The Veg Edge

I caught a show on the Cooking Channel called "The Veg Edge."  (Truth be told, I now have a saved search for "vegan" in my Tivo!)  It chronicled some of the most sophisticated, unusual and hip vegan/vegatarian chefs and restaurants around the country.  While I was dismayed that San Francisco wasn't represented, it did inspire me to visit Portland.  Anyone up for a road trip?

Speaking of San Francisco restaurants, I returned to Gracias Madre.  I *love* that place.  I do believe I could eat only that quesadilla for the rest of my life and be happy.  For real.

don't go down the sugar road

b/c you can't get off! i started w/ those vegan cookies, but things got crazy when i was handed a bag of mexican wedding cookies. my boys don't like walnuts, so you know what happened. which brings me to this- i know it's a tad early to think about it, but is anyone up for another cycle of all this starting 1/3? there were so many people who said "but that's the worst time of year b/w tgiving& xmas!!!!!!! maybe in jan......." - you know who you are.
y!
ps - tempeh makes a great sandwich, marinate in soy and/or salad dressing (bragg's is the best bottled kind. imho), then fry till crisp. layer on a handful of spinach. you could add gruyere & make it melty too. now that we're off cleanse.

Weird

I'm LOVING my coffee!  Wuh-hoooo!  And I had the MOST delicious tuna melt for lunch on Monday.  But even though sugar was something I really, really craved while on the cleanse, I've hardly eaten any since the cleanse ended.  I think part of it is fear -- I don't want to get some massive headache or something.  And part of it is that my body really was trained to not consume it.  I'm no longer denying myself sugar, but I haven't felt compelled to gorge.  In fact, the sweets case at Peet's kind of looks yucky to me.  WEIRD!

Out with a bang

Well, while you good-looking women were out enjoying a delicious "end of cleanse" meal, I fell back into the "non-cleanse" world with quite a bang. I'm up in Tahoe and there really is no other place in the world with more gluten/sugar/non-vegan stuff than a ski lodge. After the requisite chili-cheese fries I even had a shot of tequila (a very random thing for me to drink in the middle of the day - courtesy of the nice family I was sharing a table with when I was hanging out in the lodge waiting for little skiiers to come back in for a break). Last night was gross thick crust pizza. I'm actually starting to miss the more "cleanse-like" diet!!
For a start, i'm going to try that vegan cookie recipe Yunah sent as soon as I'm back home :o)
Sorry I wasn't a huge blog-poster during the past 21 days, but I have to tell you that I really enjoyed reading what you guys wrote all the way through. it made the whole experience a lot more bearable for sure. I'm inspired by you all!!
Jen

The Last Supper

Here we are, four of the many cleansers, enjoying a final-night vegan, gluten/sugar/caffeine/dairy-free meal:

(Elise, Yunah, Leslie, Mary)

We had so much fun!  (The cleanse may have been worth it for this dinner alone!)  We had the most amazing food at Gracias Madre.  SO GOOD.  And I think we all look smashing, don't you???

As I count down the hours (yes, just hours!) until my cup of Peet's, I am coming to some end-of-cleanse conclusions:

-- I have a lot of discipline.  I always knew that I did (I work from home, after all) but abiding strictly to the cleanse restrictions was a great reminder.  Just call me Will Power Wilma.

-- Many people have said, "I could never do that cleanse at this time of year."  However, I think this was a GREAT time of year to do it.  I may not have lost a ton of weight (though I do think I lost a little), but when I think of all the food I *didn't* eat, I realize what an ideal time it was to do this.  I seriously must have said "no thank you" to about 30,0000 calories in the last 21 days, calories that I *definitely* would have consumed otherwise.

-- I am definitely going to be more mindful about what is in my food.  For example, I discovered that the TJ's cinnamon raisin bread I normally eat every day has 17 grams of sugar per slice!!!  I had no idea.  And I can easily enjoy salads without eggs or cheese.  And I can make my own salad dressing sans sugar.  Also, while I may not become a vegan or even a vegetarian, I am more learned about animal-based food products.  For example, did you know that the employee turnover rate at slaughterhouses is 100 percent a year?!?!  That is profoundly telling.

-- While I'm clearly not addicted to coffee -- after all, I successfully lived without it for 21 days -- I just really, really, really like it.  I like it a lot.

Sooooo...a few of us have already committed to post-cleanse check-in dinners (really, just excuses to eat delicious food) and a number of us are up for doing the cleanse again next year. 

Who else is in?

Thanks for joining us on this journey!  Leslie

breaking the cleanse

i did so in spectacular fashion. it started yeserday w/ a bite of pumpkin cheesecake that turned in to a nice slice. then this morning after my usual breakfast, & trip to alemany farmer market - i had to stop by sandbox bakery in bernal. the ginger scone was waving @ me so i thought ok, i'll eat just the outside. hahah. from there it was dinner @ san tung - my fave asian restaurant in sf, w/ noodles everywhere. the bad news is i feel uncomfortably full, like a big pregnant lady. but i'm not too worried b/c i WANT to get back on the wagon.

i'm the slacker element of this cleanse, i kept my green tea & morning yogurt, never checked labels for trace wheat or even sugar. but i've been pretty happy w/ readjusting the way i eat - now i think of a proper meal as being 80% veg. i don't the miss cheese, milk or eggs.
my big issue is fish. i've hankered for salmon & sardines these past few weeks & i'm not sure what i'll do. the jonathan safran foer book immediately convinced me to come off meat- but i'm having a harder time w/ fish. so i'll continue to mull that over.

and my other big issue are the baked goods. in theory, a bite should be enough, but the slippery slope starts early, so i know it's better to just lay off altogether. i can't say the urge for all that completely disappeared, but it was not as much an addiction as it was before. raw recipes might be the answer.

best of all -this has been way more fun that i imagined! if anyone is up for a january detox cleanse i'm in! (i found this great book - supercleanse by adina niemorow has many different plans. i know, i'm a joiner @ heart). -- yunah

