the gogozo detox: the downfall

we all knew it was going to happen, right? i broke the cleanse tonight. and it was glorious. since i wasn't feeling particularly awesome by the end of day 4, decided to treat myself. to vegan fast food. that's even more hilarious, right? fake bbq chicken wings and vegan chipotle cheese fries. aaaaand a vegan pistachio milkshake. go hard or go home.

*note: i still HAVE NOT consumed any chocolate nor coffee in 4 full days. let's see what tomorrow brings.

i expected to feel pretty good after 3 days, or at least more energetic. and i also expected to feel much more used to eating less after a few days; stomach shrinkage and all of that. not to mention not feeling so badly like i was suffering from sugar withdrawal. and since this wasn't the case...what's the point? there are definitely things that i think i can take away and continue to adapt. mainly, i think i'm a fan of the hot lemon water in the morning. it definitely gives me a jolt, in someways almost more than i think coffee does.

you want to hear more about the vegan food? i'm a fan of the dairy substitutes mostly because eating dairy generally makes me feel like crap. and for me, most of the time, the vegan stuff is just as satisfying. and really what are wings, if not a vehicle for sauce? deliciously crisp skinny fries and yummy pistachio "ice cream" available at foodswings.

maybe you should all try a cleanse, if only just to break it after a few days. talk about an exciting moment.

the gogzo detox: shopping list!

is it healthy to be looking at mexican food menus on day 3?

on another note, snack tip = iceberg lettuce with lemon. perfect to crunch on which is why i eat half the time.

so today is the end of day 3. tomorrow should be looking up, right? if i'm not feeling the amazing benefits of this thing by friday, i'm going to have to quit. make that friday at lunch...because really, deprivation better have a reward or it's totally not worth it. for now, my thoughts remain with nachos.

here's the week's grocery list:

• free range organic eggs - or even those egg whites in a container
  
• lemons (fresh)
  
• oatmeal
  
• berries
  
• walnuts
  
• sweet potatoes
  
• frozen edamame
  
• quinoa
  
• kale
• garlic
• olive oil
  
• parsley
  
• cherry tomatoes
  
• persian or english cucumbers
  
• organic free range chicken
• apples
  
• almond butter
  
• white miso paste (no msg)
  
• soft or silken tofu
  
• snow peas
  
• sliced dried shitake mushrooms
• bok choy
  
• scallions
  
• fish
  
• brown rice
  
• non fat yogurt
  
• artichokes, broccoli rabe or asparagus (choose)
  
• citrus fruits
  
• green tea
  
• herbal tea

the gogozo detox: the recipes

so, i think there are 2 ways to look at this whole cleansing thing. the major thing i wanted to focus on was to make it actually realistic. this meant a whole lotta food prep over the weekend. i'm not quite sure i can say it was worth it but we'll wait and see...in addition to the recipes i'm using for the week, i'll try to point out how i've simplified along the way...

breakfast: oatmeal with berries and walnuts
i prefer steel cut oats but in the time trap of the weekday, the easiest thing to do seems to be instant oatmeal. HOWEVER, i'm not talking about the sugar filled, random crap packed kind. i'm talking about normal oatmeal, with nothing else in it (except a bit of salt in this case). but what can i say? it's the plainest version i've been able to find.
add a 1/4 cup of frozen or fresh berries and 1 tblspn walnuts. i've been adding a tiny splash of vanilla almond milk, just for an extra flavor boost.

lunch: quinoa salad with grilled chicken
4 servings
if this looks familiar, it's because it's slightly modified from a quinoa salad i've made many times

• 1 lb chicken
  
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 1/2 cups cucumbers, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons parsely, chopped
• salt and pepper
• juice from 1/2-1 lemon
• tiny drizzle of sesame oil
  

• cook quinoa (a rice cooker is perfect for this!)
  
