Yellow Cardi

I managed to already cross one item off my Autumn Bucket list within only a couple of days.

And it only took me $40 and a cappuccino-fueled trip to two separate malls (I hate shopping, fyi). But at least I’m a quick shopper when I know exactly what I’m looking for, especially when that something is yellow and can be spotted from the store entrance.

Hello Yellow Cardigan!

(Definitely took this picture with the self-timer in my front yard, and felt like a tool doing it).

In other news, I’m currently in the process of doing the Fab Detox to help “reboot” the body and reduce toxins. I actually won it in a blog giveaway from nutritionist Meghan Telpner (which is the primary reason I’m doing it, TBH). It’s broken down into 3 phases:

4 day Transition in: eliminate dairy, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, meat, fish, gluten
8 day Detox: eliminate beans, grains, nuts/seeds one day at a time culminating in a smoothie-only day before reintroducing the food eliminated foods

Today was day 1. So far, so good although there was a noticeable mid-afternoon slump, likely due to the elimination of my daily black tea.
I don’t think this detox is going to keep my energy levels high enough to do my weightlifting any favours, but maybe it will curb my sweet tooth?

Only time will tell.

Southwest Stuffed Peppers Recipe

I actually got my easy run in last night. Granted, it was after doing hill repeat with conditioning drills, but still I took it easy and enjoyed it!

So I’ve been doing the cleanse this week and it has been going pretty well.

. . . Except for maybe those milkfuls that I stole from the candy bowl on my way into work this morning.

. . . and then there’s the the vanilla soy milk that Matt bought when he was entrusted to the grocery shopping this weekend which would have been more of a surprise treat if he got it for me any other week. It does make Chia Seed Pudding especially delicious, I’ll admit.

. . . and, oh yeah, I’m going to have to cut this thing short because I’m going to a friend’s cottage this weekend and sausage is on the dinner menu and I do love a good sausage! …hang on, that sounded dirtier than I intended.

So I guess by going “pretty well” I mean “mediocre”. Remember back when I did the Master Cleanse? How the hell did I have the willpower for that?!? Oh yeah, I promised to wear a bikini in public. Evidently, I am highly motivated by fear and embarrassment.

I find that I have been eating my weight in dates. Especially in the form of homemade larabars which I may or may not have hidden from my husband to keep them all to myself. I guess it’s better than chocolate and cookies though right?

On the plus side, my dinners have been cleanse-compliant … except the fact that most of the ingredients aren’t organic when they should be (so I guess they’re more ‘friendly’ than ‘compliant’).

The other night I made stuffed peppers with a Southwest flair that were quite good. I made my version with chicken but you could easily make them vegetarian (any maybe even more delicious) with black beans instead. And if you don’t care about cleansing then I think these would be awesome with shredded cheese sprinkled on top before baking.

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

5 bell peppers, cut in half seeds removed
2 c. cooked rice
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced fine
1 jalapeno pepper, diced fine
1 t cumin
1 t paprika
2 t chili powder
1/8 t ground cloves
1-1/2 c marinara sauce
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 t salt
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375F

In a large pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno pepper. Cook until the onion starts to soften (about 5-8 minutes depending on the temperature), don’t let it brown.

Add in the spices and stir for one minute until you can start to smell the aromas of the spices.

Add the marinara sauce and the ground chicken to the pan, breaking up the chicken with a spoon. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in the cooked rice until heated through. Add the 1/2 tsp of salt, or add according to taste.

Place the pepper halves inside-up in a barge baking dish (you may need 2 depending on the size of your peppers). Spoon the rice mixture into each pepper half, filling it up as much as you can. Pour water into the bottom of the baking dish(es) about 1″ deep to help steam the peppers in the oven.

Put the peppers in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes (depending on your oven) or until the the peppers are very tender. The rice filling with have a nice, lightly browned crunchy layer on top (that’s my favourite part!). Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Windsor Essex County Community Wide Cleanse 2012

This Sunday kicks off the week-long Annual Essex County Community Wide Spring Cleanse that focuses on healthy eating, avoiding chemicals in your environment, and yoga to detoxify the body.

The benefits of participating in the cleanse include: improved energy levels, an increased ability to cope with stress, improved recovery time after strenuous exercise, improved physical performance and stamina, a strengthened immune system, improved concentration and focus, enhanced weight loss, and feeling healthy!

