Detox Day 7 - Y2012Q4

Day 7 already. This time last detox, I was ready to get off. Glad I made it this far but need to end it after 7 days.

This time around is easier, mainly because I don't have much of an appetite. I'm hungry but don't want to eat. This medicine is really doing a number on my good eat'ngs.


Breakfast: Corn thins, dates
Lunch: Steamed veggies
Dinner: Corn, olives, tomatoes
Snack: Pumpkin seeds

Dates

Corn
Olives
Tomatoes

Detox Day 6 - Y2012Q4

Happy Halloween!

Lot of candy but none for me. I kind of wanted chocolate but didn't really want any. It was a conflicted urge. I'll have plenty later.

I went to Ziki tonight to see Sean in his Geisha costume. And it was a sight! He is such a good sport to let Kelly dress him... and put makeup on. I have pictures but I cannot post them. They should remain private. For our laughs in the future, "Remember that year when you dressed up as a Geisha? I have pics!"

Anyway, I had the vegetable hibachi with soba noodles and fried rice. I ate the side salad (no dressing) and veggies. I got the noodles and rice to go. I figured JD could have them for lunch at work. The veggies were delish! I'll have to get them again this Sunday.


Breakfast: Corn thins, hummous
Lunch: Steamed veggies
Dinner: Side salad, Hibachi veggies
Snack: Pumpkin seeds

Ziki Japanese Steak House
Hibachi Vegetables

Detox Day 5 - Y2012Q4

Lights out. Not much to do but read and eat. But I don't have an appetite. I ate last night's leftovers nonetheless.

The meds are making me so hyper. I woke up at 5 am and did not go back to sleep. I wanted to go to the gym to burn this energy but there is a tail end of the "super storm" out there. Plus, the gym is closed.

Our awesome friends let us borrow their generator since they had no power outage. We went over to their house and caught up for a bit. It's been a while since we hung out. Time just flies! I realized how much I miss their company. I've got to make it a point to call/email them more often.

We went to Whole Foods for dinner since we couldn't cook at home. I wanted soup and steamed veggies. The soup I got tasted blech so I only had a spoonful. It tastes like it had funky aromatic oil. I couldn't eat it. JD ate the rest with a lot of hot sauce.

Oh! I found a hummus with no oil added. It tasted amazing. And I love WF's olive bar. I could not resist the olive bar.


Breakfast: --
Lunch: stir-fry veggies, green beans
Dinner: White bean soup, veggies bar, hummous
Snack: Olives, plain yogurt




Whole Foods
The Wild Pea Hummous (no oil)
Assorted olives
Mixed veggies
White bean soup
Plain soy yogurt

Detox Day 4 - Y2012Q4

I went to the dermatologist this morning for hives that has been around for two weeks. I think I am allergic to tumeric. I had curry with extra tumeric two weeks ago. I have not broken out from curry before. So anyway, the derm said she didn't know what it was so she prescribed steroids. I went and got them filled and will take tonight.

It may seem like I'm skipping breakfast lately but really, I've been having brunch. That wench Sandy has arrived in full force and the office is closed today. I usually eat later in the morning when I am home. Plus, I was at the doctor's earlier, and that I don't have an appetite today. I only had a few bites from the salad I made for lunch. I had to put the rest away. I'll eat it later.

While JD was carving the pumpkins, I made stir fried veggie, and green beans. After he scooped the pulp, I snatched up the pumpkins seeds, added some old bay (his brilliant idea) and baked them. Let me tell ya, they were delish!

The lights were flickering on and off and finally it went out for good in the evening. Guess, this is goodnight.

Breakfast: --
Lunch: Salad
Dinner: Stir-fry veggies and green beans
Snack: Pumpkin seeds



Monday



Detox Day 3 - Y2012Q4

SunDay! SuNday! SuNDay!

JD and I went to Ziki again for their football special, and the family special discount. :D So, yeah, we're always there.