These Last Days Are Harder Than The First

OMG -- I am ready for this cleanse to be OVER.  I have stuck with it -- extremely hard core -- and I'm finding that these final days are far tougher than the first few.  In the beginning, you're kind of crazy with excitement about something new and the exotic snacks to munch on.  But that has worn off.  I'm at the bottom of my corn chip bag, so to speak.  I can see that light at the end of the tunnel and I'm ready to be there already.  The vegan, no-sugar/no-gluten foods are running low in my fridge and cabinet and I'm not planning to replace them. 
That said, I am NOT going to sway during these last days, as tempting as it is.  After all, the cleanse is 21 days for a reason.  Why would I give up all the hard work I've put in not to see this through 'til the end?  (Though, speaking of "end," there's a strong chance that I am going to get out of bed and scarf a handful of chocolate chips when the clock strikes midnight, ringing in Monday morning.) 
As challenging as it has been, this has been a positive experience.  Most notably, and I don't want to jinx anything here, I believe that I have finally, finally kicked the long-lingering effects of the heinous Labyrinthitis, which is what started me on this journey in the first place.  For that, it was worth every passed-over cookie, every drop of Peet's that landed in someone else's warm, paper cup.  It was worth everything.
So I will decline the appetizers tonight at my husband's company holiday party and I'll make some sort of bean-soup dinner Saturday night and I'll eagerly await our end-of-cleanse gathering on Sunday.  And look for me at Peet's bright and early Monday morning, sipping my decaf with tears of joy.  Leslie

Grumble Grumble, Silver Lining

If Days 1 - 4 were headache hell, and Day 9 was my feel good high, then Day 17 is my low energy low point. If I weren't such a nerdy A student deep inside, I'd give up the Cleanse now. I feel tired, draggy, my joints ache. While I know that my body is healthier w/o the caffeine and sugar and gluten, I feel off balance having no milk, no yogurt, no grilled chicken, no cheese. Truly, the vegan part of this diet has just not felt like a fit with my physiology/psychology/astrology/etc.

For a while I felt cool, able to converse a whole new language with a whole new whole foods crowd. I chatted with the Real Foods checkout guy about OUR "vegan lifestyle." I garnered new respect at Herbivore when I demurely asked for the special little gluten-free menu they keep behind the counter. I exchanged knowing glances with fellow "healthy" shoppers as we bypassed TJ's free samples with a not-so-veiled air of superiority. I had a backstage pass to San Francisco's bulk food aisle.

But today I feel like the poster child for Corn Products, stuffed with vegan tamales, tortillas w/black beans, and grain after grain after grain. So while I'm happy to be gluten-free, I do not like how many carbs I'm ingesting instead of non-vegan proteins. I'd swap them all for a cheese rind in a nanosecond. Today I caught myself whispering "miss you" as I walked by the outdoor grill. Interestingly, my mind/mouth are not doing the craving, per se. It's more like my muscles are asking for fuel that they're not getting.

This kills me because I want to be THAT person who says I feel great, feel light and strong and nourished. I want to be the A student, the blogger who writes that I've rounded the bend and I feel the power! I really thought that would be me, and I'm disappointed that I'm not.

However, there is a silver lining among the corn husks. I think my biggest take-away from the Cleanse will me a more mindful approach to eating. The hours spent reading labels have underscored how sugar lurks everywhere, and to a lesser extent, so does wheat. As a family we've had far less processed food these past 17 days. Our compost bin has been filling up in record speed. I can't downplay the real gift I've given myself by kicking my odious Diet Coke habit. And the fun I've had with my fellow Cleansers is the non-dairy icing on the gluten-free cake! Despite my grumbling, I would absolutely do this again--especially Day 9. -Mary

Wind-Down Observations

First off, twenty-one days is a long time!  Seriously.  Five. More. To. Go.
Second, the fact that I work from home has made this much easier.  I don't know what I would have done if I had to eat on the fly much of the day. 
Third, doing this with friends has also made this much easier (and fun).  The end-of-cleanse dinner celebration is fabulous motivation for me right now.
Fourth, I now really (!) want not only a chocoloate-chip cookie but also one of those tuna melts from Beautifull.  My sister says she may get up early Monday just to accompany me to Peet's to watch my first sip of decaf coffee in 21 days.
Finally, like Caitlin, after the cleanse, I plan to eat far fewer animal products and less sugar/gluten than before without eliminating one or more things altogether.  (I have already started purchasing post-cleanse food that is lower in sugar, etc.)  In that sense, the cleanse has established some positive habits.  I would also be up for doing this again at some point and hope I'll have company.  :)   Leslie

Sorry to be so MIA

Hello fellow cleansers,
I apologize for being so absent lately on the blog. It has been unusually busy for me this past week and by the end of the day, I just flop in to bed and conk out. I just read Caitlin's note about falling off the wagon and I admit to doing a bit of the same yesterday.It was strange, but after 2 weeks of not feeling too many cravings for my usual vices, I just HAD to have a handful of chocolate chips!! And then last night, I was at a friend's house and couldn't resist trying a few of these yummy-looking homemade pita chips. Though I did feel guilty about my "fall from grace," I was pleased that I had no desire to eat any more of those things after one small helping. I just needed a little taste of the forbidden fruit and then I was fine and back on track. What this all says to me about the way my mind and body work is that I've gotten into a pretty good eating pattern but I do better with a little flexibility to fall off the wagon here and there. After this week is up, I'd like to try to stay as gluten-free as possible (I think this is the thing that has made the biggest difference for me during the cleanse) and try to limit my sugar intake as well (I've enjoyed the steadier energy level that has come with the no-sugar part). The no-alcohol-no-caffeine piece will be something I'll try to keep going with (except for those special occasions like husband's business parties, evenings with the in-laws and the like).
-Jen

Yea Us!

A few of us received this sweet e-mail from Tracy and we have permission to share with the group.  Bask in your awesomeness!  :)  Leslie

"Greetings & Salutations Master Cleansers! 

Having read your blog and speaking with some of you about the cleanse, I actually took the time to read labels while grocery shopping this weekend.  I knew I was a sugar-holic, but I never knew how much sugar I was unknowingly eating (Yogurt!!!).  I also was unaware of all the gluten I was consuming.  I stumbled through the store realizing that I am not as healthy of an eater as I once thought.  Change is definitely coming soon for me. I will be jumping back on the vegan train any day now AND I will start making healthier choices.

Additionally, last night I attended Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's book signing for the release of her "Color me Vegan" cookbook.  The cookbook shows how plant-based cuisine can be filled with antioxidants and still be delicious.  A feast not just for your stomach, but your eyes as well. I have already picked out many recipes I must try immediately!  She made a very powerful statement that made me think of all of you. She was referring to when people say they cannot go vegan because they cannot give up cheese (or whatever).  Her response is:  Well, what can you give up that will benefit your health and the environment?

