21-Day Detox Day 5: BBQ Broccoli Consomme

Today, I realized that I abhor broccoli, and no, abhor is exactly what I mean. Unless it's swimming in tons of gluten-free soy sauce, with a side of thinly sliced Mongolian beef, I don't want it near my mouth. Unfortunately, since neither soy sauce or beef are allowed this week, no more broccoli for me. I learned my disdain the hard way today, having eaten broccoli at almost every meal. If having to eat broccoli wasn't enough, I was really craving meat today. I felt like Alex the Lion from Madagascar when he landed on the island and was forced to be a vegan. My hypersensitive sense of smell, a result of the cleanse, has me smelling meat cooking from a mile away (a hyperbole, but still fairly accurate.) I definitely didn't expect my senses to be heightened during the cleanse, but they are...all of them (more on this later if the husband permits *wink*).

For breakfast, I followed a juice recipe Dr. Ponce gave me called Morning Essentials and had it with my shake.

Morning Essentials
6 carrots
4 celery stalks
1 lemon
1 granny smith apple

Some of my readers had some questions about the mysterious shakes I am drinking, so I'd like to address them now. Dr. Ponce muscle tests a variety of medical foods. Medical foods are supplemental shakes usually prescribed by a medical professional vs. the shakes you buy at grocery store. She selected Estrium Whey for me to aid with hormone regulation, help with inflammation, and help to regulate my cycle. Prior to giving up dairy and grains over a month ago, my cycle had become unpredictable, where prior to getting pregnant with my daughter, it was consistently 35 days long. Estrium Whey helps sustain that regularity. By itself, the shake tastes unpleasant. It has an odd sourness to it and turmeric, which provides it with the marigold hue, also makes it take bitter. Taking it with juice is much more palatable.


After breakfast, we went to a birthday party at the park, where I had several handfuls of raw broccoli. I forgot to bring a snack with me, so this became one of my vegetables for the day. And because when we got home, I didn't have time to cook anything, sauerkraut became the second.

I had my shake at 5pm as a mid-afternoon snack. I paired it with a juice I call "Cool as a Cucumber."

Cool as a Cucumber
1 cucumber
2 celery stalks
1 inch knob of ginger
1 fennel bulb
1/4 lemon
2 cups spinach

For dinner, I was stuck with broccoli, so I made the best of it. I decided to make soup. The recipe I provided for Broccoli and Sorrel Soup yields a thick soup, so I tried something different this time.

BBQ Broccoli Consomme

Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli with stalk
1 tbsp ghee
1 large clove of garlic
1 tsp Smoked Spanish Paprika
1/2 cayenne pepper
3/4 tbsp Celtic Salt

Process:
1. Cut stalk and head, fill pot with water (enough to submerge the broccoli)

 2. Heat ghee in a pan and saute garlic

 3. Once broccoli has cooked, toss broccoli, 5 ladles of cooking water, salt, garlic, paprika, and cayenne into a blender (preferably a Vitamix) and blend for 2 mins.

 4. Garnish with Olive oil and fresh herbs (chives, cilantro, parsley)

With day 5 over, I am feeling incredible. I've already mentioned the heightened senses. The pain in my lower back/leg is very minimal, almost unnoticeable. I am not super hungry. I did have a bit of a mood swing when I got hungry around 4pm, which is why I had my shake around 5pm and then dinner a couple of hours later. Besides that one time, the hubby didn't complain about my moods too much. I never imagined that I could feel this good eating a vegetable-based diet and I never thought that I would enjoy cooking so many quirky meals.

Celebrities Who Juice

 

I'm not the only crazy one! Take a look at who else is juicing!

21-Day Detox Day 4: Swiss Chard with Ginger

Day four of my cleanse fell on a Saturday. Weekends are complicated for me when it comes to eating. I often find that in the midst of all the running around, I don't have time to sit down and have a decent meal. I usually grab something at the grocery store or on the street, but when you are eating nothing but greens and drinking veggie juice, simply running in somewhere and grabbing something is not really doable. Luckily, since our daughter still naps, we are home around lunch time on the weekends and that gave me some time to cook.

