BluePrint Excavation Cleanse Recap

Juice shipment, juice for 3 days, and the first green juice

Read about my pre-cleanse detox here.

Last week was an interesting week. I decided to do a 3 day BluePrint cleanse (which turned into a 5 day cleanse, but more on that later). Always the overachiever, I decided to go with the most intense cleanse - the Excavation cleanse. I'd never done a juice cleanse before so I wasn't sure what to expect. 3 days of all juice? Would I starve? Would I cheat? Would I be miserable?

It was actually pretty great.

My juice cleanse consisted of 6 juices a day. Green, Green, Green, Spicy Lemonade, Green, and then Cashew Milk. I ordered my 3 day supply directly from BluePrint Cleanse because I figured it would be easier. (sometimes I buy out all the juice at Whole Foods and I didn't want to risk not getting everything I needed.) My least favorite juice was the lemonade. I don't like spicy things, and the heat made the lemonade pretty icky tasting to me. I loved the green juice. (thank goodness, because I had to drink so much of it) And the cashew milk? Amazing! Tasted like a thick, gritty, 300 calorie milkshake. And that's a good thing. Really. I would consider buying these cashew milk drinks in the future to have them as a healthy dessert.

The box o-juice came with instructions on how to survive the juice cleanse. (and a nice cooler to cart my juice around in all day) They said to start the day off with hot water with lemon or tea. I don't like either of those things, so...I only did that the first day. The other days I did drink a big glass of warm water. Not sure if that helped or not?

The instructions also suggest that you space out your juices appropriately and drink water in between. I didn't do so well with that, so at some points I was starving. (and a little dehydrated when I tried to work out)

How the cleanse went - by the numbers

The first day was smooth sailing, really. I felt pretty good. I ran 5 miles. I went out to dinner with some friends and sipped my cashew milk while they ate greasy bar food. The second day was tougher. I felt more tired. Hungrier. But...I was also down 4 pounds. Probably all water weight, but still...I had issues regulating my body temperature. That was kind of annoying. (is this foreshadowing what hot flashes will be like someday?) I also had a weird, awful film on my teeth. This is a pretty common side effect, apparently. I have sealant on my teeth to prevent cavities (from 10 years ago) and I swear it felt like it was melting at times. That was a little strange. But the oddest thing was my heightened sense of smell. My poor boyfriend had two bites of garlicy pasta hours before he dropped by my house, and even though he brushed his teeth, the smell of garlic coming off of him was overwhelming. (As was the smell of the kitty litter in my basement, my vanilla scented air fresheners, and a million other things I never would have noticed)

Day 3 was kind of a turning point for me. I weighed myself and I was down 6-ish pounds. I felt great, so I decided to keep the cleanse going for two more days, so I went to Whole Foods and picked up some extra juice so I could continue on. I decided to step down a notch and do the Foundation cleanse, which meant I could save a little $ by making my own spicy lemonade (lemon juice, water, cayenne pepper, and agave) and I could swap out one green juice with a Pineapple Apple Mint juice. Because it's awesome and tastes like a tropical "boat" drink, or something you'd have while on vacation. 

There was nothing really remarkable the next two days. Just more of the same. I lost another pound. My energy level was pretty flat. But overall, I felt pretty good. It was nice to be free from the tummy issues that had been plaguing me for months beforehand.

Overall Results

I lost 7 pounds total in 5 days. My weight fluctuated throughout each day. Up two, down two...up one...And it seems like all of the weight I lost came from my mid-section. My stomach is flatter than it's been in...months? I really did this cleanse to feel better, eat better, drink less, etc., but...losing weight was an added bonus!

I easily exercised on the first day but after that exercising was pretty tough. With the cleanse, you take in a little over 1000 calories a day, which kind of explains why exercising is hard. (the first day post cleanse I went on a 5 mile run and felt a-ok)

I really loved this whole juicing experience. My body seemed to be really happy with 5 days of clean living. At the end of the cleanse I craved foods like blueberries and kale chips...when a week earlier I wanted wine, pizza, and cheese curds. For the first 5 days after the cleanse you're supposed to slowly reintroduce food into your diet. I've been eating a lot of fruit, fresh veggies, and greens. And I've been drinking more juice. I really hope to be as close to vegan as possible going forward. I always feel much better when I have a limited amount of dairy in my diet. I also plan on limiting my caffeine intake. I haven't had coffee in over a week and I don't even miss it. Another thing I don't miss is booze. Sure, it's nice to have a glass of wine on my back patio...but a bottle water is just as nice.