All of you master cleansers made a choice to go "without" to make a healthier, stronger you!  And I am really proud of you and filled with admiration.  You are inspiring this vegetarian to make some serious life changes....and not just in my diet!

(Feel free to share with the other cleansers and/or post on blog)"

13 Down, 8 To Go

Yunah, don't beat yourself up about the slacking.  (I, too, have a husband's law firm office party this week -- crudite, here I come!)  Here's a direct quote from the book: "Just because you don't do everything perfectly on the cleanse doesn't mean you should give it up altogether."

Last night, the kids wanted Japanese food so we headed to one of our favorite places.  I dutifully brought my gluten-free soy sauce packs.  Craig and I munched on edamame and veggie sushi.  We couldn't have the miso soup because it had fish in it.  Rats!

I feel like I've been on this cleanse forever and yet we still have so far to go -- a whole other week.  Many (!) years ago I ran a marathon ("shuffled" a marathon is a more accurate description).  I had this same feeling at mile 16 -- I'd already run SIXTEEN miles and yet I still had TEN more to go.  Hopefully it'll go quickly.  I've got 3 social events that require eating out, which will be my last challenge.

Meanwhile, I've checked out three vegan cook books from the library (see photo below) and I ordered a gluten-free/sugar-free baking book from Amazon.  While I will resume many of my old habits after the cleanse, I'm definitely going to be more mindful about some things.  For example, I can eat well without gluten and even dairy.  If I can find some low-sugar chocolate chip cookies, I'm golden.  But you will find me at Peet's at 6:30 next Monday morning, treating myself to a large drip (decaf) coffee with soy milk.  :)  Leslie

not so fast.

1. well, the slacker side came out last night @ the husband's office party. after a long day of craft fair (for which i did not plan properly - i ate nothing there! even tho i was sitting a table away from cj's galettes, passing up those constantly circulating free samples), i came home & had a quinoa lentil salad. when i got to the party, i was fine passing up the drinks (!Yes, this was the husband's LAW FIRM office party, i was doing it sans wine), had one taste of cream of chesnut soup, and i was happy to eat only the veggies from the dinner (i should have special ordered the veg option). but they had a fantasy dessert bar. so i thought ok i'll just eat the berries from the top of the creme brulee. it's ok they're dragged through the creme. then i thought, well pumpkin is ok, so how bad can pumpkin pudding be. ate 1/2 of that. i was really tempted to dive into the buche noel, but then stopped b/c ...i was full! crazy! bird portions of dessert & i was full. i felt like a social xray. (w/o this cleanse business, there would have been serious damage).

2. and as for that quinoa, i just saw shelah sent me some quinoa info: 1 cup, uncooked, 626 calories. WTF?

Master Cleansers

I am in awe of two of our cleansers, Leslie and Yunah. While doing without these past two weeks, they still managed to produce fabulous works of wearable art (L: knitwear; Y: jewelry) and organize booths at today's school crafts fair. All this while also whipping up creative Cleanse-compliant meals for their families. I am, I realize, out-Cleansed by these two. But they let me hang out with them anyway, for which I am grateful. -Mary

"Excuse me Mommy, but when is this cleanse over?"

Well I tried, but last night's dinner wasn't the best. The Trader Joe's wide rice noodles were very sticky, the stew was really thin, but the tofu tasted pretty good. Overall I wouldn't recommend Deborah Madison's Tofu Curry Stew recipe. After the mediocre dinner, my 9 year old very earnestly asked, "Excuse me Mommy, but when is this cleanse over?". The kids have been really good sports trying lots of new foods and now they appreciate their beloved noodles with butter and parmigiano cheese now more than ever! I hope your kids have been good sports, too.

still cleansing

and happy with it too!
-rooibois (pronunciation anyone?) tea w/ soy milk is really good.
-i'm in love w/ sweet potatoes (but i think it's important not to overload on them right? - high glycemic).
-your post leslie about mustard w/ brussel sprouts has made me revisit my jar of dijon w/ every dinner. what an underappreciated condiment.
-maybe this is the ketosis state talking, but i think i want to continue this after the 21 days are up, or at least mon-fri - but that might be harder. in the same way it's harder to exercise 3 days a week than to exercise every day. i know. i hear everyone screaming @ that. but it is harder to "fit it in when it works," easier just to treat it as a non negotiable, like brushing teeth.
-seoul market on geary & 10th, next to the jack in the box has korean food to go & korean kimbop is almost cleanse compliant (white rice). as is much korean food.
-i was @ costco & did NOT take a peppermint bark chocolate sample.
thanks tracy for your huge vegan info post!

Hello, Cleansers, Are You Still There?!

Surely, Mary and I are not the only ones still on the cleanse.  Speak up!  Let us know how you're doing.  I am dying of curiosity.  We have LOTS of people on the cleanse.  It's Day 11.  I, for one, want to know how everyone else is feeling.  Don't be shy.

So Craig received a Harry & David gift box at work.  He wasn't going to bring it home but then he saw "apples and pears" printed on the side so he thought, "Perfect cleanse food!"  Well, unfortunately, the box included much more than apples and pears.  Take a look:

Yup, that left side was loaded with carmel corn, cookies, truffles, chocolate-covered cherries.  Noooooooooo!  I quickly wrapped up the items that appealed to me and put them in a bag out of sight to give to my cleaning lady.  I kept items that I don't like so much for after-school treats for the kids.  (This is far less tempting than walking into Peet's to get something for them there, with the intoxicating smell of coffee impairing my better judgment!)  If I was not on this cleanse, I cannot tell you how many truffles or chocolate-covered cherries I would have eaten last night alone.  So for everyone who has said, "I can't believe you guys are doing this during the holidays," I respond that it's the PERFECT time of year for a cleanse!  Leslie

Amazing Resources (Thanks, TS!)

