Another Day, Another Detox.

Here we go again.

Day one of a 14-day detox. It cannot be found online, or in a book, because basically, it's a lowercase-d detox. We've done this enough times to know the basics, and after two stints with the strict HCG drops this summer--combined with a New Year's resolution to be easier on myself--I've decided to play it cool.

The idea is that we will do fourteen or fifteen days of the following:

Monday to Thursday: vegan
Friday and Saturday: lacto-ovo
Sunday: pescatarian

(Even though we're starting on a Wednesday, we'll stick to this, because we can then have eggs on Saturday morning and a nice salmon dinner on Sunday.)

Plus the typical commandments of your garden-variety detox:

- No wheat
- No sugar
- No booze
- No tropical fruit
- No fermented foods or funghi 
- Limited caffeine
- Limited high-acid produce

We'll also try to be a little better about products we're using, dry skin-brushing before having a shower, doing yoga, maybe even meditating a little, which I spend so much time thinking about ("When am I going to find time to meditate?") that I may as well just be doing it.

We've been making more vegetarian meals than usual these days--I think we're just naturally leaning away from meat right now. Maybe it's more of a summer thing? Grilled chicken and salad, etc. I'm craving hot, mushy, bean-y comfort foods, like this dahl we made a couple of weeks ago, poured over sweet potatoes and served with roasted cherry tomatoes and cilantro.

Delish.
My goals are:

- Brighter Skin (I've been looking a little dull and blotchy in the past month after feeling like I was glowing all summer while off wheat and limiting the booze)
- Lose a Few (Story of my life--but especially needed after the holidays!)
- Detox from Meat (So over it these days. And always really. Yes, most meat tastes good, but I'm so over the idea of it, the cruelty of it, the health problems related to it, the recalls... Enough is enough.)

I would still like to eat fish from time-to-time, especially salmon, because I love it. But there will be a Wild Salmon Only rule. (In fact, we just had salmon tonight, and it's supposed to be vegan day today, but Marielle planned a dinner party a couple of weeks ago and we couldn't force everyone to eat our detox menu.) 

I'm not saying I plan to come out of this a vinyl-shoe-wearing vegan, I just hope to be more careful with my choices. And I like detoxing because it's fun to organize and plan and execute! Must. Have. A project.

Daily Menu, 2 Jan:

6:30am: My one and only coffee of the day (hardest part!) 

7:30am: Smoothie (silken tofu, frozen blueberries, water, cinnamon) 

10:00am: 2 clementines, mug of hot water with lemon

12:00pm: One bowl Smoky Split Pea soup (recipe below), 4 Mary's Organic crackers, and a small green salad with tahini-lemon dressing 

1:30pm: EXERCISE (I did a 35-minute weight circuit at the gym)

2:30pm: 1oz raw almonds, mug of hot water with lemon

3:30pm: celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of guacamole 

7:00pm: salmon, zucchini cut into thin strips with a mandolin, and roasted cherry tomatoes. 

Water: approximately 5L

I just finished a chamomile tea and will try to get into bed shortly after 9pm for some reading. Normally we watch TV until 10:30 or so, but there's never actually anything on that we want to watch, so... why do it?

Day one down, easy peasy. Hoping for a bit of movement on the scale tomorrow after putting on way too much weight over the holidays, but I'm pleased with myself either way. I ate well, I limited my caffeine, I exercised. I was around cheese, baguette, paté, chocolate and coffee this evening but managed to stick to detox foods only. I hope to sleep like a baby tonight.

Here is the recipe for the soup we made today. It's one of our favourite recipes. I use about two tablespoons of smoked paprika rather than the recommended four teaspoons, but I like it spicy. Sometimes I also throw in a pinch of chipotle flakes for a bit more heat. Enjoy!

Smoky Split Pea Soup

From Appetite for Reduction

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced small
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• A few twists of the pepper grinder
• 4 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 1/2 cups diced carrots
• 1 1/4 cups dry split peas
• 4-6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions in the oil until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, pepper, and salt, and saute for another minute. Add the paprika and thyme, and stir continuously for about 15 seconds to toast the spices a bit.

Add the carrots, split peas, and broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, the lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the peas are creamy. Stir occasionally to prevent the soup from burning at the bottom. If necessary, thin the soup with water.