HAPPY MONDAY!!!

I can’t believe that yesterday I finished my third round of the Crazy Sexy Vegan Diet along with so many of my awesome NY’s Shredders! It was a bit easier this time knowing what I was getting into, but by far the coffee was the HARDEST part for me now that I have 16 month year old to chase around.  So of course I will be bringing back coffee ASAP, not as much as I was drinking but a cup in the morning for sure.

If you are unfamiliar with the Crazy Sexy Vegan Diet, you can read my post about it here.  For 21 days I said no to…. Coffee, Alcohol, Meat, Fish , Sugar, Gluten, and Dairy. I said yes to so many amazing vegetables, fruits, GF grains, legumes, and other yummy whole foods. Breakfast’s were usually green monsters or a green juice or gluten free oats with almond butter. Lunch was a combination of kale salads, lentils, soups, hummus, chipotle veggie bowls, budah bowls and smoothies. Snacks I enjoyed included: brown rice cakes with almond butter, hummus and veggies, apples and almonds, popcorn with nutritional yeast and Larabars. Dinners were more yummy sexy salads, roasted veggies with curry sauce, quinoa pasta, sweet potatoes and veggies chili and all kinds of fun Vegan and Gluten-Free recipes!

Weekly food prep is a must for success! I always made a few salads, sweet potatoes in the crock pot, almonds in snack bags and stocked the fridge with color.

I managed to get through my brothers wedding on CSD as well as a 4 day trip away in a hotel! I am telling you the food was not the hard part, the COFFEE was always!

My  favorite new recipes that I tried this go around were:

#1. Vegan and Gluten Free Pancakes

#2. Vegan and Gluten Free Banana Bread 

#3. Oatmeal Nut Butter Bars 

I didn’t eat out too many times, but when I did I asked for the gluten and dairy free options (because folks did you know sometimes restaurants put milk in their rice?) and went from there. I also always carried around an avocado in my purse in case I got in a pinch. I love that RJ loves smoothies and juices as much as I do, because they were her daily treat! I lost the pounds (6) from over the holidays (nothing major) but mostly I felt lighter from the inside out. My skin cleared up and I had a lot of fun doing it this round! I also lowered the acidity in my body and it’s more balanced out!

I think every three to four months this cleanse is a great jump start to your system. I don’t ever do it to lose weight, but to feel refreshed and renewed from maybe a couple months that got away from me. Could I eat like this all the time? Sure, but the foodie in me is to adventurous, I would rather stick to a balanced whole food diet 80% of the time and treats the other 20%. I will slowy bring back meat this week, just a few days and then maybe some eggs next week. I still want to stick to eating lots of fruits and veggies and even bring back MEATLESS MONDAY’S to our house! If you are interested in doing this cleanse, I am doing another round of New Year’s Shred in February and it’s not to late to join in! Sign up’s close on Friday January 31st. Join here. 

Question: If you were to do a cleanse like this, what we be the hardest thing for you you to give up?