From Detox to Lifestyle ...

Why the blog sabbatical? Did the detox whittle me down to nothingness, rendering me unable to blog? Or did my life just become an empty shell without a 21-day detox on which to focus 24/7. Well, I've learned there is more to life than diet. It's hard work keeping up. Being clever on cue. Even here in la la land where the d-word is on the tip of every tongue. Or maybe not because it might have carbs!

Reports are that I've been eating. And admittedly there have been times I have strayed. Celebrated the 21 days with some sushi ... and ate TUNA! Shocker! There was the 4yo birthday party otherwise known as "carb central" where I had the half sesame bagel with a schmear. Passed on the Sweet Lady Jane pink and green butterfly cake (trust me, those colors do not occur naturally in the world). Felt the bagel sitting there while the Frenchman made bubbles around small humans using hula hoops (don't try this at home). My stomach was trying to decide friend or foe. Turning it around, getting a good look. Finally digested it but not without a fierce fight. The gluten monster within. I ate some pita bread today--and let me tell you it was delicious, the half I had. But I haven't really been "bad". Unless you count the jelly beans on Friday. I've lost about 6 or 7 lbs for sure if not more. Wardrobe malfunction big time. The quandary is does one tailor or wait (weight) for it all to come back?!!

We had our 3rd guest since "The Detox" and I made a roasted chicken with roasted asparagus. Very simple. Beets (yes, roasted) and fresh mozzarella salad to start. All on the diet. All inhaled in minutes. Another happy customer.

Went to see "The Hurt Locker" the other night (NO popcorn she beams proudly). Seriously difficult to watch--like experiencing a 2 hour time bomb about to go off! Go see it. Now of course you will because Ms. Bigelow (the former Mrs. James Cameron. Take that "King of the World"!) just won the BAFTA for best director. It's awesome. You can download on directv on demand too. But the big screen is best because you can't cut your toenails and watch at the same time (sorry). This film demands your undivided attention.

I finally made the tofu peppercorn dressing from M Chaya Cafe!! I emailed the catering director and asked for the recipe. What I got was a list of ingredients without any measurements and a statement that if I wanted to order the dressing in "large quantities" they would be happy to oblige. I might because I could bathe in this stuff!! I didn't put any garlic in it but it was sublime to say the least. Non-dairy lusciousness. I would challenge anyone to tell the difference. You can also see some of the other dishes made by the owner/chef in a video but still no measurements. Next I'm going to try the Macro Burger to which I had a teensy weensy addiction to a while back (as in a 3x week for lunch jonesing dts full on addict). Crazy delicious.

I haven't eaten nor have I had a hankering for any red meat. Yet. Or real sugar. Okay the jelly beans but they were small (handfuls ...). And I had 3 squares of milk chocolate that we got for V Day. I couldn't have just one. I had to have 3. And I only knew I had 3 because the wrappers lay before me and scrunching them into one didn't really make me feel any better. And then there was the TJ lime juice popsicle. The popcorn doesn't count as corn isn't really cheating ... and it wasn't movie theater disgusting oil-laden corn (which is much easier to excuse while you eat it in the dark theater!). It was my fav Smart Pop from Orville. Seriously though, does anyone even touch Mr. Redenbacher?? A man who was obsessed since 4-H with developing the perfect popcorn. A moment of silence please (he died in his Jacuzzi!!).

A friend asked me tonight where I found the detox rules because of course I didn't dig into my shekels and have the book shipped (after going to no less than 3 bookstores I gave up). It's printed in London where the doc is from so the waiting and the cost just didn't seem to fit my agenda. You can click here and get some info from other sites. The diet promises: To return your body to its natural alkaline balance by altering the pH of your system with food. The diet will improve your metabolism and break your cravings for toxins like caffeine, sugar, and salt (oops). Forget Dr. Joshi's site as it's pretty much promoting him and him and him (re: show him the money). So you might think because Gwyneth made the doctor famous that it's all a bunch of hooey. But I'm living proof that it's not (what's left of me anyway). I did a lot of research and pieced it all together, even the liver detox mix that we haven't done. Now that's just overkill--my liver likes a little toxin now and again. There's been a little Belvedere rearing its head in a glass or two.

