Well it turns out that I was not just suffering from indigestion yesterday after all. So I was not literally killing myself with food (well perhaps a little ) but I was coming down with a tummy bug !!! Having said this I am going ahead with my plan to start to cut out some of the garbage this week and get ready for the big day on Saturday.
Today for a start to the day I decided to not have my regular coffee, and instead to put on a pot of green tea. Not only is green tea great for weight loss, appetite suppression, & great scource of antioxidants, but it is also beneficial for people with high blood pressure (among countless other things ) I would urge people to make this one change if hoping to cut down on ones toxicity levels. It still contains caffeine (although less of it) but it is a clear fresh beverage enjoyed hot or cold.
My personal favourite green tea is one that a friend of mine created. (Take Charge Tea) This gifted woman has managed to come up with a beautiful blend of Green tea, ginger, and fennel that is lively, refreshing and great on the tummy ..... I adore this blend.
One last thing I will say about green tea is that many people don't enjoy it because it can be bitter. I learned from my friend BJ that the secret is in the brewing process. I am NO tea expert on any level but I will share with you how I make mine, and it is never bitter or too strong.
1 ) Get your hands on some of BJ's Take Charge Tea's green tea with fennel and ginger.
2) either in a pot or in a 4 cup measuring cup scoop out 2 heaping tablespoons of the loose tea.
3) put on the kettle and bring it to a boil .... then turn off the kettle and DO NOT POUR IT OVER THE TEA !! Wait a full 5 mins for the water to cool down before filling up your pot.
4) after the water is cooled for 5 mins .... cover your tea with 4 cups of this hot water and ...
5 ) set your timer for 5 mins ... once this time has passed, strain your tea and don't let it sit in the leaves.
I strain mine into a mason jar with a lid. I then enjoy a cup hot, and place the rest in the fridge to enjoy through the day. I usually use 1/2 of the remaining tea in a green tea, green smoothie in the later part of the morning (frozen banana, a few handfuls of kale or spinach, and one full cubed mango, covered with green tea and blended), and I usually have the last of it as iced tea, in the after noon (3 ish for that 3 o'clock brick wall I tent to hit where I have no energy for the later half of my day ) I fill a glass with ice, pour in the tea, and stir in a teaspoon of raw agave nectar for a refreshing bevvie.
Now I have to honest ... I don't have allot of experience with other green teas although I am pretty sure the brewing process would be similar.
On another note I tried someting today that I always wanted to do for breakfast. I had raw green lemonade. I have read of this mixture in several detox manuals that I have read .... and today I did it !! The recipe is simple and to my surprise it was pretty good ! I will make a few adjustments tomorrow ... but I think it will become a part of my daily cleanse routine.
Here it is ......
1 head of romaine
5 leaves of kale
1 lemon ( now they said you don't have to peel it ... and I didn't ... but I will tomorrow. The lemon oil from the rind was a tad much for me ... and I love lemon more then anyone)
2 apples (I used green because they are my personal fave ... not because they are green)
& 1 or 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger (optional. I like ginger and I had a sore tummy so I went for it)
Now juice all of the above in a juicer (not blender ) and enjoy.
Now I didn't have kale on hand (shocking ... I know) so I used dandelion greens (which are friggin bitter) but I like it. Again I think the one thing that was yucky was the lemon peel. I quite liked it. I added about 2 oz of fresh spring water and had it over ice. I am quite used to the taste of greens so I loved the idea ... for some it may take some getting used to.
For lunch I had pesto pasta ! Well raw vegan pesto over zucchini pasta that is :) I have a spiral slicer that I use to make pasta out of zucchini, but I used to just grate it with a grater or use a carrot peeler to make ribbons like fettuccine noodles. Zucchini is soft and bland and spongy, SO it really takes the flavour of what you then cover it with. Today I made a beautiful pesto and was in heaven eating my raw and satisfying lunch.
PESTO :
2 cups fresh basil,
2 cloves of garlic( I know some may use more if planning to cook the pesto after.... but raw garlic is pretty strong, I think 2 is max !)
1/2 cup of some kind of nut ... usually pine nuts, but today I used raw brazil nuts and a few tablespoons or hemp seeds as well. It gives it the nutty and creamy texture we love in pesto even with no dairy.
about 1/2 cup of olive oil
Now I place everything in the food processor (except the oil ) and I start it up .... I then slowly drizzle the oil in the top opening so not to add too much ... once it is a nice goopy saucy texture you don't need any more oil. That's it !
I then toss it with my zucchini (just coating the noodles) and yum ... a low cal raw version of a fave dish.
Add sea salt to taste. I always use pink sea salt.
This recipe makes more then you would eat at lunch ... save it for a dip or a spread through the week.
I am not 100% going raw this week ... baby steps. I will have a broth tonight, with veggies, and some wild rice. And a green salad as well.
Tomorrow I will make a great raw tabbouleh salad !!
I hope you have all had a healthy start to your day as well ! I know what a great jump start the green lemonade gave me this morning. I am already looking forward to tomorrows :)
TTFN,
B.
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