Category Archives: Food

Day 19 Food Reboot

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“Uniqueness” of the Day:  Today is my biggest test of wills.  After drinking over 50 fl. oz. of smoothie (look at my “dinner”), I am greeted with a variety of old foods I used to have at a Super Bowl party.  Temptation everyone, I couldn’t eat anything and watch everyone full of snacky-goodness while everyone else does.  Today is one of those days I wish to never repeat.

Started taking my vitamin B12 spray.  I’ll start with 2 per day since 6 per day yields a 20,000% daily intake of B12.

Waking Up:  Went to bed at 11:30 and got up at 6:00am with stiffness in the mid to lower back areas + my shoulder areas at the top are stiff too.  Both my right and left hip areas are slightly inflamed and it might be due to sleeping on my side.  Before today, I couldn’t sleep on my left side due to the right hip inflammation.  Since my inflammation was low last night, I slept on both sides and now I see inflammation on  both sides.  I’ll add a stretching routine before I go to bed tonight to see if I can sleep on my back all night.

Breakfast:  Green Smoothie
What I was suppose to have.  I did not have the ingredients needed:
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 2 bananas, peeled (subbing 1)
  • 1 mango, peeled and deseeded
  • 1 oranges, peeled and deseeded
  • 2 kiwifruit, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon of dulse flakes
  • 4 to 6 ounces filtered water
  • 1 tablespoon bee pollen
Directions:  Pour the water into the blender. Add bananas, mango, and oranges and blend. Then, add remaining ingredients and blend for 30 seconds or until smooth.
  • 8 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (Used a real coconut & added some coconut meat to the smoothie)
  • 2 oranges, peeled and deseeded (subbed OJ)
  • 1 medium banana, peeled
  • 3-and-1/2 cup kale, chopped
  • 1/2 lime, peeled
Directions:  Add all the ingredients except for the greens to your blender and hit the “pulse” button a few times. Next, add the greens and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

Synopsis of Breakfast:  The kale is too powerful for this meal.  I suggest using spinach and/or swiss chard.  It make around 20 fl. oz. – 1/2 of what I normally make in the morning.  After 20 minutes I’m feeling more inflamed.  Although I cannot find the research on starch in raw coconut, I will not be buying or making coconut smoothies again.  However, I have used coconut flakes before & I don’t get inflamed.

Lunch Menu: Cucumber-Pumpkin Seed Soup Classic Salad (Panera Bread)
No time again since I needed to run up to Whole Foods & get my food for the rest of the food reboot.  I had what you see in the picture minus the fruit cup.
For those interested, here’s what I was supposed to make a Cucumber-Pumpkin Seed Soup:
  • 2 organic vine tomatoes, chopped
  • ¾ cup pineapple, cubed
  • 1 cup cucumber, cubed
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped
  • 1 brazil nut
  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/8 cup pumpkin seeds (or 3 tablespoons shelled hemp seeds)

Directions:  In your blender, mix everything except the hemp seeds and half of the cucumber. Just before serving, add the chopped cucumber and hemp seeds to the soup.

Synopsis of Lunch:  To be honest, I really dislike cold soup and was glad to substitute the salad + apple at Panera.

“Snack”:  Collard Wraps
  • 1 cucumber, chopped
  • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 to 5 sprigs fresh cilantro
  • 3 to 4 slices red onion, chopped
  • 1 cup red grapes, halved
  • juice from ½ lemon or lime
  • ½ avocado, chopped
  • dash of sea salt
  • dash black pepper
  • dash of cayenne pepper (optional to taste)
  • 2 large collard leaves

Directions:  Add all the ingredients except the collard leaves in a large bowl and mix gently. Divide the mixture into two and fill each collard leaf.

Synopsis of Meal: Not as good as the other collard green mix I made, but still tasty enough to get me to eat 4 collard green leaves.  The salad at Panera just isn’t enough and this “snack” is what my body needed.

Dinner Menu:  Green Smoothie

  • 4 cups organic kale, chopped
  • 1 banana, peeled (subbed 1 mango)
  • 1 cup frozen wild blueberries
  • 2 oranges, peeled and deseeded
  • 6 medium carrots, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 4 to 6 ounces filtered water
  • 1 tablespoon bee pollen
  • 1 brasil nut & small handful of pumpkin seeds
  • 1 small slice of turmeric (look at #11) & ginger root – both reduce pain & inflammation
Directions:  Blend together the water, banana / mango, and oranges. Then, add the remaining ingredients and blend for 30 seconds or until smooth.

