Real food vs fake food

I sent the following letter to The Food Network today after watching the program Hungry Girl. Lisa Lillien is very popular with the Weight Watcher world and weight loss community. Let me know what you think, was I too harsh or not harsh enough.

I just watched your program Hungry Girl and the first thing that comes to mind after viewing it, no wonder she is hungry, she did not use one real ingredient of food in her dishes. I believe I did see a tablespoon or two of chocolate chips and 12 raspberries. But that was it.


Lisa makes Sandra Lee look like an Iron Chef. The recipes (which term I use loosely) look like they are taken straight from the late 1980's. I half expected her to introduce The Go-go's at the end of the segment. I understand her demographic, she appeals to masses because she wants the "goodies and treats" every day. When the truth is the reason people want this "stuff" everyday is because it's not real food. The subsitutes for sugar and fat are addictive because they do not satisfy, creating a desire for more. When we use real food ingredients and small portions we are satisfied and we may not crave desserts every day, maybe weekly.


She also answered a question about organic foods and if they have less calories. She said no. Which is true when speaking about processed foods, but she could have added that organic produce is better when using the raspberries that she used at the end of the program.


I did like that she addressed what a real portion size looks like.


I am surprised that this program would be on The Food Network. It seems it would be a better fit for one of those shows where 5 women sit around and complain about today's' topics and then end their show with a segment on how women can be thinner.

A birthday gift

I was super excited to get this t-shirt for my birthday!

The end of the cleanse

I am wrapping up my cleanse and I indulged in wine and other triggers this weekend and I feel awful. I did not juice Saturday or Sunday and I can totally tell.  I stayed in bed an extra hour, feel sluggish and overall just tired. So last night I headed back to the neighborhood co-op to pick up some of my favorite raw/cleansing yummies. Bubbie's pickles, raw onion bread and some sprouts. I am going to double up on green juice today and ask my body for forgiveness. I will continue to juice in the morning now that I see what happens when I don't. Also I have lost my mojo for coffee. I think that I really want the sugar/syrup that Starbucks offers in my Venti French Roast.

Although I didn't do exactly what Kris suggested, I really did have some great results from the cleanse.
I lost 12 pounds, realized that I really do have an addiction to sugar and I love green juice. (Which I already knew but it was reinforced). I wish I was better about blogging every day but it's not in me.

I am planning to this 21 cleanse again in July.  But this time I plan to do it with a group of people.

Day 9

My juice was dark green today. Out of apples so I put in carrots for sweetness, not the same. I add also the one lemon. The combo was OK but not the best I have ever had.
I used baby romaine, kale, celery, cucumber, ginger, carrots and lemon. I really missed my apple.

A new favorite

Soaked kelp noodles



Crack like spicy "peanut" sauce



My rainbow of veggies cukes, red cabbage, carrots, red & yellow peppers

Chopped nappa cabbage

Topped with kelp noodles-pour yummy crack sauce, I mean peanut sauce over salad.



Try not to eat it in all one sitting.

So the second week is going well. I have had some sugar and have seen negative effects from it. Sluggish, crabby and craving returned with the sugar. So goodbye to you.
I made this veggies, kelp noodle, spicy almond sauce and could not stay of of the sauce. So good!

A look at my garden

Romaine

Kale beautiful kale

Mint

My first fruit of the season

Both flat and curly parsley

Red cabbage

Basil my second love after kale

Here's some pictures I took this morning in my garden. Enjoy.

Week 1 wrap up

Well I have been meat, alcohol, sugar, caffeine and gluten free for a week. The biggest change has been the jumping out of bed in the morning instead of my usual lay there for 30-60 minutes before letting my feet hit the floor. My energy level is better although I still have a logy time in the afternoon. I am having some muscle pains that I have not had before. Is this some form of detox or is this my age? :)
I will have to say that meals are difficult as I am still preparing 2  meals for dinner for the rest of my family in the house. Prep time is taking up a lot of my time. But I feel pretty good. I really need to add more exercise into my routine.