For breakfast, I made the hubby and I some green juices.

Saturday Morning Juice
1 beet
2 carrots
1 celery
1/4 lemon
1 inch ginger knob
2 cups spinach
1 granny smith apple

I had my juice with my shake and felt full and satisfied until lunch. For lunch, I sauteed some Swiss chard with ginger. Swiss chard is another one of my favorite vegetables. Like most leafy greens, it contains tons of vitamin A,K, and C and is a great compliment to an anti-inflammatory diet.

Swiss Chard with Ginger
Ingredients:
1 bunch of Swiss Chard
2 tbsp ginger
1.5 tbsp of Ghee 
1 tbsp Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
Celtic salt to taste

Process:
1. Melt oil in pan on medium heat and add ginger

 2. Once ginger has browned, add cut up chard

 3. Once the chard has softened and become a darker shade of green, add salt, remove and enjoy!

For dinner, I had another iteration of my leeks and greens recipe, but I made it smokey and spicy with some Spanish smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.

Smokey & Spicy Greens with Leeks

Ingredients:
1 bunch of Swiss Chard
1 leek
1.5 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tsp spanish smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

1 tbsp Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
Celtic salt to taste

 Process:

1. Heat oil and throw in sliced leeks

2. Add in paprika, cayenne, vinegar, and salt and saute

 3. Add chard after leeks have softened

 3. Saute for about 8-10 minutes and enjoy

I also paired a delicious juice with my dinner:

Tangy Green Diva

1 fennel
2 celery stalks
1 granny smith apple
1/4 lemon
1 inch ginger knob



While the day went very smoothly and I didn't feel hungry or tired, but I do have to say that the whole green vegetable thing is getting a bit old. I'm missing cooking with coconut milk and tamari sauce. I feel like I just keep eating the same thing over and over because there is only so much you can do with coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, salt, raw apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. With day 4 I'm over the hump, I can see the finish line and I'm really looking forward to it.

21-Day Detox Day 3: Lacinato Kale with Leaks and Ginger

Today I was feeling much better, but still not 100%. For breakfast, I had my 12oz shake with a carrot, beet, and celery juice I bought from Whole Foods. I ordered a Breville Ikon juicer yesterday that should arrive tonight from Amazon. I figured that I've been spending so much money on juice that I might as well just get a juicer.

I was worried lunch was going to be a bit complicated because we were going to BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse with the whole team at work. I knew that there wasn't going to be anything on the menu for me to eat there, so I resolved to bring my food with me. When I was in FA, I always brought my abstinent meals where ever I went, even when visiting my parents. I remember feeling extremely embarrassed about needing special food and felt like I was alienating myself. I didn't ever go into deep detail about why I had to have different meals, since explaining that I was in a 12-step program to recover from a debilitating eating disorder was even more embarrassing.

This time I took a different approach and didn't make a big deal of it. I waited for everyone else to order and quietly told that waitress that I didn't care for anything. When my coworkers asked me why, I explained to them that I was doing a 21-day detox cleanse and some were interested about it so I gave them additional details. When everyone else got their meals, I requested a plate and got ready to open my Snapware container. Just as I was hoping to keep a low profile, my container wouldn't open. It pressure locked when I closed the container after microwaving. Everyone at the table noticed my struggle and started trying to pitch in and help me open it. It took about 5 minutes, but I figured out how to break the seal by poking around with a knife and was able to eat my Lacinato Kale with Leaks, Purslane and Ginger, which I paired it with a side of sauerkraut. The whole ordeal was pretty embarrassing, but I took it in stride.

Lacinato Kale, aka Dinosaur Kale, is one of my favorite vegetables. It is high in chlorophyll, calcium, iron, and vitamin A. It's extremely beneficial for the stomach and is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat ulcers. We usually eat Lacinato Kale several times a week at home. I don't usually pair it with leeks, but this time decided to see how it tastes. I love cooking with leeks because of the delicious aroma they let off. As they sweat, their fragrance fills the whole house. The annoying thing about leeks is that only the bottom portion is edible so I always feel like I'm throwing away a lot of food. They are also a bit painful to clean. In TCM, leeks are believed to help counteract bleeding and diarrhea.