My friend Tracy (many of you know her from school), a former vegan and extremely mindful eater, sent me these fabulous resources and tips!  Enjoy!  Leslie

Baking

• Ground flax meal (one egg = 1 Tbsp flax seed meal mixed with 3 Tbsp water, whisk in small bowl & let sit for 2-3 minutes; add to a recipe as you would an egg).  I have used this in “from scratch” recipes (mostly breads).  I prefer this over “egg replacer”.  I’ve not tried it in cookie recipes
• Most of the GF boxed baked items (cakes, cookies, etc) I have tried are g-r-o-s-s!
• Sweetener:  Agave Light–is a lighter taste, but a little goes a long way.  Dark is a much heavier taste.  I’ve not baked much with agave as I always tasted it too much (if you try it, maybe reduce the recommended amount)
• Maple Syrup:  depending the “grade” of the syrup, it can be powerful and take over the taste
• Date/ Maple Sugar????
• I've tried sucant (sp) and it was ok.  Consistency of final product was "odd" (kinda crumbly, flaky)
• I have to admit, I use white sugar for most of my baking - but I try to get one that is vegan (not bleached with chlorine or other scary chemicals). 

 Popcorn Topper

• Nutritional Yeast (available in bulk at Whole Foods and Rainbow)
• Parma (http://www.eatintheraw.com/ -- in bulk at Whole Foods and Rainbow)  -both the spicy & cheesy ones are awesome!!

 Grains

• I’ve been skipping grains lately & replacing everything with ground up cauliflower (cauliflower meet my cuisinart & take a spin) 
• There are some GF pasta’s.  I tried one that was in a greenish-blue box.  It was ok. Kinda thick and sticky.

 Other Tidbits (I've not checked these items for gluten)

• Trader Joe’s Soy Yogurt
• Whole Soy Yogurt
• Kale Chips (available at Rainbow & Whole Foods, but you can make your own – Kale + nutritional yeast or Parma + oven) –high in fat though
• Spice / Fruit:  add some extra spice (smoked paprika, garlic, ginger) or lemon / lime juice to a meal – jazzy!
• Most capsule medications (OTC and prescription) contain gelatin (animal product). If you do not know what gelatin is, trust me when I say you never want to eat it again. 
• When eating out & ordering vegan, stress you are vegan for allergy reasons (you will be taken much more seriously)
• Fresh Spring rolls – sounds like a lot of work, but they are easy to make (fresh veggies, lettuce, basil mint, rice paper and maybe some smoked tofu).  If you cannot make at home, Sunflower (16^th / Valencia), and Le Soleil (Clement / Arguello), Out the Door (Bush/Fillmore) have great ones
• Baked tofu: Savory Baked from Trader Joes & Wildwood are good, but I prefer the delights from Hodo Tofu (Saturday Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and some Whole Foods)
• Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread (for toast, I’ve not baked with it)
• Kombucha  - fermented raw tea drink (available in a bottle at Rainbow, Whole Foods).  I love GT Synergy brand, in particular the Ginger Aid, Gingerberry, Cranberry one, Super Green, all are great. Kinda gives me a kick (like caffeine) on an empty stomach
• Sprinkle fresh fruit salad with a touch of honey/agave & lime juice (or even a dash of cayenne)
• Daiya Cheese Alternative – good, but will probably taste “funny” --- melts well though.  It is all rage now, but I prefer “vegan gourmet” (we’re talking pizza here)

 Brands, Restaurants (I've not checked these items for gluten)

• Maripossa (Ferry Plaze Farmers Market, Whole Foods)
• Pica Pica is GF & has vegetarian options (but I think can be vegan)
• Café Gratitiude (my opinion:  they are expensive, service stinks & so do some of the servers, literally, and they are pricey; but get a half-order or just order dessert)
• Gracias Madre – owned by Café Gratitude, but a better experience.  Still slow service, but the dishes are deelish (kale side dish, salads, and tacos)
• Plant Organic – I think they have some GF options (I always assume if a place has vegan options, they can go GF)
• Herbivore
• Sweet and Sara - http://www.sweetandsara.com/
• Amici’s – they have a GF vegan pizza (and probably deliver to you)
• Patxi’s – they have vegan cheese, not sure about vegan crust
• Millennium
• Encuentro (my new fave)
• Gather (a friends’ fave)
• Divvies (http://www.divvies.com/)

 Chefs, Cool People, Cookbooks I love

• Skinny Bitch in the Kitch & Skinny Bitch (Freedman)
• The Vegan Table & The Joy of Vegan Baking (Colleen Patrick Goudreau)
• How it all Vegan & The Garden of Vegan (Sarah Kramer & Tanya Barnard)
• Deborah Madison
• Mollie Katzen
• Alicia Silverstone’s “The Kind Diet” (http://www.thekindlife.com/)
• The 30-minute Vegan (Mark Reinfel & Jennifer Murray)
• You Won’t Believe it is Vegan (Lacey Sher & Gail Doherty)

 Websites I stalk (mostly vegan, but can probably support a GF lifestyle too):

• http://veganyumyum.com/
• http://www.manifestvegan.com/
• http://vegweb.com/index.php?action=recipecategories/
• http://veganmenu.blogspot.com/
• http://cafevegnews.blogspot.com/
• http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_grains.php
• I can’t believe it is vegan http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/accidentally-vegan.aspx

A Girls' Night Out

Last night there was a 4th grade parent meeting at my daughter's school at 6:30pm. An hour before, I dashed off an email to a bunch of friends asking if anyone wanted to have a drink after the meeting. It could still be fun to hang out with friends at bar while on the Cleanse, right? I was hopeful.

We settled into a booth, everyone ordered fun drinks and I ordered....bubbily water. My friends know about the Cleanse, but I felt a little like Mrs. Grinch anyway while ordering. When the drinks came I still felt defeated, but after we settled in it was a great night-- lots of chatting, laughing, etc and I didn't miss the alcohol one bit. After a drink out I would normally go home to snack, but when I got home I wasn't hungry at all.

While I don't feel that different on the cleanse, it made me realize that I eat a lot more everything than I need. And for me even one drink triggers snacking and (for sure) sugar triggers more sugar. So thanks to Mary and all of you for offering up the opportunity to do the Cleanse, I have learned a lot about my own habits in the last 10 days and who knows how the next 11 days will unfold?!

