Gettin' Over the Hump: Detoxin'

I'm going to detox for exactly 4 weeks, so there! I've put it out into the world wide web and I can't take it back...or I'll look like such a dumb ass.

Since January I've been saying this to Hub repeatedly and every time he rolls his eyes at me because I fail miserably. The booze has been most difficult to curb, but lately I haven't been making the most healthful choices either. Work too has been hard and stressful for Hub and I and in turn we've been drinking a lot more in an effort to wind down in the evenings. I'm also having a terrible flare up with my eczema, which is a sign of internal inflammation and I feel inflamed. So it's time. 

Have you ever done a detox? I think taking a clean break and rebooting your God pod is fabulous and here's why:

Our livers are responsible for the majority of day-to-day detoxification, but if our livers are overwhelmed with toxins the body stores them as fat!

So here are 10 signs that your liver is in need of a thorough detox.

Weight loss and new found energy are just some of the many physical benefits of detoxing, but there are also deeper mental and spiritual changes that can come about too.

Sometimes a cleansing detox can feel like a burden, but I'm looking forward to increasing the good stuff and coming up with some recipes that include these 10 cleansing foods.

Last year I detoxed with Kris Carr and I felt great after 3 weeks of eating a whole foods plant-based alkalizing diet and taking a breather from the booze. So that's what I'm gonna do. I'm very excited and I'll keep you posted on my progress.

L

Omni Hub's Quote of the Month

I thought I'd give Hub a new name...Omni Hub. He's omnivorous you see, he eats anything except red meat (hurrah!) these days. However, it was something particularly funny he said to me last night that made me think "ah yes this is Omni Hub talking."

After work I decided to tone shits up at a 7pm spin class and Hub was going to make red wine pumpkin risotto for us. I asked him if he could leave out the cheese in my portion to which he replied "yes, darling." Then I asked him if he could leave out the butter altogether and use olive oil instead to which he retorted "Stop trying to take the fun out of things!" He made it without the butter.

Just an example of the everyday clashings between me, the transitioning vegan, and the Omni Hub. 

L

P.S. I enjoyed my risotto but Hub was less impressed with his portion after topping it with handful of Parmesan and knob of butter. Winner. 

Gettin' Over the Hump: Veganism

Veganism...where do I begin? This is something that I'm becoming increasingly passionate about, which is pretty obvious if you follow me. Am I vegan? No. I'd say I probably eat vegan 80% of the time, but there are moments where I can't keep my paws off a dessert or am in a situation where it literally feels like feast or famine. I always choose feast, which usually means consuming a bit of cheese or seafood.

To be honestly frank I'm not sure I'll ever be truly vegan because I'm mostly motivated by the health benefits of the eating lifestyle and less in the overall lifestyle. However, I'm becoming increasingly aware and inspired by compassionate living and reducing my own carbon footprint. I wanted to share a few links that moved me to leap into veganism.

It all started with a prediabetes diagnosis and I remember finding Dr. Neal Barnard's program for reversing diabetes and thought shit! His books and his YouTube videos, including this one for TEDx Talks, pushed me to take a closer look at my diet when I was struggling to stabilize my blood sugars.

I discovered Kris Carr in my research and am completely moved by how she's managed living with terminal cancer for over 10 years through holistic and compassionate living. All her blogs and posts are interesting and insightful.

Early on in my journey my friend Pippa sent me this college lecture by Gary Yourofsky on veganism. If you have an hour it's really worth watching and his enthusiasm makes it a non-snoozer!

The biggest challenge for me about being vegan is seafood. I'm becoming less enamored by fish, but love shellfish especially shrimp. I recently discovered this film about the environmental and social impact shrimp farming has had in countries like Bangladesh. This has made me incredibly sad.

I know that my friends and family struggle to understand my transition into this lifestyle, but I hope this helps in understanding where my head is at. I'd love to hear thoughts, questions, or support from fellow transitioners!

Lots of love,

L

Mexi Mole Pile Up

I love Mexican mole sauce, but it's impossible to find in Rio. So one evening I decided to have a crack a it and I had this random idea of using it in a nachos inspired dish, but more hearty and healthy. I found Paula Deen's Quick Chicken Mole and modified it ever so slightly and made it veggie friendly. It's fabulous and I feel it captures the earthy richness of traditional mole as best as you can without handing grinding cacao beans in a pestle and mortar. Hope you enjoy! Serves 4

Ingredients for Mole Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 onion, chopped • 3 cloves garlic, chopped • 2 tablespoons chili powder • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained • 1 red bell pepper, chopped • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, roughly chopped • 1 can of water • 1 vegetable bouillon cube • 2 tablespoons natural unsweetened peanut butter • 2 ounces vegan dark chocolate, at least 70% • sea salt to taste

The Pile Up

1 tablespoons olive oil • 200g Mushrooms, sliced • 1 large sweet potato, cubed • 1 cup of veggie mince • 2 cups of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, diced • 1 can white beans • 1 can sweet corn • 1 cup of avocado, cubed • 1/4 cup almond slivers • handful of chopped coriander

Instead of nachos, my base for this dish was boiled sweet potatoes but you could use anything! Baked potatoes are fab and I think quinoa would be amazing too. Start boiling a large pot of water for the potatoes and start heating oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, then add the garlic and spices and continue to sauté for a few minutes. Once the water is boiling, add in your chopped potatoes. 

Add the diced tomatoes, peppers, chipotles, broth, peanut butter, and chocolate (in broken pieces) into your saute pan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then pour the entire mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the mole sauce back into the saute pan and keep on a very low heat. 

At this stage check in on your potatoes, they should be cooked through and easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside. When I cook I make it my goal to use as little cooking ware as possible, I hate doing dishes! So grab your now empty pot of boiling water and start warming it up over medium heat, making sure to evaporate any left over boiling water. Then add a tbsp of olive oil and start sautéing the mushrooms until nice and brown. If you like veggie mince, then add it into your mole but it's absolutely delicious without. Your mole is done, so have a taste and season with sea salt if you like!

Now for the fun part, the pile up! In a large serving dish, layer in your boiled potatoes...

then your mole sauce...

now your beans and sweet corn...

finish with your mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado, coriander, almonds and voila!

My Mexi mole pile up was so so good and super easy to make because you really only have to focus on the sauce. What I also love about this dish is that you change can up the layers anyway you like and accommodate all palates. These days I mainly eat a vegan diet so this is all veggies, all good.