Mish-mash

Sooooo people...having met Tosca two weeks ago had a huge impact and geared me back up to 100% back to the Eat Clean Diet - not that I wasn't eating clean, but I wasn't on the Eat Clean diet anymore (for so many reasons, the biggest being LAZINESS.) And I have to report that I feel GREAT! Why oh why do I waiver back and forth so much? It's hard to cook all your food - especially for a single person - and then I get discouraged and just eat whatever (although still eat clean 'whatevers' for the most part).

One thing I did this week was try to down the apple cider vinegar before every meal - boy - that did NOT work at all - not for me anyway...I felt really 'acidic' and gross, so I am going to go back to just taking it before lunch. It really does help with digestion (I can feel it), but taking that much of it really had an adverse affect for ME (you may have a different result)...After just going back to a 1 a day shot, I redid the 'test' that Tosca taught us and I am good to go as far as tummy juices go, so maybe I only needed a little wee boost and some other people need more (or less). I also religiously drink a glass of `lemon water` each evening after work to help out my liver.

Another challenge I gave myself this week was to steer clear of sugar - unless of course I was eating fruit - it was a fine challenge, and I did well, but when faced with a dining out experience I was SO SUPER PROUD of myself!!! It was Winterlicious in T.O. - a great festival of food (restaurants I might not normally be able to afford offer prix-fixe menus with some yummy choices) and my friends and I normally hit up Lolita's Lust on the Danforth (LOVE THIS PLACE! HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!)because they have the most sinfully delicious chocolate mousse that they only serve on the 'licious menus...it is seriously to die for, and you can taste the REAL ingredients (but I'm betting the sugar is refined, although you gotta stray once in a while!) This time, however, I skipped the mousse in favour of the "pressed yoghurt with pine nuts and honey" and I am REALLY glad I did! ALL Restaurants should serve this as a choice of dessert - IT was equally sinfully delicious as well! YUMMY! And I got a bit of a sugar fix with the honey too!

I also bought Tosca's Eat Clean Diet Cookbook to help me through my journey and boost up my motivation. Part of the problem that I had before was that I got bored of the same old foods/recipes...but now I have a whole arsenal of choices that I truly can't wait to try! Watch this space for updates! There's about 15 recipes I want to make TODAY (although I'm going to settle on 2).

The biggest challenge in this whole lifestyle switch has been making things a habit. It's sooooo easy to slip when you've had a long week or are tired or are sick. I have found some great stand-bys although there have been a few instances in the last few months where I just let it slip entirely and ate out or ordered in just for simplicity sake (but tried to keep it as clean as possible) and other times where that hamburger and fries totally won out!

One super quick meal idea I have been eating like there was going to be a world-wide shortage of soba is soba noodle soup. I love my Asian food, and although I am not a big pasta fan, put a bowl of steaming hot Asian noodles in front of my face and I will eat the whole thing! It's so quick and easy (and surprisingly filling!) that I have it for dinner often! I buy buckwheat or kamut Soba noodles (totally found in the natural food section of Loblaws/Zhers) I also make a ton of roasted pork loin, then chop it up into suitable portions and freeze it. This makes it easy and quick - I defrost the pork loin in the microwave, I boil up the noodles in one pot, and in another I boil up some low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, put a pinch of sea salt and a whole whack of frozen peas (love the organic ones in the white bag from Loblaws/Zhers because they stay really firm and taste really fresh) and some edamame beans (not the pods) in the broth to boil...when the meat has defrosted, I chop it up into bite sized chunks and throw it in the broth too...when the noodles have boiled, I drain them, put them in a bowl, plop the broth and stuff over top, sprinkle with tamari (or low sodium soy sauce)- and if I am feeling especially creative, I sprinkle some chopped green onion and/or a sprinkle of sesame seeds and YUM! Awesome food in 10 minutes. I have been eating a lot of Asian inspired meals lately (read: not take out!) because a)I freaking love Asian food b) I AM GOING TO KOREA AND CHINA in the fall and I have to practice my chopstick skills!

Wow...what I thought was going to be a quick report on how the apple cider vinegar didn't work for me turned into a whole big post! :)

Have a great weekend!