The other vegetable in the dish was purslane. It is a little green vegetable/herb that not a lot of people know about, but it's a pretty amazing plant. It has more omega-3 fatty acids than any another leafy green vegetable. Omega-3s help against inflammation, cancers, and heart disease. It's also loaded with a lot of important minerals. In TCM, it is used to treat a variety of conditions including hemorrhoids, postpartum bleeding and insect bites. It has a sour and salty flavor.

I ate almost the whole dish at lunch with about a half a cup of sauerkraut and was stuffed. I wasn't hungry until dinner.

Lacinato Kale with Leaks and Ginger

Ingredients:
2 cleaned leek stems
1 bunch of Lacinato Kale
1/2 purslane
1-2 Tbsp Organic Ghee
2 tsp of Sunny Paris Seasoning from Spice House
Celtic Salt to taste

Process:

1. Slice leeks thinly

 2. Heat ghee in a stainless steel frying pan on medium heat

 3. Once the ghee is heated, toss in the leeks and let sweat (about 5-6 mins)

 4. While leeks are sweating, chop up ginger. And toss into the pan.

 5. Let the ginger and leeks sweat together for another 3-4 minutes

 6. Add in Kale and while Kale is sauteing, chop purslane.

 7. Add Purslane and seasoning.

 8. Saute until kale looks soft

My juicer arrived right in time for me to make a green juice I could mix with my shake for dinner.
Before coming home, I stopped by Whole Foods and picked up some ingredients to make a yummy blend.

My Simple Juice
4 carrots
4 celery stalks
2 cups of spinach
1 knob of ginger about 2 inches long
1 apple
a bunch of parsley

The juice shake was extremely filling and I wasn't hungry again until about 11:30pm. Since I didn't want to go to sleep with a grumbling stomach and I didn't feel like cooking so late, I ate a couple cups of sauerkraut.

I felt good all day long. My energy levels were normal and I didn't experience any blood sugar crashes, which I usually get around 11am and 3pm. I did get a little bit tongued tied in the evening hours, which is unusual for me. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and continuing this exciting journey.

21-Day Detox Day 2: I took a sick day

I spent most of day two battling a mild stomach bug. Since both my husband and daughter also had it, I know it's not a result of the cleanse. I had no appetite and spent the whole day with a thermacare heating pad wrapped around my belly. The only thing I was able to take down were my two shakes mixed with 12 oz of green juice that I bought at Whole Foods. Luckily, I took the day off in advance and planned lots of therapeutic activities.

First thing in the morning, I went to see my therapist. We spent the whole session discussing the cleanse and red flags to look out for. We are both concerned that my obsessive nature could backfire when it's time to end the cleanse. She cautioned that even though I will be done with the cleanse, the cleanse may not be done with me. I am hoping that the many years of therapy have given me the strength to take this as far as I planned-no more than 21 days. It definitely has been weird not having much of an appetite for these past two days. These cautious thoughts are a good reminder about being mindful about my intentions and observant of my behaviors. Drinking nothing but two shakes the whole day didn't make me feel that great emotionally, but did help clear the bug relatively quickly.

Following therapy, I did "A Day of Zen" at Project Zen in San Francisco. "A Day of Zen" is a 2-hour Thai massage followed with another hour of foot reflexology. It was incredible. I've never had a 3-hour massage before, but would recommend it to everyone! I was going in and out of consciousness for most of the 3 hours and after the massage was over, I felt like Gumby.

Next, I went to see Dr. Daniel Dinenberg at One Medical Group, a membership doctor's collective that I belong to. One Medical Group has a variety of primary care doctors, nurses, acupuncturists, and naturopaths that I have found to be very holistically minded. Dr. Dinenberg is the groups' mind/body specialist and I chose to see him to discuss the cleanse and get his ok. He was quite supportive and believes this is a great idea to recharge and aid my health. I was happy to get his thumbs up.