Day 5

I woke up early. My husband made the comment that I am not only up early but my eyes are awake. It's true before I would lay in bed for at least an hour before getting up. Now when I wake up, I get out of bed right away. So far this is the biggest change I have noticed. I also think I am a bit of a  sugar addict. My mood has been all over the place. Today I didn't eat much and I wasn't real hungry until almost bed time. I am trying to be in bed by 11:30 at the latest. I am getting 7 hours of sleep every night which is perfect for me. The green juice is really helping with the caffeine withdrawal. I have been drinking water with lemon every morning as soon as I get up. I have been drinking my juice later than I would like do to others still being in bed early and I do not want to start the juicer and wake the dead. So I get everything ready and when all are up, I start that baby up. I also make myself clean the juicer before I drink the juice. Does anyone else do that? It's like a reward for me.
Here is the broccoli pate I made the other day.
The ingredients include: broccoli, tahini, ground flax seed, onion, garlic. It was pretty good. I think I put too much onion in and it got stronger the next day. I put it on Nori with peppers, sprouts and cukes and wrapped it up.

Day 2/3/4

Before

After

So I can't post everyday. But here's what has been happening with the cleanse.
 Day 2 went pretty well, I ate the same food as the day before. I started craving coffee this day. I woke up at 6:45am -really early for me. I went to bed at 11:30.

Day 3 was a little more difficult. I really started craving coffee and I believe sugar. I use cream and sweeteners with my java.  So I think that I wanted the sugar as much as my coffee. I was super crabby. I woke up early again. I started getting a headache and I had some tummy trouble. Which I believe to be detox.

Day 4 I woke up at 6 am. I see a pattern here. I think this might be the lack of sugar in  my system. I wonder if I am in a food coma every night and that is the reason I found it so difficult to get out of bed before. I went out with some friends and refrained from alcohol and bad food. Which was easier than I thought it would be. I am drinking green juice everyday, no gluten, alcohol, caffeine, meat and sugar. I had a little dairy the first day but none since. I need to get more water in. I am trying to plan what to eat daily to avoid old habits and grabbing something fast that might not be the best choice to help me cleanse.
I am glad that I made the raw cheeze its as they are great for my crunchy fix.
Here's what I am planning to make tomorrow.
Creamy Tomato Soup from Earth Mother on Raw Food Rehab

4 tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 avocado
1/2 onion, chopped

2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp agave
salt & minced hot peppers to taste

Combine ingredients in a blender and pulse until the desired consistency is reached – creamy or slightly chunky, as you prefer.

Grapefruit with hemp seed

Raw Cheeze Its

Day 1

Here's how the day went
Lemon water upon rising
1 Red Ruby grapefruit with a sprinkling of hemp seed
Over priced Green Juice at a juice bar $7! yikes Kale, parsley, carrots and pear

Lunch
Broccoli tahini pate from Raw Food Revolution --Yummy
Banana
Snacking on Raw Cheeze-its in the dehydrator (I hope there are some left at the end of the day)

OK dinner didn't go as planned.  I planned to make a raw soup but I went with the kids and friends bowling. I ate some of the black bean nachos. I had a little sour cream that I was not planning to eat but I am not beating myself over it.
I had a raw cacao macaroon for a evening snack.

I went to bed @ 11:30. Which is 2 hours earlier than usual. I took a walk. No coffee. No meat. I didn't meditate/pray for 20 minutes, it was closer to 5. I have to work on that.

So I thought day 1 went well. I didn't take pictures but I promise to today. Have a great day!

Ready to raw and roll

Upon waking I went to weight myself, battery is dead in the scale. Oh well, I had weighed in last week, so I will use that number. Filled glass of water with lemon, turning on computer and had problems posting in the comments of this blog. Checked e-mails, keyboard froze on AOL. I am beginning to hate AOL. Is this sabotage?  Maybe but I am not letting this spoil my mood this morning. I am focused and committed to see the 21 days through, so bring it!

Pre-cleanse thoughts

The question people ask me when I tell them I am about to cleanse is "why". I also hear I can't give up _______. Well my new answer is "It's taken 2 years to get here, but I am actually looking forward to it". I have had several health problems over the past few years so now food and diet is not just about losing weight for me anymore. Actually I don't care about the scale or the numbers anymore. I pay attention to it but it does cause me stress or fear any longer.

You know the old saying never talk about sex, religion and politics at social gatherings, I think you have to add diet to that. We love our food and do not think about taking it away from us. I am lumping coffee and alcohol in this group as well. People get very passionate about their diet. Whether they are on a restrictive diet or not. Ask anyone who is Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and just tries to eat a whole food/organic life style.

