Detox Challenge Day 6: first day of liquids only..(Plus a smoothie AND a soup recipe!)

I'm on the way back from my eight hours of lectures.Eight hours trying to focus on chronic fatigue syndrome and cancer, while drinking my smoothie, sipping my pea and mint soup, drinking my metabolic foods shake.  And in between plenty of water and herbal teas. Yes, there were quite a few trips to the loo.

But let me tell you, I felt cocky. Until about 11 am. I thought I was the Bear Gylls of nutrition students, the one who didn't find 3 days of liquids only challenging AT ALL!!! Muahahahha! I Could do it with my eyes closed!

Then 11.30am struck, and my metabolic shake filled my almost hunger. Until 12.15pm, when I had to finally open my 1.2L mega flask of homemade pea and mint soup ( which by the way, was insanely delicious! I'll get you the recipe)...And had my first cup. 

Lunch was at 1.30pm and I decided to buy a different soup in order not to get bored with mine which I will have for the next two days as well... On the way to the shops though, I was not expecting to see a street food market. Damn it.

I know I am Italian and an actress, so obviously prone to being a little dramatic at times but man..When the smell of barbecue hit my nostrils, I genuinely wanted to cry. I was not happy.

Nevertheless, I held my head up high, bought a gluten and dairy free sweet potato soup and went back to my classmates.

I can do this.

Second half of the day, more scientific background on cancer. More cups of pea soup. And another metabolic shake. And water.

On the plus side I was still feeling ok, good energy levels so far. 

Until I finished at 6pm, and on the way to the tube I started to feel really weak and a little dizzy. Never a good sign for me. It was cold and I was almost at the tube but I did not want to risk fainting in front of strangers, so I marched back to Planet Organic and got myself a celery, spinach, apple and ginger juice. That seemed to do the trick. Hopefully once I get to Balham station my train home will arrive promptly so I won't have to squat and pee on the platform, while smiling politely at people walking by. "I'm doing a detox challenge sir! Have a lovely evening!".

Anyway..

Tonight, carrot soup. I am actually feeling rather excited about the fact that I will be adding some shredded leftover chicken and coriander before blending the whole thing again. Wow. 

Physically, let's say good energy for most of the day ( sitting) but I have to admit, I do feel bloated. Doesn't feel nor looks particularly good..Maybe it's just the first day and the body adjusting to this massive amount of liquids.. My friend Mari, who I love and honestly idolise, said she felt absolutely great on these juicing days. Who knows, tomorrow that could be me.

For now though, let's finish this post on a positive note, with both my pea and mint soup recipe plus a yummy velvety green smoothie! Enjoy!

PEAR, CINNAMON AND ALMOND SMOOTHIE 

1 pear chopped

Half avocado ( good source of healthy fats. You will not taste it I promise, and it's going to make the smoothie super creamy)

2 tbsp smooth almond butter ( creamy protein source) 

4 frozen strawberries ( they were leftovers)

1 cup 1/2 unsweetened almond milk

2 heaped tsp cinnamon ( helps balance potential sugar spikes in the blood after this meal) 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 handful organic spinach (magnesium anyone?)

A few mint leaves

If you have any protein powder feel free to add that too. I ran out...

Pop everything in your blender and whizz it up! 

NEXT!!!

PEA AND MINT SOUP (cheap and super quick to make) 

2 medium red onions sliced thin

2 garlic cloves chopped

500g frozen peas ( I had them leftover from the 1kg bag I got during my last grocery shopping)

1 vegetable stock cube ( preferably organic)

A generous handful of chopped fresh mint

Salt and pepper to taste

Add some olive oil ( I would have used coconut oil which is much healthier to cook with but ran out, sorry) to the pan with onions and garlic, leave on low/medium heat for five minutes till soft.

Crumble the stock cube and add boiling water and peas. Salt and pepper. 

Bring to a boil then down to a simmer and leave it for about 25 min. 2 min before the end add your mint.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes then use a hand blender to make it super smooth!

When you serve it in the bowl, remember to add a little swirl of olive oil. It always makes the sunup that little bit more delicious.

Buon Appetito.

Xxx

Foodolina

Detox Challenge Day 5: can you smell the fear?