Yes we are continuing the detox. From Tiger. They should just send him to Haiti to help clean up that mess where he won't even be able to think about s-e-x. What is up with his BS? Desperate times. Going back to my original thought--golf is not a sport, it's a recreation. Sweat=sport. Curling=no sweat. Downhill skiing=sweat. Bobsledding=spandex hideousness (see detox diet).

I'm still experimenting with coffee. Permanently. Cranky just isn't my best feature. And medicine has proven (real mds) it reduces the risk of Parkinson's and diabetes!! AND the Institute for Coffee Studies (do we really care that it's funded by the coffee industry?) says that it reduces the risk of suicide. Coffee is literally a lifesaver! Need a cuppa now!

For those that are keeping track, my heel spur (which looks like a misplaced fang) is finally on the mend! No flip flops and consistent icing have been key. Along with my gentle massaging of the plantar fascia (mmmm). The running sneakers with my D&G suit may not win any fashion nods but I can finally walk without constant pain. Soon back to running and a real sport, tennis.

Back to food ... Z now likes garbanzo beans. He has made a deal to try new things and says "I tasted something new and I liked it!". Or not. I think mostly because he is ridiculously obsessed with balls. Brussel sprouts can't be far behind (a personal fav)! We had quinoa pasta for the first time tonight. Texturally much more similar to traditional pasta than the brown rice one and way better for you. "Kitchen sink" dish with green chard, garlic, onion, asparagus, basil, parsley and lemon juice. I didn't have any stock and wasn't inclined to use any wine (except a wee bit in my stemless Riedel but it still came out yummy. The wine was from the Zagat monthly wine club (V Day gift), a vibrant, bright pinot grigio that went well with the dish. And without. Once in a while you just need the grape!

DAY 20, 21 ... AND 22: EMBERS A-GLOW GLOW

Early mornings as I wrote in previous blog. Try 4:30am"ish" on Saturday. Not quite sure how I'm functioning on so little zzzs. And if by "glow" Dr. Joshi means you will "resemble a racoon", I'm a shining example! Honestly though, my skin and hair have improved in every way--and if you can "stomach" the conversation, my internal system is working 'round the clock. Even so, a colonic wouldn't be out of the question some time soon.

The food has been pretty tame except for dinner last night which turned out to be spectacular. A nice finale after the usual fare of gf pancakes, gf millet bread sandwiches and yogurt. What started out as simply chicken with thai rice noodles and peas ended up as an amazing soup-like dish with cayenne spiced chicken, broccoli, peas, spinach, fennel, onion, carrots and garlic. All cooked with chicken stock and garnished with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Soooooo good. The previous night's pre-play dinner is worth an honorable mention. Tilapia coated with herbed and spiced brown rice flour and sauteed, served with haricot verts (that's green beans to you non-foodie non-francophiles). We followed Saturday's dinner with a play worthy of NY ... but here in LA. Imagine that, we do have good theater! Go go go to Female of the Species with Annette Bening. She steals the show, even making David Arquette look decent. Funny and poignant from beginning to end.

Stayed on the detox today though I can't seem to kick the coffee, that singular vice o' mine. Case in point: I even consumed inferior beans this morning after realizing my lack of Peets ... and have already set the pot on a 6:10am auto with the same crappy blend for my 7am spin. Even though my heel spur doesn't seem improved at all 3 months later. Went to the podiatrist and I rested, iced and did the stretching exercises. Apparently, I need to stow the Havaianas for 6 months and not walk around barefoot! Sacrilege here. I might get arrested! At least they didn't say no Uggs!

So the diet continues with modifications. We had sushi tonight but nothing fried or "mayonnaised". We had beer. One each which was fine but could have done without. And I'm eating popcorn as I write this!! My other "singular" vice. Back on the wagon tomorrow. Might add a nightshade vegetable or two. And some evil vinegared substances on occassion--jalapenos and mustard for sure. I did hear those wine bottles chattering at me as I steal passed--"I have luscious vanilla notes with fabulous legs. Drink me". How do I resist THAT come on! I imagine I will give in sooner than later. That said, I'm not going to be an "everything in moderation" gal. I'm liking my "glutenous" free ways. Stay tuned ...

