Eat, Nourish, Cleanse - Official Day 3

I am not sure how much information to share on this blog, how honest is honest?  Yesterday was horrible, and last night I had to get up and change my pajamas because I found I was sweating and getting cold.  There.  I said it, is that too honest?

Today, however, is a new day.  I am feeling much better - not skipping and singing better, but definitely better.  Good thing too because it is my son's birthday - so here comes the real test because he wants to go out for dinner for his birthday, and it is a big birthday, he is turning 13!  I wish there were more 13-year old friendly organic restaurants on the South Shore, but we are not there yet, and being 13 he picked the 99.

Now what?  I have been so good, I don't want to cheat now but I can't argue with the birthday boy about restaurant choice, its against the rules.  I poured over the menu and found nothing suitable, the soups of the day (chowder, bisque and french onion) are all laden with dairy/cheese.  The salads all have either bread, croutons, corn, etc. etc. in them and in fact, I couldn't find a vegan options at all although they must have them.  What's a mid-cleanse girl supposed to do? 

Finally, I found their 'gluten-free' menu tucked away at the bottom, and on it they have a herbed salmon fillet served with grilled broccoli, tomato and asparagus.  That sounds cleanse-worthy, don't you think?  So that's what I will do, and with that decision, here is the menu for today:

Breakfast - Green chia smoothie
Snack - Apple
Lunch - Detox herb salad with sardines
Snack - Carrot sticks and Sunbutter
Dinner - Herbed salmon and grilled vegetables

In closing, may I just say that the massaged kale salad on yesterdays menu was the BEST salad I have eaten in ages.  I am definitely making that regularly post cleanse!

Eat, Nourish, Cleanse - Official Day 2

Oh my word, I feel awful.  I have a pounding headache, I feel bloated and uncomfortable and just generally bleh.  I know I am supposed to feel this way, and its a good thing because it means the cleanse is working but still.  There is no skip in my step today, that's for sure, and I realized I live in a very noisy house.  Everybody is so LOUD!  Do they have to SHOUT?

Today's menu:

Breakfast - sweet potato hash
Snack - cherry tomatoes and celery sticks with a dip
Lunch - massaged kale with apple salad and a left over chicken thigh from last night
Snack - fruit
Dinner - Parsnip cream soup and a piece of fish

I switched the breakfasts around a bit since tomorrow is a warm Chia tapioca-type breakfast, but I need to be out the door early so I swapped tomorrow with today, and then swapped the tapioca with something else, anything else - I can give up tea, coffee, wine and even chocolate if need be, but I have to draw the line somewhere, that line for me is eating swollen chia seeds in a vegan milk substitute.  Sorry Susan.

Other than that I have been VERY good, sterling even, haven't cheated once, not even a little!

Eat, Nourish, Cleanse - Official Day 1

I lay in bed this morning, contemplating the undertaking I was embarking on today and I felt both 'let's get going, I have an elixir to drink and a smoothie to make' and simultaneously 'it technically doesn't start until I get out of bed so I really should lie here for as long as possible!'

But eventually I did get up and get going - I had to, or my children would have missed the bus, and so it was with some trepidation I spooned out the honey, raw apple cider vinegar and lemon into my warm water and flipped the switch on my vitamix.  The menu for today:
 
Breakfast - Chocolate Kale Smoothie
Snack - Pear
Lunch - Collard Wrap with sunbutter, avo, veggies and a side of tuna
Snack - celery and cherry tomatoes with dip
Dinner - Spicy Carrot and Orange Soup with Curried (skinless, boneless, organic) chicken thighs

I think I will live ;-)  So far I feel okay, I didn't have any adverse reactions to the morning elixir that Susan warned us of, and apart from feeling peckish (which I think is more mental than physical) I haven't felt the need to go on the hunt for any chocolate or crackers!

 

How did you do with your morning elixir?  Frankly, with a little more honey I could drink this every day no problem!

Eat, Nourish, Cleanse - Pre-Detox Week

So here we are, pre-cleanse week.  Despite a bit of a lapse yesterday which resulted in increased coffee consumption, I am doing pretty good.  I did my 'Circle of Life', I answered the 'Power Questions' and did my 'Pre-Detox Questionnaire' - goodness, so much homework!  I did not bother with my vision board, I didn't think I needed to, I have a pretty good grip on where I am and where I want to be and didn't feel like I was going to achieve any 'eureka' moments, or experience any heightened enlightenment so I ditched it.