Synopsis of Dinner: Has anyone ever told you that you are crazy?  After drinking  52 oz. & having your blender make angry sounds at you, they have every reason to.  Clearly you need to cut back on the carrots as it makes the drink too fibrous & unappealing.  There’s very little on the visual scale – the color is about as nasty brown as you can imagine.  I know this is part of rebooting, but this was the worst tasting smoothie I’ve ever had.  I only suggest this recipe for the hardcore, stick-exactly-to-the-plan-kind of person.

Evening inflammation check:  Fought inflammation all day long after the coconut drink in the morning.  Some times were good (running around at Whole Foods) while other times not so good (getting up after a nap & the evening time).

Gas / Bloating Check:  Good day with only one issue the whole day (after having the coconut drink in the morning, there was a big BM that combined with the inflammation with the drink, made me miserable until after lunch).

Day 18 Food Reboot

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“Uniqueness” of the Day:  Moving materials up to Venice, Florida (will be here for a few months) delayed things and had to grab a salad at Panera Bread.  Other than that, I followed the diet plan.  I’m also happy to report that between the ballroom dancing, the 4 hours of cleaning up / fixing the house, driving, and setup in Venice, I report continuous great levels of energy and reduced inflammation.  The food reboot is showing real results that others are even seeing too.  God, this is amazing!

Waking Up:  Went to bed at 11:30 and got up at 6:30am to some body aches and right hip inflammation + some shooting pains – nothing too severe & is much better than previous mornings after ballroom dancing.

Breakfast:  Green Raspberry Smoothie
  • 3 bananas, peeled (subbed 1 kiwi, 1 apple, 1 banana)
  • 2 cups raspberries (used frozen)
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped (subbed 1/2 – 3/4)
  • 1 tablespoon of dulse flakes
  • 4 to 6 ounces filtered water
  • 1 tablespoon bee pollen

Directions:  Blend the water, bananas, and raspberries. Add the remaining ingredients and blend for 30 seconds or until smooth.

Synopsis of Breakfast: The smoothie makes 38 fl. oz. and was quite thick due to the frozen raspberries.  It’s also crunch due to the seeds from the raspberries & kiwi.  Overall the taste is good, but the raspberries do overwhelm the taste.

Lunch Menu: Green Smoothie Classic Salad + Fruit Cup (Panera Bread)
Since I had no time today to make my lunch, Panera Bread will just have to do (and I still stayed raw – yea!)  The salad was made of cucumbers, red onion, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, apple on the side, and balsamic vinaigrette.  I also got a fruit cup but I won’t get it again.  Whatever nutrition value it had went out the window (old & mushy).
For those interested, here’s what I was supposed to make a Green Smoothie:
  • 2 bananas, peeled
  • 2 cups pineapple, peeled
  • 3 cups kale, chopped
  • 1 Brazil nut
  • 4 to 6 ounces filtered water

Directions:  Blend the water, bananas, and pineapple. Add the remaining ingredients and blend for 30 seconds or until smooth.

Synopsis of Lunch:  Your standard salad, but the balsamic was good.  I’m just glad it kept me in a raw diet today.

“Snack”:  Kale Salad w/ Tomatoes
  • 3 cups kale, chopped
  • 1/2 avocado, chopped
  • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 slices red onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup dried currants (subbed raisins)

Directions:  Massage the avocado into the kale; add the currants, onion and tomato. Mix well.

Synopsis of Meal: Let’s face it, kale is tough to eat raw.  The tomatoes and avocado make a sort of dressing in it which is nice.  In the future, I would substitute kale for swiss chard and/or spinach.

Dinner Menu:  Fruit Salad

  • 2 bananas, peeled (subbed 1)
  • 2 cups whole strawberries
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 orange, peeled and deseeded (subbed OJ – didn’t have an Orange)
Directions:  Slice the banana and strawberries into a bowl. Add the blueberries.  Squeeze orange juice over salad, and add remaining orange pulp.

Synopsis of Dinner: I had no issue finishing off this meal.  Tasted well and a good meal to eat while watching some TV.  The OJ gives a nice kick to everything.  Next time subbing papaya or mango to replace the banana.

