Detox & Yoga Day 26

It's been hard to stay focused and not anticipate the detox coming to a close. We're bought in though, and generally plan to keep eating this way until we both lose a bit more weight. Today we went to a movie - and took a little container of cherries to snack on - and then hit Whole Foods' salad bar/food bar for dinner. We did great there, for about $20 got a good dinner that we didn't have to make! :)

Still we find it hard to operate seemlessly in a society that does not at all map to raw foods, food combining, etc. - but there are options. We are starting to read Natalia Rose's other book, the Raw Food Detox Diet - it is interesting as its focus is different that Detox for Women. It is still focused on alkalizing the body, but does not hold back on sugar (unrefined of course, maple syrup, raw honey...) or oil (cold-pressed olive oil, for example). While being "allowed" to eat these two food groups is appealing, they're also both super calorie laden. If I didn't have more weight to lose, I'd be 100% on board! But the idea of being able to use a little of these items sure does spice up. I'm not figuring on ending the eating of cooked food here at our house, but I do like how I feel, look and I love the energy I have! It's killer!

Yoga Day 26: Ok, Jenny was UNFOCUSED and did not wanna be there, but still banged out a resonably good class with Kim in Fremont. It is winding down, this 30-day challenge (in which I will only achieve 28, but I'm ok with that). I'm looking to the finish line and not necessarily focusing as I ought to.

Detox Day 26: Proud of bringing cherries to the movie! Otherwise, more of the same.

Weight: Down around 13 pounds total, and feeling really good about that!

Yoga & Detox Day 23/24/25

Things keep moving along. We seem to be less freaky about eating and food - doesn't seem like we're uber-focused on it all the time, having to run to the grocery or farmer's market every 8 seconds, etc. That is to say - we are better organized and planning better, and also it seems not as hungry or anxious about being filled up or full. Seems we are simply realizing how much less one needs to eat to be satiated, and also how much room salad takes up! Often after the lunch salad I'm pretty much feeling good to go - but sometimes eat sweet potato or quinoa to keep me from being hungry 10 minutes later.

Yoga is going really well - it's so great to feel focused and for my body to be cooperating for the most part. I had two killer hot crazy soakers in a row (Lucy CH, Frani Fremont) - but then a nice solid good'ole Bikram class yesterday (also Frani in Fremont...what a difference a day makes!).

Eating...
We are eating lots repeating items and not worth listing at the moment. Once we finish, we plan to continue eating this way. I want to read Natalia's other book - her Raw Food Detox - not that we plan to do that! Rather, I want to understand where she takes people next so we can continue to assimilate her method into our eating *most* of the time. That said, Jill is planning a giant burger with an onion ring atop it with a nice double Maker's Mark next week when we finish. That sounds frightening to me! Though, a plate of Thai food or maybe a fish taco...that sounds pretty good. So we'll see!

Weight:
Doing great here! Jill has lost 9 pounds - she is quite pleased with this! I am at about 13 pounds. We intend to keep going as ultimately, Jill would like to lose around 15-20 total, and I would love to lose 25 total - so it seems another month or two and we'd be where we wanted and could work some 'regular' foods in a little more without consequence. 80/20 :)

Detox & Yoga Day 22

Wow! Day 22 - only 8 days to go and really, at this point, it's become rather...easy. Seriously. Shocking.

While there is still an element of being quite limited in what you "can" eat, the overall habits have been formed. The Green Lemonade in the morning is tasty and we both can make it quite fast now, where in the beginning it felt like an ordeal. Snacking on a little fruit before lunch if needed works great, and doesn't take much to satiate me. Lunch - salads are great, I've gotten good at whipping up a salad now in no time, with or without equipment depending on what I'm making. And dinners are settling it. Not a whole lot of variety there, but at the same time, nothing feels bad or awful - just sometimes a little boring...but the meal itself is never boring. Just the idea of being so limited feels a little dull at times.

Yoga Day 22: A super soaker at CH Sweatbox with Lucy. HUMID! Phew! I had a pretty good class though, despite feeling quite debilitated by the humidity around triangle/separate leg head to knee. Revived nicely on the floor and finished with a bang. Good one!

Detox Day 22: Pluggin' away... here's what I ate:

Breakfast:
Green Lemonade

Snack:
1 c. Rainier Cherries

Lunch:
Salad of 1/2 avocado, 1/2 c. raw corn, 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, couple cups of spinach dressed with lemon juice/stevia/salt & pepper.
6 oz. baked sweet potato with a little butter, salt and pepper.