I’m going to be taking part again this year for at least one week. The first time I did this cleanse was for 3 weeks. I did it to clear out my system and then I slowly reintroduced foods one at a time to determine if there was a dietary cause to my acne.

There was. In fact there were 2: dairy and seafood. Now have to I moderate my intake of dairy (particularly cheese) and seafood because otherwise my face breaks out terribly.

While I was on the cleansing diet for those 3 weeks I really did feel fantastic. I felt light and full of energy, so I’m obviously looking forward to doing it again.

If you are interested in taking part you can sign up for the cleanse on their website and get a pdf booklet with all the information about what foods to avoid during cleanse week, a meal plan, and a bunch of recipes for the week as well.

Here is a quick outline of the foods that are allowed and to be avoided during the cleanse. To your health!

Cleanse Diet:

Vegetables

Allowed – all fresh vegetables (especially cruciferous veggies) except . . .

Avoid – canned vegetables, white mushrooms, corn/corn products

Fruit

Allowed – fresh and frozen fruit (especially organic)

Avoid – grapefruits and their juices, dried fruit containing sulphites

Grains

Allowed – rice, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, tapioca, teff, amaranth, oats

Avoid – gluten (incl. wheat, spelt, rye, barley)

Legumes:

Allowed — legumes and peas

Avoid – soy products that are not organic, processed soy

Nuts/Seeds:

Allowed – Raw nuts and seeds including almonds, walnuts, hemp, flax, chia, sesame, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, hazelnuts

Avoid – peanuts; any roasted/salted/flavoured nuts

Animal Products

Allowed – organic chicken, turkey, and lamb; wild game; low mercury fish (Clam, Ocean perch,
Alaskan salmon, tilapia, flounder, sole, catfish, sardines, herring, and anchovies)

Avoid – red meat, processed meat, dairy, eggs, seafood, high-mercury fish (shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tuna, orange roughy, marlin, Chilean bass, lobster, halibut, and snapper), Farmed or Atlantic salmon, fish from the Great Lakes.

Oils

Allowed – EVOO, coconut, grape seed, sesame, walnut, hemp, almond, flax

Avoid – canola, sunflower, safflower, peanut, corn, refined oils, margarine, shortening, salad dressing, mayonnaise

Condiments

Allowed – sea salt, herbs and spices, nut butters, bean dips, apple cider vinegar, Sweeteners: honey, maple syrup, stevia, and agave

Avoid – table salt, MSG, food additivies, preservatives, colouring, Sweeteners: corn syrup, brown rice syrup, molasses, brown sugar, white sugar, glucose, maltose, maltodextrose

Beverages

Allowed – 6-8 glasses water daily, 100% fresh fruit/vegetable juices, Herbal and Green teas, Unsweetened rice, soy, or almond milk

Avoid – Caffeinated beverages including coffee, black tea, and pop, alcohol, dairy, fruit juices high in sugar, vegetables drinks high in salt.

FYI: I did a Google image search of “cleanse” to find a picture to include here. Word to the wise, don’t to a google image search of cleanse. It’s revolting. I think I’ve been scarred by the images that have seared into my brain.

For relief here’s an overly cute picture

and another one for good measure

(images via cuteoverload.com)

Home Fries

So finally we’re supposed to have a sunny day today. Let’s hope that the weather holds up for no real reason but to let me keep a smile on my face. It will be nice to pump out a mid-week long run in the sunshine! I’ve got 9 miles on the agenda for today.

Last night I weightlifted and during one of my exercises I busted my lower back. I was doing decline bench press, of all things! The combination of not engaging my abs, trying to lift to heavy without a spotter, and over extending meant bad news for my lower back so I had to cut my workout short. Luckily it was more of a fleeting pain that went away after dinner… or maybe the deliciousness of dinner masked it.

I was craving potatoes last night so I made cleanse-friendly home fries with a side of cabbage that I roasted in the oven at 400F with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried basil. The whole meal was in dire need of protein and I wish I would have heated up some beans to go with it all. Oh well.

The potatoes were the star of the show. It was the best compliment a girl could get when I asked Matt if he wanted ketchup for his home fries and he said “No, these don’t need it.”