Ziki's football special is basically the same as their weekday happy hour: Monday thru Friday 4 pm - 7 pm featuring $0.99 Beers, $2.50 Rails $4 Sangria/Wine. But on NFL Sundays, the football special is from 12 pm until the last game. It's a good time!

We were also meeting up with our new friend, Dan, to watch the Redskins vs Steelers game. Of course we were rooting for the Redskins! Even though  the Steelers slaughtered them. Next time!

I am planning to go this Sunday if you want to join me. The Ravens are off their by-week and they are playing the Browns. Go Ravens!

For lunch, I had a bowl of miso soup, a side of hibachi vegetables, and a mixed veggie roll with no rice. I also had a glass of organic Riesling. I had decided for this detox, I will have organic wine. What? It's basically grape juice.

So... I had to break my diet a little tonight. I needed, yes needed, to have a piece of baked hamachi kama (yellowtail cheek). It is the best part of the fish! I don't feel so bad because I ate only about 2 ounces. I'd rather break my diet for a small portion craving, than to get off my diet completely from a built-up monstrous urge.

Breakfast: --
Lunch: Ziki
Dinner: White bean soup, salad, baked hamachi kama
Snack: Granola bar

 

Ziki Japanese Steak House:
Hibachi vegetables
Mixed vegetable roll, no rice
Miso soup



Detox Day 2- Y2012Q4



Scallop nigiri

I picked up a bartending shift for Sean at the Ziki Annapolis location tonight. One of the regulars ordered a  scallop nigiri that looked awesome! I will have to get that after my detox. Then my co-worker Fabian stopped by and got the ebi sashimi (sweet shrimp). I didn't really crave for sushi tonight since I had gorged on Thursday. Check out the spread! 

The sushi looked delicious (they always do at Ziki) but I was full from my Jicama salad and granola bar. I made granola bars for the first time today. They were delicious!

 

 

My Thursday night sushi dinner


Here's the recipe:

1 bag  instant oatmeal

1/2 cup peanuts

1/4 cup pecan

1/4 cup cashew

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Chop the nuts into small pieces. Combine ingredients and pressed into a baking pan. Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes. Let it cool for about 2 hours and cut into bars.

Breakfast:  --

Lunch: White bean soup, baked potatoes, sauteed spinach

Dinner: Jicama salad, smoothie (banana, strawberry, soy protein)

Snack: Granola bar



White bean soup
baked potatoes, sauteed spinach





Jicama salad
Granola bar (walnuts, peanut, cashew, oats, peanut butter, honey)



Detox Day 1 - Y2012Q4

It's been more than half a year since my last detox. I have been eating mostly clean/healthy since then. In May, I cut out beef and pork from my diet. My no-mammal "fin and feathers" diet has been going pretty well. Occasionally, I'd mistakenly order a dish with meat. Yes, I did order it by mistake, like not knowing there is bacon in the pinto beans at Chipotle. And of course I ate it! I am not that much of a purest.

My detox this time is 14 days.

14-day cleanse - $12.99

This go-around, I am taking the Whole Foods Complete Body Cleanse supplements and keeping to a fruits, veggies, legumes, and nuts diet. I am also taking a multi-vitamin. I may add quinoa to my diet but have not decided yet. For now, I'll plan on not eating it but if I must, I will. But absolutely no dairy, eggs, meat, fish, bread, rice, or butter/oil. Well, except if there is a trace of oil in a pre-made dish, I'll still eat it, for those moments when I cannot have my own cooked meals.

Check out my Body Cleanse page for a complete list of acceptable foods and recipes.

Breakfast: Banana, popcorn thin slice "rice" cake, sriracha veggie chips

Lunch: Lentil soup, mixed veggies

Dinner: Split pea soup, chopped salad

Snack: Popcorn, apple, 18 Rabbits granola bar

Green peas, corn meal, safflower oil, srirachi seasoning

Corn, sesame, sea salt

Oats, coconut, maple syrup, almonds, straus butter, sunflower oil, honey, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, tapioca syrup, dates, raisins

Cabbage, zucchini, squash, brussels sprouts	Lentil soup
Split pea soup	Baby kale, black bean, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, radish

Calories in Alcohol

My co-worker was telling me about this low-cal vodka. So I had to look it up since calories relatively the same depending on the amount of the alcohol. The results are shocking... ly... unsurprising.

