Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Cleanse

Yes, the title of this blog sounds like a bad horror flick, and in reality, the actual cleanse is in fact a little terrifying. First, there's the uneasy suspense of eating healthy organic foods, most of them greens, only in amounts specified on the daily menu. Second, there's the actual consuming of the food, which mostly tastes like healthy super green shakes and pureed broccoli (oh wait, that actually is a meal item). Third, there's the massive temptations lurking around every corner! Today alone I've avoided zucchini bread, rice krispy treats, mac n cheese, coffee cake and even granola bars. But, I've committed to the cause and I'm in it to win it!

So it all began when my roommate Katie came home with a printed copy of a cleanse she researched on the internet. I looked at it semi-interested and thought, "I could do this." The cleanse consists of mostly blended items ranging from fruit, greens and even fresh salmon (not blended). I loathe the word diet and think most of them are silly, but cleanse has a different ring to it. So I went in on it fairly certain I would follow through with the whole menu for the whole week.

Katie and I traveled to Reno to gather the ingredients at Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck) and we were laughing hysterically trying to find all the items. I've never heard of half the greens required, but the produce stockers were very informative and helpful in leading us all around the store finding wakame, water cress, rice vinegar, etc. When we got to the cash register, we both went into shock. I won't specify, but lets just say that after spending all that money, I'm not backing out of this cleanse.

So here is a true blog of my 7 day cleanse/detox with my roommate Katie. If you are at all interested, check out http://goop.com/


DAY ONE

7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water
8am: Herbal tea
10am (breakfast): Blueberry and Almond Smoothie
11:30am: Coconut water*
1:30pm (lunch): Salad with Carrot and Ginger Dressing
4pm (snack): A handful of mixed pumpkin and sunflower seeds
6pm (dinner): Broccoli and Arugula Soup
*Make sure that the coconut water has no added sugar. Fresh is ideal but the brands Zico or Vita Coco are readily available.


To be honest, I couldn't sleep because I was so excited to embark upon a healthy and dedicated week. I definitely yearned for some Lucky Charms with delicious 2% milk for breakfast, but had to settle with lemon water.

The smoothie actually didn't sound too bad, and it wouldn't have been, save for the super greens and whey powders that taste like crap. But I finished every last drop. By the end of the day, I wasn't too hungry, but it is difficult to come home after work and resist some chocolate indulgence. Instead, Katie and I had to settle with purred broccoli, which looks a lot more watery than the picture portrays. Overall, the day was a success and I peed about every 2 hours =0)










Photos of blending the ginger dressing and eating the broccoli soup

DAY TWO

7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water
8am: Herbal tea
10am (breakfast): Raspberry and Rice Milk Smoothie (follow method for Blueberry and Almond Smoothie)
11:30am: Coconut water
1:30pm (lunch): Detox Teriyaki Chicken and Steamed Greens
4pm (snack): Miso Soup with Watercress
6pm (dinner): Pea and Basil Soup (follow method for Broccoli and Arugula Soup)


I think I'm already getting used to this cleanse. The breakfast smoothie went down a little smoother and I even got to indulge in some chicken for lunch! The biggest pain was having to make all 3 meals the night before because I'm going to the Banff Mountain Film Festival in Reno tonight. It may be a little rough heating up some pea soup while everyone else dives into the best pizza in town. But you know, I'm really not tempted by other food anymore. This cleanse is only for one week and I can eat all that other junk any other time (and I will). I can't really tell a difference in my energy levels, but I'm sure my organs are all thanking me right now. I just hope they don't serve finger foods at this film fest.


DAY THREE

7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water
8am: Herbal tea
10am (breakfast): Oatmeal (make with rice or almond milk instead of water so it’s a bit more substantial)
11:30am: Coconut water
1:30pm (lunch): Blueberry and Almond Smoothie
4pm (snack): Cucumber, Lime and Basil Juice
6pm (dinner): Super Greens Juice / Miso Soup with Watercress


Ok, avoiding the food last night in Reno was harder than I thought. It wasn't the pizza that got me, but the popcorn at the film fest!! I love popcorn almost as much as I love ice cream! I eat it everyday, sometimes as meals, and it's all I'm craving!

I'm not sure how much this detox is cleansing out my body. I feel super hydrated, which is great, but as far as the bowel cleansing goes, it's about normal. So here's what I'm thinking: maybe I can just have a little popcorn without butter or salt because this is a healthy food and vitamin plan, not a detox! I'm just eating pureed veggies instead of taking vitamins, but I can have a bit of popcorn along the way. Ahhhh! I can't think like that because I will just keep pushing the envelope. Today is my day off and it is not easy to be at home or skiing on the slopes and be satisfied with coconut water and almond milk.

Ok Kim, pull yourself together, it's not that bad...I'm still in it. I can do it!!!