Home Fries

Ingredients:

4 T olive oil
2 Russet potatoes, sliced ¼” thick
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 T dried chives
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add in the onion, potatoes, and chives. Cover the skillet and leave the veggies to cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the onions are just beginning to caramelize.

Uncover and stir. Cook uncovered for the remaining 5-10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy without ketchup.

Daily Intake — 1348 cal: 32% fat/61% carbs/7% protein

25th Donation

Today was a milestone day for me:

My 25th blood donation!

How’s that for flair?

I like to donate blood because in addition to helping out other people, I also think needles are cool and I pretty much can’t say no to free cookies. (Confession: in spite of the cleanse, I totally ate cookies post donation today.)

My 25th donation was supposed to be 56 days ago but my iron level was too low then (that was the first time that ever happened!) and I was SO disappointed.This time around, I geared up for my donation by eating lots of leafy greens and Cream of Wheat cereal (which is really my secret weapon for iron build-up) and my iron levels were top notch.

I was particularly excited to donate because when my dad was recently sick he needed blood donations during his hospital stay so I saw firsthand how donations can help patients…and speaking of my dad, on Friday he came home from the hospital for good! Yay!!

In celebration of my 25th donation I decided to sign up for OneMatch – the stem cell and bone marrow registry. Once I give an oral swab my name will go on a list of potential bone marrow donors to be contacted if I’m a match for someone who needs a transplant.

Less than 30% of patients who need transplants have a donor within their own family so the donor registry is so important. If you’re in Canada you can register for OneMatch here.

Today is also a big day because it’s Federal Election Day!

I hope everyone got out to vote today. This is probably one of the most unpredictable elections in recent history. What is happening with the Grits and BQ??… I’m watching the results come in as we speak and it sounds like Conservative majority (and we’re all f’d) and the NDP are going to be the official opposition for the first time (for those Americans reading NDP means very, very left wing). Craziness!

Bikini Eating:

I had a very cleanse friendly dinner today.

A light a refreshing salad. In the mix was:

-cooked brown rice
-cooked kasha (toasted buckwheat)
-cooked chickpeas
-chopped cucumber, red and green pepper, green onion
-chopped fresh dill
-capers
-salt and pepper
-dressed with and mix of: the juice of half a lemon, 1 crushed garlic clove, olive oil

Delicious!

…now I’m off to watch Peter Mansbridge and hear the election results come back in… this is captivating!

Windsor Essex County Community Wide Cleanse

Today marked the beginning of the Windsor Essex County Community Wide Cleanse.

It’s a one week long cleanse that focuses on healthy eating and exercise to detoxify the body and it’s happening throughout the local area. I was pretty keen on taking part.

The cleanse information and the recipe booklet were put together by my naturopath. Several yoga studios in the area are taking part and offering free or discounted classes as well. If you are interested in the cleanse you can sign up online.

The benefits of participating in the cleanse include: improved energy levels, an increased ability to cope with stress, improved recovery time after strenuous exercise, improved physical performance and stamina, a strengthened immune system, improved concentration and focus, enhanced weight loss, and feeling healthy!

Here is a breakdown of the foods that are allowed and to be avoided during the cleanse:

Cleanse Diet:

Vegetables

Allowed – all fresh vegetables except white button mushrooms

Avoid – canned vegetables, white mushrooms, corn/corn products

Fruit

Allowed – fresh and frozen fruit

Avoid – oranges and grapefruits and their juices, melons, dried fruit containing sulphites

Grains

Allowed – rice, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, tapioca, teff, amaranth

Avoid – gluten (incl. wheat, spelt, rye, barley)

Legumes:

Allowed — legumes and peas

Avoid – soy products that are not organic

Nuts/Seeds:

Allowed – Raw nuts and seeds including almonds, walnuts, hemp, flax, chia, sesame, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, hazelnuts

Avoid – peanuts; any roasted/salted/flavoured nuts

Animal Products

Allowed – organic chicken, turkey, and lamb; wild game; low mercury fish (Clam, Ocean perch,
Alaskan salmon, tilapia, flounder, sole, catfish, sardines, herring, and anchovies)

Avoid – red meat, processed meat, dairy, eggs, seafood, high-mercury fish (shark, swordfish, king
mackerel, tuna, orange roughy, marlin, Chilean bass, lobster, halibut, and snapper), Farmed or Atlantic salmon, fish from the Great Lakes.

