Whole Foods Detox - Days 7 to 10

I'm done! I'm done! I made it through all 10 days of the Whole Foods Detox with Vanessa Case, RHN.

 

It wasn't hard though. It wasn't too different from the foods that I regularly eat and I got to try out some new recipes. The only difference was that for 10 days I did not ingest refined sugar, wheat, dairy (other than feta, goat's cheese and butter), or meat.

 

There were still treats though; like these spelt blueberry muffins (with only 2 tbsp of honey for the whole batch).

 

There was no bread on the menu but we did enjoy Ezekiel Wraps for lunch. Ezekiel Tortillas are an awesome alternative to your run-of-the-mill whole wheat tortillas. There's a lot of goodness in there; they contain sesame seeds, barley, millet, lentils, spelt, etc..

My favorite meal of all the recipes in the program was the Toasted Almond Green Rice Salad. It was AMAZING! I'll be making this one again and again. Perfect for using up leftover rice.

The sweet potato enchiladas were pretty good too..

but I could have passed on the kale and navy bean soup. It was my least favorite meal.

Other dishes we had included a frittata with a ton of veggies..

some stuffed zucchini..

and a dahl.

 

 

So how do I feel after having completed the 10-day detox? Well,..it's hard to say. I've managed to catch a cold in the process so I don't feel very good right now. I'm all stuffed up. I really don't know if it's a side-effect of the detox in my case or if it's an actual cold. Either way...I don't feel very good. I'm sure I'd feel great otherwise.

 

The real test will be continuing the process now that there is no lovely menu to follow, especially since I'm travelling back to London for a few days. Let's see how hard it is to eat clean while on-the-go. It's easy to eat real food at home but it's a whole other problem when you're relying on restaurants and lunches from the market or grocery store.

 

One thing's foresure - I'm definitely going to miss my Vitamix and my morning shakes and smoothies. I may go into withdrawal..

 

Wish me luck!!

 

If you'd like to see what days 1 to 3 looked like check out these links:

Day 1 - http://www.eatrealberealns.com/2012/09/whole-foods-detox-day-1.html

Days 2 and 3 - http://www.eatrealberealns.com/2012/09/whole-foods-detox-days-2-and-3.html

 

Days 4 to 6 - http://www.eatrealberealns.com/2012/09/whole-foods-detox-days-4-to-6.html

 

Whole Foods Detox - Days 4 to 6

You know what's the best part of participating in a detox/cleanse? I don't have to plan any meals; they're all planned for me! Figuring out what's for dinner is always a stressful part of my day. The downside? Having a menu plan means that I have to follow it. HAHA

 

Anyways, the last three days have brought many yummy meals and snacks. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

 

A grated veggie 'detox' salad,...



 

A veggie stir-fry with soba noodles,...

Apples and almond butter to snack on,...

A simple lunch,...

Lots of smoothies,...

Bean patties with spinach/roasted garlic salad,...

Beet salad,...

Brown rice with roasted veggies,...

You hungry yet? The food has definitely been tasty.

I'm still feeling pretty good although for the last day or so I feel as though I've got a cold coming on. Apparently this is normal. I know that I'm not sick but am just feeling the junk leaving my body in the form of a slightly sore throat and sneezing. My skin is also breaking out. All good signs.

Only 4 more days left!

If you'd like to see what days 1 to 3 looked like check out these links:

Day 1 - http://www.eatrealberealns.com/2012/09/whole-foods-detox-day-1.html

Days 2 and 3 - http://www.eatrealberealns.com/2012/09/whole-foods-detox-days-2-and-3.html

Whole Foods Detox - Days 2 and 3

If you've been following my blog you'll remember that a couple of days ago I embarked on a 10-day whole foods detox regimen with Vanessa Case, RHN (here's the link to Day 1: http://www.eatrealberealns.com/2012/09/whole-foods-detox-day-1.html)

 

A couple more days have passed and things are going well. I'm loving the recipes and enjoying the journey.

 

Here are just some of the things I've been eating the last couple of days..

 

A green smoothie for breakfast..

 

My new favorite snack - almond yogurt with hemp seeds. Wow!! Really loved this one!

