Avocados & Bananas have kept me sane ~ My last meal

Alternative Title: I will never be a Vegan.

Today is day 14 of my juice/veggie fast. I planned on doing 15, but I am done. Really. It has been an interesting run, and a few minutes ago I relished my last "meal" on this adventure, a large, scrumptious salad with cucumbers, peppers, parsley, and, taa daa...avocados. I don't know what I would have done without bananas & avocados during this time, they were my "I am STARVING, and need FOOD...NOW" go to food.

I bounced around 140-132lbs during this time, and measured between 34 and 30.5 inches in my waist. I tracked this for fun, and it was interesting to see how my body reacted to certain foods/juices. If you want to see the details, you can go to my short & sweet journal here.

I started all this in the hopes to rid myself of chronic nerve pain, and to give my body a chance to "detox" a bit. I certainly got to deal with my pain, not in a good way. Around day four I got terrible pains in my legs, unassociated with those I was trying to get rid of. It was hell, and I ended up taking Ibuprofen that day. My body was releasing muscle toxins for about two days. I also realized the importance of hydrating. I have always been a bad hydrator. Yep. I just don't get thirsty, and may go all day just drinking a cup of coffee and and cup of tea. I eat lots of fruit, but that is just not the same. Now, there are some people who say it is not necessary to drink more than you "need", but I found once I upped my intake of water & coconut water (for electrolytes), I definitely felt better. Lesson learned. I now have a reminder telling me to DRINK.

I did not have coffee, or wine, or beer for 16 days, as I started to eliminate them before my fast. Things brings me to the ritual part.

I have learned that most of my food is tied to a ritual. I LIKE to eat, I LIKE to drink coffee, wine, & beer. Yes, I can live without them, but I don't think I want to.

Ah, and the food....Yesterday, my family asked if I can finally make "my" bread again. The whole time I purchased bread, to avoid baking. You see, bread is my nemesis. I LOVE bread. Slathered in butter, plain, soaked in salad sauce, soaked in soup, covered with brie.....I baked bread yesterday, and knew I was done. I need to eat bread.

The whole time I cooked for my family. The other day I made a sumptious grass fed beef stew...mmm...it was dark, spicy, warm...just delicious smelling. My family was ooing and ahing all over it. Did I cave? No. Though I like meat, I don't crave it.

Baked goods....they were calling me in my sleep :).

This gives me a new appreciation for food. It also changes my mind about something I stated when I first watched "Fat, Sick, and nearly Dead". I said:"If it is that easy to loose so much weight, why doesn't everyone juice instead of trying these whacky diets & programs?". Well, it is not easy. I cannot imagine juicing for 30 or 60 days, unless I was a retreat where there were no people asking me to feed them, and no ovens. My hat off to anyone who accomplishes 30 or 60 days.

So, what did I gain from this?

:)

I will never be vegan (unless my life depends on it). I am sure my body is feeling better. I actually feel a bit weaker than normally, but that could be psychological. I will slowly re-introduce grains & dairy, and have decided to convert this kitchen to completely whole grain. I will make it a point to serve/buy more plant based foods, less meat (still looking for recipes for my meat & potato man), and less carbs. I am a carb queen. I am going to learn to cook more vegan foods to supplement my cheese based dishes :). I realize how much I love food, the social aspect of it, and I know that it would not make me a Happy Heike if I chose to live without the things I savor to eat. I don't think restricting myself from grains & dairy would make me feel better. I will seek alternatives where I can, but am looking forward to homemade joghurt, raw milk, cheese, and did I mention, BREAD? I will continue to make green juices for more protein, as I continue to train.

I can recommend this adventure highly, and the REBOOT program (www.jointhereboot.com) was a huge support.

Looking forward to breakfast.....
Much love,
Heike

This pizza will make an Italian cringe...

Tonight, we are having PIZZA!! Making pizza is a cinch. I like to make it myself, not only because I find delivery pizza outrageously expensive, but also because I spend a lot of time searching for/buying sustainably raised food. It would be silly to spend so much time & money finding sustainably raised meat, then ingest meat that is not, since most pizza places are not on my "happy animal" path.

My Italian friends cringe when I tell them about my pizza :). If you have ever eaten a "real" Italian pizza in Italy, you know it looks a lot different than the pizza we see here in the U.S. The one I am making tonight is for my family, covered in meats, cheeses, etc. One day I will make an authentic Quattro Stagioni and post.

Basic dough recipe:

5 cups flour
1.5 cups warm water (knead with 1 cup and add more as you need it. Dough should be pliable, but not sticky.)
1 tblsp yeast
2 tblsp olive oil

Mix, knead until the dough is soft and pliable. Roll into a ball, set on a floured surface, cover with a towel. let rise for an hour or until doubled in size. This will be enough for 1 cookie sheet thick dough, or two 12 inch thinner crust pizzas.

Stretch dough over oiled pan. Let rest for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500F.

Spread with your favorite toppings! Tonight we used cheddar cheese, pizza sauce, salami, ham, oregano & thyme, olives, pineapple. I also like using garlic sauce, spinach, red papppers & feta cheese :). Personally, I often cheat and use a nice organic pizza sauce out of the glass, but I grate my own cheese, and use organic & natural ingredients.

Bake for 10 minutes.


Voila! Dig in!