Evening inflammation check:  Right hip has subtle inflammation but it’s going well.  My next issue is getting a shooting pain while squatting or bending down.

Gas / Bloating Check:  In check, but would get some surprise bathroom breaks.  Some of that issue might have happened due to having the fiber supplement after the snack (which I had around 5:30pm).

Day 17 Food Reboot

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“Uniqueness” of the Day:  From my experience, I learned that red mangoes are the best ones to find due to their peak in ripeness.  They are at their peak ripeness.  Today was quite the liquid day as 3 out of the 4 meals were completely liquid.  I’m definitely getting more energy and others are starting to notice.  I went ballroom dancing tonight (look at the bottom) & hit a rough patch.  However, while I cannot see myself living a life like this, I recognize this lifestyle of eating the right foods is setting me up for the rest of my healthy life.  Knowing the goal & seeing results keeps me going, no matter what mountain I face in life.

Waking Up:  Went to bed at 10:15, woke up and went back to bed quickly at 1:30, 3:30 and got up at 5:30am.  What keeps me up is the body aches and stiffness all along my back.  Went back to bed at 6:30am & then got up around 7:45am.  Listening to 2Cellos, feeling focused & ready to work.

Breakfast:  Green Smoothie
  • 2 cups Swiss chard, chopped
  • 2 cups spinach, chopped
  • 4 bananas, peeled (subbing 1/4 papaya & 2 mangoes)
  • 3 cups strawberries (1/2 frozen, 1/2 unfrozen)
  • 1 tablespoon of dulse flakes
  • 6 to 8 ounces filtered water
  • 1 tablespoon bee pollen

Directions:  Pour the water into the blender. Add strawberries and bananas and
blend for 20 second. Then, add remaining ingredients. Blend on high
for 30 seconds or until smooth.

Synopsis of Breakfast: Well this is a new record – 46oz.  Surprisingly creamy without the use of any bananas and tastes great.  Good energy boost too.

Lunch Menu:  3 Collard Wraps
  • 1 cup red grapes, chopped
  • ½ avocado, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 4 to 5 slices red onion, chopped
  • 3 springs fresh cilantro, chopped
  • juice from ½ lime
  • ½ clove garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup sprouts
  • 2 large collard leaves

Directions: In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except for the collard leaves.  Divide the mixture into two and place half on each collard leaf.

Synopsis of Lunch:  The filling can make 4-5 collard green wraps; so expect some leftovers.  After having 3 wraps, I found the taste to be good but not as good as Day 15’s collard green wrap.  Adding salt & pepper didn’t change the taste of this dish too much.  So I suggest you not add that in (at least the salt).  Lastly, when you mix it in a bowl, use a utensil & not your hands.  The avocado is quite sticky.

“Snack”:  Soup Smoothie
  • 2 large cucumbers, chopped (used 1 1/2)
  • 3 cups pineapple, chopped (used 1 to 1 1/2)
  • 1 teaspoon whole flax seeds
  • 6 fresh basil leaves
  • 6 fresh mint leaves
  • After meal, (1) Brasil nut & small handful of pumpkin seeds

Directions:  In your blender, add cucumber and blend for about 20 seconds. Next, add the pineapple, basil, flax seed, and mint. Blend for about 60 second or until smooth.

Synopsis of Meal: I’d call this a smoothie as I cannot wrap my head around a soup that’s cold.  The taste is different and not all that exciting to me.  If you want to stick exactly to this plan, make this.  Otherwise, skip it & find something else.

Dinner Menu:  OJ / Green Smoothie

  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 2 mangos, peeled and pitted
  • 1 banana, peeled
  • 4 medium oranges, peeled and deseeded
  • 3 to 4 ounces filtered water

Synopsis of Dinner: Tastes just like a creamier version of orange juice.  Makes 36 fl. oz. or 3 glassfuls.

Evening inflammation check:  Most of the day with slight inflammation in the right hip.  Went ballroom dancing tonight and during the Rumba lesson I could start to feel shooting pains & heavier inflammation.  It became worse as the night went on, especially doing the Cha Cha.  No pain in ballroom dancing is one of my mountains I will cross soon.

Gas / Bloating Check:  Today was lighter on the food than yesterday.  Gas & bloating issues were rare (rare issues where I could feel the food just moving down the intestines).