Lunch on the road. If you saw the blog post I did yesterday I was in the Lunenburg area visiting a few farms so I brought my lunch with me. Good thing too... When I visited the cranberry farm they had several different treats and baked goods to give out to the visitors. I was sooooo tempted to have one,..or two. Well, you know how it is. I was a good girl though. I resisted! I had my picnic lunch instead.

Dinner was really easy - a salad. You know how sometimes you just think that a salad just won't be enough? Well, not true. The salads on this plan are very filling. I especially loved this one. Delicious!

One snack called for Kale Chips. Ugh...I've tried and tried to make kale chips and have managed to fail them every single time. I've done them in the oven and in my dehydrator. They do turn out better in the dehydrator but they don't blow my mind away like they do with others. Because of my past failures I thought I'd give the Kale Krisps from Fruition a try. Fruition is a local company that "uses local and organic ingredients to create foods that satisfy your taste buds and nourish your body. Enjoy what you eat and feel good about it, inside and out." (www.come2fruition.ca)

On Saturday when I was at the market I figured I'd give their kale chips a try and chose their Zesty Cheeze Flavour Kale Krisps (ingredients: organic kale, red pepper, organic sunflower seeds, organic hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, organic apple cider vinegar, sea salt, spices). They also have ketchup flavour and kreamy dill too. Verdict? They are much better than mine. Even the kid liked them!

I'm hoping to try out many more of their other products too. They have pumpkin seed pate, nori crackers, chocolate almond bars, power porridge, and more.

Lunch today? Soup and steamed broccoli.

And finally, dinner...steamed vegetables and stuffed portabella mushrooms.

So how do I feel so far? Well, I've been sleeping terribly because I've been so wired. I feel like I've been drinking coffee actually. I was feeling really cold today too. Although it was sunny and in the low 20's I was upstairs working with the window closed, a sweater on and a blanket on my lap. Apparently cleansing the body of toxins does lead to various side effects (like being cold). Some people become nauseous or dizzy, while others have headaches or joint pain. It's all part of the toxins moving out of the body.

I think the biggest thing I've noticed is when a strange sense of calm came over me this afternoon. It's kinda nice. I haven't felt like that in a long, long time. I hope it continues..

Onwards to days 4 and 5!

A Visit to the Lunenburg Area to Meet the Farmers

Wow! Another beautiful day in Nova Scotia. The weather has just been incredible all summer! Perfect for taking road trips,...like to Lunenburg, for instance.

 

Today was Open Farm Day in Nova Scotia. Open Farm Day is "a province wide event on September 16th that creates the opportunity for participating Nova Scotia farmers to open their doors to members of their community. We’re giving you a backstage pass to meet your farmer, and really see where your food comes from. We also want you to have a first hand glance at our farmers’ hard work and dedication to top quality products and services." (from www.meetyourfarmer.ca)

 

Sounds like a good time to me!

 

Most of the farms are in the Annapolis Valley so I thought I'd go against the grain today and check out some farms in the Lunenburg area. I'm happy I did. The area is beautiful and has much to offer in terms of farms and agriculture.

 

My first stop was to the Terra Beata Cranberry Farm.

 

Upon arrival I made my way to the bog store and purchased a 1kg bag of dried cranberries for $14.00, a large bag of frozen cranberries and another of raspberries for $10.00 each. Score!!

Once a tour guide was available I was taken around the farm to learn about the cranberry harvest and how they get processed. Founded in 1998 when the government was encouraging Nova Scotia Farmers to start growing cranberries, owners, David and Evelyn, started the bog. Although there are only 12 acres on their farm, they actually process the cranberries coming from other farms throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Here are some cranberry facts:

• The majority of the cranberries are exported to places outside of Canada, like Russia, Germany, Poland, etc..
• Although many people farm cranberries they also grow wild in Nova Scotia - I know of a place nearby that has them. I can't wait to go out and pick them!
• Terra Beata has the only U-pick available for cranberries. The farm opens Thanksgiving weekend (October 4th) and for the remainder of October (Monday to Saturday). Cranberries can be picked for $1.50/lb or $6.00 for a 4/lb pail. Great deal!
• Most cranberries are grown in the Annapolis Valley, but can also be found along the south shore, Yarmouth and Cape Breton
• Nova Scotia has around 60 hectares of cranberries, with 21 growers
• The annual cranberry crop for the province is about 360 tonnes, worth about 1 million dollars

(info taken from http://www.gov.ns.ca/agri/agaware/teacher/22-23cranb.pdf)

We were also taken on a tour of the processing facility and kitchen. Pretty amazing stuff going on in there. The machine below can actually sort through the cranberries based on their color using high-speed photography. How? I don't know...that's technology for you!