The only downside to the cleanse in my opinion is the cost. 3 days of juice cost me $225 with shipping. Super pricey, obviously. But...compared to the medical bills I have from being tested for random ailments that I don't have, it's not all that bad. And if this makes me feel better, look better, and make some lifestyle changes, it's totally worth it. (and until I go buy myself a good blender, this seems to be my best option)

If you have any questions about cleansing, shoot me a message! This was really an amazing experience. If you're feeling run down, etc. and can't seem to find a way to perk up or get your eating habits back on track, I really think 3-5 days of juicing would be a way to quickly improve the way you feel.

****UPDATE*** It's been 10 days since my cleanse ended and I'm still down 7 pounds! And feeling great!

Create Your Own Vegan or Vegetarian Pasta at Whole Foods in University Heights

Last weekend my boyfriend and I spent even longer than normal arguing about where to go for dinner. He wanted to hit up a chain and I wanted something more off the beaten path. So after a great debate, we ended up at Whole Foods in University Heights.

Despite the fact that I go to Whole Foods at least once a week, I never think to eat there. I mean, I always pick up vegetarian sushi when I'm there, but I rarely think about eating in the The Osteria, Whole Foods' in-house, no tipping allowed restaurant featuring multiple vegan and vegetarian options.

Vegan stock, mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach

Until I sat down to order, I had no idea The Osteria features a create your own pasta entree.  Just like the Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill.  But in this case, the pasta is actually good and there's a vegan sauce option available.  I opted for an orchiette noodle with the vegan stock, tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach.  And it was really good. I've never had food at The Osteria that I didn't like, actually, and that always makes me feel bad about the "no tipping" policy.  (in my head, I tell myself that Whole Foods must pay The Osteria employees more to make up for this...hopefully?) 

So...if you're looking for food that's restaurant quality at less than restaurant prices, stop by The Osteria.  Just make sure no one runs into you with their cart!

Vegetarian Happening this Friday at University Heights Whole Foods

If you're a vegetarian, are vegetarian friendly/curious, or are just looking for something to do this Friday (November 6, from 5-7 pm), you should check out this week's 5X7 at the University Heights Whole Foods.  It will feature 5 different food and wine pairings - vegetarian food and wine pairings - for only $5!  (If you've attended a 5X7 in the past and already have a Whole Foods wine glass, it's only $4 - such a deal!)  This event is always vegetarian friendly (typically one of the 5 food stations has meatless grub), but this is the first all vegetarian 5X7 event I've seen. 

If for some crazy reason you can't make it to this 5X7, be sure to check out the line-up of upcoming events.  There are going to be quite a few holiday themed events including wine tastings.  (great for non-beer drinkers like me!  not so great for beer drinkers :/)  Click here to view the entire store event calendar.

Tuesday Tidbits - Vegan Cooking Classes, Cookie Invaders, and Ghosts

Ah, Tuesday.  My least favorite day of the week.  I can't quite explain why it's my least favorite day of the week.  Maybe because all of the sleepiness that should have hit me on Monday waits until Tuesday?

In honor of Terrible Tuesday, here are some random tidbits:

Whole Foods (Cedar Center Location) will be hosting a Vegan Thanksgiving cooking class on November 10 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm.  The class promises to focus on sides dishes.  I'm generally a fan of vegan side dishes, so I'm interested to see what they whip up.

I ordered the new cookbook from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero - Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar - From Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe over the weekend and got my book late last night.  (how that happened, I don't know...thanks to my neighbor who must have gotten the book by mistake and didn't decide to keep it)  Most major retailers aren't selling it yet, so I'm excited to have gotten my hands on an early copy.  (I'd definitely place an order from Cosmo's in the future since shipping was lightning fast) If you like cookies and are interested in learning about vegan cookie baking, this is the book for you.  It has lots of helpful advice for amateur bakers like me as well as beautiful pictures of the finished products.  I hope to try out a recipe or two sometime this week...

Being a lifelong vegetarian, I've never knowingly eaten a marshmallow, so I decided to place an order with Sweet & Sara over the weekend.  (I'd tried t buy vegan marshmallows at Whole Foods, but they don't carry any?  can you believe that?)  They have the cutest looking marshmallow ghosts available right now.  I'm excited to get to try a marshmallow, since it seems like everyone likes them.  I hope I won't be disappointed.