Oils

Allowed – EVOO, coconut, grape seed, sesame, walnut, hemp, almond, flax

Avoid – canola, sunflower, safflower, peanut, refined oils, margarine, shortening, salad dressing, mayonnaise

Condiments

Allowed – sea salt, herbs and spices, nut butters, bean dips, mustard, apple cider and brown rice vinegars, sweeteners: stevia and agave

Avoid – table salt, MSG, food additivies, preservatives, colouring, Sweeteners: corn syrup, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, molasses, brown sugar, white sugar, glucose, maltose, maltodextrose

Beverages

Allowed – 6-8 glasses water daily, 100% fresh fruit/vegetable juices, Herbal and Green teas, Unsweetened rice, soy, or almond milk

Avoid – Caffeinated beverages including coffee, black tea, pop, alcohol, dairy, fruit juices high in sugar, vegetables drinks high in salt.

Sweaty Me, post-run in the locker room.

I ran on the treadmill because the weather wasn’t the greatest, but mainly because I wanted to watch In Her Shoes while I ran. Love that movie. I love the fact that W’s chick flicks coincide perfectly with my long Sunday runs!

I fuelled up with 3 dates halfway through my run to keep my energy levels up. The run itself felt great. I ran at a speed of about 5.8 miles per hour. I didn’t tire out too much, but my only complaint is the chaffing. Oh the terrible chaffing! I have sore, unsightly red marks on my chest, back, and bum. I need to do something about this chaffing problem.

Final Cleanse Recap

So I mentioned a couple weeks ago that prior to my birthday I would be doing a final cleanse based on this detox cleanse from A Healthy Purpose for a period of 12 days before my birthday to give my digestive system a break, reduce bloating, and reduce psychological cravings for stimulant foods (like sugar and chocolate).

This was the basic outline of the plan:

Days 1-3: 100% Raw
Days 4-5: Green Smoothies
Days 6-7: Master Cleanse
Days 8-9: Green Smoothies
Days 10-12: 100% Raw

Of course, you’re all wondering how it went right?

Mental Reactions:

In terms of cravings, I didn’t find the cleanse to be too hard. The raw days were easiest. It being summer, I naturally want to eat raw food anyway, so not too much trouble there. Although, I might have cheated a bit on my raw days (okay, actually I cheated A LOT on day 11. I ate bread and pasta, woops!).

My liquid days were a lot easier than anticipated. I expected to be thinking about food all day long, but surprisingly I wasn’t even craving food all that much. I’m always craving something and usually that something is sugar. So it really did work in suppressing my psychological dependence on food. Unfortunately that suppression didn’t last beyond he cleanse, because as soon as I was done it I was back to eating cake and cookies and chocolate.

During days 6 and 7, the Master Cleanse days, no one wanted to be around me, and I don’t think it’s coincidental. Matt kept asking me why I was so moody. I was cranky and annoyed all the time, for no apparent reason. It wasn’t pretty.

Physical Reactions:

In terms of energy level, I still had lots of energy over those 12 days. I’d even venture to say that I had even more than when I eat normally. The cleanse didn’t effect my weightlifting at all and I was still able to run 16 miles over the course of the week. I even did more yoga classes than normal because I felt so good!

I mentioned some specifics of the Master Cleanse in this post that I wrote on Day 6. Basically, between the lemonade, the herbal laxative tea, and plain water I was so hydrated that I needed to be near the bathroom all the time. The herbal laxative tea is definitely effective, but it gave me quite an upset stomach.
One thing that I didn’t mention in the Master Cleanse post was the salt water flush that I did before bed: 2 tsp of salt dissolved into 2 c. of water. Stir and drink. Sound kinda gross? Try worst thing I’ve ever had. You’re actually supposed to drink a litre, but I could barely get 2 cups down. It tasted like I was drowning in the ocean. I tried to chug it all in one go, but I had to stop in between to chase it with some fresh water. When I finally got it down, I waited for the magic to happen. Less than 15 minutes later, that “magic” was more like a bad case of the stomach flu. Suffice to say that I’m pretty sure my colon was entirely cleansed.

Would I recommend this cleanse?