Dinner:
Salad (Pictured above) - Erika's creation above - Spinach, raw beets, cucumbers, caramelized onions, raw goat cheese. It was so nice to eat a salad I didn't (or wouldn't) have ever thought to make!
Spaghetti squash with sauteed mushrooms and onions, Rising Moon Organic Port & Asiago sauce, (which we're in love with, btw), topped with raw sharp cheddar. (Still not a fan of the goat cheese melted, sorry)....

Dessert:
Goat Milk Ice Cream with Strawberries

Calories: ~1200
Weight: Looking good - down 12.2 - and happy with that!

Detox & Yoga Day 19/20/21

It's going well in Detox land. Been a busy couple days and rather than writing a zillion detailed posts, I'll call out the highlights here:

- Weight is moving again a little bit! Down almost 12 now, and that's just fine. I feel and look way, way better.
- I missed yoga yesterday. For shame. I was just...exhausted by the hot room. I did walk the lake however, so it wasn't like I was a slug.
- Food is going good. More of the same...however...

We have been social a few times lately. We went to a gathering and ended up eating...lettuce, raw carrots, a little cheese I brought in my purse and dark chocolate. They all ate giant plates of delicious-looking Mexican food.

What was interesting, however, was at the end, everyone there complained of being stuffed, too full, feeling like they needed a bucket, etc. And Jill and I both felt great. Not too full - and believe me, before, we would've been right on board with the group (this is not a diss of them!). But it's cool to see the benefits of just feeling better *all the time* - in so many ways, this being one of them.

Food intake has been around 1200 calories.

Tonight was my biggest 'cheat' yet - I had 3 bites of cupcake. Sinner. But you know, in the scheme of my day - whatever. I realize one cannot be perfect all the time. :) More soon!

Yoga & Detox Day 18

Today one of my students said, "Wow, you look amazing! Have you lost some weight?" and then two other people said things to the effect of how I looked great, etc. - detox is good!! I have to say I'm feeling pretty good inside, but it's nice to know the effects are showing on the outside, too!

In a very exciting event, we ventured out to lunch today! It was my mom's birthday and my sister Julie met up with mom, Jill and I at Seattle's very hip/trendy/fitting Homegrown, an organic-locally-sourced-sustainable salad and sandwich shop located in Fremont where we live. While we did "cheat" in that we got the dressing- olive oil and a little vinegar/mustard seeds - otherwise, it was a successful detox-friendly outing. We ate organic chicken, which is permitted, rarely - but it worked and was delicious. I lamely forgot to photograph it!

For dinner, we'd prepared to have two friends over who just started the detox - but unfortunately, they canceled a couple hours before dinner. My sister Julie & her husband John kindly offered to pinch-hit and came over to enjoy what is becoming a 'regular' dinner for us of raw salad, Opah, cauliflower puree and yellow beans.
Yoga Day 18: Whoa! Holy crap. I've been practicing in the mornings just due to my schedule lately - but today warranted a 4 p.m. class as I taught 9;30, had birthday lunch with Mom and expected dinner guests at 6:30. OMG. I forgot how amazingly open one is later in the day! How delicious to just feel so powerful and strong - open and flexible. I was trying to keep track of my favorite posture but couldn't keep track because so many were so yummy today. My Rabbit pose was my favorite - I always feel so bunched up and tight in that one, today I felt like I had the biggest roundest spine ever!

Detox Day 18:

Breakfast:
Green Lemonade

Lunch:
OUT! at Homegrown - Arugula, chicken thigh (2-3 oz.) with 1 tbsp. dried cranberries, and vinegarette.

Dinner:
Salad with spinach, raw corn/peas, cherry tomatoes, 1 oz raw goat cheese, lime juice.
Opah, pureed Cauliflower and yellow beans.
Red Wine - 4 oz. or so

Dessert:
1 oz. Dark Chocolate
Strawberries

Calories: 1100ish
Weight: Still hanging in there...the same...

Yoga & Detox Day 17

Another routine day in the detox and yoga world for Jenn. Sometimes the logistics are hard, like today for example. I got up and wasn't hungry so I had some water, puttered around a little and then at 9:20, got wildly inspired to go to 9:30 yoga. Having made green lemonade for Jill earlier, I grabbed mine and headed to yoga.