Hey I am not looking forward to not having Starbucks for 3 weeks. I may go there for a herbal tea but I love coffee. But I want to feel better. I want to have energy. I want to be focused. So if that means abstaining from a few vices for 21 days, I am all in.

Getting excited to cleanse for the next 21 days

The countdown begins! My friend and I are gearing up for this challenge. We have talked about scheduling colonics at the same time. I know, people might think that is weird but I find it comforting. I am a little scared to do it so this makes me feel safe. No caffeine, no alcohol, no refined sugar and no meat. I am ready to cleanse!

Crazy sexy diet by Kris Carr

I borrowed this book from the library and could not put it down! So much so that I have convinced a friend to do the 21 day detox with me starting June 1. We are both a little nervous to give up coffee but hey it's only for 21 days. I am hoping that I will be able to give it up all together. Two years ago when I was drinking Green Smoothies every morning for 9 months, I lost all craving for caffeine so I am hoping to repeat that habit.

If anyone wants to join us in this cleanse, comment on this post. I would love more accountability and I plan to post daily for the 21 days.

A little note: Kris uses saucy language here for those of you trying to avoid it.

Start or join a organic produce co-op

I joined a local organic produce co-op last year and it has really paid off for my family. Currently we are getting deliveries once a month. This sometimes leads to over ordering. I have to be careful about that because I hate to throw out food. I am also getting fruit and veggies delivered to my house every other week. This is helping me with staying out the regular grocery stores.

The farmers market started this week. I missed it but I am totally planning to go next week. I love this time of year. My garden is almost all planted and I can't wait to shop from my own backyard.

A couple of favorite raw snacks

Raw Hummus



Sunflower seed sprouts



Dehydrating
Cafe Gratitude crackers They keep really well in a air tight container for 2 weeks.

Fresh squeezed orange juice

Wow what a difference between fresh squeezed and the cartons in the store. It will be hard to go back. I have been getting bags of organic oranges from my produce co-op. I gave this job to my son and we have been doing it so much lately I might have to look for a more sophisticated juicer at the garages sales this summer.
My parents returned from a winter in FL this week and brought with them fresh pick oranges. We are getting spoiled around here.

The gluten-free, dairy-free results

Wow, it's been awhile since I posted. So we completed our GF/DF month and here's what we found out about ourselves.
My husband said he felt less "foggy" , he lost weight and feels better.
My son said that he felt the same however he did seem to be able to focus and start more conversations. He also lost a little weight which concerns me a little since he is so thin already.
I lost a little weight, was less bloated and lost some carb carvings. So I would say it was a success. So much so that my son said he wanted to continue GF until August (his birthday). We all agreed to do GF until then.
We have been a little more relaxed about the dairy but are still restricting the amounts and sources of it. We only use Snowville Creamy milk, raw cheese and 5 Stars yogurt. No one is drinking a glass of it but we use it in recipes. Now that this will be a long term goal, I have to start gathering recipes for bread, pizza crust and the thing my son said he would miss the most if he had to do this for rest of life hot soft pretzels.

Key Lime Pie

I had a little help. Look at that beautiful color of green!

My husband and I couldn't wait until after dinner, we had to taste it!

I know I have said this before that this is not a raw blog but when it comes to desserts, I am all about raw. Today I made a Key Lime pie. It is so yummy!!!

I used the recipe from the Raw Food Rehab website but I of course had to change it to what I had and I used less sugar. So here's my recipe

The crust

1 c pecans 1/2 c almonds

3/4 c dates

1/4 c raisins

1 c coconut

Filling

3 avocados

1/3 c coconut nectar

1/2 c lime juice

1 T coconut oil

pinch of sea salt

(A note: the crust was a little dry, due to the fact that I chose not to add more dates and raisins-leaving the crust a little crumbly. When I make this again, I will add a tablespoon of coconut oil

The original recipe called for 2 cups of coconut but my husband isn't the biggest fan of it. So I cut it to 1 cup. That is one of reasons I love making raw desserts, they are so much more forgiving than baking. The other reasons I love raw desserts

lower sugar, healthier ingredients, taste and I do not feel gross after I eat them.

This is the first time I have used the coconut nectar. I like it better than agave. It taste like molasses and honey. Give it a try!

May I Be Frank Movie - Teaser

May I Be Frank

My friend Kristin and went to a special screening of this movie today. We went to the noon show and here it is almost midnight and I am still thinking about it. The documentary is about Frank , a 54 year old man who is obese, drug addicted and desperate for love. He walks into Cafe Gratitude cafe and meets three twenty somethings who are willing to extend love to him and walk with him through amazing transformation.