Yes. I really did feel good during those 12 days, my cravings were suppressed and I felt less bloated and more energetic.

What would I change?

If you wanted to make it a bit shorter, I would suggest cutting out the first and last raw day and maybe just steer clear of meat, dairy, and gluten on those days. I don’t think 3 raw days was totally necessary.
I wouldn’t do the master cleanse for more than 2 days, because I don’t think people could stand my crankiness!

Will I do it again?

I think so. Maybe during the winter. I could make it a biannual thing.

Do I think it worked?

I don’t think it had any lasting effects. I mean, I lost some weight, but it was obviously just water and poop. Also, my craving suppression didn’t last beyond the 12 days.

day 181: Cleansing the Final Weeks

My birthday is in 12 days, can you believe it?

6 months has flown by and in that period of time I’ve grown stronger, improved my eating habits, and have worked on getting a handle on my body image issues. I’m proud of myself and my lifestyle.

I honestly think that the hardest part of all of this is gaining the confidence to look in the mirror and remind myself that I am beautiful, I have a strong body, and I will rock a bikini. I’m looking to my favourite bloggers for inspiration. Over the next few weeks I’m hosting a guest blogger series on the topic of Bikini Confidence. I’m inspired by bloggers’ struggles or comfort with their body image and I wanted to share their stories with all of you! It’s going to kick ass so stay tuned.

In preparation for my very fast approaching 25th birthday I’m cleansing. Back in February I read Kenzie’s Spring Detox Cleanse and decided back then that I would do it right before my birthday to give my digestive system a break, reduce bloating, and reducing psychological cravings for stimulant foods (like sugar and chocolate). So here I am, 12 days before the big day and committed to looking my BEST.

So I took Kenzie’s plan and modified it to suit me. Here’s my version of the cleanse:

Days 1-3: 100% Raw
Days 4-5: Green Smoothies
Days 6-7: Master Cleanse
Days 8-9: Green Smoothies
Days 10-12: 100% Raw

Feel free to follow along with me. I’ll be blogging and tweeting all about this adventure. The adventure begins tomorrow morning!

Also, if you’re interested in writing a post for the guest blogger series, send me an e-mail at samanthaamenzies@gmail.com

day 92: cleansing body & mind

Since Monday I have been doing a “Green Smoothie Cleanse” much like what I was doing on the weekends during Lent. Basically that means that for 3 meals a day I drink a smoothie primarily made up of greens (swiss chard or spinach in this case since that’s that I have at home) with fruit and nuts/seeds. I also add in 1 scoop of protein powder a day to supplement my weightlifting.

What’s in it?

My usual smoothie formula is:

3-5 cups greens
+ 1 fresh fruit
+ 1 svg dried fruit
+ 1 tbsp nuts/seeds OR 1/4 avocado
+ 1 tsp spices

I like to add in dried fruit for extra sweetness especially if my fresh fruit isn’t at its ripest. Usually I will add 1 tsp of fish oil to one of my smoothies a day.

What’s the point?

-I end up consuming more servings of fruit and veggies than I would on a normal day. Especially leafy greens which are rich in minerals and vitamins like K, C, and E

-Produce is alkalinizing. An acidic pH in the body contributes to a host of health problems from osteoporosis to cancer.

Check out this table of acidifying/alkalinizing foods.

-I can give my digestive system a rest without fasting. I get loads of nutrients in a liquid form which is easily absorbed by the body.

-It reduces bloating and keeps me regular.

-It keeps my skin looking healthier.

(source)

In keeping with the cleansing theme today I decided to try to cleanse my mind as well. I’m a pretty pessimistic person and critical of myself; I’m betting that I would be much happier if I could release some of my negativity.

So, I took my very first Mindful Meditation class.  I’m not generally one to take time out of my day for meditation, unless you count staring blankly at my computer when I’m at work (in which case I practice meditation very often).

What did I get out of the class? That I’m not very good at mindful meditation. Not exactly the outcome I had in mind.

I found it really hard to focus on the meditation and spent a lot of tie thinking:

- Man, my feet are asleep.
- I wonder what time it is.
- What colour represents my throat chakra again?
- I wish I had something to eat before this class.

I guess it’ll take quite a bit of practice to get  it right. I have a bit of a monkey mind.

How do you feel about meditation?