I don't pick New Years resolutions, I choose a word that will be my mantra for the year.  My word for this year is 'Intent'.  Which equates to mindfulness I think.  It is about doing something with purpose, on purpose, and having a level of awareness.  Its about thinking about the desired outcome, and deciding consciously where to direct my time and energy, but mostly it is about being present in the moment. 

So for me anyway, this week of pre-cleanse is not just about drinking less coffee, or cutting back on certain foods.  It is about stating my intent, thinking about what I am doing and why, and then preparing mentally to see it through.  This is the first cleanse program or diet I have done where this 'week of mindfulness' is part of the program, and I think I like it.  It's kinda fun taking the time to get ready.  What about you?  Are you finding it helpful?  Or are you impatient to get started?

Having fun outside with the 'intent' of getting some exercise.

Eat, Nourish, Cleanse . . . Introduction

Next week is the official start to our 'Eat, Nourish, Cleanse' program, and I am excited!  We received all our materials, recipes, instructions on Tuesday and had an introductory conference call with our Health Coach, Susan Grassie, on Wednesday.

Everybody has personal reasons for undertaking a program like this, for me, it is to kick-start my metabolism and my year and ready my body for the marathon I am going to ask of it this year.  We have a lot planned, and a lot of it has to do with South Shore Organics, this year we will be implementing things that have been in the wings since we started, and they are a culmination of a lot of hard work.  I want more than anything to be successful, I want to deliver 2014 for our customers, for our farmers, for my hardworking team - but I know I am going to need a lot of energy, mental astuteness and endurance to accomplish my goals. So, this blah puffy post-holiday feeling that has taken up residence and now overstayed its welcome has gotta go!

While I am looking forward to the benefits, I am not looking forward the the effort that eating all this fresh, clean food is going to take.  Just reading the material I am overwhelmed.  Life is so busy, I am worried about having the time - but if it were easy, we'd all do it, everyday, twice a day, right?  So I have decided I need a theme song!  I know, I know, how Rocky-esque of me :-)  but if it worked for him . . . so, I downloaded this song on my iPod:

Join me, it's only a few weeks, I can do it and so can you, we will not fail and we will set the tone for 2014 and all the adventures it promises to be!  Our next conference call is Sunday night to prepare for the week, bring it on!

For more information about the cleanse contact: maryann@southshoreorganics.com

Label GMO's! These Colors Don't Run.

I was very excited when I heard the news, we are neighbors to the first state in the U.S. to pass a GMO labeling bill!  We all thought it would be California for sure with Proposal 37, since often times it seems that they are so much more progressive than we are with their beautiful farmers markets and tons of organic food.  But no.  It was little Vermont tucked away in the New England corner.  You go Vermont!

And then, wouldn't you know it?  Within weeks, Connecticut followed suit!  Then Maine!  What can I say?  New England rocks!  Are you watching California?  Because we're gonna show you how to get it done.  Massachussets has five labeling bills coming up at public hearings in the next few weeks that touch on the GMO labeling issue and I have a feeling we will be joining our neighbors soon. 

Unfortunately, all this elation, all this hope, quickly turned to despair when I learned yesterday that the senate voted 71-27 against the Sanders amendment to the farm bill that would even allow states to require labeling of GMO's in our food system.  Apparently it was quite a discussion, but there were concerns that labeling would push the food prices up, and also, the Senate felt it needed to protect the states from potential lawsuits from Biotech companies (Monsanto's name was dropped at that meeting).

Are you serious?  Please explain further.  The request is perfectly reasonable, we are not taxing GMO products, we are not asking for special handling, we are not asking to ban them.  We merely ask that where GMO corn is used as an ingredient, the letters 'GMO' are inserted on the label.  Why would these three little letters drastically increase food prices?  Please don't even get me started on the notion that Senate is 'protecting' us from 'costly' lawsuits.  If the people of Massachusetts want to know what is in their food, Monsanto, a corporate entity profiting from the sale of goods should oblige.  End. Of. Story.  You cannot legally withhold requested information to protect your market.  That's wrong.  Or am I just being naive?