I had a great practice and raced to Capitol Hill to teach my noon class, drinking my green lemonade on the way. Checked in the class, taught it - feeling a bit hungry during it, ok, more than a bit - and then finished up and ended up home by 2 p.m. to eat my first food of the day. I've gotten away from snacking, so no fruit on the way home or anything like that.

Once home, then had to prepare lunch - another avocado salad with raw corn and cherry tomatoes - which I devoured along with Jill. Having waited so long to eat, the salad was plenty and I was FULL - no sweet potato, grain or anything as a follow-up.

Dinner was a little early since I taught again at 8 p.m., so again no need to snack. Comfort food tonight - simple salad with goat cheese followed up with spaghetti squash topped with mushrooms, onions and marinara...plus more raw cheese (I have raw cow when it's hot, I just don't dig the goat cheese melted - a little too goaty for me). No wine when I'm headed to the hot room! Little bite or two of chocolate though. :)

Yoga Day 17: Impromptu 9:30 with Kim in Fremont, got there with 3 minutes to spare and set up next to my pal Virgil, then had to jet right away and didn't even get to say much more than "hi" - though, it's amazing how connected you can feel to a friend just practicing next to them and sharing a mirror :) Nice class!

Detox Day 17:

Breakfast:
Green Lemonade

Lunch:
Avocado/Corn/Spinach/Cherry Tomato Salad.
Yes, again.

Dinner:
Spinach with tomatoes and raw goat cheese.
"Not Lasagna" (photo above) - Spaghetti Squash topped with a heap of mushrooms and onions, marinara and raw cow cheese.

A dollop of dark chocolate.

Calories: 1100 (that's better!)
Weight: Still down about 11, no real movement but that's to be expected with a big fast loss like I had at the beginning...

Detox & Yoga Day 16

Today felt like a repeat of many days before, so there isn't too much to say that is new or exciting. What is good is that it is starting to feel a little normal, a little routine...and that feels easier and smoother. This is good!

Yoga Day 16: Up and at'em, somehow I was inspired at 5:48 a.m. to go to 6 a.m. yoga, which I made on time (3 minutes to spare) and had a nice practice with Kate in Fremont.

Detox Day 16:

Breakfast:
Green Lemonade

Lunch:
Spicy Corn Avocado Spinach Salad (again, yes...)

Snack: Some cheese while preparing dinner

Dinner:
Salad with shredded raw goat cheese
Seared fresh halibut
Green beans
Cauliflower mash

Dessert:
1 oz dark chocolate
3 oz red wine

Calories: Piggy! 1400
Weight...: The same...

Yoga & Detox Day 15

We had friends over for dinner and opted to do a "starch" meal. Buckwheat soba noodles (100% buckwheat), stir fried veggies with a little butter, a touch of sesame oil, garlic, ginger, jalapeno and raw soy sauce. Yum! At this point, our dinner guests can hardly tell it's a detox meal!

Yoga Day 15: Solo practice Monday. It was good - I had a good amount of time to do it right! :)

Detox Day 15:

It's getting repetitive I know...but...

Breakfast:
Green Lemonade

Lunch:
"The Usual" - Spinach, tomatoes, raw corn & avocado.

Dinner:
More Spinach and tomatoes with avocado.
Buckwheat noodle stir fry.

Dessert:
Chocolate, berries and red wine.

Calories: 1350!
Weight: Still hanging out at about 11 pounds lost...

Detox & Yoga: Day 14

Before I talk about today - let me just say that there will be NO ground meat in my future. I had the *worst* stomach ache from that bitty 2 oz. burger I made yesterday. Woke up with it still at 3:30 a.m.! However, somehow it finally subsided for me to teach my 7 & 9 a.m. classes, and then I even took one at 11 a.m.! But oy, it was painful!

Today was Day 14 - tomorrow is 1/2 way!

Yoga Day 14: Great focused class with BJ in West Seattle after teaching two beforehand. Good one!

Detox Day 14: Another day in Detox land...

Breakfast:
Green Lemonade

Snack:
10 oz. lemonade with agave from the Farmer's Market (just to get me thru yoga)

Lunch:
Avocado 1/2 with lots of spinach, veggies and a little raw corn
1 - 7oz. sweet potato
1/2 oz. dark chocolate

Dinner:
Spinach, tomato and about 1/2 oz. raw goat cheese salad
3 oz. Swordfish with Asian Seasoned veggies (snap peas, mushrooms)

Dessert:
1/2 c. vanilla goat milk ice cream with
1/2 c. fresh strawberries

Calories: 1200
Weight: Down 11.2 - should start moving again I hope!

