Day 15!

So I passed the 2 week mark! I am still going strong and loving the way I eat each and everyday! Like I have stated before I am not as strict since I was fighting a cold and I didn't want to get worse, but I have only added soy back in and on occasion cane juice, like in my soup.
I have been looking online at college's as I am going back to school to become a Registered Dietitian. I know this is what I am supposed to do and I am so excited that I have finally found a path to go down. I have been very reluctant in wanting to go back to school only because I had no idea what I wanted to be or do. I did know that I love to help and educate people but I wasn't sure if I could manage to be a full time school teacher. Being a dietitian will give me many opportunities to work where I want to; either in a medical environment, a school or open up my own practice. I have never felt so passionate about one thing for so long. It truly is rewarding!
So on to my foods :)

This is heaven in a bowl! (or a mug!) It is creamy, full of flavor and so good for you! Made of all organic ingredients and soy for that creamy texture, it has been my partner in my office when it's been so cold out!

Just some more ideas for my lunches. Plain rice cakes with hummus all over them, (which I will add are tasty just like that!) avocado, raw sunflower seeds, tomato, red onion and cilantro. I made some with alfalfa sprouts on it as well. Yummy either way and very filling!

So this may not very appealing but it sure was good! I steamed a half of a sweet potato and made quinoa with black beans and corn. I knew I like sweet potatoes but I never had a fresh, steamed one. They are my new favorite food! M-K and I eat our fair share of baby red's and an occasional baker and they are not my favorite. Actually I'm not a real big fan of potatoes period; except for now! They have a very creamy texture, sweet and so good for you. I didn't add one single spice or herb the this sweet potato, it was that good! So back to the quinoa... if you don't know what it is... don't worry, I didn't either. But believe me when I say I felt lost without it! I cant even explain how this tastes... its nutty, has a wonderful texture but not a lot of flavor by itself. But it is a perfect canvas for adding other tastes and textures. I have been on this Mexican, south-west taste for a while and I didn't stop with this. It cooks very similar to rice and at the end I added a can of corn and black beans with some salt and pepper. I put a teaspoon or organic salsa on the top and mixed it in. My suggestion, come to my house and I will make you some! You believe your taste buds!

Day 11

I have been fighting a cold for the past 5 days and it has not been fun. One day I feel like it is getting better then the next I feel like crap again. It could be due to my lack of nutrients or it could be my body detoxifying itself, I am not sure. I am taking a multi vitamin, vitamin C and echinacea but my body craves more.
So I have started incorporating more foods in my system very slowly. I have been sticking to a vegan and raw diet still but I am eating soy and a little sugar (organic cane juice). Today I was feeling a little better. My energy level seems to be up still, which helps me to go to the gym at night, but my throat is scratchy and sinus's a little plugged. And now that I am allowing myself to eat a little more, my cravings and feeling deprived of yummy foods have gone away. To tell you the truth I love eating this way!
I look back just a month ago and I thought I was eating healthy, and to most I was, but I really wasn't aware of what I was consuming. I was more focused on the calories and fat grams that I didn't take in consideration that the food might have been bad for me altogether! The less processed, the better the fuel.
Many conversations have come up with co workers and friends of mine and I love nothing more then to educate people about my experiences. Being a nutritionist at a hospital made me realize what we take for granite: our body, our mind and our health. I need to go back to school and continue my education. Helping others has always been in my heart and I believe I have found my calling.

Day 8

I know I am very past due for a recent update but time has once gotten a hold of me and I kept putting it off.
It is day 8 of my detox plan and I feel great! My cravings have completely stopped from sweets and the way I eat feels very normal. I have even started my gym going again, 50-60 minutes of mixed cardio and free weights here and there. I know that I have lost some weight even though I did not weigh myself at the start. My goal wasn't for me to lose weight but its expected when you cut out sugar and gluten.
I love experimenting with new foods and flavors. There are so many options, you just need to know where to look! Vegan cuisine is so delicious, most of the time I don't even know that I am eating it. I have never been one to snub food, especially healthy items, but even I get a tad freaked out when something new is put in my face. I am starting to love food again and I love what the food is doing to me.
I have eaten some fish on a couple of nights but very small portions. Mostly beans, vegetables, fruit and grains. And I must admit that I had a half of a bud light tonight but I savored every sip and it was so tasty!
I do have one fear though: what I will be like once I am off the detox. I don't want to go back to eating crap again. I know that I wont but I almost feel that eating the foods that I have cut away from me is very bad and will do my body no good. I also have a feeling that M-K will try to get me to start eating again. He hates me losing weight and if I lose anymore he is going to feed me twinkies in my sleep... ok so that is a dramatization but you get my point. :)

Thank you for all the support and encouragement; it hasn't been easy but I love what I am doing to myself as an individual. I feel healthy, I look healthy and I have a new approach on life and what it has to offer.