I loved this film! After the screening, Frank and Mark (the director) host a Q & A with the audience. That was also fantastic.

I will post the link. A little warning-the language is a little saucy.

A gluten free/dairy free pizza

The thought of eating a GF/DF pizza was not appealing to me at all. But let me tell you this was so yummy. The cheese melted and the crust was crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Call me surprised! My kids devoured it. My son is very picky but it passed his requirements

My local grocery store now carries this brand of dairy/soy free cheese. It is a little pricey $4.40 a bag.

The only place I can find these brown rice crust is Whole Foods. I know I could make my own but I have tried a couple different recipes and have not been able to get the texture I want. I feel like I spend so much time making everything else we eat from scratch, that I can splurge a little on prepared crust.
We have pizza once a month now. At one time it was more like once a week.

A whole lot of soakin' going on

Soaking almonds for milk. I removed the skins from the almonds which took longer than I thought it would but made really white milk.

I love chia seeds. I put these in my morning green smoothie. If I don't have any soaking then I do just add them straight into the blender.

The kelp noodles really do look like spaghetti in this picture but they look more translucent in real life. I soaked these for 1-2 hours in filtered water with the juice of one lemon. I think that really does make a difference in taste and texture.

Natural Zing has arrived

My order from Natural Zing came today. It is so much fun to dig into the box and as you can see, I had a little help with that. I ordered Coconut Aminos and Nectar. I am excited to try these products as I have been reading so much buzz about them lately.

I also ordered 2 packages of kelp noodles. I have tried them before and think of them much like tofu, not much taste but will take on the flavors you add to your dish. I will be adding them to a Asian salad and trying them in Nori rolls this week. I will post the recipes soon.

Raw apple pie---WOW

All I can say is Wow! I saw this recipe on http://www.rawon10.blogspot.com/

I had everything to make it last night for dinner. I improvised a little. I put the apples in the oven for 20 minutes instead of the dehydrator for 2 hours. I am not the greatest planner so into the oven the apples went.

It was delicious! My husband loved it, the toddler loved it and the teenager didn't try it.

I even had some for breakfast this morning.

So everyone here wanted bread today so I made the Socca bread Frannie mentioned in her comment. It was yummy as well.

Here's the link to the recipe I used

http://kalynsprintablerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/08/socca-chickpea-flatbread-pancake.html

Dairy and wheat free for March

My family has agreed to go dairy and wheat free for the month of March. The bread will be much harder for the kids to give u p than the dairy. We are looking at it as a detox as well as hoping to help with focusing problems (ADHD) I made a trip to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's looking for gluten free goodies to help the kiddos with the missing snacks. My teenager is a little worried about missing his bread for his PB and J's but is committed to do it. We have looked for a good tasting bread before and did not have much luck. We will be visiting a gluten free bakery this weekend so we are hopeful. I will be posting recipes and menus throughout the month. Wish us luck!

My visit with a Naturopathic Physician

Tuesday I had my first visit with Lori. She has been practicing for several years and although NP's are not licensed in the state I live in, I was able to find her through my son's pediatrician. We talked for 90 minutes. It was very discouraging to see so many issues on paper but we are tackling them in order of important. First up anemia. Lori is focusing on what is causing the lack of iron storage in my body. I bought several supplements and will begin my new regimen this weekend. One of the supplement is Juice PLUS+. The capsules are the equivalent of juicing 17 fruits and veggies and a few grains. My son and I will both be taking it.
I will post my results over the next from months.

My spring rolls and a traveling salad bar

This month I am trying to eat cleaner and in order for that to happen daily, I have to prep my food. I have been wanting to make this traveling salad bar for a while now. I stole the salad bar idea from my friend Susan. Her tote was more efficient than mine but I am still working to improve it.

This tote helps with one of my favorite things to eat, spring rolls.

I made a peanut sauce to dip my rolls in.

I didn't write down or measure the ingredients for the sauce but this is what is in it

peanut butter or almond butter (I have made it both ways)

agave

fresh ginger

Tamari or soy sauce or nama shoyu

water

a drizzle of sesame oil

I put the ingredients into the bullet and blended away.

You could also use it as a dressing on a big salad as well.

Enjoy