Review: Voli vodka

This review is based on caloric intake, not the taste or the purity of the spirit (hangover).

Voli states on their website that their vodkas are on average 25% and 40% lower calorie than leading brands. Voli Lyte vodka is 30% alcohol content and 60 proof. That goes with the fact that  the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calories.

For instance, Ketel One is 40% alcohol content and 80 proof. Both Voli and Ketel One contain .8 calorie per proof.

If the prices of a bottle of Voli and Ketel One are the same, then getting the one with a higher alcohol content is more cost effective since you can water down your drink by adding more ice, club soda, or unsweetened tea.

Below is a table of the brands of vodka and their calorie content listed at http://www.drinksmixer.com/desc28.html, note that most vodkas are 80 proof.

Brand	Alcohol	Calories	Proof	Calories/Proof
Voli Lyte	30%	48	60	0.80
Grey Goose, Absolut, Belvedere, Ketel One, Ciroc, Three Olives	40%	69	80	0.86
		70	86	0.81
		73	90	0.81
		82	100	0.82

My Veggie Diet

After watching Vegucated, I wanted to eat even more vegetables and less meat. The film did not show very graphic animal abuse but just enough to turn me off meat. It is not the animal cruelty that turned me off. I know, I am somewhat desensitized.

It is more of a personal reason. The problem I have is not how the livestock were treated, but the actual chemicals released during their execution. What chemicals do livestock release when they are experiencing fear and pain? Do they release adrenaline? Endorphins? Does the meat contain chemicals we should not be eating? How do our bodies react to these chemicals when we consumed meat?

So I chose to not find out by sticking to more vegetables.

Then I started watching other movies:  Forks Over Knives, Food Matters, and What's on Your Plate? These movies reinforced my desire to have a "fresher" diet. I have been on a mostly natural and organic diet for about eight years. I say mostly since I do not always have access to those foods. Whenever I can, I opt for organic because natural only means food was minimally processed.

The labeling for natural food items are very misleading. For instance, in food, castoreum is not listed by name - but as “natural flavor” on a food package according to CFR on FDA. Castoreum is used in both food and beverages as natural vanilla and raspberry flavoring. So what's the big deal about castoreum, you ask? According to Wikipedia, "castoreum is the yellowish secretion of the castor sac in combination with the beaver's urine, used during scent marking of territory. Both male and female beavers possess a pair of castor sacs and a pair of anal glands located in two cavities under the skin between the pelvis and the base of the tail."

Yeah, no, not a fan. I am staying away from those "natural flavors" for sure.

Thanks to Christine for turning me off meat even more, and inadvertently encouraging to me to be a vegetarian (well, besides the occasional fish, eggs, dairy) by enlightening me to castoreum. During my web surfing about castoreum, I found related articles about a bunch of other yucky stuff in food, that I would not eat if I knew I was eating it. I came across this article called 10 Weird and Gross Ingredients in Processed Food:

1. Fertilizer in Subway Sandwich Rolls
2. Beaver Anal Glands in Raspberry Candy
3. Beef Fat in All Hostess Products
4. Crushed Bugs as Red Food Coloring
5. Beetle Juice in Sprinkles and Candies
6. Sheep Secretions in Bubble Gum
7. Human Hair and/or Duck Feathers in Bread
8. Coal Tar in Red-Colored Candy
9. Calf Stomach in Many Cheeses
10. Sand in Wendy’s Chili

Seriously, what are these food manufacturers selling us?

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies

SERVES 36

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup dried strawberries, chopped

Directions
1 In one bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt.
2 In a second bowl, cream the butter with the sugars, vanilla and eggs.
3 Slowly combine the flour mxture with the wet ingredients.
4 Stir in the chips and strawberries.
5 Refrigerate for an hour, or until dough is firm.
6 Roll into one inch balls and place on greased, parchment-lined cookie sheets.
7 Bake at 325 degrees for 13 minutes.

