I love the energy that I have now that I've been doing this cleanse. So, as I've said, the caffeine is going.
I won't be so thoughtless about sugar. I've never been the cupcakes, cookies, brownies guy. But I'm the guy who loves condiments, sauces and used to put sugar in his coffee. So I'll watch that.
And in terms of things that break down into sugar, pasta will be an occasional thing. I'm going to slow down on the potatoes, unless they're amazing pomme frites or in a gratin. Special occasions.
Booze, my old friend. Well, considering that since the break up I've been drinking less often (not less when I do drink, however), I should be okay. I'm no longer drinking to cope and I'm no longer drinking because the social calendar is full and I'm out to dinner a few nights a week. I have a couple of drinks scheduled this week, and I think one drink should be fine. But I'm going to try and drink less, again not be so thoughtless about it.
I miss meatballs. So since I won't be eating as much red meat, I will use turkey for my meatballs. I think the deli turkey has too much sodium. And when I want a great steak, I won't stop myself. Bacon is nice - so once in a while I'm going to indulge. And there's a homemade sausage recipe I'm itching to try, so that will be in my future. But meat will be about having meat. It'll be about showcasing a meat flavor I want to have. But it won't be filler and it won't be an afterthought. I can't make a bolognaise with turkey. That doesn't work. Fish will also make a comeback in my diet.
I will find new uses for quinoa. I had quinoa as a replacement for sushi rice in a roll at a vegan restaurant yesterday. That was inventive and yummy.
Beans are good. I had a wonderful cannellini bean dish that I made and totally hoovered. I love my black beans and I continue to put them in everything from salads to tostadas to my black bean veggie burgers. Those will be making a major comeback as well. I haven't had them on my cleanse and I love them.
Salads are forever a big thing for me.
Cheese is going to be a challenge. I love it. So where I need it I will use it. Pizza, enchiladas, lasagna - those things for me need cheese. But my hamburgers are fine without it. I love feta in a salad. And I love cheese plates. But I'll try to curb the cheese where I can. Yogurt I like.
I'm experimenting with things like sprouted grain tortillas and breads. I love the sprouted grain corn tortillas and the wheat ones are good too. I like those to make thin quick pizzas with because they tend to be on the hard and stiff side, perfect for a think crust. The breads I'll try out. I don't eat a lot of bread, but I do love a tuna sandwich.
My friend Nicole made a good point about her friend's child who is a vegan. This kid has a wider palate because they need to find more options to feed this kid. So it's not just about giving them a hamburger, hot dog or some chicken strips. It's about salads and grains and different ethnic foods to keep it exciting. I love that idea. I'm finding that I'm wanting to explore more cuisines I haven't before because I have to be conscious about finding more options for myself. More variety. That's what keeps it all exciting, right? It'll keep me from being bored, open my mind up to different possibilities and make sure that I stick to this way of living.
But isn't curiosity, excitement, variety and exploration what life's all about anyway?
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