One of the One Medical Group Offices

 
By the end of the day, the severe cramping I was experiencing began to subside. I still wasn't that hungry, so I ate some sauerkraut to at least get in some healthy probiotics to aid with my recovery.

21-Day Detox Day 1: Broccoli & Kohlrabi Day!

The Cleanse I am doing was designed by Dr. Melissa Ponce and some of her peers. I found Dr. Melissa through several online searches and all fingers pointed to her when it came time to decide who to work with. She is a chiropractor who uses muscle testing to determine a treatment plan and what needs to be addressed. She is very intuitive and is extremely passionate about health and well-being. She's my kind of people!

The first part of my cleanse actually began a month ago when we first met and she suggested I give up all dairy and grains from my diet. Echoing Jenny Crissman from 8 years ago, she suggested this would help get me to feeling my best. I would not be able to do this 21-day cleanse had I not given up dairy and grains first.

Based on the plan she designed for me, for the first seven days, I can choose two green vegetables a day, prepared any way I wish. I can use olive oil, ghee, coconut oil, Bragg's raw apple cider, and unrefined salt to prepare the meals. I can also use unlimited herbs, garlic, and ginger. For day one, I chose broccoli and kohlrabi.

I think of broccoli as cabbage's Rastafarian cousin. Packed with vitamin-C and fiber, it's been shown to have anti-carcinogenic properties and is ideal for prevention of heart disease. It is a natural source for sulfur, iron, and B vitamins, which are essential for the nervous system.In Traditional Chinese Medicine, broccoli is believed to have cooling and diuretic properties and is good for inflammatory conditions of the eyes.

I paired the broccoli with an herb I grew up eating, sorrel.  Sorrel is a herb with a lemony flavor that has anti-parasitic properties.

Broccoli & Sorrel Soup

Ingredients:
3 Heads of Broccoli (leave the stalk)
1 Bunch of Sorrel
1-2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Large Garlic Clove
2 Tbsp Garlic
Celtic Salt (to taste)















Process:
1. Fill a pot with enough water to cover the broccoli and add unrefined salt. I prefer Celtic Salt, which also provides 

 2. Set on the stove to boil

3. While the water is boiling, set a pan to heat (medium). Once pan is heated, add oil and then add chopped garlic and ginger.

4. Once garlic and ginger have slightly browned (5 mins), add chopped sorrel.

 5. Once broccoli is soft. Place broccoli heads and 5-6 ladles of cooking water to a Vitamix or blender and blend on high for 3-4 mins.

 6. Add sorrel, garlic, and ginger and blend for another minute. Pout into a container or bowl and garnish with cilantro and olive oil.

The soup was so filling that I wasn't hungry at all until 3 hours later. For lunch, I used the broccoli stalks to make a broccoli and kohlrabi slaw.

Kohlrabi is a very good therapeutic vegetable in traditional Chinese medicine. It is believed to improve qi circulation and helps treat indigestion and blood sugar imbalances. It's also supposed to help deal with a hangover (so add this to you juice the morning after).

Broccoli & Kohlrabi Slaw

Ingredients
3 Broccoli Stalks
2 Kohlrabi
3 Tbsp Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
3 Tbsp Unrefined Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Parsley
1 Tbsp Cilantro


1. Clean and peel kohlrabi and broccoli (if you don't you will get hard pieces of skin in your mouth)

2. Using the shredding attachment your food processor, shred broccoli and kohlrabi
3. Add vinegar, olive oil, parsley, and cilantro and mix well

I packed up my meals for the day and was ready to start my cleanse!

The first day went pretty smoothly, except for the stomach bug that swept through the family at the end of the day. Both hubby and I were down for the count and passed out at 9pm. I think because of the bug, I didn't really have an appetite all day; this  made it much easier to handle this cleanse. Additionally, I am drinking two shakes a day that Dr. Melissa gave me. I am finding that the shakes are very filling and last me a few hours between meals. I didn't experience any significant changes in my mood. The most significant change in mood I felt was when I removed dairy and grains from my diet. I became significantly more clear headed and upbeat. I literally felt like a weight had been lifted. Since then I have lost 5 lbs.