Duck Wing

I started my detox today but there were duck wings. I'll have to start the detox next week. So what? I go a little crazy over duck wings. I like wings in general. But duck wings are an occasional treat. I had to have them.




New Kam Man
200 Canal Street
NY, NY 10013

Detox Day 7 - Y2012Q1

One more day and I will be sinking my teeth into everything I could not eat this week.

One more day and I can say that I can look at something say no, despite how much I want it. Well, until later at least, until the impulse has subsided.

JD reserved a dinner reservation last week at Yellowfin. One of my favorite places. I like the view and the atmosphere. I already know what I am ordering. All extremely unhealthy.

They say you don't know what you miss something until it's gone. But after a while you forget what you miss, after the longing is long past gone.

Detox Day 6 - Y2012Q1

Yesterday, I recalled the nostalgic memories of my childhood birthday cakes. The crunchies in the middle were my favorite part of the Carvel cake. At the office today, the company had cake from Cold Stone Creamery for the CFO's birthday. It was a peanut butter chocolate ice cream cake, one of my favorites from Cold Stone. The cake looked delicious but it was no Carvel. I felt obliged to have a slice since everyone else was having one and some, two. I had a slight desire for a piece; however, I didn't take one. I withstand the urge and drank my Naked blue machine juice instead.

More of that childhood memory - for holidays and birthdays, cake was homemade with flour, eggs, and sugar, plain with no icing. Having store-bought cake was a very special occasion. I didn't realize at the time, but my parents had to save for a cake from Carvel. I didn't get holiday gifts or birthday gifts. I got red envelopes with "lucky money" to buy candy and toys. The amount inside was not really enough to buy any real toys. All the Atari and Sega video games, and barbie dolls that I played with, and bikes that I rode on were my friends. But growing up in Brooklyn, with Coney Island only a few blocks away and having the beach a walk from the house, the amount in the envelope was enough to get a few bags of chips on the boardwalk.

I really miss how the beach was accessible at any given time. Maybe that is where I got my purpose to succeed - the drive to work hard, to get a decent education, to earn enough to afford a house by the beach at retirement - to relive how the sun shined on me and the sound of rolling waves that made it all better.


Breakfast: soy protein shake
Lunch: vegetable curry, mixed green salad, sauted vegetables
Dinner: potato corn chowder, kim chi, guacamole, steamed vegetables, yu choi
Snack: banana, grapefruit

Potato corn chowder: potatoes, corn, green & red peppers, onions	Guacamole: avocado, tomatoes, onions, garlic, lemon juice
Yu Choi*	Steamed vegetables: broccoli, zucchini, carrots, garlic

*Yu Choi Brassica rapa - Yu Choy is grown mainly for the young leaves and flowering stalks. For centuries it was grown for the oil in its well-developed seeds which were used in cooking and lamps.

Detox Day 5 - Y2012Q1

For my commute to work, I either listen to music or spend the time reflecting my life over the past week, month, year, or my entire lifetime.

Today, I thought about discipline - self-control, will power - how I have lost it over the years. I used to be a natural at it, prior to my teenage years. After that period I had lost a substantial amount of self-control. In the early years of my life, I was very selective in what I ate. I despised sponge cake and anything sweet of that sort. The only type of cakes I liked was made with ice cream. Carvel ice cream cakes were my staple birthday cake.

Eventually, I got accustomed to eating sponge cakes working in the office environment. There was always cake at this one job for a birthday or a going-away celebration. So I put on a few pounds between the poor eating habits, stress of schoolwork, and sitting all day at desk jobs. Yes, over-eating mostly natural/organic foods still puts on weight. I've gained about 15 pounds over the last few years, mostly in my mid-section. I've gotten quite a few unwelcome comments about it. And if my father tells me to "keep fit" one more time, I might lose my self-control in dropping him off at the nursing home. The man could barely speak English but managed to learn how to say "keep fit."