Detox and (NO) Yoga: Day 13

For shame, but I decided a day out of the hot room was more important than doing 30 days of yoga in a row. That said, I intend to do a make-up to ensure 30 practices in 30 days by the end! We had a gorgeous 4th of July in Seattle, and started the day with my first coffee in 13 days, decaf Americano, no cream...but still, I miss the coffee culture! We then walked around GreenLake and I picked up a super cute dress (very versatile, as well) for my class reunion.

For lunch, we went to Thrive again - the mostly raw food restaurant. Again, while it's good and interesting, it feels like a lot of money for cold food that is good but not super satisfying (mentally). Today we had our first "nut" meal - nuts are discouraged, but if you do have them - it has to be raw, and cannot mix with starches or flesh, and fortunately, our meal fit the bill so it was legal! Salads with tahini dressing and a few pine nuts, Thai creamy coconut soup made with raw almond milk, and Chili (no beans) with cashew cream. We didn't finish it all and brought some home, the soup was pretty intense (spicy too) so 2 oz. would've done me good, and I got 14 oz. Good snack! Jill wanted desperately to heat up her chili, which we think had a lot of veggies and almonds with a "sauce" made from (we're guessing) sun-dried tomatoes, agave, and spices. Tasty and interesting.

Fourth of July! We decided to just avoid temptation and eat here. We opted for a grass-fed beef burgers on the grill with all the fixin's.

Yoga Day 13: Did not happen. :(

Detox Day 13:

Breakfast:
Decaf Americano
Green Lemonade

Lunch:
Salad with tahini lemon dressing
Lemonade with ginger and a little agave
Thai Creamy Soup with almond milk and coconut (Thrive)
Raw "Chili" (Thrive)

Dinner:

Salad With...
.5 oz. Raw Goat Cheese, shredded
1/3 c. Raw Peas
Mixed Greens
Lemon juice, stevia, salt and pepper

4th of July BBQ!
2 oz. grass fed ground beef
.75 oz. of raw cow cheddar cheese
1/2 c. carmelized onions
1 tbsp. butter (all together)
Mustard, a little tiny bit of ketchup, pickles

Dessert:
None, my belly kinda hurt from the ground beef. I'm not even a fan of it! So, only tenderloin if it's gonna be beef...

Calories: 950
Weight: Sigh. The same.

Detox and Yoga: Day 12

Tonight we had friends over for dinner. I'm getting good at this cooking/detox thing, to the point that one might not even notice/know that they are getting a cleansing meal! On the menu was mixed greens, tossed with lemon/stevia/salt/pepper, topped with a concoction of fresh raw peas, grated raw cheese, cherry tomatoes and green onions. It was delicious! Main course was a reprise of a night earlier this week, with grilled Opah (Jill's favorite fish), cauliflower puree (with butter, salt/pepper) and green beans with a bit of herbs tossed in. Dessert? Berries - raspberries, rainier cherries and strawberries - with an array of dark chocolates. Red wine to drink, and we were happy bellied folks!

We did talk about what is missing. One of my guests suggested that "this isn't that far from how you eat anyhow..." and, while somewhat true - we are not coming from a place of pizza, coke and McDonald's - still, missing are many things:

• Breakfast. Oh, for the love of God, breakfast out once a week was a favorite thing...
• Coffee - particuarly a creamy soy latte...or Americano with cream...
• Going to Coffee - the coffee culture here is a big part of my life, and it feels a little isolating to not be a part of it :(
  
• Thai, Mexican, Indian food, out...
• Crackers & Almonds as car snacks (now replaced with carrot sticks and cherries)
• Cheese & Crackers (now replaced with cheese/lettuce/pickle/mustard wraps)
• Wheat, though I wasn't hugely dependent upon it, you notice when you "can't" have it
• Grabbing food on the go - nearly impossible to stop anywhere for anything on the go without prior planning or forethought
• Pork. I love it, sorry, but true. And I miss it.
• Eating out - while it's better not to, I sure do like to, and I miss it...
  