Embarking on a 21-day Detox Part 4

One month later, I met my husband. I weighed 140lbs. I know this because we both weighed ourselves and we both weighed the same (not on the first date of course). One month into our relationship, Jenny told me that she believed many of my symptoms were caused by a Candida overgrowth and suggested I give up all sugar for two months. She suggested I read William Crook’s The Yeast Connection to get a better understanding of her diagnosis. Since I resolved to do whatever she told me, I gave up all sugar and alcohol; both had become separate food groups even in my wheat and dairy free diet.

Dec '05

Because I still hadn’t learned to listen to my intuition and eat when I’m hungry, eat what I’m hungry for, and stop when I’m full, I was confused about what I could eat. Crook’s book was an extremely helpful tool. I ate an avocado a day to sooth my sweet tooth (eating healthier fat actually makes you crave less sugar) and didn’t feel guilty about it. I cooked for myself for the first time since leaving FA and I had someone special to cook for, who seemed to really enjoy my experimental creations. At the end of the two-month cleanse, I lost 10lbs and was feeling incredible.      

Mar '05

Mar '05

I aced my Holistic Health class and was asked to be a teacher’s assistant. With my new found confidence, I was able to take two classes the following semester and three the semester after that (I was working full-time). I finished my Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations in Dec ’05 and attended my graduation in May ’06. On a trip to Paris in Sep ’06, my husband proposed. We set the date for 9/2/2007. 

May '06

Sep '06

In the weeks leading up to the wedding, I had a relapse into my old ways. I didn’t know how to handle the excitement and stress of planning a wedding and the whole idea of getting married. I was so stressed out that I impulsively quit my job and started interviewing all in the same week (three weeks before the wedding) and to cope with stress, I also stopped eating. Feeling so out of control, controlling my food was my lifeline. The day of the wedding, I weighed 117lbs. Luckily this time, I was in therapy and was able to discuss my struggles with my therapist-once I finally got up the nerve to be honest with her. I was embarrassed to still be struggling with food almost 4 years into therapy. With her help, my relapse only lasted 3 weeks. And after our Mexican all-inclusive honeymoon, I was up to 125lbs and have maintained this weight since (not counting my pregnancy).

Sep' 07

Sep '07

So forward to July 2012, why would I, weighing 125lbs and having a history of eating disorders want to severely cut and control my calorie intake? I want to first stress; I am not doing this to lose weight. I am actually pretty afraid of losing weight doing this cleanse and that's not the goal. The goal is health. It is to find a sense of well-being that I've never experienced before because I haven't been able to truly let go of my obsession with food. When I say my food obsession, I mean my need for something yummy, something soothing, something to make the day better. I am trying to write a new chapter, a chapter that introduces the notion of not only loving me through feeding myself with nutritious whole foods but also finding other ways to deal with stress that don’t involve eating and food.

Jul '12

I also have occasional pain again and I'm convinced this pain is caused by inflammation related to my indulgence in dairy, meat, and sugar over the past few years. The pain started in March, when I got up from my desk at work and had a shooting pain down my left side. I thought I must've done something to my lower back so I went to see a chiropractor, who told me that it would take at least 3 months for me to feel 100% again.  I saw her for 3 weeks and the pain continued. It would alternate between pain and numbness and even walking would be uncomfortable. Nothing I was doing, no doctor, acupuncturist or chiropractor was able to help take the pain away. Finally, I decided to go to an Afro-Brazilian dance class to "shake it out." I woke up the next morning and the pain was so excruciating that I couldn't walk. Every time I took a step, it felt like an ice cold knife was being shoved in my sacrum. 

I found another chiropractor who was more optimistic about my condition and had a different approach. I saw him several times a week for adjustments and massage and he convinced me to see his acupuncturist, Vincent Kan. Vincent told me right away that I had severe inflammation. One session with him and my symptoms dramatically decreased. One month later, I was feeling significantly better, but then the pain came back.

Feeling pretty desperate, I thought about what my husband's cousin said: "you really need to do a cleanse." I could no longer see her because of my work schedule, so I searched for another practitioner who specializes in cleanses. That's when I found Dr. Melissa Ponce...