This detox has given me a new-found hope - a redemption. It's nice to regain self control. It goes well with my mantra, "I can and I will."


Breakfast: carrot juice, soy protein shake
Lunch: stir fry mixed vegetables, mixed green salad with jicama and red peppers
Dinner: palak,  veg curry, Kim chi, carrot juice
Snack: apple sauce, banana

Palak: spinach, tomatoes, onions, garlic

Vegetable curry: cauliflower, gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, onions, garlic

Detox Day 4 - Y2012Q1

I am halfway finished with this detox. My urges are not as strong today.

I picked up pretzels and chocolate for the SharePoint training class this morning. Surprisingly, I did not have an urge to puncture the bag of pretzels and choked them down. I have an affinity for savory snacks. I can skip the sweets but potato chips, tortilla chips, cured meats (bacon, prosciutto, and such) are my weakness.

For lunch, I watched Becky eat my favorite dish from the cafeteria, Orange Chicken. I always get the Orange Chicken or the spicy wings, depending on which day I am there. I didn't even salivate at her food. Nope, not this day. Instead, I was focusing on my tasty sushi roll that hit the spot! I asked the sushi chef if he could make a vegetable roll with no rice. He looked at me like I was crazy, "no, rice! uh... okay" and continuously shook his head, mumbling "just get a salad" while he made my roll. But the salad bar doesn't have avocado and seaweed.

I was having a hard time planning dinner for Friday night since I always get sushi. Now I know what I'll be ordering, three vegetable rolls sans the rice at Ziki for sushi night!


Breakfast: soy protein shake, Naked green machine
Lunch: mixed green salad with asparagus and tomatoes, vegetable roll, soy protein shake
Dinner: stir fry mixed vegetables
Snack: banana, apple sauce, roasted seaweed

Vegetable roll, with no rice Mixed Vegetables: green peppers, red peppers, zucchini, egg plant, tomatoes, garlic

Detox Day 3 - Y2012Q1

I kept thinking about food today.

On my commute to work this morning, I thought about the wings I had last Wednesday at the Laughing Man. They weren't the best wings but it was $0.35 wings night. They were decent wings for the price. Great, I thought, now I have buffalo wings on my mind. I always do. I can live on buffalo wings. I can eat buffalo wings every day. If I were stranded, I would want an endless supply of buffalo wings.

We get lunch catered from the Corner Bakery for our team meeting every Monday. I love their mozzarella and tomato sandwich. I grab one of those every Monday. Today, I paid no attention to the delicious looking food calling my name. It was saying, "Nagi, break your diet." I tried so hard to not think about the crunchy potato chips, the sandwiches, and the soup. My peers were crunching away, and appears to be indulging more than usually. There were moon pies too! I was quietly pleading for the munching to stop, the little bit of self-control I had was dwindling away. Then, the meeting was over.

I head to my client's office, with the thought of cheese steak and fries I had at Jeno's last Thursday. It was so vivid, I could taste it. The next challenge was walking through the food court at the agency. There was a smell of fried fish, which I usually liked but it wasn't appealing though today. You know, similar to that unappealing odor on your hands after eating the cheeseburger, but that smell was pleasant prior to have eaten. Then there it was when I got to the office, the scent of buffalo wings. Someone was eating buffalo wings! Another moment of self-restraint. Luckily, I was scheduled to test connectivity to the cloud with help desk in the training room. I grabbed my belongings, so I won't return to face my demon, and hightailed out of there.

On the way to the gym after work, I thought about food again. Does this get any easier? How do people live on a vegan diet? Tomorrow is pizza night. How will I refrain from pizza? Then, there are the subsequent nights - Wednesday Pasta, Thursday Taco, and Friday Sushi. The temptations!


