The Cleanse

Hello my Fellow Gourmands! (Gourmand=food lover)

          Today I started a cleanse. "Cleanse" to me is a very scary word. I've never done one because I figured I'd be glued to the toilet or would have to at least be within 20 feet of one at all times. Luckily the cleanse I am doing is not that kind of cleanse. It still cleans your intestines but without stripping them of everything in them. It actually says you shouldn't have that run to the bathroom reaction. I am doing the "Advocare 24 day Challenge", the first 10 of which are an herbal cleanse. 

         The other reason I have been afraid of cleanses is, that on most of them you either ONLY eat fruits and veggies or you have to drink some strange mixture of Cayenne pepper, lemon, vinegar and honey. Barf!!! On the Advocare cleanse you still eat a lot of fruits and veggies but you can have and are recommended to have whole grains, leans meats and nuts. So pretty much you cut out fried foods, dairy, processed starches and sugar. I can do that. I had to tell cheese that we needed a break, which is kinda hard but manageable. 

        If you think you may want to try losing a few inches and feel great you can order the 24 day challenge at Advocare. To order check out the hyperlink to the left.  They also have some great supplements like Thermoplus that literally tricks you into thinking you are not hungry most of the day (not full, but just satisfied). It's FAN-TASTIC! Another thing they have, is this amazing energy drink called Spark. It gives you energy like coffee without the crackhead caffeine feeling. I LOVE IT! 

          All that being said, I am taking this as a culinary challenge and, boy, am I embracing it! I've done a bit of research on foods I can make and this week I think I will eat better than I normally do. On the menu is; scallops, pumpkin soup made with coconut milk, salmon and today is a butternut squash, spinach and quinoa salad. IT is SOOOO delish! Seriously I may make it all the time. It is both gluten-free  and vegan. Again BOTH scary words but this recipe is delicious! 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SPINACH, AND QUINOA SALAD!

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 onion

3 garlic cloves (or 2 tsp minced garlic)

1/2 cup pinenuts

3 large cups spinach

1 bag frozen butternut squash

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp white pepper

salt to taste

In a pot, boil quinoa and water. Add a lid and let it simmer until the water is gone. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit.

In a pan, heat coconut oil until liquid. Add the onion and cook it until its translucent. Add the garlic and pine nuts and cook those up too. Then add the spinach and butternut squash and lid the pan. Let the spinach wilt and the squash become tender, but not mushy. Once that happens add the cinnamon, white pepper and salt. Remove from heat.

Combine the veggies and the quinoa. You can then eat it hot or cold. Quinoa's taste becomes more bold once it is chilled. I like my food warm though, so I prefer it hot. 

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It has great spice and flavor and is just plain yummy. Add it to the fact that you can have it on this cleanse and it is a winner. It would be great with poached salmon or bbq scallops. 

Peace and Blessings!

-Lo-