P.S. Special thanks to Cleveland Magazine for taking the time to at least mention a couple vegetarian "cheap eats" in this month's feature story about cheap eats around Cleveland.  

Viva Vegan!

Tonight I'm headed to what seems like a really interesting class at the Cedar Center Whole Foods. It's called "Viva Vegan" and is being hosted by Whole Foods' resident vegan/raw foods "expert." The class costs $5 and includes samples of whatever the facilitator decides to whip up. I went to a similar class at the other Woodmere Whole Foods location a few months ago and learned a lot about raw foods and hope to have the same experience tonight.

If you're interested in signing up for this class, being held from 7:00-8:00 pm tonight - September 8, 2009 - call 216-932-3918.

What's happenin' tonight?

Some weeks it's a struggle for me to find anything fun to do on a weeknight besides sit on my couch in my pajamas, but tonight, there's so much going on!

I could attend the Hump Day Happy Hour at The Garage Bar (5:00pm-9:00 pm) which benefits the Berea Animal Rescue (where I volunteer every other weekend) and Secondhand Mutts. Some neat local celebs like Kenny Crumpton and other media personalities will be on hand to mix up some drinks for the masses. All tips will go to Berea ARF or Secondhand Mutts.

There's also a Vegan and Vegetarian Cooking Class at Whole Foods in Woodmere tonight from 7:00-8:00 pm. I had such an amazing time at the last class, I can't imagine missing it.

And last, but certainly not least, the last installment of Wade Oval Wednesdays takes place tonight. I was able to attend last week's Wade Oval Wednesdays (better late than never!) and hope to be able to attend more often next summer.

Most likely you'll find me at The Garage Bar...I hope to see you there!

Vegan and raw cooking class at Woodmere Whole Foods

The other night, my mother and I spent a lovely evening together - having dinner at Bangkok Thai (more on that at a later date) - followed by one of the best cooking classes I've ever been to at the Woodmere Whole Foods. It was called Vegan and Raw and featured three different summer bean salads. Now, I'm a lifelong vegetarian, and despite the fact that they're one of my food staples, the thought of beans isn't normally all that exciting to me. But after taking this cooking class, I'll never feel the same way about them again.

We arrived at the store to learn that we were the only two people signed up for the class. It surprised me since the classes at the Cedar Center store, where I normally shop, tend to sell out so quickly. But we were still excited to be there, but a little hesitant about being the only two people in the class. Once we met the instructor - David Moss - and his assistant - Nadine - all that changed. From the instant we said "hello" David and Nadine were so personable and knowledgeable. I knew it was going to be a great class.

The class started out with a garbanzo bean salad, made with celery, tomato, red pepper, yellow pepper, and green pepper. It was tossed with an extremely simple dressing made out of flax seed oil, lemon juice, olive oil, and a little bit of salt and pepper.

Obviously, since this was a raw salad, everything was fresh and flavorful, but despite the simplicity of the dish, it popped with so many flavors.

The next dish - my favorite of the evening - was an edamame salad, made with corn, red pepper, green onion, red onion, Italian parsley, and oregano. It was tossed with a dressing made of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

I'd honestly never thought to put Dijon mustard with edamame, and I really couldn't believe how well all of the flavors worked together.

The final salad of the evening was a black bean salad. Again, it was made with simple ingredients - beans, tomatoes, serrano chile peppers, red bell pepper, cilantro, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt - but had such a complex flavor.

As my mother said, this, or any of the other salads could be used in so many ways - in their salad form, or in a wrap, in pita...the list could go on and on.

This class has made me want to seriously look into finding other vegan and raw recipes to try out at home. I didn't really realize how simple (and delicious) raw cooking can be.

If you're interested in learning more about vegan or vegetarian cooking, the Woodmere Whole Foods holds a class monthly featuring different vegan or vegetarian dishes. The next class is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, at 7:00 pm. There's a nominal fee to take the class - $5 - but for the samples you get and the knowledge that the instructors have, it's completely worth it.

The Cedar Center Whole Foods store also has a neat series called Quest For Cooking - where different local chefs come into Whole Foods, purchase various ingredients, and then whip up a meal before your very eyes. Although not specifically vegetarian or vegan, these classes seem great for anyone interested in the Cleveland food scene.