DAY 19: THE MORNING AFTER ...

As I savor my second cup of Peets, a necessary "evil" this morning. The Olympics are being highlighted on the Today show and I'm getting familiar with curling. really? is sweeping a sport??) I'm trying to recall day 19. Well, technically night 19. No pics thank you very much.

Yesterday started innocently enough with an egg white sandwich on gf bread with soy cheese. Mashed expertly between layers of the forman grill. Yum. And yes, accompanied with a cup of joe (or 2). Kudos to me for having tea later in the morning at a biz meeting IN a Peets. Rethinking the caffeine free living long term. At least until the sleeping pattern gets under control. Woke up at 5am this morning after going to bed at 1am. Not pretty.

Had a delicious lunch with L at M Chaya Cafe--our usual chopped salad with tempeh, veggies and tofu peppercorn dressing and a couple of brown rice sushi rolls. We also had a "tonic" of beets, celery, kale and LOTS of ginger. Spicy goodness. Snacked later on the usual soy nut/almond mix and then ... we let the games begin.

Off to The Tar Pit, a new restaurant from Campanile's Mark Peel, to test our mettle on a menu that I didn't write. L remarked on how foreign it was to have someone else cooking! Indulgence thoroughly appreciated. We started with vodka cocktails ... well that was the intention, but unfortunately our appetizers came before our drinks. Not a good sign. We tried to be as detox friendly as possible and shunned the pig ear pasta and wild boar meatballs (nothing on the menu was over $20). The oysters on the half shell were perfect but there were 5?? Odd ... we followed that with a yummy albeit salty octopus salad and spicy tuna tartare (on cucumber slices). No bread at all. The coq au vin blanc was piping hot with cippolinis and lardons (so not on the detox). My favorite dish. All in all, it was a tame diversion from our usual restrictions ... and then we moved on to Bar Centro at the SLS, designed by Philip Starck, which has "pretty food for pretty people". Cool loungey space, crawling with the wannabes of Hollywood. We were cocooned in a cushy booth with our friends and ordered some apps (yes we were on a progressive dinner, still hungry from the first!)--sweet potato chips with greek yogurt (totally on the diet except for the tamarind sauce drizzled on the dip) and guacamole in thin jicama cups. And a "few" signature cocktails. Everything was worth the detox detour with one of the highlights being our server, Hailey, who was delightful and made our evening even more debaucherous, I mean entertaining. We had to be home by midnight or Cinderella L would turn into a pumpkin. We missed the mark by a hair.

Overall I feel good. I'm back to my fighting weight and looking forward to continuing the diet principles as a foundation. With a little vodka and coffee to liven things up a little.

DAY 18: DETOX (SLIGHT) DETOUR

The morning started with a bang. I have one word for you--Peets. No teeccino. No alkaline substitute. Pure and unparalleled Peets. Z woke up in the night and while I may have dozed off a bit, the sleep was not sound. After the first sip, to say I saw g-d would not be far from the truth. Wanted to elevate the Major Dickasons' status to General. Jury is out on whether the P bag will be gracing the counter top come Monday.

We had the steel cut oats this morning with melted bananas and that addictive raw honey. Bliss in a jar. It really is the simple things that bring the most pleasure--including food at its most basic. I was fueled (with "batteries" as Z would say) for my day and went to the noon spin with Eileen my fav instructor. Of course given my absenteeism I couldn't keep my usual "top of the class" pace with the 20 and 30 somethings. Me? Competitive? Nonetheless I had an amazing workout complete with rushing endorphins. Went to TJs and WF afterwards for some items, particularly because I read about gf falafel and thought I would make it for dinner. Because we were having an old friend over that I hadn't seen in some time--and I have a penchant for experimenting on a dish I've never tried (much less mastered) on dinner guests.

By the time I arrived home, Z had recovered from his morning nausea and had eaten the last banana and a peanut butter "crabby patty" (doesn't anyone watch spongebob??). I'm considering installing a "banana cam" to find out where they are all going! Dole is going to give me a key to the plantation. I was very happy with the tofu and veggie leftovers from last night with the chili yogurt. Yum. Tried to get Z to try it but I think I need to have the tofu in a different form--like in the shape of a pterodactyl.

