Cleanse: Day 4

A friend of mine recommended reading a book called In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. I guess this book has completely changed her relationship with food. She now and has been for quite some time eating pure, organic and real food. She's not perfect by any means and has candy and donuts on occasion, but the biggest transformation is her desire to eat the amazing, real, healthy foods.

I just ordered the book on Amazon.com. It was about $9. I'm excited to read the book and continue my education on food, all the while hoping to change my outlook on food and what I put in my mouth.

Here is a brief summary:

In Defense of Food shows us how, despite the daunting dietary landscape Americans confront in the modern supermarket, we can escape the Western diet and, by doing so, most of the chronic diseases that diet causes. We can relearn which foods are healthy, develop simple ways to moderate our appetites, and return eating to its proper context — out of the car and back to the table. Michael Pollan’s bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring pleasure back to eating.



Something that is hard to deal with is buying lots of produce and then using it before it goes bad. I have found that buying anything I can frozen has really saved me. Dr. Junger suggests buying frozen organic fruit so you can use as you want to and not worry about it going bad. For vegetables, that's a different story. I guess going to the grocery store every few days is your only option.

Notes from Day 3: Incredibly, I'm really not feeling any hunger. In fact I haven't been hungry for dinner the past couple days. Hope that's not a problem. My energy levels are about the same.

Day 4: Thursday, January 27, 2011

Breakfast:
Energy Smoothie with Almond Butter and Cardamom
1/4 cup almond butter
2 cardamom pods or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/2 cups of pure water
1 cup frozen peaches
1 to 2 teaspoons agave syrup
1/2 cup ice
1. Blend together until smooth.
Tahini or pumpkin-seed butter can be substituted for almond butter
Notes: This smoothie is really good. The cardamom has a classic Indian taste. If you've ever had that sweet Naan, then you've had cardamom.

*Notes on cardamom



This exotic spice contains many plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have anti-oxidant, disease preventing and health promoting properties.

The spicy pods contain many essential volatile oils that include pinene, sabinene, myrcene, phellandrene, limonene, 1, 8-cineole, terpinene, p-cymene, terpinolene, linalool, linalyl acetate, terpinen-4-oil, a-terpineol, a-terpineol acetate, citronellol, nerol, geraniol, methyl eugenol, and trans-nerolidol.

The therapeutic properties of cardamom-oil have found application in many traditional medicines as antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, digestive, diuretic, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic and tonic.

Cardamom is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.

It is also an excellent source of manganese and iron. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Iron is required for red blood cell formation.

The pods are rich in many vital vitamins including riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-C that are essential for optimum health.

**Information found on nutrition-and-you.com

Mid-morning snack:
avocado with Sea salt

Lunch:
Warm Salmon and Asparagus Salad with Pesto



See ingredients in previous post

Dinner:
Energy Smoothie with Almond Butter and Cardamom