My second stop of the day was to LaHave Natural Farms to learn about Haskap Berries. Until today, I had never even heard of them before. This is why they deserved a stop on my tour!

Here's some information about the berry and its farmers from their website:

"At home and abroad, Nova Scotia is traditionally known for its blueberry crops. But with the recent arrival of what some are calling a new “superberry,” that may change.

 

The haskap, an oblong bluish fruit popular in Japan which tastes something like a cross between a blueberry, a blackberry and a raspberry, happens to grow well in the province due to our cold winter and rainy spring weather. The plant bears fruit much earlier than most other plants, it’s easy to farm with existing equipment, and the berries are rich in antioxidants, calcium and vitamin C.

 

It’s being researched and distributed from the University of Saskatchewan, and, some say, it could very well be the next big thing in Nova Scotian agriculture.

 

“[The haskap berry] certainly has a lot of positive prospects as an up-and-comer,” said Minister of Agriculture John MacDonell.

In the seven months since it began offering them, Bridgewater-based LaHave Natural Farms, the largest haskap purveyor of its kind in Atlantic Canada, has taken orders for 55,000 plants to 98 different large and small farms, hobbyists and gardening clubs in Nova Scotia and the U.K., and is currently working on haskap juices, jams, wines, liqueurs and even antioxidant face scrubs."

 

Looks like there's an opportunity here. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the next few years.

Although the berries were already harvested for the year I look forward to visiting again to see what these things look like in person. They almost look like a rectangular blueberry. Weird!

Other facts?

• the berries have double the antioxidant content of Wild Blueberries
• they contain 60% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C in a single handful
• they contain more calcium than an apple
• they have double the iron content of a strawberry and three times that of a blueberry
• the taste has been described as a combination of raspberry, blackberry, with a hint of blueberry.
• they are the earliest berry to fruit, usually early to mid-June, a week earlier than strawberries

When I was there I purchased a small bag of dried berries. They also had sorbet and ice cream as well as Haskap Berry Honey. Unfortunately they were sold out of the honey. Bummer!

They also had quite a few plants for sale too. Aren't their greenhouse 'shelves' awesome?? Love it!!

My last stop of the day was to Hackmatack Farm to check out the winery and the high-bush blueberry farm.

I didn't spend too much time here since I was hoping to get back home in time for dinner but I did take the time to look at the pretty bottles of wine in the shop.

Hmmm...apple wine...sounds yummy! I'll be back to get one of those.

The grounds are pretty too. There are picnic tables available for a picnic and people are free to walk around and explore. Check out the grapevines!

I couldn't leave without picking some blueberries though. Although I would have loved to pick a whole bucket I just didn't have the time. That's okay...there's enough there for us to snack on during the week. It only cost me $1.60 too, much better than the $4.00 a pint it costs to buy them at the market. I've made note of the farm and will go back next year to get a good pick done.

Well, that was my visit through some of Lunenburg county's Open Farm participants. I wish I had given myself more time and had been able to make more stops. There's always next year I suppose!

Whole Foods Detox - Day 1

Today was the start of something new. I joined a 10-Day Whole Foods Detox led by Registered Holistic Nutritionist Vanessa Case. Vanessa is based out of London, Ontario (and Sudbury, Ontario) but she organizes the cleanses virtually via email and a Facebook group (website and contact info at bottom of this post).

 

Yesterday we received our menu plans and grocery list for the first 5 days. On the list were lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, oils, vinegars, etc.. All yummy stuff. Check out how full my fridge is now after my big shopping trip to the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market, the Superstore and finally, to Bulk Barn.



 

 

Mmmmm...all good stuff...

Now, most people who know me know that I try and eat pretty healthy. Uhm..the name of my blog refers to eating 'real' food (hello!). Every so often though it's nice to be able to push it a little further and do a cleanse/detox. Now, this isn't what you think. It's not about fasting or about drinking shakes or lemon water with maple syrup and cayenne pepper. This cleanse is about eating 'real/whole' foods to help with the removal of toxins and poisons in the body.