The Longest I've Gone Without Chocolate

Okay, I'm starting to feel pretty good.  Having not worked out since October (!), thanks to lingering effects of Labrynthitis, I went out for a power walk today.  It felt great and I felt great.  I ran into Mary, bright-eyed and smiling, at school pick-up today.  She feels great too.  We believe Day 9 is a pivotal day.  (I saw her yesterday as well and neither of us had yet noticed much difference...)  Day 9 might just be the day our bodies begin to rebalance.  How is everyone else feeling on this Day 9?

Although I said I was no longer obsessing about coffee, that may have just been a temporary lull in my cravings.  Today, I have indeed resumed obsessing about coffee.  I turn my head when I walk by Peet's so as not to get an accidental whiff.  When I go back, I'll go back to decaf.  But I just cannot wait to go back.  And I do believe this is the longest I've ever gone without chocolate.  I'd like some of that too.  But when I go back, I'm going to find the ultra dark, uber healthy kind -- not the junky loaded-up-with-sugar-and-chemicals kind. 

In other cleanse news, here's one of my favorite meals -- from even before the cleanse:



Peel and cut a sweet potato into small pieces.  Cover and microwave for about 7 minutes with a splash of water.  Separately, tear up kale and cover and microwave for about 2-3 minutes with a splash of water.  Drain both.  Normally, I mix them together with TJ's spicy peanut sauce but I found a cleanse-friendly alternative online:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 Tbsp. peanut butter

1 Tbsp. GF soy sauce

2 tsp. agave

2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. chili oil (I found sesame chili oil in one bottle so I just use 3 tsp. of that)

1 clove of garlic (I pop in the frozen, pre-minced squares from TJs)

Mix.  Delicious!  Leslie

Plain Old Regular Friendly

My daughter and I were looking forward to Japanese food tonight--we were both craving tempura and the salted Edamame that somehow taste better than those I buy at the market. When our evening evaporated, I decided to splurge on some take out. I checked Yelp and called a new place that sported a website that looked vegan and gluten-free friendly (great reviews and a great typeface)--Chin's Sushi Bar and Restaurant in the Richmond. Well it turns out Chin's is not just vegan and gluten-free friendly, it's plain old regular friendly as well.

The lovely man who answered the phone brainstormed with me about dishes I could eat, then offered to make me special veggie tempura from scratch using rice flour instead of their regular all-purpose flour. He then suggested another veggie rice noodle dish that he tailored to my tastes. Twenty minutes later he called to apologize that their dipping sauce contained wheat. Fifteen minutes later he arrived at my door. Huge helping of veggie tempura, two giant veggie noodle wraps, edamame: $18, including delivery.

Disclosure: This was by no means great Japanese food. But it was a refreshing change from my beans and curries and salads. I'm a new fan. http://www.chinsushibar.com/chin_index.html

-Mary

My New F Word

I have discovered the Cleanse’s major flaw. It’s not the absence of caffeine, the lack of butter, or even the prohibition on wine. It is, instead, what it actually allows. I’m talking about a 100% Cleanse-acceptable food: FRENCH FRIES. (Certainly not a recommended food, but nonetheless it's vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free if you skip the ketchup!) Clearly, Kathy Freston’s editors at Weinstein Books missed this one. Or maybe Kathy has such a weakness for French fries that she couldn’t give them up. Whatever the reason, French fries fit the bill. Not only that, in some instances they are the ONLY legit food around. And so French fries have become my new “F” word.

For instance, this past weekend I was eating away from home. I called the hotel ahead of time, spoke with the concierge, who spoke with the kitchen, who spoke with the concierge, who assured me that they were happy and able to prepare me meals that were Cleanse-compliant. The concierge referred to a delicious vegetable platter among other options, then told me about a “crazy woman” who had stayed with them last month and who had dietary restrictions just like mine. I should have picked up the subtle sign that all was not right, but I called during the throws caffeine withdrawal. . . .

Fast forward. After a frigid but wonderful swim in an outdoor pool with my daughter, we retreated to our room where we donned terry robes and ordered room service (Mommy/daughter overnight—best Xmas gift ever!) At first I assumed the room service order-taker was simply uninformed. I assured her that the chef was happy to prepare me a dinner w/no meat, no eggs, no milk, no butter, no sugar, no wheat. After she balked the second time, I suggested the chef’s delicious vegetable platter. Silence. Finally, I adopted the polite but firm tone I reserve for telemarketers and the people selling Street Sheet near Laurel Village. After her third consultation with the kitchen, the order-taker informed me that they would indeed prepare me a vegan, gluten-free meal. Problem solved.

We waited eagerly for the doorbell to announce our dinner had arrived. Once it did, I checked the bill, clearly underlining the part where it says that 25% gratuity is already included, below the line that spells out the separate delivery charge. (I always feel guilty not leaving even more, wondering if the built-in gratuity ever makes its way to the workers--but I can’t wrap my head around 40%).

Katie lifted the covers off her plates—a perfect trio of breaded chicken strips, and a breathtaking chocolate mouse cake with fresh berries and vanilla gelato. “Let’s see yours, Mommy,” she encouraged. “Lift the covers.” Curious about what I’d find and by now nearly ravenous, I lifted the covers off my plates.

Here is what I saw:

Plate One: White. Lots and lots of white. Unbroken white. Steamed baby potatoes with a handful of steamed white beans sprinkled on top. Not an herb, a grain of pepper, a hint of green in sight.

Plate Two: I smelled it before I saw it. Garlic. And more potatoes. In this case, perfect crisp, golden french fries. Heaps of garlic on heaps of fries. Encrusted with heaps of salt, glistening with oil. Clearly, the oil, garlic, salt and herbs that were meant to go on Plate One had mistakenly found their way to Plate Two. (As my father would say, it all ends up mixed together anyway.)

Beans and potatoes on fancy china—well, it could be worse. They could have left the garlic off the fries. So I dug in, eating the beans first, then a few potatoes, then hesitatingly sampling a few garlic fries. Then a few more. And finally a few more. I won’t say I was satiated, but there was an element of bliss to it all. I chased my starch with a few cashews from my stash and called it quits at an estimated 800 calories or so . . . .

