DETOXING: FOOD

Just had an idea of starting a "detoxing" series, which won't be too lengthy. Like I just had this idea as I copied this first post from TextEdit and haven't formulated how exactly this is going to go. 

This month I’ve  dedicated myself to eating better to deal with my anxiety, depression, PCOS and eventually weight loss. I knew I had to cut back on some of my favorites (goodbye sweet tea) but I know eventually it's for the best. I’ve tried my best to log everything using MyFitnessPal to monitor my calories and get a visual on what I'm putting into my body (which is problematic, I know. We’ll talk about this later).

A few notes:

• When detoxing, you will break out. It’s your body “cleansing” itself from all the crap. Yay. Continue to take care of your skin like you’ve been doing and drink lots of water and it should surpass after a week or so.
• I wouldn’t cut sugar cold turkey. Studies have shown cutting out sugar is like cutting out heroin. Yikes! From my experience, I buy it. Ya’ll, Passion Tea without two pumps of sugar? The struggle is real, so one pump, then half, then none.
• Plan and research is key. Pinterest has been a big help connecting me with other food and health blogs to get ideas from. While I’m not following one “lifestyle” or another, I like getting ideas from Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, clean eating, etc. It allows me to organize meals with variety. 

Also:

I’ve learned a lot of great substitutes. Coconut flour for those cutting out grain is pretty fantastic once you get a hang on a few things, you can get a lot of tasty recipes. Coconut sugar is a thing and vegan/Paleo friendly. Tofu can be your friend once you learn how to work with it (seasoning is key).

Pinterest can be full of lies. "But wait--didn’t you just praise Pinterest?"
Yes, but sometimes you find a few posts that swear it’s "The best recipe ever!" and it really tastes like saw dust, BS, defeat and tears. There’s no way to get around this other than reading the comments and pray for the best.

Now on to share recipes I’ve tried that I love and are legit:

Need something sweet while cutting out sugar and getting your veggies in? These zucchini and sweet potato latkes from "I Breathe, I'm Hungry" (same) are amazing and honestly great for breakfast, lunch or dinner as a side dish.

For those cutting out starches but craving fries, parsnip fries are great. Parsnips (or albino carrots) are sweet in taste (not too sweet) and with a little bit of Himalayan Salt and seasoning like rosemary, you won’t miss potatoes…that much (AN: I didn't create the sauce used on PaleOMG, but maybe one day).

I was a bit skeptical, but cauliflower mash is really tasty. There’s this lie that you can’t tell the difference between these and mashed potatoes. As self-appointed president of the home chapter of the Mashed Potato Fan Club and a human being with taste buds, I can tell. However, cauliflower, much like tofu, is bland in taste and which is great, because it adjusts to whatever you add to it. I didn’t follow an exact recipe so here’s what I did:

• A bag of frozen cauliflower, cook it for about 10 minutes or until soft.
• Drain as much water out of it as I could before putting it in a processor, even using a towel if need be. 
• Once it’s fine (almost rice like), Transfer it back to a saucer and add the same seasoning you would to mashed potatoes. For me, I added pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and green onion to it. 
• Mash a little more if it’s not purred enough for you or leave as is, then eat! 

What about dessert? Well my fellow sweet-toothers, I got you. Actually, Ambitious Kitchen has you. Coconut flour, as I mentioned earlier, is amazing, because it’s a) low in glycemic index b) gluten-free and c) vegan friendly d) grain-free.

I made these chocolate-chunk bars and they are delicious! One thing I realized when cooking with coconut flour is how absorbent it is, so you don’t use a lot (which is good, because a bag can run $10—yikes).

So with research, detoxing hasn’t been awful, though this week I have been craving french fries like crazy (but I’m trying to calm myself down and realize I’m in control, not the food). Water and working out has also been a huge helper as well to suppress any urges I might have.

Let me know if you've tried these recipes or have any that you've tried that you'd like to share!