And, on the other hand - more of some stuff that I'd like:

• Some days, I'd just skip the green lemonade if I could...
• Salad out the ears, again, some days, you just are sick of salad
• Everything, outside of fish 3x/week or so, is pretty much cold. Yeah, a little quinoa here and there and whatnot, but sometimes we both just crave a hot plate of yummy food...before dinnertime....
• Grocery store/farmer's market runs...oh my! They seem constant, and expensive.

All that said - not complaints so much as observations (ok, Breakfast out, that is a complaint) :). We both feel really good, notice that our systems run more smoothly (is that eloquent enough?) and that we have a lot of good energy on a lot less food (calorie intake), and the food that is eaten is mostly raw, local, or high protein - and all of it, low carb without really focusing on the fact that this is a low-carb diet, really.

Yoga Day 12: Did my own practice in between teaching an unplanned double, just to be able to have a nice chunk of the day afterwards. My floor bow is coming along, right now it's my favorite posture!

Detox Day 12:

Breakfast:
Green Lemonade

Lunch:
Spinach with veggies, a little raw corn and spicy guac dressing.
1/2 c. quinoa with veggies and raw soy sauce (a little bit Asian, a little bit rock'n'roll)

Snack:
Raw sheep cheese

Dinner:
Mixed greens with raw peas, shredded raw cow's cheddar, cherry tomatoes, and green onion.
3/4 c. Cauliflower Puree with butter
5 oz. Opah
1/2 c. Green beans

6 oz Red Wine
1 oz dark chocolate
1 c. berries (throughout the day...)

Weight: About the same (10 pounds from the start, but nothing lately...dumb PMS)
Calories: 1500 (big eatin' day!)

Detox & Yoga: Day 11

Big events today included coming up with a "honey" mustard dressing to add some umphf to our dinner salad, and making fish in parchment paper - one of my favorite healthy preparations of fish that somehow, I just kinda forgot about. Quinoa at lunch was another 'new item' that came out really delicious - like a big bowl of comfort food really!

Yoga Day 11: Butt-kicker with Kristen in Fremont. Peppy class, good energy - just a wham bam yoga class.

Detox Day 12:

Breakfast:
Green Lemonade

Lunch:
Salad with Avocado Corn Guac, spinach and veggies.
3/4 c. hot, steamy Quinoa with butter, salt and peppper. Mmmmm!

Snack:
Raw goat cheese wrapped in lettuce leaves with pickles and mustard.

Dinner:
Spinach Salad with 'honey' mustard dressing, shredded goat cheese and heirloom tomato.
5 oz. fresh halibut, cooked in parchment with asparagus tips, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, a splash of wine, butter, salt and pepper.
3 oz. Red Wine
1 oz. Dark Chocolate

Calories: 1200
Weight: About the same.

Detox & Yoga: Day 10

Yay! 1/3 of the detox down! Day 10 completed. It's bizarre how much less I need to eat to feel satiated, and more surprising is how good I feel after eating, say, 1/2 an avocado and a couple cups of green vegetables. My energy is really good too, and again, it's unexpected on around 1000 calories a day primarily comprised of raw vegetables with a little cheese or fish tossed in.

Every once in a while though, I think about some food that is...well, normal. Like a bowl of Tom Kha soup at the Thai joint at the bottom of the hill. Or an enchilada. Chips & salsa, a food group for me! Or, even, just going out to breakfast is off the table since there is well, no breakfast. :(

Yoga Day 10: Somehow, I slogged myself to 9:30 a.m. before teaching a noon, 4:30 & 8 p.m. class. I didn't want to go but had that feeling - that feeling that I'd be better off and set up for a much better outcome to my day than if I didn't go. So I went, had a *great* focused practice and don't have to catch up on another day.

Detox Day 10: BORING food day....all leftover and repeats:

Breakfast: Green Lemonade

Lunch: 1/2 Avocado, simple spinach salad with random raw veggies and lemon juice. Plus 1/2 c. of thai sweet potato mash.

Dinner: Raw carrots and spinach to start. Spaghetti squash, marinara sauce and raw cheddar cheese. I didn't eat very much of it though...

Snack: 1.5 oz. raw goat cheese wrapped in lettuce with pickles and mustard.

A few little squares of dark chocolate.
Lots of water.

Calories: 1100
Weight: Up a little today - woke up with my monthly shift whereby my body puffs up a size. So, weight is at a total loss of 10.4. Not expecting much movement on this in the next couple of days.