DAY FOUR

7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water
8am: Herbal tea
10am (breakfast): Mango and Coconut Milk Smoothie (follow method for Blueberry and Almond Smoothie)
11:30am: Coconut water
1:30pm (lunch): Miso Soup with Watercress
4pm (snack): A handful of blueberries
6pm (dinner): Steamed Salmon and Greens


I'm hungry!! For the first time on this cleanse, I'm truly hungry. I had oatmeal in the morning yesterday, but after that it's been all liquids. I came home from skiing and was about to walk out the door to go to Katie's work so I could juice my snack, but she called and said I couldn't come until 6. So I sat around and had a major moment of weakness. I put the popcorn kernels in the popper and plugged it in!! Then I felt incredibly guilty and weak and so immediately unplugged it. I was a good girl and made some miso soup as a snack instead.

This shouldn't be hard. There are so many people out there who survive on so much less. I've already lost 3 pounds and haven't weighed under 150 lbs since I was 17. It's not worth it after this week though. I don't know how models and dieters do it. I'd rather be eating what I want (and be fairly healthy) than go to extremes! But I can certainly suck it up for the week; it's good for me. 3 more days to go!

PS- I hope I don't pass out playing pick up basketball tonight! If I do, I should just tell the players to pour olive oil down my throat =0)

DAY FIVE

7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water
8am: Herbal tea
10am (breakfast): Peach and Almond Smoothie (follow method for Blueberry and Almond Smoothie)
11:30am: Coconut water
1:30pm (lunch): Raw crudite (carrots, green beans, radishes, cucumbers, zucchini) with Carrot and Ginger Dressing
4pm (snack): Beet, Carrot, Apple and Ginger Juice
6pm (dinner): Cucumber and Avocado Soup


I'm getting used to this cleanse and have graduated from the temptation stage probably because I'm more than half way through! There have been some strange things happening to me though. For example, I drank a whole juiced beet today and I had no idea how strong its dye is! Red stained my fingers, my lips, and YES, my pee!!! I thought something was wrong with me when I went to flush the toilet, then I remembered the beet =0) I suppose it's normal.

Eating only raw veggies for lunch wasn't too fun and the cucumber and avocado soup was so unfun I threw most of it out. Both delicious items independently, but not so good blended together with a little salt to qualify it as cold soup. Something positive did result from the soup, however- my favorite quote from the cleanse:

Kim- "This is gross."
Katie- "Just keep eating it."






DAY SIX

7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water
8am: Herbal tea
10am (breakfast): Blueberry and Almond Smoothie
11:30am: Coconut water
1:30pm (lunch): Mixed Greens with Steamed Salmon, Olive Oil & Lemon Juice
4pm (snack): Super Greens Juice
6pm (dinner): Detox Teriyaki Chicken, brown rice, steamed zucchini

Whoa! I get two very substantial items today: fish AND chicken! I have to admit, I am pretty full still from the salmon I ate 5 hours ago. Would you say my stomach has shrunk? YES!

I did receive a bit of enlightenment strolling through the grocery store today to pick up some more tasty rice milk: there is so much junk that we eat everyday!! This detox glaringly juxtaposes my normal food regiment, which I always thought was fair compared to most people's diets. There is just so much sugar in EVERYTHING and so many items are over processed, so that even if you think you are eating healthily, most of the nutrients are simply enriched or have been lost in the processing. What does this mean? I don't know really, but I do know that anything you can buy in a package doesn't compare to the raw and blended health I've consumed over this past week. Who knows what causes cancer and what the best route to health is, but I do know that I've never eaten as well as I have this past week, and that's worth some consideration.

In a perfect world, I'd buy fresh organic items at Whole Paycheck everyday, but it's not convenient or reasonable to my wallet. So what should I do? I think there are some items that are worth buying fresh: meats, fish, veggies and fruits, and probably milk. The rest is up to your own diet, likes and dislikes. And that is my conclusion for the day =0)

HAPPY EATING!


DAY SEVEN

7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water
8am: Herbal tea
10am (breakfast): Raspberry and Rice Milk Smoothie (follow method for Blueberry and Almond Smoothie)
11:30am: Coconut water
1:30pm (lunch): Miso Soup with Vegetables
4pm (snack): A handful of almonds
6pm (dinner): Steamed fish, quinoa, roasted squash

THE LAST DAY!

I cannot believe I didn't break down today. Sunday is an extremely busy day at work because of a locals program we put together every season. Today was its grand finale and the magic carpet area (the area I supervise) was packed with an obstacle course for 130 kids. It was busy and afterwards all the kids and instructors indulged in ice cream topped with a warm gooey brownie.

That part isn't what got me though.

