Detox Update

I started my Easy Detox Week at dinner on Sunday, so here's a quick recap of my meals (and a few moments of weakness) so far.

Maybe titling it an "Easy" Detox Week was a poor choice of words. I meant simple, as in, there wouldn't be any crazy ingredients to go out and buy or a lot of money to spend on silly juices. I set 8 basic rules for myself based on my lifestyle and what I wanted to change and the foods I needed to take a break from.

What prompted this? Over Thanksgiving weekend, I ate pizza, Butternut Squash Lasagna, Vegetable Wellington, string bean casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffed clams, raviolis, apple pie, ice cream, sorbet, corn bread, cookies, etc etc etc! I also drank a few cups of coffee and even let a hot chocolate and a piece of coffee cake get the best of me on the ferry ride home. When I woke up Sunday morning, I made myself  eggs with quinoa, black beans, and cheddar. Then I started to think, I better make a conscious effort to turn things around this week or my pants aren't going to fit much longer! So I hit up a a 90 minute vinyasa class and spent the afternoon studying at our local coffee shop, where I had a latte and an amazing salad for lunch.

Then I decided to try this detox thing and I'm glad I did. I do well with rules, so I'm following them, for the most part. Here's a run-down of my meals and snacks since Sunday evening.

Sunday:
Lentil Soup with carrots, onions, celery, parsnip, pepper, rutabagas, and fresh herbs (no oil or salt)

Monday:
Oatmeal and Apple Smoothie (not the best choice)
Red Lentil, Turnip, and Parsley Soup
Pistachio butter (roughly 2 tb)
Venti unsweetened green iced tea
Cucumbers with hummus
(skipped routine vodka after class)

Tuesday:
20 oz Green Smoothie with apple, carrot, celery, cucumber, kale, flax, chia, date, ginger
Lentil Soup
raw unsalted cashews (probably around 1/3 c over course of afternoon)
apple with sunflower seed butter
Venti unsweetened green iced tea
hummus with carrots, celery, and pretzels (I cracked!)
a bite of leftover wellington (it would be a shame if it went bad, right?)

Wednesday:
20 oz Green Smoothie  with apple, carrot, celery, cucumber, kale, flax, chia, date, ginger
Lentil Soup
raw unsalted cashews (probably around 1/3 c)
apple with sunflower seed butter
coconut water
shot of aloe juice
(ran 1 mile and did a body pump class)

Thursday:
20 oz fruit smoothie with apple, blueberries, raspberries, coconut water, aloe juice, flax, chia
raw cashews
butternut squash soup
kombucha
raw almonds
...

So what have I learned so far?

• That anyone can take a step back from their normal routine and make some simple changes to get back on track 
• That variety is important (we ran out of salad greens and haven't had time to make it to the store this week, so I've been eating more soup than I had planned on for lunch. A salad would be nice, but I don't want to put oil on it, so I need to make some dressing with some nut butter or something)
• That when I don't eat bread and cheese, I turn to nuts and fruit. 
• That real, straight up aloe juice doesn't taste good.
• That foods that aren't whole are really hard to avoid if you're on the run and don't prepare! 
• That my body responds well when I treat it right. The 2 lbs I put on over the weekend are already gone. My pants fit. And I feel good. :-)

Are you getting back on track with your health and wellness goals after indulging this past holiday weekend? What works for you?