Finally, a little challenge! Friday night, I had a birthday dinner out with a group of friends that notoriously ends in overindulging! So how to navigate this dinner- still have fun, be able to eat and not draw too much attention to what I am – or am not eating. This is one of my favorite subjects- how to dine out without sabotaging all your hard work and effort you’ve put into improving your diet. Most people think they have to abandon all discipline or it just can’t be fun. I disagree. I have had clients come to me completely stressed out about going out to eat because they don’t know how to make a good decision in the restaurant.They are so anxious about overeating and “blowing their diet” that they consider opting to not go. I have worked with them to read a menu, make sensible choices and appreciate the fact that someone else is cooking for them and cleaning up! You can’t get better than that! And the restaurant will oblige most of your requests to make changes – they are so much more accustomed to people’s dietary needs and allergies that they won’t even bat an eyelash anymore. So be a savvy diner- and skip the bread basket- most of the time. And learn to savor the experience, not just the food. So how did I do- well, I did have a cocktail- and loved it!  We shared a dozen oysters and I then ordered a beet and arugala salad with a beautiful piece of grilled tuna on top. All so fresh and beautifully prepared, lots of clean flavors- I definitely was not deprived at all. When dessert came, I was completely uninterested but did try a bite (a little peer pressure)- and it did nothing for me. My sweet tooth has subsided, at least for now. I was able to enjoy a night out in a restaurant without the angst of overeating and was able to stay close to the parameters I’d set for my cleanse. For me, its about making progress not about being perfect.

So with the momentum going on Day 5 I am feeling motivated and committed to continue to drink 2 Chia JOOS a day and stick with a  modified cleanse diet, slowly incorporating some other foods back in to my day. I want to slowly reintroduce certain foods, noting how they make me feel and avoid those that drain my energy and make me feel heavy and bloated. I want the changes I’ve made to work in the “real world” and not just while on a “cleanse”. I’ll keep you posted on these changes and additions!

By Day 3 I am really  getting into my cleanse. I am feeling a little lighter, definitely more in control of my eating, not interested in veering off track. I woke up HUNGRY this morning and was craving a banana with almond butter- I needed something solid right away. After that and my JOOS I was good to go for a few hours. Feeling HUNGRY is actually something I want to feel- so often I eat without thinking, mindlessly grazing and don’t give myself the chance to get there- HUNGRY.  I need to recognize when my body would be satiated by a glass of water or if I really do need food. It is so much more satisfying to eat and to enjoy it if you are hungry. I had a client yesterday that said she never feels hungry, she works at home, grazes and picks at food all day but feels so dissatisfied – she can’t even remember what she ate and knows she didn’t have anything resembling a healthy meal all day.  Strategically planning meals and breaks between them can make all the difference. The reality is that food is always just minutes away so you really won’t starve. Try it- let yourself stay away from food for 3-4 hours, feel hungry and plan to have something delicious but also nutritious and see how much more satisfying that is!

I had to bring my car in to the dealer for a check-up today and they sent a driver to my house to pick me up when it was ready. I got in the car drinking a green JOOS and the driver asked what it was. I thought -how will I explain this to him? He is going to think this is really strange. So I told him it is an organic, unpasteurized vegetable juice and his response was “Oh, I make those everyday. I couldn’t live without  fresh vegetable juices. I’ve been doing it for years! Some days I am just so busy its hard to fit it in.” Well, needless to say we had a wonderful discussion about the virtues of juicing and his way of staying healthy and fit. And he was thrilled to know he could order JOOS for those times he just can’t get to his own juicer. So lesson learned, don’t assume anything! Its great to know there are people “in the know” about juicing out there!

By about 1:00 I had already had 2 JOOS but was getting a bit hungry- yes, really hungry. I had a great workout earlier and needed fuel. I had some guacamole ((heart healthy fat, fiber and lots more nutrients in the avocado) with Mary’s Gone Crackers (really great, minimally processed whole grain crackers)-  and was good til dinner. I had my 3rd JOOS while cooking my family’s chicken with cashews (honestly, a bit hard to resist- but I did) and vegetable stir-fry. I had the veggies over quinoa (see below) with a cabbage and watercress salad. More than enough food for one day.

A bit about Quinoa:

A lot of people are getting to know quinoa these days and for good reason. Its one of those foods that have been hitting the HOT Healthy Foods lists. It seems like a grain, but its actually a seed. It cooks up in less than 15 minutes, you can make it ahead and reheat it. Its great as a pilaf, mixed with grains, or dressed as a cold salad. You can use quinoa flour in baked goods and try quinoa pasta. Quinoa  is a highly nutritious food and considered a high-protein (complete protein) “grain”. It is high in iron- 1/2 cup provides almost 8 mg., way more than any other cereal grain, and a hefty 5 g of fiber, and many other nutrients such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.

How could you not feel fabulous on a winter day like today? I woke up feeling great, not too hungry and looking forward to my JOOS breakfast. My first test of the day came after making creamy scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast for my son and NOT eating the leftovers! Ok, now I know why I got a puppy! She was most appreciative and I drank my Chia Vitality JOOS. (Still had a half cup of coffee- tomorrow 1/4 cup!)

