Day 22: Three Weeks Behind Me

Wow! It’s been three weeks since I’ve started this clean eating experiment and, I have to say, I look great! My waist has slimmed down (I got back into my skinniest of jeans that I wore pre-pregnancy), my skin has cleared up, and I have a lot more energy! Well, sort of.

Yesterday I was still plagued with allergies so I slept right through lunch, but I did manage to make myself breakfast of two eggs on toast with avocado. My liquids consisted of mostly tea and Neocitran. I was still exhausted when we got home for dinner so my husband barbecued up a bunch of chicken and we made sandwiches with carrot sticks and hummus. The Neocitran kicked in soon after and I had to turn in early. I am feeling a little better this morning, albeit a little hungry.

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Day 13: I Can See The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Last night (after I posted) I decided I wanted something warm to drink before bed. I just got this really cool, little battery operated milk frother, so I improvised on the recommended hot chocolate snack: I warmed up one cup of almond milk, one tablespoon of 100% pure organic agave syrup and one teaspoon of vanilla. It hit the spot and I slept like a baby.

Fast forward to this morning: My overnight oats were perfect. I prefer the thicker consistency and the farmer’s market strawberries were so flavorful, I wish I had more.

I am starting to think of what’s next after this clean eating challenge. I have to say, I am addicted to finding healthy alternatives and new recipes that use fresh, real, and whole ingredients. I feel very determined to shop as much as possible at farmer’s markets, but who knows. If any of you know me I rarely follow through with things like these. I couldn’t even get through a ten pack punch pass for the gym that didn’t expire for 6 months. I paid for four months of unlimited yoga and only made it through two and a half. But with all this talk about pesticides, GMO, and links from our food to cancers and other illnesses, I feel I don’t have a choice but to continue to put good, wholesome food on the table. Luckily I have the perfect motivation:

So for lunch I had my husband’s untouched snap pea salad from Tuesdays dinner. I added the leftover spinach and the two hard boiled eggs I had left over in the fridge, plus I added about a tablespoon of the lemon dressing instead of making the balsamic dressing the recipe called for.

I had to run into work for a couple hours and then we went to my Inlaws’ soon after so I skipped my snack.

For dinner instead of the shrimp lettuce cups, my gracious host (MIL) made us roasted yams, bbq chicken, a nice quinoa salad, asparagus and corn. I love that she’s so understanding and accommodating with me and this experiment. For desert she even picked up a truffle made out of prunes and, I think, cloves. It wasn’t quite chocolate but it had a nice sweet taste and a spicy kick.

Well now we are on to the last day of this challenge before being released on my own out into the great, wide world filled with temptations! I feel like that first time your parents let you go to the movies by yourself with your friends, or a high school graduate who’s been set free into the thrones of adulthood. I hope I can continue to make healthy choices for me and my family and not run to McDonalds the fist chance I get. Mmmm cheeseburgers.

Day 10: Sometimes… You Gotta!

Ok, I cheated again. I had a cup of coffee with breakfast this morning. *Gasp* Hear me out: my kid woke up at 6:00am and there was no sign of him wanting to go back to sleep anytime soon. If I was going to get anything done today (and it is a Monday, mind you) and keep my sanity, a cup of coffee was in order. I justified my decision by swapping out my favorite Irish Cream coffee creamer (NO not Bailey’s) for some almond milk and vanilla extract.

For lunch I left out the roasted eggplant because A) I didn’t make enough a couple nights ago because the grocery store only had two small ones, and B) I did not drink enough coffee to want to return to the grocery store for more. It turns out the salad was hearty enough without it.

Instead of cutting up a red pepper for my snack with hummus I used the carrots I had already cut up in the fridge. I figured since they were on the same side of the color spectrum they held the same nutritive value.

I still didn’t pick up any more collard greens, but I had a ton of spinach left over from last week, so I threw in a few handfuls into tonight’s dinner. I had forgotten that I bought easy peel prawns and proceeded to chomp down on one and then promptly spat it into the garbage. Luckily the others were easy to peel as the package promised. I wish I had gotten fresh-off-the-boat local prawns. I probably spent way too much on these. Karma!

I prepped up three hard boiled eggs for tomorrow. One broke in the pot while boiling, one crumbled in my husbands hands when he went to peel it and the other ended up in the garbage due to miscommunication. That will teach me to be cocky and think I know how to hard boil an egg. I will try again tomorrow.

For today’s recipes go here.