Just check out what I ate today! Here's part of my lunch,..

 

my afternoon snack (there's coconut water and coconut oil in that smoothie - super yummy),..

 

 

and for dinner,...another great salad...

with rice noodles on the side.

Day 1 is now over and I feel great. My energy was through the roof today. I was like the energizer bunny. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

I'll be blogging about the cleanse for the next few days to tempt you with pics so be sure to stay tuned to see what else is on the menu.

Here's Vanessa's Info in case you might be interested in joining her next detox group:

Vanessa Case

Website: http://www.ournaturalconnection.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ournaturalconnection?ref=stream

Twitter: @vanessa_onc



No-Bake Pumpkin Cookies

I'm going to continue with my pumpkin trend and post an amazing recipe that I adapted from another blog called Chocolate-Covered Katie. I stumbled upon her blog this week and OMG...great 'healthy/clean' desserts. I cannot wait to try them!! Here is her site (linked to the pumpkin cookies):

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/08/20/no-bake-pumpkin-oatmeal-cookies/

 

When I made them, however, I did make some changes to the recipe to bring them up another level.

 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup oat flour (don't bother buying some, simply take some oats and put them through a coffee grinder - instant flour)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup sugar (I substituted with honey)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• handful mini chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)
• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin (I used the pumpkin I had steamed earlier this week - see previous post)
• 2 to 2 1/2 tbsp milk (I omitted completely since i used honey instead of sugar..honey is a liquid so no additional moisture was needed)
• 1 tbsp oil (I used coconut oil)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another.

 

 

 

 

Mix them together until it is combined.

 

 

 

 

 Form the dough into balls and place in the fridge.

 

 

 

Totally yummy!!

Pumpkin, Chicken, and Barley Something-or-Other

I'm not sure what I would call the dish that I made yesterday...but my best effort at naming it is a 'Pumpkin, Chicken, and Barley Something-Or-Other'. A 'stoup' perhaps?? Not a soup, not a stew...I don't know...call it what you want.

 

I had a pie pumpkin that I got over the weekend and knew that after processing it I'd end up with a lot of pumpkin and it wasn't going to be made into a pie. So, I got creative.

 

To begin, I had to make my own can of pumpkin puree. In the past I've roasted it in the oven but this time I thought I'd try steaming it. I cut the pumpkin into quarters, removed the seeds (don't throw them out - roast them!), and shoved them into my steamer. Luckily it fit - it was a pretty big pie pumpkin.

 

I'll be using the steamer from now on. After half an hour it was perfectly done and the skin literally fell off of it, which made the job a whole heck easier.

That's all there is to it really. Remove the skin and put the pumpkin into a bowl and that's it. It freezes well too, which is a great way to take advantage of the season's bounty. Or, if you must..make a darn pie. Geez!

Pumpkin is often used in the following recipes - pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake or pumpkin bread/loaf. It's not just for baking though! It's great for savory dishes too and I've also used some in a smoothie or in my oatmeal. It's super nutritious so eat it up!!

Don't forget to keep those pumpkin seeds! 100 grams will give you 110% of your daily iron requirements and 71% of zinc. Wow!!

When I looked in the fridge I wasn't really sure what I was going to make, but I knew that I had to use the leftover chicken that I had and wanted to incorporate the pumpkin into it. This is what I came up with.

Ingredients:

• one onion, diced
• one large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• cup or so of cauliflower
• 4 tbsp barley
• 1 cup leftover chicken
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• salt and pepper

In a pot, soften the onion, garlic, and red pepper in a little bit of olive oil on medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until barley is cooked through and most of the water has been absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.

The final product looks a bit like a risotto, eh? I was pleased with the result. However, I didn't think to season it with anything else until after it was already on the table. Oops! I got distracted with some other things I was doing. I think a bit of thyme in there would have been tasty.

If needed, the barley could easily be substituted for rice, millet, quinoa or any other grain really.

With the 'Pumpkin, Chicken, and Barley Something-or-Other' we had raw carrots and for 'dessert' a canteloupe/banana smoothie blended with a bit of honey and Greek yogurt. Delish!

Mmm...I'm thinking about tomorrow's breakfast now. I'm going to have some oatmeal with pumpkin, cinnamon, raisins... Yum!! Can't wait to get up in the morning!