The perfect mini-cheesecake

Available at a Whole Foods near you. So cute - so tiny! Just a small tidbit of gluttony for only $1.50 each.

Waiter, I think there's a caterpillar in my salad

I had a horrifying experience at Whole Foods over the weekend. I headed there this past Friday for the "Organic Spring" 5X7 for sample-palooza and some grocery shopping. I was happy to see that there were multiple vegetarian samples (but sadly, lots of beer and champagne samples - two things I don't drink). I started out with an "ok" vegetable pasta salad. I'm not generally a fan of pasta salad, and I think it can be challenging to make a noodley salad that will wow me using a handful of ingredients. Another vegetarian friendly station was goat cheese and honey on a mini-toast. I'd never thought to pair honey and goat cheese together, but the flavor was great. (just not so great an hour later on my 5 mile run) The station that looked like it had the best option was the salad station, made out of mixed greens, walnuts, 365 balsamic vinaigrette dressing, apples, and apparently, caterpillars.

That's right. I said caterpillars. After I'd taken a few bites of my salad, I noticed something that didn't look like it belonged in my salad. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was a caterpillar, and after the wave of nausea passed, I walked back over to the sample station to let the sample hander-outer know. Guess what his response was?

"That sucks. At least you didn't eat it. This stuff comes pre-washed so that shouldn't have happened."

As he was telling me this, he continued to hand out salad samples. Ick ick ick. I thought he would have least feigned some concern or would have pretended like he was going to throw away the salad.

So gross. Maybe it's a good thing that I'll be out of town this weekend and won't be able to go to the 5X7. I think my stomach needs a break.

Whole Foods 5x7 Update

I had the opportunity to celebrate Uno De Mayo this past Friday with a few friends at Whole Foods in University Heights. As I mentioned on Friday, 5X7 is a promotion Whole Foods runs every Friday from 5:00 - 7:00 pm, where for $5, you can get 5 food and wine (or beer) pairings that fit into a certain theme.

I honestly didn't know what to expect. I've been to plenty of wine tastings where you get one tiny ounce and move onto the next sampling station feeling unfulfilled. As I circled the parking lot, I saw many people with wine glasses in tow (Once you pay the $5 admission for 5x7, you get to keep a really nice wine glass with the Whole Foods logo and information about the 5x7 events printed on it. If you go back to a future event and bring your glass, admission is only $4.). I figured that was a good sign. After parking as far away as possible, I trudged my way to the store and was greeted with a line of people waiting to pay $5 to get into the event. Another good sign. I paid the cashier my $5 and was presented with a punch card and a menu for the evening's pairings.

My friends arrived a few minutes later and we hit the first stop on the 5X7 tour - a table with salsa and chips and sangria. Although I expected it to be the other way around, I got a tiny sample of salsa, and nearly half a glass of 365 (Whole Food's brand) sangria. And really good sangria, at that. I'm typically not a fan of anything made with red wine, but this stuff was great - very fruity and sweet.

Next, we hit the salmon burger station. (After we passed by some salsa dancers and a live band.) I obviously skipped the burgers (another comically small sample), but my friends said they were good, mainly because of the chipotle mayo they were being served with. I did sample the Rosemount Pino Grigio served at the station. It had a nice dry, fruity flavor. It wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't horrible. And again, it was nearly half a glass sample.

After that we went to the black bean quesadilla station with Tiamo Sangiovese. Maybe it's because I'm a vegetarian and so few red wines go with non-meat dishes, but I just can't get into red wine. I had a sip and had to dump the rest. The quesadilla was really good, though, and is sold in the prepared foods section.

Then we hit the Toasted Head Viognier and jalapeno wings stand. I couldn't tell you how the wings were, but the wine was just ok. I drank the huge sample, but I can't say I'd ever buy the wine.

Out last stop was the Great Lakes Grassroots Ale and Spicy Feta salsa stand. I skipped the beer - because I don't drink beer - but I did partake in the salsa. (Which was a good thing, apparently. It seemed like people really weren't fans of the beer.) It was the best food I had all night - including the meal I made for myself once I got home. It was a mixture of feta cheese, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and olive oil. It's prepared foods item that's sold in the cheese section. I liked it so much that I used one of my unused punches from the meat table to go back and get seconds. And the booze in me told me to lick my little sample cup but I refrained from doing that. I would have brought some home but they only had huge portions. Little old me can't (and shouldn't) eat all that much cheese by myself. But the next time I need an appetizer for a party, that's what I'm going to pick up.