It worked! I felt full and satisfied. It lasted me right through work and my mid-day dog walk- a mild 55 degree sunny one! Had an apple and some walnuts, another JOOS, lots of water and that kept me going till about 5:00. When I got home by 6:00 I was getting pretty hungry. I had a tall glass of water first, and fortunately I had lots of food ready to heat- delicious Indian Lentils with Brown Rice, roasted celery root sticks,  and our new favorite house salad of Napa Cabbage, Watercress, and Walnuts with Curry Dressing. (See below for nutritional benefits)  Actually, make a batch of the dressing if you like Indian food and lots of flavor and use it on any salad, even grains. It definitely helped me to have the foods prepared or I would have been tempted to start picking at whatever foods were handy- the cheese, crackers, pasta,… Since I didn’t have a chance to drink my 3rd JOOS earlier in the day (I should have remembered to take it with me this afternoon)  I am sipping it  now after dinner. So far, the discipline and planning have made the cleanse easy to stick with.

Best of all for me today is that I did NOT have my usual late afternoon waves of tiredness and still have energy by 8 p.m. Thats a change I can learn to live with!

One of my very favorite salad greens is watercress- and its  a nutritional powerhouse! Watercress is higher in calcium and magnesium than milk, gram for gram contains as much vitamin C as an orange,  contains more iron than spinach, beta-carotene, vitamin A, K, lutein and zeaxanthin (shown to reduce or prevent macular degeneration) and all this and only 4 calories per cup, if you are into counting! Its health benefits have been known since ancient times. It is a member of a family of vegetable superstars- the brassica family which includes broccoli, cabbage, and kale. All of these are now known to be excellent sources of cancer fighting phytochemicals.

Curry Salad Dressing:

4 T extra virgin olive oil

3 tsp cumin seeds

1 3 inch long piece of ginger, peeled and minced or grated

2 tsp Madras curry powder

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp fresh orange juice (or more as needed)

1-2 Tbsp honey or agave

salt and pepper

In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and stir until they become fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the ginger, curry, lemon, orange juice, and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust with lemon or orange.

Salad Greens:

Any combination of your favorite greens and chopped vegetables are great.

One of our favorite combinations :

chopped Napa Cabbage, watercress, cilantro, toasted walnuts, diced pears or mango and cherry tomatoes

Toss with some dressing. Enjoy!

My first day actually started yesterday, the day before I was to begin my cleanse.  For me, the easiest way to eat well is to be prepared with the right foods  on hand so I loaded up the frig with all kinds of vegetables and fruit and stocked up on a variety of lentils, beans, brown rice, and quinoa . A couple of avocados and tomatoes are ripening for later in the week.

Sundays are always a good time to do some food prep to make hectic weekdays a little easier. I figured I should practice what I preach! So I made Indian Lentils and Brown Rice with Caramelized Cinnamon Onions, Red Lentil Soup with Ginger, Sweet Potato and Carrot, Roasted Fennel Wedges with Thyme and Hot Pepper, and Roasted Celery Root Sticks. If you’ve never tried roasted fennel or celery root- give them a try! Really good! I find it helps me when I cleanse during the colder months to make sure I include some heartier foods and root vegetables in my hot meal. I also washed and cut up watercress, broccoli, kale, and peppers for the coming days. Now I only have to cook for the rest of my family- at least I’m all set for awhile. Actually, my husband was tasting everything as it was simmering and said “you should cleanse more often- I could  eat like this everyday!” I agree- and starting a new cleanse is always a great reminder to eat more vegetarian and vegan meals, seek out new recipes and be more creative in the kitchen.

I woke up this morning feeling relieved to begin my Chia JOOS cleanse today- already feeling the sense of commitment I’ve been lacking to get my diet back on track and break the cycle of indulgence of the past month. I started the morning with a tall glass of water with fresh lemon juice and considered skipping the coffee- but gave in to a half cup. Rather than graze through the kitchen grabbing a handful of granola or my son’s leftover breakfast I grabbed my first JOOS of the day. Things are looking better already! Becoming more mindful of what I am eating is my primary goal. The Chia JOOS was  refreshing and satisfying- the chia making it easy and fun to drink and quite filling. It  definitely gave me the energy to get through my morning workout at Pure Barre!

Mid-morning was a half grapefruit, a spoonful of almond butter and another JOOS. Feeling totally full and satisfied I decided to put off my hot meal until dinner and sipped another JOOS in the late afternoon.  Dinner was Red Lentil Soup and a plate of sauteed kale, roasted fennel wedges and watercress and napa salad with a light Thai dressing. I can honestly say I overate- but it was so good I couldn’t help it- and didn’t have to!

Here is a simple way to make roasted fennel wedges:

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed to where the stalks meet the bulb, cut in  1/2 inch wedges leaving enough of the core intact to hold them in place

2 T extra virgin olive oil

few sprigs of fresh thyme, pinch of crushed red pepper, salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Toss the fennel with olive oil, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper then spread out on a baking sheet. Roast about 35 minutes, turning the fennel wedges occasionally until tender and nicely caramelized. Serve hot or at room temperature. Enjoy!