I made the tahini sauce while monitoring Z in the kitchen. Later he helped me make the falafel ... and witnessed me slice the top of my thumb while sharpening the knife! He loved the blood and gore and was not so fond of me covering it with the band aid. Our guest brought her ukulele and sang for her supper serenading Z in the bath with old favorites like "Z in the Bath" and "He's so Clean".

The recipe calls for gf flour. I can't imagine "real" flour making these taste any better. I fried the patties in a little olive oil on the stove, finished them off in the oven and served them on brown rice with the tahini sauce (extra on the side) and a mixed salad with fresh mozzarella. Coincidentally our guest has been gluten free for a while. The dinner was a home run! Good thing I didn't serve chicken pot pies! We had to have some vodka because we couldn't let our guest drink alone. Rude.

Coffee and vodka in the same day. I haven't had even an ounce of bread. Or sugar. Even bigger--not one condiment. Not even mustard which I was convinced was the glue that held me together. Justification has its rewards ... is there detox anonymous?

DAY 17: COUNTDOWN TO THE GLOW.

I had to make pancakes this morning. Up since pre-dawn (sounds and felt very jurassic), pre-sesame street, pre-garbage trucks (now that's early!). Needed pancakes (I use the Arrowhead Mills gf mix) and got everyone on board. Made yogurt with bananas and almonds to put on top. I made 9 and we ate ... 9. You do the math. 250 calories for 2. I rest my case.

No lunch today, unless you count the soy nuts and rice crackers I "found" in the car. So far so good, no signs of food borne illnesses. Took Z up Runyon Canyon in the late afternoon. Literally took Z up Runyon. Oy. He found a piece of quartz (our 1st word of the day) and was determined to find more--searching every nook and cranny on the mountain.He was dawdling (our 2nd wod) with every pepple and puddle so I put him in the stroller, all 50 pounds of him, and pushed him up the hill. Most of it anyway. I pulled out a banana midway and gave it to Z to take a bite, but only got a peel handed back to me. Nice sharing with Mommy. The view at the top was so spectacular (thank you rain), even Z commented on how much he could see! On the way down, Z was blocked during a course of green light/red light (he was in green mode!) by a wayward but determined french bulldog. Face plant in the path. His comment (to the captive audience of RC goers) was "good thing the dog had fur to protect it". Whew. Just a little scraped pinky and a wonderful adventure.

By now I am beyond famished and dreaming of a burrito (very romantic). I decide to make it vegetarian and sauteed cubed tofu spiced with chili, cayenne and cumin, kale, spinach and chard with onion and garlic (that song sounds vaguely familiar). Then I got the good brown rice tortillas from WF (these are not cardboard like the TJ brand) and put on pinto beans with the mixture and topped it with soy cheese. Melted it in the microwave and served it with mashed avo and chili yogurt, brown rice and a salad (forgot to take a pic but trust me it was beautiful). Not Poquito Mas ... but satisfied the craving. Yummy.

4 days left. We are going out on Friday night to the new "it" restaurant, The Tar Pit, and meeting friends for drinks after. Doing as little damage as we can ... in foresight. But let me tell you. There will be drinking. And most likely some not so gluten free substances. And we will delight in every morsel. To be continued ...

DAYS 16: BLOGGING BLAHS CURED

I can barely remember yesterday (for which I may be thankful), except that I was overcome by pure exhaustion. Couldn't even think about blogging. So I will compose 2 today to (over)compensate for my lack of consistency. It doesn't help that the weather has been somewhere between Seattle and the Antarctic (a slight exagerration. perhaps.). Someone who knows me well (hint: I sit down with her for a "50 minute hour" and then fork over some $) told me I really need to find the time for my workouts. Need a routine. Peets and my 7am spin class were a winning combo not too long ago ... teeccino and spin just doesn't have the same ring, does it?

We had oatmeal yesterday morning--the Bob's Mill gf. My memory is perfect for that since it was such a treat with melted bananas and the special organic raw honey from WF. Like a banana brulee for the gluten challenged! For lunch, I made a soy cheese sandwich in the forman grill with fresh arugula and leftover pesto on the new gf millet bread. I couldn't believe how "real" it tasted. And the truth is I didn't miss the dairy or the wheat. My digestion has speeded up which explains the constant growling.