I don't why I am feeling so terrified about the idea of having to go three days on liquid foods only starting from tomorrow..I am sure I have already done it at some point in the past if I was ill with a big of some sort. When all you can stomach is a little bit of chicken broth..

Maybe it's because this time I am not I'll, I am very much ok and full of energy and as always, hungry and happy to dig in many different kinds of meals.

And I am used to eating a lot, ask any of my friends who while lectures go on for 8 hours, every time they look at me I am always munching on something being it a piece of fruit or some nuts.

Let's start by saying that not everyone should be snacking, in fact, most people will do well with three complete meals a day and no snacking in between. Others, like me, need to keep their blood sugar levels balanced by having snacks ( the right kind of course, always containing protein to help keep levels balanced for longer as protein takes longer to be processed in your body). 

I eat a lot especially when I am studying hard and people, tomorrow and Sunday I have 8 hours of lectures each.

I was supposed to buy a 0.7L soup flask to keep with me throughout the day but found out that it was out of stock today. PANIC. dId I go for the slightly smaller 0.47L that was available to me?

Of course not. In my sheer terror of potentially dying of hunger while listening to my tutor talk about chronic fatigue, I decided to reach for the 1.2 L flask. So I am now heading home with something looking like a giant missle stashed in my bag. Great. I am most definitely not gonna be stopped and searched from head to toe if a policeman goes by.

Back to the food part.

I have already a carrot soup ready, and as soon as I get home I will try a pea and mint soup ( frozen peas= quick and cheap). So two big batches to keep going at least 24/48 hours don't you think?

I am planning a super thick and nutrition packed smoothie in the morning, incorporating the metabolic food powder provided with my Plan which I have to increase to three times a day for the next three days. I wonder if I will still feel as excited about on Monday as I did the first time I tried it..hihi.

I will keep you updated on my physical and mood changes, good or bad. Hopefully great.

But for tonight, the last supper, I still have my turkey burgers and peas and why not, a fresh carrot salad too ( rock'n'roll!). 

And hey, looking at it from a scientific point of you, these three day will hopefully give my digestive system a well deserved break.

Stay tuned.

Xxx

Foodolina

Detox Challenge DAY4: not looking forward to the weekend...

It is day 4 of this challenge and I have been feeling much better since adjusting the amount of supplements originally given.
The only things I have been noticing for the moment is that my stomach is not as flat as it used to be and I look a little paler and with more break outs (rare event in my case). I think it could be a result of the toxins that my body is trying to excrete?
Othere than that, I have been enjoying creating new recipes and discovering new skills (flax eggs anyone?), however, I have to admit I am feeling a little nervous about the three day of liquids only starting on Saturday.
I will be in school on 2 of those days, with no microwave available to heat up my own soups which means buying from Planet Organic or such, if the ingredients are allowed..I do not have a juicer either so I will have to stick to smoothies, but again, will have to buy some whle out as I do not like to leave morning made smoothie for too long as their consistency becomes unpleasant and they generally turn brown from the veggies inside.
I might look for a soup flask tomorrow, and if not too expensive, it could be a good option to bring my lunch to school and keep it warm as long as possible (much needed in this freezing weather here in London).
For now, I have made a batch of carrot soup and will soon make one of pea and mint soup (always the cheapest ingredients allowed in the list). This way I have them ready for those days. I will probably make a third one that might taste more thick like cauliflower and lentils...Hoping there won't be too much gas involved...hihi..
But for today and tomorrow, I am still enjoying  delicious solid food, this morning I had pear and cinnamon pancakes with almond butter...Mmm...yummm...
And tonight I'm re cooking my favourite pasta with walnut sauce and spinach.
Tomorrow will be a double shift at work, so I'll bring my leftover turkey burgers and peas (that's what batch cooking is after all right?).

And so I leave you for now.. Doing well and keeping positive.