Breakfast: soy protein shake
Lunch: mix green salad (jicama salad, grape tomatoes, red onions, broccoli), chamomile tea
Dinner: Kim Chi, Kale and Potato soup, asparagus, steamed mustard greens, Naked blue machine
Snack: apple sauce, grapefruit, celery & carrot sticks, roasted seaweed

Kale and potato soup: kale, Yukon gold potatoes, broccoli, celery, onions, asparagus, tomato sauce, garlic

Radish Kim Chi, Kim Chi, Cucumber Kim Chi

Asparagus

Detox Day 2 - Y2012Q1

I was not hungry when I got up so I skipped breakfast. JD and I decided to get more vegetables a couple of hours later. We had lunch and then headed out to Trader Joe's. We were starting to get hungry by the time we were in the check-out line. When we arrived at Han Ah Reum, we were starving. I was so starved, I was slightly shaking. And the smell of food from the food court did not help. We shopped hungry and ended up buying too much. The fridge is now over packed with vegetables. Note to self: must eat breakfast and have a snack handy!

Let me tell you, vegetables do not fill me up. I had an insatiable appetite despite all the vegetables I threw down. Then, I noticed Yukon gold potatoes on the list of allowed foods. Potatoes will fill me up, I thought. So curry it was for dinner. I ate so much curry, I couldn't take another bite. Three hours later, I'm hungry again but I don't feel like eating. I'm sure I'll cave in before the night is over.


Breakfast: see lunch
Lunch: fruit salad, Naked green machine
Dinner: potato curry, jicama salad, avocado salad, steamed mustard greens
Snack: roasted seaweed

Fruit salad: pineapple, apple, blueberry, orange
Avocado salad: avocado, cucumber, tomato, lemon juice	Jicama salad: jicama, cucumber, onions, garlic, lemon juice
Potato curry: Yukon gold potato, turnip, onion, carrot, garlic	Steamed mustard greens
Roasted seaweed

Detox Day 1 - Y2012Q1

We went to Panera Bread this morning for brunch. This was before I decided to start the body cleanse detox diet tonight. I was going to start my diet tomorrow but decided to start this evening since JD made a dinner reservation for next Saturday in celebration of Valentine's Day. I wanted the option to have a juicy steak for my Valentine dinner, if I feel so inclined. :)

Breakfast: see lunch
Lunch: Panera Pick Two: Mediterranean veggie sandwich & Chicken Cob salad, and a cup of Baked Potato soup
Dinner: carrot juice, veggie soup, and tofu soup
Snack: apple sauce, orange, baked sweet potato

Carrot Juice

Soon Doo Boo Ji Gae  Soup: tofu, celery, tomato, zucchini

Vegetable Soup: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery

Snow Globe Cookies

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Homemade-Snow-Globes

2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons water
4-1/2 teaspoons meringue powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 sugar cookies (about 3-1/2 inches)
Assorted decorations: miniature marshmallows, orange and brown jimmies, Fruit Roll-Ups, spearmint leaves, peppermint candies, edible glitter and holiday sprinkles
3 clear plastic ornaments (3 inches)

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, water, meringue powder and cream of tartar; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Cover frosting with a damp cloth between uses. If necessary, beat again on high speed to restore texture.
2. Working with one cookie at a time, spread 2 tablespoons frosting over the top of cookie.
3. For snowman, cut two miniature marshmallows in half. Attach three halves with a small amount of frosting. Decorate face with jimmies. For scarf, trim a thin 1-1/2-in. strip from a Fruit Roll-Up. Shape a toboggan from a strip of Fruit Roll-Up; attach toboggan to cookie. Attach snowman to toboggan. Add spearmint leaves for trees.
4. With a dab of frosting, attach four peppermint candies to the bottom of each cookie. Let stand overnight to dry completely.
5. To assemble, separate ornaments into halves. Working with one cookie at a time, spread edge of ornament half with frosting. Place 1 teaspoon edible glitter and 1 teaspoon holiday sprinkles inside ornament; carefully invert decorated cookie onto ornament half, sealing edges. Use frosting and a star tip to pipe a decorative edge around globe. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 6 snow globes. 

This recipe was tested with Crystal Keepsakes 80mm Everyday Ball-shaped Crystal Ornaments, available at craft stores.