Immediately after work was a memorial for Shane McConkey, the Michael Jordan of skiing, who died base jumping in Italy. His home base was Squaw Valley, and the memorial was packed. Some volunteers at Squaw Kids, including myself, babysat for the parents attending the memorial. A little 2 year old walked in with his big sister and the parents bolted. Then the 2 year old looked around anxiously crying, "Mommy? Mommy?! MOOOMMMMY!!!" So I picked up the screaming kid and took him outside to try and calm him down. Now, I deal with crying kids everyday, but they are between the ages of 4 and 6, so I had no idea what to say to this 2 year old to get him to stop freaking out. As he screamed in my ear, I started crying myself thinking, "I can't handle this right now." Then, the kid threw up all over me. I walked into the bathroom and started laughing and sobbing from work overload. My boss came in and almost broke down too! And all I could think was, "When that pizza for the kids gets delivered, I'm eating most of it myself!!!"

But I resisted and made it through the whole 7 days without cheating once. Yeah for me!

So in conclusion, I don't feel different, but I lost 5 lbs overall and don't feel hungry all that often. I'm more aware of what I'm eating and am going to throw in way more fruits and veggies and buy organic whenever possible...after I indulge in some delicious Skyline Chili during the NCAA Championship Basketball game!!! Hahahaha =0) I LOVE FOOD!
YUM! Greasy cheesy deliciousness with a side of salty chips!!!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

POW!
So if you've been in the loop at all with the Weather Channel, you know we've been getting lots and lots of snow and I've been enjoying every minute of it! My roommate, Casey, coaxed me into getting up early on my day off to stand in line at the Funitel (our gondola) to get fresh tracks at the top of the mountain, which hadn't opened yet due to avalanche bombing. I rolled out of bed, got a Chai after getting my car checked out due to the snow tearing off the mud guard under the engine, and then headed up to Squaw. Here is a photo guide to our adventures on the POW day and a nice BLUEBIRD day from January.
(Congratulations....you've now learned some mountain lingo. If you feel confident, you can use the phrase: "We were shralping the gnar gnar on a bluebird corduroy day.")



















Ok, so I have to explain this face shot story. I was going off a little jump off a groomer and didn't realize it was all powder below me. My skis stuck straight into the power while the rest of my body continued to propel forward. I double ejected and my head and face landed straight into the pow. When I pulled my head up I was laughing so loud as Casey stood over me laughing herself stupid too. I LOVE POW!


And then the groomer day. I'm holding the Notre Damian, my high school alumni newsletter. Lots of alum take photos of themselves all over the world and then send them into Notre Dame to show how much they've utilized their education. Well, this is what I've done with mine....

...and I couldn't be happier!!!!!!!!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Big Air in a Little Plane

So my buddy Clay (who is actually from Edgewood, Kentucky, but we didn't meet til Tahoe) is a pilot! I've been trying for a year to get a ride with him, and it finally worked out for a lovely sunset trip a few weeks ago.

Now, I was a little nervous about flying in such a small plane for 2 reasons: 1. If we went down over the lake, I'd be a dead body perfectly preserved floating at a certain depth with all the mafia members and immigrant Chinese workers who were thrown overboard back in the day. (You can read up on this information further if you wish, but apparently Lake Tahoe is so cold that at about 1,000 feet below the surface things just circulate in flawless condition...freaky). And 2. all of my other friends who have flown with Clay have puked into a convenient plastic bag shoved in the side of the plane (oh, but one of my friends didn't make the plastic bag...gross).

But I manned up and decided this adventure is just too good to pass up.

Now, Clay is a pretty funny laid back kinda guy, but he took his piloting seriously, which was reassuring. The take off was smooth sailing and we were soon en route to flying over the Lake. He took us over the East Shore and over a lake that is just above it. It was strange seeing so many places I had hiked to from a bird's eye view, but it was equally beautiful. We then continued on to South Lake Tahoe where we could actually see the difference in elevations between the Carson Valley, the Sierra Nevadas and then the lake...pretty cool. Carson Valley is actually below Lake level. Then we continued onto Desolation Wilderness, which is an empty area filled with plenty of lakes, granite rock and no one within miles of you. Then Clay wove through a little canyon where we popped out onto Emerald Bay, the only inlet on the Lake. (Please enjoy the video posted below.)




By this point, I was starting to gain some confidence so Clay let me fly the plane...ahhh! He said the plane does most of the work, but I had a hard time keeping it level. After about 30 seconds Clay took the wheel again. He flew low over the lake and then took us over Squaw Valley, where we waved to all our friends. We even did a Flyby of the Resort at Squaw Creek, which is where I work over the summer.

Then Clay asked how we were all feeling, to which I said, "Great! Why?" Then he explained this thrill called "Zero Gravity" and I nervously said, "Lets try it." So he flew the plane straight up in the air to the point where I thought we were going to do a back flip and then did a nose dive like a hill on a roller coaster. I guess I didn't trust Clay that much because I was a little freaked out that we were "Going Down!" Instead, my camera case that was once placed in my lap was now floating up in my face until Clay leveled out the plane. It was such a scary thrill!! He did it one more time and then we came in for the landing.

So it was a successful flight with no puking and lots of laughs. It was incredible to get such a new look at beautiful Lake Tahoe and its surrounding areas. Thank you Clay!!