Have a lovely evening everybody!

xxx

Valentina

14 Days Detox Challenge, DAY3 : feeling better PLUS a Turkey Burger Recipe!

Here's the end of day 3, and I have to say I am feeling much better than yesterday.
It is probably because this morning I had a chat with one of the nutritionists running the detox, the wonderful Louise Joyce, and we had a chat about my symptoms. She tweaked the amount of supplement for me. Less of this, move this to the afternoon etc.. And I feel good so far.
This is why I keep saying, if you choose to embark on a detox, please make sure you are being supervised by a professional practitioner. They'll be there to support you throughout this adventure and monitor any adverse effects you might have. Everyone is different, so many people will not react like I did, they might however face different challenges and require support for those.
I started today with a berry, pear and almond butter smoothie which I really enjoyed.

and ended it with a crazy delicious dinner using all foods allowed: rosemary turkey burgers made with flax egg (flaxseeds and water instead of an egg as that is not allowed in program), with baked sweet potato fries and peas with red onions (my mom's recipe). I also mashed an avocado and dipped both burgers and fries in it. Oh yeah..
Detox has never tasted so delicious!

CLEAN TURKEY BURGERS

500g turkey mince (preferably organic)
1 large or 2 smaller red onions sliced thin
1 thumb sized piece of ginger (peeled and chopped really small)
1 garlic clove chopped
2 sprigs of rosemary chopped
2 handfuls of nutritional yeast
1tbsp ground faxseeds (linseeds)
3 tbsp water
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp coconut oil

Turn the oven on 180C (356 F).
Add the ground flaxseeds and water to a small bowl, mix and pop in the fridge for 15 minutes, this will be your egg substitute.
Melt the coconut oil in a pan and add, onions, garlic and ginger. Stir every now and then till soft and add rosemary for one last minute before taking off the heat.
Grab a bowl and put the turkey mince, nutritional yeast, flax egg and onion mix. Add salt and pepper and mix everything together.
Line a baking try with baking paper, and use the mix to create burger patties similar in size.
Once all your burgers are on the tray, pop everything in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Flip the burgers on the other side and cook for a further 10 minutes.

One minute before the burgers are done, slice in half a soft avocado, scoop out the flesh. add the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt, mash everything together and use that as a dipping "sauce" for both burgers and sweet potato fries.

Happy detox baby!

Love,

Foodolina

MY FIRST DETOX, DAY 2: what the hell happened?

Yesterday's excitement about starting a detox, faced his first challenge when I woke up this morning.. I say woke up but I actually didn't sleep too much due to the 2.5L of water I had downed the day before to make sure I would flush toxins out of my body..A whole lot of hydration, and whole lots of night trips to the toilet.. Not. Fun.

This morning I felt like a truck ran me over, with a bad headache and zero energy. It was as if the flu had hit me right in the face.Overnight.

However, I still managed to whizz up a green smoothie packed with protein to have for breakfast at work. And I have to say, that did help. 

I also bought some strawberries and had those too before popping my first dose of supplements.

My usual shake mid morning got me going till lunch.

Today I was working only half day luckily,  so I got myself home and prepared my favourite, quick vegan meal: brown rice penne with walnut sauce and spinach..Aaahhh..Happy again!

My strength is not completely back, however I'm taking it easy today and making sure I have warm, nutritious, clean foods.

I have taken out of the freezer my home-made spiced carrot soup, which will only need to be heated up tonight and will be dinner before I have to go out.

I will bring water and nuts in my bag, in order to be ready should I get hungry while I am out. ALWAYS BE PREPARED DURING A DETOX. It's important to have the right foods to snack on..

Learning from yesterday's experience, I will also try to take my last 2 supplements of the day at least one or two hours before bed..See if it makes a difference :) 

And this is it for me today. With the hope of a better night sleep tonight..Fingers crossed.x

My first Detox.

I am embarking on a 14 days detox challenge run by NutriAdvanced, as I want to know as much as possible about the science behind the detoxification of the body, but I also want to experience it

in order to know what future clients will be going through.

I am going to be an official nutritional therapist starting August 2016, and I want to make sure I am as ready and knowledgeable as I can be and help as many people as possible.

