Retrospective: Day 1

It’s okay if I cheat just once, right? I mean, technically the cleanse can start at 10am rather than 8am, right? I couldn’t resist. The two-bite leftover of lemon pound cake from the night before was staring at me from the pan. My cleanse can start right after this one bite….

Thought process? “This cleanse is going to be a challenge”.

When I tell people I’m doing a cleanse diet, the majority of first responses is, “why”? Let me address this upfront.

1. I was challenged – or let’s say “invited” to do a cleanse with a buddy. I’m not one to pass up a challenge, at least not without serious consideration.

2. After a night of delicious gourmet pizza, wine and cheese – I was bloated, felt disgusting and realized it would take me a week at the gym to work off that little pizza party (no, it was not a party for one!).

3. I have been a vegetarian for upwards of 15 years now and the cleanse diet is not too far off from my normal dietary routine; however, there are some major foods in my life I would have to give up – sweets being one of them.

4. Despite being a vegetarian, I actually have a terrible diet. You would think I’d be eating fruits and vegetables galore, but in reality, I’ve become a creature of convenience. Ramen noodles, nachos and quick-and-easy stir fries constitute my diet – not to mention all the wonderful delightful eateries of Portland OR. I reviewed the cleanse diet I’d be following – “The 28 Day Cleansing Program” by Scott Ohlgren & Joann Tomasulo and realized that a lot of the recipes actually sounded really appetizing and perhaps this diet might help me in adapting a healthier vegetarian lifestyle.

5. I’m not doing this to lose weight per say, but if I shed a few pounds in the process, I won’t complain.

So that’s why. Let’s talk about how.

Day 1 was a challenge – I hadn’t properly stocked my pantry / fridge and was at a loss for what to eat since my buddy took the book with him. So I fasted for the most part. A banana here – an apple there. Luckily, he grabbed us some lunch from Whole Foods – a quinoa salad and a bean salad. To be honest, I was so hungry I think I would have loved it no matter what. Later that night he made a surprisingly delicious sweet potato & bean chili (recipe below). Key to cleanse diet – make enough for dinner to have leftovers the next day!

Since this journal is to document my experience, I believe in no holds barred. So get prepared as I talk about digestion, excretion and overall experience. A part of this is tracking what my body does – how it responds to the diet and how to optimize the diet to suit my lifestyle. Though I’m not personally concerned about weight loss, it will probably happen. I read somewhere that all the cleansing that occurs can eliminate pounds of build-up from the intestines. I am curious to see what my body does while on this diet. Mind you, there are other factors that will contribute to my overall weight loss (or gain) – being exercise (I bike to and from work, am moderately active and will be taking up the practice of Bikram yoga during this diet) and normal female fluctuations in water retention (yes, it tends to retend in the chest region).

Weight: My weight at the start of the diet was 137 (thank you pizza). My height is 5’6”… so technically when I started, I was in the upper middle of my BMI (body mass index). Since I fasted most of Sunday, come Monday I had already dropped down to 134. BMI is a measure of body fat based upon height and weight. There’s an easy way to find your BMI (www.nhlisupport.com/bmi). BMI index says <18.5 = underweight (have a pizza party!), 18.5-24.9 = normal, 25-29.9 = overweight, 30+ = obese. My ideal weight range is between 115-154 lbs (mind you that’s a 39 pound difference). At 134, I fit nicely into the middle with a BMI of 21.3. Let’s start this cleanse!


Recipe of the Day: Sweet Potato & Kidney Bean Chili

Ingredients: 1T olive oil, 1 T chili powder, 1.5c. water, 1 t ground coriander, 1t celtic sea salt, 1 md. red bell pepper, 1. md. sized onion (diced), 1 lg clove garlic (minced), 1.5 lbs sweet potato (peeled), 2 c. kidney beans, 1t ground cumin, 2 md. tomatoes (diced).

Instructions: Free free to use an assortment of sweet potatoes and yams with this recipe. Heat oil in large skillet over med heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic - cover and cook until softened. Stir in the chili poweder and other spieces. Cook for 30 seconds. Add sweet potatoes and stir to coat with spices. Transfer mix to saucepan. Add the tomatoes, beans and water. Season with salt. Cover and cook for 45 minutes over medium-high heat. 

*I am going to be conscious of using the word diet – if I do use the word, please understand that I am using it in a nutritional sense, not in a weight-loss sense.