I'm sure there was a soy nut snack inhaled somewhere in the day whilst working away on the computer. We picked up Z after school yesterday and he was going on and on about going to the sushi place, Wa, (it's really good for you LA folk) we like in the same place as his gym (at least someone is going ...). I told him it's not on the diet to which he protests "but Mommy, I'm on my sushi diet". Maybe he knows something we don't because he's looking mighty dapper these days! We stopped for a smoothie from BodyFactory (LOVE them). Even the small is just too large for Z so we got it split into 2 cups (drum roll) and L had a teensy weensy sip (a quarter of a straw) just "to test it for Z". He of course was slurping away in the back enjoying the sweet pineapple, banana frozen nectar talking about "brain freeze". We went to Wat Po for some release of our own while he gymmed. This place is the bomb. Usually. But L had some guy that she thought might have done some serious damage to her neck. Not relaxing. If you go (don't let this horror story deter you, mine was good and we have always had a fab experience) ask for a woman. The men will beat you up. Unless you like that sort of thing, feeling like you've gone 10 rounds. Ahhh. That sounds relaxing.

Dinner was "special sticks" (shhh, you don't say "fish" to a 4yo), corn and sweet potato fries ... and WE had my "famous" brown rice spaghetti (Tinkyada brown rice pasta rocks!) with chicken, kale, chard, garlic, onion and broccoli, reduced with chicken stock. My new tactic of making more backfired because I just kept going to the pot and "picking". Z ate (and by ate I mean "slurped") a bowl too with all the goodies in it! A new staple in the house to be sure.



I really think the exhaustion is all that detox partying we've been doing! We must cut that out! Those late night yogurts and teas.

DAY 15: DETOX BREEZE

Same time, same bat channel. No matter what time the boy goes to bed, he gets up at 7am. How is that? I couldn't muster the energy to go to WF and get more teeccino so we did a "mini-cheat" with the combo. Desperate times. I made eggs and turkey bacon for Z, so just made them for us too (minus the bacon of course!), with some onions and spinach. And I had a leftover pancake with the banana-yogurt combo. Scrumptious. Keeping those on the radar big time. Got xantham gum (it's bacterium that thickens stuff so click it to learn something new) today so I can make up muffins with the gf baking mix--banana of course.

I went to the office unprepared for snacks or lunch (quelle surprise) so got a butternut squash soup at WF. Read pretty much every label in the store. They have an entire gf section in the BH store which fascinated me (that tells you a lot about my life at the moment ...). I got us some more gf bread and the brown rice wraps too. And some cracker snacks for L that I think she'll love. We are doing well with the no gluten, but I'm particularly fond of eating less dairy and sugar. I think maybe I've become lactose intolerant. Not pretty (you know what I mean). I wasn't a massive consumer but the body is a fine-tuned machine and even the subtlest of changes makes a difference. Take for instance, hmmm vodka. More on that later.

I got home from work and devoured a banana. Well I don't remember actually eating it but the peel was in my hand so one would assume. I made an impromptu pesto for dinner with arugula and basil, toasted pine nuts, olive oil and lemon. Stellar. Served it on wild sockeye salmon (that I started on the stove and finished in the oven) with brown rice and sauteed garlic, kale and chard. Thank goodness for the pesto because the quality of the fish was not great as was the unfortunate fact that it was overcooked. Still, it was a nice change. Especially the vodka (at least we didn't have the wine), which ended up really being my slip since L only had a few sips and hers had soda. My first real slip (are we counting the coffee? really?) I have to say I feel guilt-free (as opposed to gluten free). It was better than good. Belvedere leaves you "edge free". Take that Mr. Gluten!

It's 10:30pm and my stomach isn't growling. A first, I think. And even though I wasn't necessarily doing this detox for weight loss, I'm finding that a lot of my clothes are hanging on me. Not a good look. Shabby T. So if you're thinking about doing this detox (and you should be) keep the tailor on speed dial! I did think today in the car that since a large part the world is going in the non-dairy direction, we should start a company that does everything soy LesSoyMan. No?