After reflecting, I now believe Kathy F. knew exactly what she was doing when she left French fries on her Cleanse menu. She built in a junk food loop hole. -Mary

Day 7: Some Things Are Surprisingly Easy

So we're 1/3 of the way through the cleanse and some things have been surprisingly easy.  Going vegan?  Totally easy.  Giving up gluten?  Not too bad.  Eliminating sugar?  Pretty hard.  That said, I really had no problem turning this down today:

Yup, that's the dessert table from the cookie party I mentioned in an earlier post.  Really, it was not that hard to pass up those goodies.  (In fact, eating my quinoa with gluten-free soy sauce instead of beautiful chicken salads, brie, etc. was much harder.)  And skipping the latkes (made with eggs, unfortunately) at Saturday's Hanukkah party wasn't too hard either.  (I just basked in the aroma, which was heavenly.)  Seriously, if it weren't for the cleanse, I probably would have eaten about 11 latkes and about 10 donuts at that Hanukkah party.  Instead, I walked out feeling pretty darn proud.  And I've even stopped obsessing about coffee.

That said, what IS hard is that I don't feel all that different.  I want to feel GREAT, WONDERFUL, FABULOUS, BETTER THAN EVER.  Instead, I feel...about the same.  And I've had private conversations with a few cleansers who are confessing...elimination issues...primarily from the massive influx of beans.  So I do believe our bodies are in an adjustment phase.  I'm hoping that phase is brief and I soon start to feel GREAT, WONDERFUL, FABULOUS, BETTER THAN EVER.  In the meantime, I'll be requesting some vegan and low-sugar baking books from the library because I do expect to take a few of these new habits into my post-cleanse existence.  Leslie

if you miss chocolate

quick note - artisan cacao bliss will save you!
ok, it's crazy pricey (i think about 9$ for 8oz jar) , but spread on an apple slice w/ peanut/almond butter, sprinkled w/ cacao nibs --it's not as outright sweet as regular chocolate, but smoother, a deeper chocolate mouthfeel.
it's sweetened w/ agave-not sure how cleanse friendly this is, b/c the point is to do away w/ all sweet stuff right?
but this is quite fine for a quick fix.

Admiration

Y told me about this cleanse you all were going to attempt and my first thought was that it was crazy for me and there was just no way I'd do it. Then I bought and read the book, and I thought maybe I could. Then I had an instantaneous eating disorder of the biggest binge I've ever been on begin. I guess it's not for me. At any rate, I wanted to tell you how much I admire you all for doing this. I have come across a couple of things you may be interested in -- first, a podcast called "Vegetarian Food for Thought" -- I think that's the right one -- she also talks about "Compassionate Cooks" so I don't know if that's a book she has, or what. She says some obvious things, but you may pick up some tips. Then , I just stumbled across this book: Appetite for Reduction (tried to include the link here, but it's breaking it up).

Good luck you 40-Year-Old Vegans!!

restless reflections....

day five. feel good, but not great. however, i did have a flu shot and whooping cough booster on wednesday, so that is probably contributing to my general lethargy. although i never did read the book this cleanse is based on, i have been reading similar books in recent months (CLEAN/THE KIND DIET/THE JUNGLE EFFECT). most lead me to believe that dairy is pretty unfriendly to most humans. my thought is that if you need a supplement like lactaid to digest something, you probably shouldn't be digesting it. so i'm really enjoying seeing what a dairy/vegan diet is like. the only things i miss at all in that category are fage greek yogurt and cheese. and egg whites, which were an easy way to start the day.

other than the two days with the headache, the caffeine withdrawal has been pretty minimal, and i've started drinking tons of herbal tea, with an occasional decaf chai thrown in.
i am a bit concerned about agave, as i saw some bad press a few months ago, likening it to high fructose corn syrup. really? who knows. i can't keep up. so i'm trying to get my sweet tooth satiated through pomegranate seeds, and copious amounts of tangerines and fugi apples.
i do miss wine. i guess my red wine repetition is similar to leslie and the noah's choc chip cookie. i don't drink that much of it, but knowing i can't have any of it makes it all the more desirable.....

i also bought and consumed two bags of "goraw" ginger snaps, so that isn't going to happen again. beside the fact that they are over $6.00 for a small bag, they are full of fat (albeit good fat) and high in calories.

so in a nutshell, my current mindset is : eating really well and healthy is not that hard, if you limit yourself to fruits, vegetables and whole grains. kind of boring. kind of the opposite of living with a bit of hedonism as an occasional guide.

i also am waiting for the five lbs i want to lose to drop off. hasn't happened yet.
but it will, right?

guilan

oh, made a super easy "stew" of sorts: lentils, baby carrots, a bag of the southern greens from trader joes (with kale, etc), bell pepper, vegetarian stock and various spices. really good and comforting.....

Today is a day...

...that I would otherwise pick up a tuna melt from Beautifull (de-lish, by the way!) and a Heavenly chocolate chip cookie from Noah's (I have already given those cookies way too much ink on this blog -- can you tell I'm obsessed?) at Laurel Village on my way home from an appointment I have nearby.  It's the perfect day -- cold, rainy, pre-weekend -- for that kind of comfort food.  It's going to hurt me more than a little to head home without them.

Meanwhile, this weekend will likely be my biggest challenge on the cleanse.  I'm going to a Hanukkah party tomorrow night (I'm praying she makes her latkes without eggs) and Sunday I'm going to an annual cookie exchange with sorority sisters.  I've already warned my college friends about the cleanse (likely confirming the stereotype of the hippe, granola San Francisco mom to those suburbanites).  I made the cookie dough last weekend and had a few samples then so there's no need to re-test the result when I defrost and bake them off Sunday morning.  I will simply be a cookie donor rather than a cookie exchanger.  I'm going to bring my own food -- likely some quinoa concoction -- to both events.  I hope I don't get on anyone's nerves (people who do this at parties usually get on mine) and I hope I don't burst into tears over the aromas.

Meanwhile, on this Day 5, I don't feel all that different yet.  Does anyone else?

I'll leave you with another quote from the book:
"[W]ith this cleanse, we are not only detoxing from years of putting junk in our bodies, but we are also letting go of old habits, beliefs, and ways of being that no longer serve us." *

*Note -- I'm quoting exactly.  As much as I like this book, I -- as an anal professional writer -- do not approve of the author's overuse of the serial comma!