When I was a little girl, my dad flew from South Africa to the United States as Team Captain for a hobby sport team.  He was gone for ages and we missed him.  He came back laden with gifts for us girls and stories about how BIG everything is, and what nice, generous people he met.  One of the gifts he gave me was a belt buckle with the American flag enameled on the front with the words 'these colors don't run'.  I asked my dad what that meant, and he said that it meant Americans stood up for what was right and just, it didn't matter if 'the other guy' was bigger or scarier.  They would not back down, they would be brave and even if they were afraid, they would not run away.

I was so awestruck.  I held that belt buckle with such reverence, I never even took it out of the box.  Growing up in apartheid South Africa surrounded by injustices, the idea that there is a whole country where people are committed to doing the right thing, even if it is hard and the odds are not in their favor - well, that sounded like a pretty special place to me. Little did I know I would one day live here. 

Labeling GMO's so that we know what is going in our food and what we are putting in our bodies and feeding our families, I believe is our right.  We have the right to know.  To decide.  To choose.  It is a basic freedom.  Corporates should not hide behind legislation to protect their markets – that’s not free.  So could the Senate please get out of our way.  We are not asking.  We are telling you, this is what we want.  And if Monsanto & Co wants to sue us - let them.  The request is reasonable, it is fair, it is just.  These colors don't run.  We won't back down.

Photos courtesy of Hart Design taken at March against Monsanto on May 25th.  Over 400 cities participated in an event that took only three months to organize, using only Social Media.  People want to be heard.

GMO's & Prop 37: We The People . . .

This is personal.  I am an immigrant, I moved to the United States of America for the American dream.  For a better life for my family, for the opportunity to have a say about what matters to me.  It has not been easy, we have given up a home that we love, South Africa, a beautiful country with wonderful people we care deeply about, but we wanted a better life for our family and more opportunities for our children.  We waited nine years to be passed through the legal process and arrived just before the economic melt down in 2008.  We have worked very hard alongside some wonderful new friends to start a small business and make a positive impact within our community.

Our journey has been filled with highs and lows and some very memorable moments.  I had a lot of time to think on the flight over here about what we were moving towards: liberty for all, the pursuit of happiness, strength, family, freedom.  One of my earliest memories is of our first American football game at Gillette stadium.  Patriots vs. Dolphins.  I don't remember the score, I don't remember the plays, the weather or what I was wearing, I do remember that when they they started the Star Spangled Banner at the beginning of the game, everybody stood, removed their hats, put their right hands over their hearts, and pride washed over that stadium in a wave.  I have never experienced anything like it, I cried.

We know we are not perfect, we know we have work to do and we don't always agree on how to get it done, but as a nation, America has an identity, we know what our values are and we are proud of them.  America is made up of 300 million people who celebrate freedom, and who care.

Out in California, Proposal 37 to be voted on in November on the labelling of food containing GMO's is a defining moment for the food movement, one that could impact the rest of the country.  Yes, it is about GMO crops that are being grown and included in our food without our knowledge, and yes, it is about the as yet unqualified risks that GMO's could present.  But more importantly, it is about our right to know, and our right to choose.  To choose!  To be free to make a choice.  

Michael Pollan wrote an article on the subject recently, read it here, on why we should all care.  It is thoughtful, as always - I feel so strongly about this issue, for me it is not just about a label, it is not just about food.  Maybe it is because of where I grew up, and where I am today, but I know oppression when I see it.  The corporate giants that are on board with Monsanto to oppose Prop 37 don't have the right to take away the freedom we have to make choices for ourselves and our families.  They don't have the right to keep information from us that could affect our purchasing decisions.  What happened to the free market?  Their argument is that we are irrational, and that we will act on emotion, and can't make informed decisions, they are worried about what the impact our ability to choose will have on their businesses, to me that is an irrational argument.  Who ever heard of building brand loyalty and trust through dishonesty?  Besides, I don't see irrational behavior and companies folding in countries where GMO foods are labelled.  In his article, Michael Pollan also refers to the fact that corporate giants don't trust us.  The definition of trust is 'confidence in, or the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth'.  Truth.  Seems to me truth is pretty essential to a relationship of trust.

Prop 37 needs to happen, and it needs to reach other states too.  It is not just about the food we are putting in our bodies, and please believe me when I say I feel passionate about that too, but it is ALSO about not allowing those with money and power to tell us what is best for us.  Let us decide, let our consumer choices and voices drive your product decisions - Monsanto & Co, you are right, you cannot trust us to do what you want us to do, but you can trust us to tell you what it is we want - and isn't that how it should be?  Isn't that what America is all about . . . we the people?