Day 10 and Going Strong..well, Maybe!

Today is day 10 and I am feeling really good, albeit very tired. I haven't been doing much exercise on this cleanse, and I know that's not totally good, but my body is whooped. I get so tired just walking up a flight of stairs or cruising on the strand with Miss Sadie (my darling pit bull). There are a lot of toxins being released and a lots of little guys sweeping up inside, so I need to be gentle with myself. I know that I need to just take it easy and take it day by day. Maybe one day I will wake up with a boat-load of energy and go for a run!! wow, that would be a miracle!

It's been a very mellow week for me work-wise, which has been quite a blessing. Summer is a little slow for Karma Chow due to so many of my clients traveling with their families. I am gearing up for September to kick in and to head back to Colorado for a Healthy Table "ITALIAN FOOD" Event on the 26th! I will post the information for this class on Facebook if you are in the CO/Denver area! I am also going to be hosting a Candida Cooking Class on September 10th in LA, so check out the event page on my site to get updates!

Anyway, I am at a loss as to what to cook lately. I am feeling bored with what we are eating. I asked Daniel if he felt bored with the food, and he said "no", so I guess it's alright. It's just that my options are SO limited and I am searching my cookbooks for new ideas and ways I can substitute certain foods for the recipes I find with "Candida Friendly" foods. It proves to be a bit challenging. I am ready to give up and say....well, you know.

I did this cleanse before and I am having all those memories flood back in when I eat the food and taste the same tastes that I did a few years back. Honestly, it's making me not want to eat at all!!! Did you ever smell something or taste something that took you right back to a time in your childhood and you can feel and see that memory so vividly? I think they are called Associative memories?? Well anyway, that's what's happening with me. I am not liking it, but I know that I am doing this for my health and I need to push through. I tell you what, if Daniel wasn't by my side doing this with me, I would've given up after 1 week. I want my Peanut Butter High Protein Greens + bar. Yes, I'm still craving those darn things! Can you believe it? It's more of a texture thing now. There is nothing gooey, creamy, dreamy and delectably sweet on this cleanse, it's straight veggies, grains and protein from animal sources. I have a hard time eating anything with a face, as I mentioned in a previous blog! But, I can handle the eggs from time to time, so I am going to stick to what works. And although I am still craving something sweet and gooey, I know that will pass over time, so I just have to hang in there. Even just one bite of my Raw Vegan "Cheeze"cake!! PLEASE!!!

Anyway, back to cooking. I have a spaghetti squash in the oven right now baking and it's smells so good! When it's done I am going to scrape it out and saute it in a pan with coconut oil, shallots, cinnamon and cardamom. I think it will be like having dessert! I am so excited. I am also going to make some green beans and am hoping to spice them up Indian style, but since I can't use coconut milk or coconut, I'm not sure if just cumin or curry will cut it. I guess I will have to play around and experiment.

If you haven't already noticed, I am addicted to shallots. These little garlic/onion hybrids are oh so sweet when you saute them up! I also put them in salad dressing and they give off such an amazing flavor that isn't as biting as garlic and a little sweeter than onion. I must put them in everything; scrambled eggs, green bean salad, lemon vinaigrette, cole slaw. You name it, they are in there. I think it's a bit of an addiction, but not the type of Greens + Bar addiction, it's a much healthier one!

Today I really wanted to taste coffee, again! What is it with me and the flavor of coffee? My mouth is watering as I write this. I even went into Whole foods and picked up a jar of water processed, organic DECAF, fairtrade coffee and thought..hmmmm...could I do it? And then I thought, NO WAY! I would just set myself back and not because of the caffeine, but because of the flavor... Just tasting it and swirling it's earthy goodness in my mouth would leave me wanting MORE and would put me on that slippery slope!!! And, Daniel and I really need to stay off it for a while....maybe not forever, but we are committed to staying caffeine clean for hopefully a long time.

We have both realized how depleted our Adrenal glands are and that is the reason why we have are lacking the natural energy right now. We have been on the caffeine kick for so long, we've worked our adrenals to the bone and now we need to rebuild them to get back our natural vitality that is our birthright!! I know it will come, but sometimes it's hard to fathom that I will ever have energy without my morning cup. Daniel went for a run yesterday totally caffeine-free and he said he struggled immensely. It was a huge wake up call for him and he got to feel how depleted he has become. I think it even scared him a bit to not have his good old buddy Red Bull to pull him through! He had to rely completely on himself and who he was in the present, even though the guy running with him had just had a redbull and vodka..go figure! But I asked him, "Don't you want to live a lot longer and be healthier than that guy???" I think he got it.

Ok, well I think my squash is almost done. I can smell the sweetness. I am going to go give it the fork prick to test it's tenderness. I hope it doesn't get mad at me! All in all, I am feeling really good and happy I am doing this. There are times I am not so happy, but I can't imagine going back to my old ways, even though I did open the kitchen drawer and saw a menu for Pizza Fusion, which is a NEW organic pizzeria that just opened here in LA. They offer gluten free crust and dairy free cheese on their pizzas...TORTURE!!! Maybe someday...I will dream about it but until then....

