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Monday, January 23, 2012

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 CaffeƩ 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!

17 comments:

  1. I loved following your 21 day journey! And I applaud how you ended the cleanse -- last year when my husband ended our cleanse we started with coffee in the morning, wine with dinner and all was right with the world ;)

    That pizza looks insanely delicious!

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  2. I did miss the oats in a jar craze but I can completely understand how it happened. That sounds good. How did that coffee taste? Best cup ever?

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  3. Bahahahahha! "Like a ninja turtle" is seriously making me laugh! Damn, that pizza looks good! We just found out that there is a pizza joint here that serves Daiya! We went the other night, but were so excited we forgot to take pictures, but man it was GOOD. We'll have to go next time you visit!

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  4. I was so inspired by your journey through the 21 day cleanse that close to the beginning of it I bought CSD and started my own cleanse. I got sick shortly after so I had to kind of stop in the middle to take care of myself but I'm trying very hard to continue eating the way I learned in the book. It looks like you are doing a great job at it and it also looks like you indulged in the perfect foods on your first day post cleanse :) Great balance!

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  5. That Aztec Salad looks impressive. Also strongly agree that nothing pairs better with pizza in the winter like a smoked dark beer.

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  6. You survived the cleanse. Mazel! Time to make it rain pizza and donuts.

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  7. That tempeh looks awesome! Green juice does become part of us, once we start it's hard to stop.

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  8. I too loved following your 21 day cleanse, and congrats for successfully completing it! It was very inspiring, although I will say that you are a stronger woman than I, for I lack the discipline to pull it off. However, your journey did make me think more deeply about my own eating habits. Also, I may just by the CSD book, too...

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  9. gosh the pizza looks so good. i suck at cleanses!

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  10. ahhhh! Yazoo sue is so good. It's high gravity too :)

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  11. The kale-apple-celery-cucumber is my favorite juice, too! i add ginger and lemon to mine. I have one every day!

    This place has great juice recipes - I make these all the time!

    http://thejuicepressonline.com/cold-pressed-juice/

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  12. I'm (hopefully) moving to Athens, Georgia in the next few months and they have a Mellow Mushroom there. I'm excited to try it because I've seen it's deliciousness mentioned on here every once in awhile. :)

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  13. You are so much stronger than I am. I made it through one week of my cleanse before I fell (i.e. threw myself) off the wagon. Good for you!

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  14. Mmm, beer! Out of everything - sugar, caffeine, etc - beer is definitely my weakness. It's just so damn tasty. Congrats on making it through 21 days, and what better way to celebrate than with a giant vegan pizza? :)

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  15. The Aztec Salad looks absolutely delicious! The pizza doesn't look so bad either...

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  16. That Aztec salad looks amazing!! Never been to Mellow Mushroom but here they usually have good beer on tap. I love Yazoo beers! We don't get them down here :(

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  17. The tempeh salad looks so appetizing! Yeah, you definitely need to come out with the cookbook soon! :)

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