So, like many others, after watching Joe Cross’ documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, and the recommendations from some fasting friends, I’ve decided to start my own “macronutrient” journey into the world of green juices. After a tedious hunt at all of the Bed, Bath & Beyond’s in a 50-mile radius, I was finally able to track down the Breville Juice Fountain Plus at a Baltimore-area BBB store. (Gotta be able to use the 20% off coupon, right?) Phew. Easter candy is out in full swing, and after a few (read: bags) too many of Cadbury Mini-Eggs, I was more bloated than ever and knew something needed to DRASTICALLY change.
Last Sunday, I decided to commit to a week of eating vegan in order to do a pre-cleanse before the actual juice cleanse begins. I went to Whole Foods, got one last grass-fed cheeseburger and a serving of their AMAZING croissant bread pudding, stocked up on all of my fruits and vegs and decided to get rolling. I got 8 lbs of navel oranges, 2 cartons of strawberries and blueberries, 5 mangoes, 5 avocados, 10 bananas, 2 lbs of broccoli, and a lb sack of carrots. After saying goodbye to my wallet at the register, and hello to nutrition, I was ready to begin.
So far, this week I feel AMAZING. It is Wednesday (the third whole day of my clean vegan eating) and I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I am going to give you a sample of my meal plan just so that you know what I have been eating to get me through.
Breakfast:
fruit salad of mango, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe
Lunch:
quarter cup serving of short-grain brown rice
pinto beans cooked with carrots, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in organic crushed tomatoes with a can of tomato paste added
navel orange
Snack:
peanut butter by the spoonSful
banana
Dinner:
salad of organic baby spinach, grape tomatoes, raw carrots and broccoli, pinto beans, a WHOLE avocado, a little Cava hummus, and a dressing made of dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and a little EVOO
Here is a picture of the delight that I am currently dreaming of eating tonight:
I have to tell you…not thinking about calories and just eating whatever I want, as long as it is a vegetable or nut, is fabulous. I am currently down FIVE lbs since Sunday and feeling great. Stay tuned to see how the week shapes up and the countdown to my juice fast (beginning on Saturday…eek!).
-the happenstance gourmande
The Happenstance Gourmande 