Leslie

incredibly delicious noodles

-my friend shelah (her again) sent me gluten free spaghetti - made from black beans! in fact that's the only ingredient! i guess that's not really more amazing than making noodles out of wheat kernels, but it seems so. and they're yummy too ( i've tried brown rice gluten free pasta & i probably cooked it incorrectly b/c they were not edible). i'm going to order some from this website.
https://www.navanfoods.com/Explore_Asian_Black_Bean_Spaghetti
i made it w/ tomato & garlic, but i think it would be fine w/ japanese memmi sauce too.
-i walked into arizmendi today & looked @ the cornmeal cherry scone & then ordered a ROOIBIS tea w/ soymilk. wow.

Less Gluten = More Energy

I feel a little guilty as I read your posts since I'm not doing the vegan portion of the cleanse and I'm really in awe of how you guys are doing. Love the recipes, too - thank you!! Even with my carnivorous version of the diet, I'm still having that craving for a handful of chocolate chips every day at 11am and 2m (my usual chip feasting hours)and it's getting worse each day as I approach that time of the month. This is definitely the hardest part of the diet for me. The gluten substitutes, however, have been enough to keep me from yearning for scones, etc. I can't believe how much I'm liking that brick of GF bread I got from TJ's.
Though I look forward to NOT craving sugar at some point, I can definitely say that I have more energy sustained throughout the day than I had before. And I'm sleeping really well, too.
I think I just need to get to the store to get some of those sugar-y tasting things that Mary mentioned!!
I, too, am really enjoying the posts from my fellow cleansers :o)

Damn You, Sugar. Damn You.

I was going to be gone for several hours so I packed up a bunch of food to take with me.  I decided to try one of the soy yogurts I bought last week at Whole Foods.  I expected it to be gross but I needed some protein.  Before one of my appointments, I sat in my car and dug in.  It was DELICIOUS.  It was lemon flavor and tasted just like regular yogurt.  How could that be?  I wondered.  I know I checked the ingredients.  Still in disbelief after the second bite, I looked at the nutrition facts.  18 GRAMS OF SUGAR!  How is that possible? I wondered.  I checked the label again: the second (!) ingredient was evaporated cane juice.  Ugggghhh!  I put it on my dashboard and stared at it:

I considered finishing it.  After all, it would be wasting food if I didn't.  And I needed some protein.  But then I checked the label again -- 6 grams of protein.  That meant there were 3 times as many sugar grams as protein grams.  Ugh.  I dumped it.  Big lesson learned here about sugar.  If I take nothing else away from this cleanse, I will be far more knowledgeable about my sugar intake.  While I don't feel especially different yet on the cleanse, I know all the sugar I'd been consuming cannot have been good for me.  Leslie

Other notes:
Yunah -- Your post about fish/your boys -- funny!  (And speaking of funny, getting to read Mary's posts is a HUGE side benefit of this cleanse!)
Jen -- Thanks for the Beano recommendation.  I guess the beans/gas thing is not an old wives tale after all!  :)

fish

-my friend shelah said some people just have to have that animal protein & i was thinking of this b/c i really want some fish today! so what would ordinarily be Sardine Festival tonight (b/c theo is out @ midweeklies & on such occasions, xander & i have canned sardines on finncrisp, this is half the reason i like him), will be falafel night (from costco, really good, w/ tahini sauce - mix equal parts white miso, tahini, thin w/ water, lemon juice YUM). although i'm pretty sure i'll be going back to fish after this cleanse, i have to remind myself that this is the whole point of this exercise, to take out & reset.
-thanks for the chickpea idea leslie, son#1 liked them! #2 grimaced.
-born-&-bred-in-iowa husband is in texas of all places & eating chicken fried stuff for all meals, kind of like a Last Meal before execution binge.

BEANO is the way to go

Leslie, about that bloated, gassy feeling...A vegetarian friend of mine highly recommended the use of BEANO to combat the lovely side effects of eating all of those legumes. Give it a try!
- Jen

Confessions of a Former Drug Addict

I’d heard it a million times, but now I know it’s true: Caffeine is a drug. I know this because of the headache hell I have been living in since taking my last hit (that’s drug speak for “sip”) on Sunday. I have newfound empathy for any one struggling with addiction—narcotics, shoes, reality TV, etc. This is nasty business and is my payback for drinking Diet Coke like water for so long.

I don’t think I’ve written anything without caffeine in my system since I stopped nursing my now 7-year-old 3^rd child. I am a bit worried that my vocabulary, grasp on grammar, and any sense of story were all buoyed by my caffeine habit. Like the athlete who depends on performance enhancing drugs, or the alcoholic who produces amazing art only when lubed, I wonder, "Can I blog without caffeine?" So I'm going to ease into it.

Here is a synopsis of Day Two and Three. Narrator’s voice should be slightly cranky but still hopeful:

Day Two:

-Couldn’t hold a “plank” for full minute at exercise class.

-Couldn’t remember where I parked car.

-While driving, had to pull over from headache pain. Tucked into parking space in front of La Mediterranee. Sign out front read, “Today’s Special--Vegan Curry.”

-Had delicious vegan curry lunch.

-Sat in car for 25 minutes before felt able to drive safely.

-After putting eldest on baseball bus to Treasure Island, I promptly left his notebook and backpack lying on lobby floor at school for the night.

-Fed kids dinner at 4:55pm, so I could “lie down” asap. Me to daughter: “Mommy doesn’t feel well and is going to lie down for a few minutes.” Daughter to me: “Mommy, aren’t you on this diet so you feel better?” Me: Touche.

Weds:

-Crippling headache upon waking early; early--since son has to get to school in time to do homework in notebook sitting on lobby floor.

-Still leery of oatmeal and protein shakes (see Day One), made delicious breakfast of peanut butter on gluten-free toast. This meal could become addictive.

-Tough time staying awake during very interesting presentations by smart, informed educators.

-Enjoyed delicious Cleanse-friendly lunch prepared by kindhearted and generous friend.

-Gave away last case of Diet Coke to above-mentioned kindhearted friend .

-Assured by another friend that giving up caffeine was the best thing she ever did. (She does have good skin.)

-Had Blue Barn salad w/falafel for dinner.

-Headache entered manageable realm.

-After throwing away take-out Chinese containers, viewed Leslie’s mouthwatering blog photos of meals she’s cooked her family.

-Vowed not to let husband read blog anymore.

