Off White Living

It’s cleanse time again!  Those of you who know me know that the act of cleansing/detox diet is no unfamiliar venture for an off-white pursuant like me.  Seems like every 6 months I get the bug to do some kind of detox/cleanse, and yep…its about that time.

So when my mother in law approached me about a 21-day cleanse diet, my natural response was ‘…hello, friend’….  Not to mention the fact that she and I  could be partners in crime.  Yet another reason to detox.  Mother-in-law bonding.  Yes, I actually like doing things with Matt’s mom, including eating a vegan diet and complaining about how much we miss chocolate together.  Hey, the family that cleanses together, stays together.

I couldn’t help but ask myself, what is my attraction to the cleansing concept?  It’s much more than a physical desire.  I’m not really after weight loss, I eat a ton of veggies as it is, so what is it?  Truthfully, its kind of a spiritual adventure for me. There is something profound about being slightly uncomfortable (and trust me, not have the option to eat dairy or meat or even chocolate for 21 days will get a little edgy) that opens me up mentally and emotionally.

When I’m cleansing, I’m letting my body have a break from the ‘norm’ diet.  I’m also asking my mind and spirit to be willing to stand up to cravings, desires for food gratifications and emotional eating moments.  THese happen often to a girl like me, even still.  It’s like the Pema Chodron quote “how you do one thing is how you do anything”.  When I’m eating a certain healthy  but limited diet, I’m practicing the art of being uncomfortable and having to face my ego so I can do a little more of that in other areas of my life.

Do I have to cleanse to do this?  No, I suppose not.  But for me, food and its relationship in my life is very much a metaphor for how I see other things.  For instance, when I’m stress and want to taste the sweetness of life, I typically want mor sweet: Fruits, sweetened teas, honey on my oatmeal, etc.  Nothing bad about this, just a way that I try and make it all more comfortable, which ends up creating a dependence.  Cleansing is like letting go of the dependencies on food, and trusting that I’m going to be okay if I can’t have hot chocolate while grading lab reports.  That process helps me learn to be okay when I’m pushing the edges of my life and as a result, my mind to open up to new possibilities for myself.

Being as this is the year I want the off-white cookbook done, it seems like cleansing is appropriate.  I’ve got a few mental barriers on my ability there, and I’d like to let them go so as to create space for the possibility of finishing.

So, here I go!  Starting tomorrow my daily eating will consist of:

A vegan diet with fish as needed (white fish only, baked or pan sauteed, not deep fried, which I don’t even do anyway)

Abstaining from: corn chips/tortillas, wheat, flour in general (even GF), caffeine, chocolate, concentrated sweeteners, animal products (meat and dairy), garlic (b/c it makes me kind of crazy, to be honest!)

Enhancing my intake of: legumes, whole grains, bitter vegetables, and fresh juices, green teas.   I’m also going to spend tomorrow in a semi-fast, with 2 meals of rice protein + veggies shake and 1 regular, mid-day ‘meal’.

Nothing makes  cleansing more enticing than making yummy cleanse-friendly food.  Thank GOD I’ve had lots osf practice at making whole grain,veggie, healthy fats dishes, like the one listed below.

Care to join me anybody?  Even for 1 day?  yes you CAN!

Quinoa Salad
I believe I’ve posted this recipe in some form in the past, but if not, here it is:

• 6 cups cooked: equal parts brown rice and quinoa ( I used a rice cooke and added a mix of oregano, rosemary, pepper, and salt while  cooking)
• 2 chopped yellow peppers
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1 chopped avocado
• 1/2 chopped red onion
• 1 bunch of parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup EVOO
• juice of 1 lemon

Once the quinoa/rice is cooked, let it cook.  Meanwhile chop veggies and appreciate the color.  Next, add the veggies in and mix.  Add sunflower seeds and mix.  Add EVOO and lemon and maybe a bit more salt at the end.  Mix and either serve warm or serve chilled.  Can be a simple meal or a side dish.