So, THE DETOX: I have been provided with a list of foods allowed (PLENTY, and including lean meats, fish, nuts and seeds, veggies, fruits etc..), and I am to eliminate gluten, dairy, sweeteners, nightshade vegetables (such as aubergines), eggs, soya, corn, alcohol (not an issue for me but I am thinking about everyone who actually enjoys a drink), caffeine (again, not an issue for me as I do not drink coffee but I know so many people who love it), no sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Drinking plenty of water (at least 2L per day), and herbal teas to my heart's content!
I can also juice and have smoothies from the list of veggies and fruits provided, aiming for 9 portions of vegetables and 3 max. of fruits per day. All these should provide plenty of vitamins and minerals..

Basically you are feeding your body lots of clean wholefoods, organic whenever possible.

We also received a big box with 5 different supplements, aimed at supporting liver function and supporting excretion of toxins..If you're going to release toxins from you liver into your body, you better make sure you have regular bowel movements (increased hydration should help with that) and exercise in order to get them out of your body to avoid them recirculating and actually making you feel worse :(

Additionally, in the starter pack I got lots of delicious recipe ideas and a specific plan to guide me on when to have the supplements each day.

There will be 3 liquid days where you can have soups and smoothies and the Ultraclear powder ( a blend of  protein, vitamins and minerals that also helps support the liver). Mine is vanilla flavoured, I tried it today after my workout and it was absolutely delicious!!!

Finally, I am now part of a Facebook group with all the other participants where we can ask questions about the programme, and support each other or share menu ideas.

This is important actually, if you decide to embark on a detox, make sure you are guided by a professional health practitioner as we are from the nutritionists at NutriAdvanced. You want to make sure you are getting the right kind of nutrition even if you are cleansing your body, in order for it to work efficiently and get the best results!

I find really helpful being part of this group, it helps to see that we are all going through the same challenges together and we are supporting each other. A bit like what's been happening in these 4 years of Nutritional Therapy training that has almost come to an end.

So a good idea could be to embark on a detox programme with a buddy, to help each other get through it in a delicious, fun and supportive way!

I will be writing a short post every day until the end of the challenge in order to keep track of my achievements and challenges. I hope this might help anyone who is trying a detox as well or who is thinking of embarking on one. Maybe even with my help in August, who knows?

DAY 1
The only real challenge today was the 7 capsules I had to take at breakfast, I am not a fun of taking too many supplements, however I did not have an issues digesting them so it was all good.
My post workout shake was delicious and I am actually looking forward to the next one..
I tried a new breakfast by making porridge with buckwheat groats instead of oats. Very happy with that.

I also learnt a new cooking skill: I poached cod. It was insanely delicious and took 10 minutes in total. A total winner.

I did get a little hungry mid afternoon and had a few nuts which helped.

Looking forward to dinner now..The other piece of poached cod is waiting, with steamed spinach, green beans and a fresh salad.

So far, so good!

xxx

Foodolina

PS: I am not being endorsed by any company to write this.x

The "Bring Back Summer" Banana- Pineapple anti-inflammatory smoothie

Every now and then I do a Periscope broadcast in my little London Kitchen and the other afternoon I needed a quick snack before starting to study again...
So I decided to film an improvised smoothie recipe spot some anti inflammatory action, as I don't know about you, but here people are starting to sneeze and cough all around me on public transports....
So why not use some anti inflammatory, immune-boosting ingredients to make a delicious drink???

Pineapple contains Bromelain, a group of enzymes that break down protein, known for its anti-inflammatory action.

Turmeric is an ancient Indian spice containing a compound called Curcumin which is not only a powerful antioxidant, but also anti-inflammatory and can help digestion,.

Ground linseeds are a plant source of Omega 3 and contribute to immune, brain and joints health.
They are also a dietary source of phytoestrogens, which can help balance hormone imbalances.

WARNING: This smoothie might bring back memories of summer, the beach, sun and sea...



INGREDIENTS

2 SLICES OF PINEAPPLE
1 FROZEN BANANA
1TBSP GROUND LINSEEDS
1/4 TSP TURMERIC POWDER
1 HANDFUL CASHEW NUTS (to increase protein content)
1 TSP PROTEIN POWDER (all I had left in the house)
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
1CUP ALMOND MILK

Pop everything in your blender and whizz it up baby!!!!

Now pour it in your favourite glass and imagine you're lying on a beach somewhere fabulous.

Enjoy.

xxx

Foodolina