Sweet & Sour Rhubard Jam (Sugar Free, Grain-Free, Casein Free)

I grew up eating Rhubarb and have always enjoyed it's tart flavor. Often my mom would bake with it adding strawberries. Rhubarb is a funny thing. It's a vegetable that is often paired with fruit to deliver a sour punch in a dessert. It looks like a celery's red cousin, but is actually part of a weed family and closely related to buckwheat. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Rhubarb has been cultivated for it's laxative and cleansing properties. I love it because it reminds me of my childhood and I also think it's pretty serendipitous that I am craving Rhubarb the week prior to my cleanse. I guess my inner goddess approves. The plant has a short season and is usually only readily available Apr-July.  Since the season is nearing its close, I made a little jam to sooth my craving.

Ingredients:
4 Stalks of Organic Rhubarb
1 Tbsp of Ghee or Coconut Oil
1.5 Tbsp of of Raw Honey
Vanilla (Optional)

The Steps:
1. Wash the stalks and cut them into about 1/2 inch slices
2. Heat 1 Tbsp of Ghee or Coconut Oil in a non-stick skillet (I prefer using my Le Creuset casserole pan) on medium heat

3. Once ghee/oil is heated. throw in Rhubarb and sauteed. Lower to medium low if needed to prevent sticking.
4. Once Rhubarb is soft, add honey and stir

5. Turn off heat and add some vanilla powder or extract if desired
6. Enjoy alone, on ice cream, sorbet, or any thing you prefer!

Embarking on a 21-day Detox Part 3

About a year into therapy, I had already broken up with my boyfriend and was trying to concentrate on graduating from college. I was a 5^th year senior, struggling to keep up with my full class load and a full-time job and was headed towards flunking out. With the help of my therapist, I was able to negotiate my college load, which had bought me some time to get myself together. She suggested I stop overdoing it and just commit to one class that I can easily ace, so that my life would be manageable. I argued that I needed to graduate and if I only took one class, I’d never get my diploma. She reminded me that my way wasn’t working and strongly suggested I try hers. I finally conceded and re-enrolled in one of classes where the teacher originally gifted me an incomplete grade (meaning I didn't fail and could retake the class). This class was Holistic Heath: Western Traditions.

One of the required books was Andrew Weil’s Spontaneous Healing. The book features many inspiring stories of how everyday people  healed their serious illnesses without the use of traditional allopathic medicine. Reading the book brought my attention to all the random symptoms I had been having. While, I was dealing with my food issues and slowly getting healthier, my body wasn’t on the same page.  I was having a lot of random health problems. The cartilage in my ears would swell up and it would be extremely painful, my legs and feet were always cold and purple, I was having recurring yeast and urinary tract infections. I was 22 years old and waking up achy and groggy every morning.  I was still pretty overweight, weighing about 150lbs (I’m 5’2), even though I was exercising at the gym at least three times a week, doing weights and cardio.

Feb '04

Aug '04

In the book, Weil outlines different healing modalities and how they can help with certain ailments. My good friend at the time was studying to become an acupuncturist and I remembered that in high school when my period stopped, it came back only after I saw an acupuncturist (I was amenorrheic for two years as a result of my eating disorder). And so I decided to see an acupuncturist. I found one through my insurance. I went to see Jennifer Ashby in Oct’ 04. She had a practice in the Mission District which she shared with Jenny Crissman, who also happened to be a nutritionist in addition to an acupuncturist. After talking to them about my symptoms, I decided to work with Jennifer for acupuncture treatments and Jenny for nutritional support.

At the same time, I went to see an allergy specialist because I had a feeling that some of my symptoms were related to food allergies. I got the results of the allergy test and Jenny’s assessment in the same week. The allergy test showed that I was allergic to wheat, dairy, citric acid (the preservative), and chocolate. Without knowing the results Jenny told me I needed to abstain from wheat, dairy, citrus fruits, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant) and chocolate if I wanted to be healthy. These were all staples in my diet, but I resolved to do whatever Jenny told me and so I gave them all up.

stay tuned for more...