• while quinoa is cooking, sautee 1 bunch kale with garlic and small amount of olive oil
• allow quinoa to cool slightly, then mix in veggies, lemon juice, sesame oil, salt and pepper
• grill chicken with salt and pepper
  

dinner: miso soup with 1/2 cup brown rice and 4oz fish
dashi (adapted from epicurious)
4 servings

• 6 cups water
• 1 12-inch piece kombu (dried seaweed)
• 3/4 cup loosely packed bonito flakes

• place water and kombu in a pot and cover. allow to sit for 20 min.
• slowly heat up water. just before it comes to a boil, remove kombu.
• add bonito flakes and lightly simmer until they sink, about 4 minutes. do not stir.
• remove bonito flakes.

to make miso soup:

• 1 small bunch bok choy, sliced and steamed
  
• 1 cup snow peas, sliced and steamed
  
• handful dried sliced shitake mushrooms
  
• silken or soft tofu, sliced into cubes
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  

• place dashi, mushrooms, bok choy, snow peas, tofu, scallions in a pot and bring to a simmer until heated through
  
• turn off heat and stir in about 8 tablespoons of miso paste (start with less and add to taste)
  

stay tuned for grocery list and cooking prep plan...

the gogozo detox: the meal plan

i've just about made it through day 1 (without chocolate), so i thought it would be a good time to present the food plan


mon-fri (assuming i don't get too bored...i may have to switch it up a bit):

before breakfast: water with lemon

breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal with ¼ cup berries and 1 tbspn walnuts
or 4 egg whites, 1/2 sweet potato
green tea

snack: ½ cup edamame

lunch: quinoa salad with 4oz grilled chicken

snack: apple w/ 1 tblspn almond butter

dinner: miso soup, 4 oz grilled fish, 1/2 cup cooked brown rice

snack: 4 oz yogurt, 1 fruit (3/4 cup Berries or 1 citrus), herbal tea

since i wrote about the general idea, here's some background on the specifics:

• lemon water in the morning is one of those classic diet cleanse things. lemon is supposed to give your system a jump in the morning as well as be an antiseptic, so why not? thought i'd throw it in and see how it feels. green tea throughout the rest of the day provides some caffeine (that i don't feel the need to live without) and also provides some appetit supressing.
• breakfast: needs to be hearty enough so that i'm not starving first thing in the morning through the rest of the day. personally, when i eat oatmeal, i feel full longer than when i eat dry cereals or other items, which is why i chose to put it in the plan. however, something else that's just as lean, such as egg whites, seasoning and sweet potato works too.
• snacks: are lean as well but substantial and high in protein (soybeans, almond butter).
• proteins: super lean and organic (chicken, fish, tofu)
• veggies: super foods! think kale, artichokes, broccoli, asparagus, all those dark leafy greens. also, mostly cooked veggies just to be easier on the system. organic when possible.
  
• miso soup (with miso and mushrooms): umami! for a satisfying taste and to feel more substantial.
• a word on seasoning: i definitely used some olive oil (minimal), garlic, salt and pepper, other spices and herbs in the preparation of my food because there's no need to lose flavor here! however, i'm trying to stay low on the salt, spicy flavors and other things that are just a little tougher on the body than i'm trying to be right now.
  

more reading about specific detox foods here!

recipes to come...

the gogozo detox

subtitle: get ready (the setup)

food prep, complete

the last time i tried to do something like this it was known as "the lifestyle makeover." aka, no more high fructose corn syrup, frozen mac and cheese for dinner, nor bowls of cocoa krispies as an after work snack.

i decided to try something a little more drastic this time: my version of a cleanse. what does that mean? no stupid juice diet or colon busting lemon juice and hot sauce mixes. that's not the point. i wanted something that gave me high quality and healthy food; something that would make me FEEL better, not drop 5 pounds in a week. plain and simple, just to give the binge eating a rest. the goal is to start with 5 days (monday-friday), then re-evaluate come the weekend...and decide whether to go 5 more days. the basic idea is to stick as natural, organic, whole-grain, super veggie & fruit, low dairy, and lean protein as possible. NO processed foods whatsoever and to stay portion controlled. and i'm also going to try and stay low on caffeine and alcohol (not cut it out completely).

i did some internet research and ended up with a combination of my own ideas, a random detox diet i found from women's health magazine and food lovers cleanse that bon appetit ran this year. my meal plan is the same each day (until i get bored). let's see how many days i can survive without chocolate...stay tuned.