Good Morning Delightful One's!
Today we are having a blog post about transitioning foods and why it is important to take a slow but steady approach to dietary/health changes.
Transitioning foods are exactly what they sound like. They are foods that you normally eat which you steadily decrease and change, while making adjustments; which allow one to introduce new foods to assist in paving the way for a complete overhaul.
I chose to do this cleanse after Easter as I knew that people would be feasting with fam and eating some celebratory meals which are normally higher in fats, sugars, and calories.
Confession time, I am actually a week ahead of those of you following this cleanse, meaning that I started a bit before you did and am doing an extra week. The reasons are because I had to make recipes, take pictures, do posts in advance, make menus, and I was itching to start. I also had a touch of stomach flu since last Thursday and ended up eating less than the menus required, as well as imbibing loads of broth, and easy on the stomach foods. Some days I could not have smoothies but I could have gentle juces and fruits like bananas, and apples cooked down to apple sauce. I obviously had not planned on getting sick but I had planned on doing this challenge for some time, and I did not want to skip out on what I had stated I would do.
So I started early, ate carefully while sick and have almost caught up to you all-some days food is still a bit too heavy.
This was a perfect week to do this detox adjustment as it was the 1st transition week where we get all the NO foods out. I could not eat them anyways, and juicing has been a great immune booster. That coupled with loads of probiotics has cut my flu suffering by half and I have recovered much more quickly than others around me who were kind enough to share their germs.
Awwww this flu bug is for me?
You shouldn't have.
Silliness aside, I write this because I want you to feel more at ease with being flexible when the need arises. Work with what you have going on and promise yourself to stick to healthy stuff.
Anywhoodles, I took pictures of my previous week of transitioning meals, you can see how I was very careful with portions and even though I splurged on Easter, I still made an effort not to go overboard. I considered it my cheat day with a healthy twist.
My achiles heel is homemade gravy, I slather that all over baby!
I made smashed rosemary & garlic herbed potatoes which normally would be boiled, slightly cooled, flattened and pan fried to utter crispy, fatty
Mc Fatterson, bites of bliss.
However, I discovered that baking these bites of potato yumminess works just as well, with way fewer calories. I think you have noticed that regular potatoes are pretty much absent or are in very minute amounts on this detox. That's because they are a very high carb starch food; this can cause spikes in glucose, bloating, and lethargy; not to mention stronger cravings for sweets. I allow them here and there but in very small amounts and I prefer them at lunch, steamed or baked. I also choose yellow fleshed potatoes over white one's. The flavour and texture are so much better, especially when steamed. If you have never sliced potatoes and steamed them until fork tender in a bamboo steamer, you don't know what you have been missing. I took a pic that is down below with chard, steamed pots and fish-all was fantastic & will be posted for the coming menu. I was playing with my food on the plate to see if chard could look legoish, my inner child lives!
For now, you can scroll through and see the types of food I have been eating and if you see bread of any kind, it is always gluten-free with whole-grain flour, as I have a serious allergy.
The first week is really getting red meat and all the no no foods out, see this post if you missed anything:
Transitioning meals can still include your favourite items with a healthy spin. I use hummous in place of butter or margarine, all natural gluten-free roast chicken cold cuts, and veg to top it off.
Breakfast can be a savoury & sweet affair, this was after my workout.
Meals that have loads of flavour like this Vegan Macrobiotic Soup are perfect for getting your taste buds used to clean and simplified flavours. The recipe link is here, in case you have not aalready scoped it out:
We will eventually be switching to a vegan and raw vegan way of eating, the recipe for these filled Nori rolls will make you very happy and leave your tummy full/satisfied. That recipe will be up and coming soon.
There's this wonderful curried vegan channa & aloo dish that is authentic, such a blissful comfort, with a delightful side of snap peas. I like it so much and it is a fabulous intro to sustaining and filling vegetarian meals which put a smile on your face. Recipe for this to come as well so keep checking in.
And the next pic is the fish with veg. Both cooked in the steamer drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and some Herbamare. I served it with a side of pickled onions, this will be posted soon as well. I just like your eyes to get excited and your mouth to drool a bit before you learn how to make these things. I have changed some serious die hard junk food lover's into people who were excited healthy food. I don't want to deprive people, I want to improve their methods of cooking and help them make good choices. Food is such a blessing, make it a gift to your health by choosing wisely.
Pickled onions to go with your meals are something you might like to make now, so they are ready for when you want to eat them. I switch any sweetener in the recipe for honey or maple syrup when I am eating the detox/cleanse way. The recipe link can be found here:
I find they taste great in sandwiches with cold cuts, with turkey or with cheese-that is, when I am allowed to eat cheese. No touchie for now, but it still looks good with all the different colours on a plate.
Don't forget to add Fat flush waters when you are detoxing, they really do make a difference!
And healthy snacks like these rawfood apple pie crackers.
Smoothies, for me, are an important part of transitioning. Especially when we go to vegan and rawfood week, as they help give energy, cut hunger, and have a richness which cuts cravings for fatty bad foods. I make an effort to have at least 1 per day when all poultry and fish are out, they make a big difference in my day; especially when I am training. I found some recipes on Pinterest and decided to post them lower down, this next pic is a coconut pineapple smoothie that will be going up soon.
Easy recipes I found:
Healthy snack ideas abound:
I want to briefly talk about dairy and why I allow it as a transition food the first week. Dairy has some seriously strong weight gaining properties, i.e: F-A-T! It also causes more mucuous formation, allergic reactions, and many of us are intolerant as the human digestive system has not had time to adjust to our intake of so many dairy products. Historically, we have not always eaten so much dairy. Cow's milk is for baby cows and human milk is for human's, as we discovered other uses for cow's milk our intake steadily increased along with out waist lines. We in North America have a serious problem with moderation and an absolute love affair with dairy. What is pizza without ooey gooey melted mozarella? Or a frosty without the milk?
In Japan dairy is consumed sparingly, it is considered a specialty item and much of their super markets have very few options when it comes to cheese and dairy. The reason I mention Japan is because they have the oldest living and healthiest elderly population of anywhere in the world. North Americans who move there report haveing lost anywhere from 25-65 pounds from eating a healthier diet that steers clear of dairy. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule but overall Japan has kept sustained longevity with a high quality of life for many centuries. We could learn a lot from their eating habits.
I allow small portions of dairy in the form of lactose-free probiotic yogurt in the first week, as a transition food that helps with digestion and waste disposal. (Yes, I am talking about your poop shoot and dupesing.) I also find that people really enjoy their dairy, as meat along with a whole host of other foods have been removed in the first week, the yogurt is a comfort with a tasty treat quality.
Just be ready because next week, it is a goner from the menu along with poultry-with the excepton of small amounts of eggs.
I leave you with some infographics about metabolism booster's to consider after your cleanse is done along with some good bacteria food choices that you may not be aware of. Don't forget to subscribe & leave any questions or comments down below. I love to hear from yah!
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