am a fairly healthy eater. I haven't touched red meat in over 15 years. I can stay away from fast food and usually don't cave in at the sight of potato chips. Sweets, on the other hand, are the ultimate weakness for me. It's safe to say I have a couple sweet teeth. But all in all, I try to pack my lunches everyday, eat salads, and consume plenty o' fiber, especially for breakfast. But nonetheless, I am diving head first into this cleanse.

Here is my reasoning behind this decision:

• to clean out the tracks & restart with a clean slate
• eliminate all foods that are labeled as 'hard to digest'
• rebalance and realign my eating habits
• increase my energy levels
• light weight loss & stabilization 

Even though I claim to eat 'healthy,' there are certainly things I would change about my diet. Such as the sweets. I am also looking forward to cleansing out any bad toxins from foods I currently eat that may not necessarily work for me. I am also looking forward to structuring my eating. I am such a snacker. And feel like I generally eat more than I need to... healthy or not.

The cleanse lasts for 21 days. I am not promising anything... just hoping to get through the next 3 weeks. Each day will consist of two shakes, juices, or soups as liquid meals for breakfast and dinner. Lunch will be a prepared meal, but will have certain food limitations. The cleanse does allow for light snacks, if needed, between breakfast & lunch or lunch & dinner. However, after dinner, you're done... No dessert! & No froyo! :( Not only that, but it requires a 12-hour window between your liquid dinner and liquid breakfast. Hence, the cleansing part of this cleanse.

I will keep a log of my cleanse experience throughout the 3 weeks/21-days. And I will post about the recipes and how I feel overall. I will try to keep the cleanse posts to a minimum... as I'm sure they will get a little boring to read. But this blog also serves as my personal journal to myself, so I hope to post tidbits about my days in the next few weeks. If anyone reading my blog has gone through this, or other cleanses, I would love to hear from you too. Good, bad, helpful tips, and what to expect.

Pretty sure this post is wordy enough so far. I will write again about the eat & eat-nots and the cleanse prep we've been working on (or not) over here.

Wish me luck.

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have i told you lately...

that I love Pinterest. Seriously... OBSESSED! Even more exciting news than that? Their iPhone app is coming out in 3 days!!! Pretty sure it will become by far the most used app I have. Words with friends just got the boot. Ok just the back burner.

Here is a sneak peak at my boards:

Typography

 For the home

Eats

Fashion sense

 Wedding Bliss

Follow me on Pinterest. I would love to take a peek at your boards too!

Happy Friday!
And Happy Mother's Day to all the lovely mothers in the world.

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nuevo digs

Cinco de Mayo is upon us... and another great occasion for some new digs. These ones are brought to you from Anthropologie.

Quatrefoil Headband $32 

Poppy Mallow Bobbies $15 

Perpetual Ponies $15 

Friendship Bead Headband $32 

From the Center Caftan $98 

Embrace Scarf $38 

With a Twist Tank $78 

Balanced Ring $58 

Strung Packages Sandals $98 

Nomad Scarf Bag $88 

Nyanza Skirt $88 

Espadrille Sneakers $45

Cute finds at Anthropologie + all for under $100 = Festive Cinco de Mayo '11

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full + happy tummies

The recipes this weekend were major success stories! They were both delicious! We started out with the scrumptious Oatmeal Pumpkin Bakes for breaky, compliments of The Edible Perspective.

 Bake 'em

Top 'em

Indulge!

They were so good... and SO filling. I couldn't even finish mine. And it kept me full all morning. We fudged the recipe a little, with the limited options and ingredients we had. We ended up substituting egg whites, instead of flax egg and flaxseed meal for the chia seed. All in all: very tasty, very filling, & quite a bit of pumpkin flavor (I may only be able to take in small doses).

For dinner, we made the Salmon Bean Burgies, from Fit Foodie Finds. These were also very tasty. It was a completely different spin on the traditional burger. I haven't eaten red meat in about 15+ years, so I've definitely tried my share of 'burger' spins: turkey, veggie, salmon, bean... But these were different than any of those.

 Fresh salmon, topped with a little fresh ground pepper.

 The patties...

& the finished product.

The salmon was fresh, the burgers were very filling & hearty. They went very well with the light salad we paired with them. We picked the Lite Gingerly dressing from Annie's line... perfect match for the salmon patties & salad!

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