Back to Reality

After 21 days with no coffee (actually a few days longer because I started weaning myself off on the weekend before my cleanse), this morning was a magical one. I took a long, deep, appreciative inhale as I opened my bag of Starbucks Dark Caffeé Verona. I lovingly ground the beans and brewed the perfect cup in my beloved stainless steel coffee press. I sweetened my cup with a touch of agave and lightened it with a splash of So Delicious coconut milk. Mmmmm.....

But before that, I started this morning with another Green Juice:

Yes, the cleanse is officially over today. But I'm not giving up on green juice. This combo of kale, cucumber, apple, and celery gives me a burst of pure energy like nothing else. It doesn't last as long as coffee, but it feels great starting the day with an alkaline boost.

After juicing, I prepared one of my favorite breakfasts — Fluffer Nutter Oats in a Jar:

In case you missed the "oats in a jar" blogger craze a few years back, it's exactly what it sounds like. Oats served in an almost-empty peanut butter jar. The hot steel cut oats melt the nut butter remnants, and it's just amazing. I sweeten mine with Ricemallow Cream. Since this marshmallow cream substitute is made with brown rice syrup and soy protein, I figure it's a little better than refined sugar. And this was my only sweet treat today.

Peanut butter and oats are both rather acidic though, and I'm trying to stay balanced. Thankfully, this Aztec Salad from Crazy Sexy Diet was more alkaline:

Chipotle barbecue tempeh, toasted chili pumpkin seeds, and a drizzle of roasted tomato vinaigrette tops a quinoa and black bean salad flecked with red peppers, red onions, and corn. The chipotle barbecue sauce and the roasted tomato vinaigrette are both homemade. On this plate, the tempeh, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, red peppers, and lettuce are all alkaline. Only the black beans and corn are acidic. This is the perfect example of a 60/40 plate.

Around 4:30 p.m., I snacked on some carrot sticks and homemade white bean dip, another favorite holdover snack from my cleanse. I should eat more raw veggies as snacks instead of always reaching for nuts or energy bars, especially on days like today when I skipped the gym.

Why would I skip the gym on the first day after my cleanse, you ask. Well, my friend Stephanie and I had a date to celebrate the end of my cleanse with a large Mega Veggie Pizza with Daiya at Mellow Mushroom!

I can't think of a better way to bring gluten back into my life! I didn't miss it all that much compared with my longing for coffee and sugar. But I couldn't have made it without pizza for too much longer. I'm like a Ninja Turtle.

Of course, you can't enjoy a slice of pizza without beer. I ordered my second favorite choice on Mellow Mushroom's menu — Sierra Nevada Porter. I really wanted the Yazoo Sue, a Nashville-brewed smoked porter, but they were sold out. Honestly, the Sierra Nevada was more delicious than I remember it being, probably because I've been deprived of good beer for too long. Cheers!