-Mary

Day One, Belatedly

Morning was off to a good start. While flipping pancakes for the kids, I mixed up the oatmeal my husband (he of the Soybean Surprise Casserole) had selected for me. I added raisins and walnuts and started in. It was delicious. So good in fact, that I checked the label. Was there really no sugar in this? No, there wasn’t. But there was—gulp—wheat flakes! And not buried deep in the ingredient list, but listed in the #2 spot right after the oats! Of course, I hurled the oatmeal into the sink and retreated to the cabinet. Next, I blended up a shake with my newly purchased protein powder (also selected by Mr. Soybean Surprise). Added a banana, some frozen strawberries, water—and voila! The frothy pink concoction was quite good, not extremely tasty, but a notch up from just okay.

After dropping the kids, replaced my morning latte with peppermint tea. All was well. Day progressed as normal. Caffeine-headache set in, but I was prepared. I headed for my first ever acupuncture appointment. It definitely helped with the headache. Quite amazing. But then I agreed to let my acupunturist “cup” me. When she first mentioned the therapy, I had visions of aged Filipino men cupping patients on straw mats lining the sidewalk in Manila. As a former health journalist, and having spent years working in Asia, I well remembered the practice.

Eyebrows raised, I said, “Well, I’m sure this isn’t that thing I’m thinking of where you light a match inside a glass and then invert the glass onto my back, creating suction that leaves a big purple ring of a bruise?”

“It is indeed!” she replied cheerfully. But she is a wise and persuasive healer, and I was fighting a mounting migraine. She seemed so calm, and the music was so relaxing, so I figured—needles, flaming cups, bring it all on!

I’m not sure what the cupping did, other than insure I’ll have to wear a wetsuit to the pool this weekend. As for the needles, I never even saw one go in. I fell asleep, woke incredibly refreshed.

When the session was finished, and the assistant had removed the needles from my body (fairly painless, totally cool), I stood and looked in the mirror. As I swept my hair out of my face, I gasped. There it was—one lone needle, protruding straight up from my hairline, blending inconspicuously with the ever increasing gray hairs invading my sandy blondish brown locks. I was about to head off into the mean city streets with a needle hanging out of my body. I’m not sure how this stacks up again wearing your blouse inside out or having toilet paper stuck to your shoe or even a curler in your hair, but it unnerved me. I called out plaintively for help, and the needle was quickly removed.

That evening, while tidying up the kitchen, I took a closer look at the protein powder canister. It said, “Whey Powder.” Whey? Couldn’t be. Soybean Surprise husband had selected it especially for me. But there was no mistaking the fact that this was indeed whey powder, made of generous portions of milk product.

And so with a 100% HERBAL cup of tea (label triple checked), I reflected on day one of my almost vegan, almost gluten-free, almost sugar-free Cleanse. And much as I appreciate Mr. Soybean Surprise's help and support, I vowed to select my own food products for the remainder of the Cleanse. -Mary

This may be TMI...but...

I'm feeling a little gassy and bloated.  I have been eating a lot of beans.  I also have PMS so who knows the true cause.  Tonight, I didn't feel like cooking or experimenting so we had leftovers of the curried lentils.  Giving up my mid-afternoon cookie and my late-night chocolate snack has been easier than I thought it would be.  (Those quinoa flour macaroons are tasting better and better each day...)  The same is true of cheese -- I'm not as tempted as I was yesterday.  But I really, really, really want a cup of coffee -- a nice, rich cup of hot coffee. 

A lot of people are asking, "How's the cleanse going?"  I'm not sure yet how to answer.  I'm doing it, I'm motivated, I'm having cravings, but I'm not starving.  But I also don't feel all that different yet.

Here are a couple of good quotes from the book:

"[H]abits come about because they provide some sense of security and regularity in the face of anxiety.  But the more you lean into the discomfort, instead of running from it or grabbing another drink, as long as you have a willingness to breathe through the difficult feelings, you will become more and more free to live at the highest levels of wellness."

"This is a 'diet' you could stay on indefinitely, because it doesn't deny your body any of its needs and is actually rich in nutricious vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and nuts, and chock-full of everything you need to fuel your body for a lifetime." 

Leslie

noctural nature?

my usual bedtime is 11/11:30. last night a 5.9 earthquake couldn't have woken me after my head hit the pillow at 8:58!! so i guess the epiphany is: even though i do not drink coffee, my chai/earl grey tea in the am is still caffeine! and the withdrawal was a little intense, manifesting in two days of a headache. today, however, i feel great. rested. ready to go to whole foods in the next two days and stock up on more. like leslie, i am not a big cook, and frankly, would rather spend time on other endeavors. still i have always managed to eat and cook healthy, simple foods for myself and family. but i am starting to get a little more creative with foods, and realizing that it's not that hard to experiment in the kitchen.
i also picked up a book at the library called THE KIND DIET by alicia silverstone of all people. it's about living the vegan life. i'm actually considering a year experiment into this type of eating. for me, this cleanse so far has been fairly easy-agave and "zero" sweetener (natural, no sugar, no glycemic rise, etc.-at whole foods) as well as fruit have satiated my sweet tooth. gluten free is not hard, just takes another level of being vigilant about reading labels, etc. the hardest part is not having a glass of wine this weekend at a dinner party i'll be attending......i can manage to eat just salad and be fine, but no wine? at a dinner party? in the coldest, darkest month? luckily, i'll be doing a yoga workshop on saturday afternoon so i am hoping that will help me to stay mindful!!
guilan

These Were De-Lish!

Here are a few VERY easy things I've made that were DELICIOUS (if I do say so myself!).  First up:

Drain and rinse a can of garbanzo beans and roast them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Toss with salt or other spices.  Super crunchy and yummy.  Lots of protein.  Seriously couldn't be easier.  Next up, last night's dinner:

Found this in Whole Living magazine (I may get a subscription now!).  Roast a sweet potato for 45 minutes (or microwave), mash, then add a little unsweetened coconut milk, unsweetened coconut flakes, pomegranite seeds, salt and lime wedges.  YUM -- filling and not too sweet!  I also roasted brussel sprouts until they were quite brown.  I ate mine with a little mustard, which hit the spot for me last night.  Craig had his plain.  Seriously, this dinner was easy (I pulled it off on our busiest kid-activity afternoon/evening) and delicious.

This is a major bonus of this cleanse -- I'm actually cooking (something I rarely do) and I'm discovering new dinner/snack ideas.  I would still die for some coffee right now but today I'm feeling pretty jazzed about the whole thing!  Leslie