As promised, here is the recipe for the Almond Mayo compliments of Donna Gates and The Body Ecology Diet Book

1/2 cup Raw Almonds
1/2 c to 3/4 c filtered water
1/4 tsp. garlic or onion powder (or 1 raw clove garlic, minced)
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1 c. organic, unrefined flax or pumpkin seed oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 tsp. raw, organic apple cider vinegar

Cover almonds with boiling water. Allow to cool slightly and then slip off skins.
Place almonds in a blender or food processor and grind to a fine powder. Add half the water along with garlic/onion powder and sea salt. Blend well, then add remaining water to form a smooth cream.
With blender running on low, drizzle in the oil in a thin stream from the top until mixture is thick. Keep blender running and add lemon juice & vinegar. Blend on low 1 minute longer to allow mixture to thicken.
Scrape into a jar with a screw top or tightly fitting lid and refrigerate.
This mixture will keep for 10 days to 2 weeks.

Enjoy! This is great to mix into Cole Slaw or Red Bliss Potato salad, or just use as a dip!

Yours in health,
The Ambivalent Cleanser

AM I CRAZY?? Time to kill the yeast

Well, I recently went to the Doctor to get my annual check up and I had some blood work done to be certain all my systems were in check! As a vegetarian, I wanted to make sure my cholesterol, my protein, my iron, all of my nutritional systems were running up to par. Well, everything checked out perfectly, except one thing...My body is riddled with Candida..or YEAST, to be exact.

Candida is ever present in the body and everyone has it, but it often lays dormant and doesn't cause too many problems if you take really good care of yourself. But lately, as much as I hate to admit it, I've been lacking in the "good night's sleep" department, skimping on the yoga and honestly, just not taking the best care of myself outside of my eating! When we don't take care of ourselves and the Candida decides to invade the body it can cause a whole slew of problems; digestive issues, bloating, fatigue, weight gain, bad memory, spaciness, skin problems, eczema, bad breath, body odor, sugar cravings, athlete's foot, yeast infections...and the list goes on and on.

Being healthy isn't just about exercise and eating good. It's about your emotional, physical, spiritual and mental state too. I notice that when I let any one of these things get out of balance, that I suffer. Sometimes it's a challenge to keep it all in balance. I take every step I can to make sure that what I put in my mouth is clean, clean, clean. But sometimes I feel like I can get away with not sleeping enough, exercising, breathing deep, meditating, writing; anything that nourishes my soul and helps me to feel balanced and happy.

So, needless to say, I made a decision to do a Candida Cleanse and I am not jumping up and down about it. Some of you may know that I have suffered from a mild eating disorder most of my life and have taken many steps to tame this "monster" that lives inside of me. Lately the monster has been quiet and my weight has normalized and I feel good. I don't torture myself about what I put in my mouth, even though what I put in my mouth is really healthy! I don't torture myself about feeling or looking fat. I don't compare myself to others. But let me tell you, when the monster rears it's ugly head, he rules my every thought, action and deed.

About two years ago I did this same exact cleanse and it was the most challenging thing I ever did. I wasn't even sure if I actually had candida, but I had a few friends who did the cleanse and they had boundless energy, clear skin, didn't need much sleep and just felt really good and happy doing this cleanse. I wanted what they had. What I didn't account for was my "issue" with food and the never-ending conversation in my head about deprivation.

Depriving myself is NOT what I need to be doing. Especially since I am such a clean eater already and deprivation has been a way of life for me. But depriving myself of fresh strawberries, cherries, agave nectar, mushrooms, eggplants, tomatoes, yerba mate; foods that are good for me, yet are feeding my candida and making me sicker in a sense, did not bode well with this Health Addict Virgo.

I know that I need to do this cleanse for a healthier me. And I also know that this time will be different; and the reason I know is because I have support. Someone to walk through the fire with me and support me on my journey. Daniel (my other half) and I are going to walk this path together, and I must say that it feels a lot less scary to deprive myself when I know I am being loved through it all. When I know I have someone to cry to, or whine to, or just hug when I am feeling low, or feeling like I can't make it through.

Having a partner or friend in anything we do in life is important. Whether it's a cleanse, working out, going to a movie or whatever. We are human beings and we need support. We were built to be in community and to support one another on this journey in life. we weren't built to do it all alone!!!

So, for any of you that are considering doing a cleanse; two words of advice: get support! If you want to know more about this cleanse and learn more about Candida feel free to email me! You can also find out more by visiting Donna Gates' web site http://www.bodyecologydiet.com/. She is one of the top advisors on Candida and her book is amazing!!!

Here's to Happy Cleansing! check out my blog tomorrow for DAY 1 of Greens Plus Protein Bar Free Day!!!
PS ~ I already gave up the Yerba Mate' 3 days ago, and although I am tired and headachy from giving up the caffeine, I already feel better physically! I think Daniel might have a bit of a harder time...It's my duty in life to get him off the RED BULL!!!
PEACE & WELLNESS