Between my great company and the free flowing booze, I had a great time at the 5x7 event and hope to go back. The line up for the rest of this month's 5x7 events includes:

• May 8: "Finger Foods," easy to handle, even easier to enjoy! Music by Ariel Clayton (violin).
• May 15: "Organics: Spring," check out what spring and summer bring with organic highlights from throughout the store! Music by Randy Martin (guitar/accordion).
• May 22: "Local: Spring," the change of seasons brings fresh new products from local farmers and producers to our shelves - check out five of the tastiest Local pairings now available! Music by Madeline Lucas (flute).
• May 29: "All-American," a Memorial Day celebration of popular and traditional American fare! Music by Roots of American Music (acoustic).

I can guarantee that I'll be back. I normally shop at Whole Foods once a week anyway, and why not experience some new products and live entertainment in the process.

Uno de Mayo

How are you celebrating Uno de Mayo? That's right. Uno de Mayo. I'll be celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Lopez, but I'm headed to Whole Foods tonight for some Friday 5x7/Uno de Mayo action.

5X7 is a promotion that Whole Foods runs on Fridays where from 5:00 - 7:00 pm, for $5, you can get 5 food and wine (or beer) pairings that fit into a certain theme. Tonight's theme is obviously "Uno de Mayo" and is supposed to feature a "festive Mexican spread." According to the Whole Foods - University Heights calendar/website, the $5 cover grants you an all-access punch card listing the evening's pairings and you get a a free reusable wine glass which you can bring back for a $1 discount off admission on a later date. They claim they have vegetarian "options" at each 5X7 event. I messaged the store through Twitter to see if that means one or many but haven't heard anything back just yet. Even if there's just one little niblet for me, it's worth it. I like trying new wines, and this seems like a fun random thing to do on a Friday night. And afterwards, I can get my grocery shopping done!

Alba Midnight Tuberose Bath and Shower Gel

I've been a fan of Alba products since grad school. On Saturdays, I took classes at Cleveland State's Solon campus, and during my lunch break or after my afternoon class, I would head to the Mustard Seed Market and Cafe to pick up groceries. While wandering through the store, I discovered Alba's Very Emollient Unscented Body Lotion. After trying a sample from the tester bottle and immediately seeing results, I bought myself a bottle, and have been loyal to the lotion ever since. It does a great job moisturizing and keeps my skin smooth all day and has a really light, airy formula. I appreciate that it's unscented because some lotions either smell awful or give me a headache.

I've long since graduated and ended my Saturday Mustard Seed ritual, but I haven't stopped my admiration of Alba products. During one of my last visits to Whole Foods, I picked up Alba's Midnight Tuberose Bath and Shower Gel hoping that it could help with my very dry skin. I've tried more bath gels than I can count, but they've all left my skin feeling dry almost immediately after showering.

Not this one, though. I've been using this bath gel for nearly a month and have seen incredible improvements in my skin. It's softer and stays moisturized for most of the day - without even using a supplemental body lotion. It's incredible. If you suffer from dry skin like I do and want to support a natural brand, I suggest checking out Alba's bath and shower gels. They have quite a few different scents but they all promise the same results - clean, moisturized skin.

Recent dining excursions

On Thursday I enjoyed $4 martini night with a friend at Ballantine in Downtown Willoughby. I had the Mushroom Gnocchi ($8.99) which was in a flavorful sage and butter sauce along with onions and diced tomatoes. Despite the small looking portion (I think it was the dinnerware they used - very funky shaped), I was stuffed afterwards. But that could have also been because the entree came along with a house salad. Not a bad deal for the price. My companion had the Very Dirty Burger, which came topped with burger shaped fried mozzarella thing. She said she enjoyed the burger, despite the fact that the meat tasted "very Worcestershire-y."

Friday I dined at Nighttown in Cleveland Heights prior to attending a birthday party on their outstanding patio. (Really, if you've never been there, you need to stop by on the half greenhouse/half open-air patio and order a cocktail from their bar.) I had the mushroom and blue cheese ravioli. It was really delicious. The blue cheese flavor went very well with the mushrooms but wasn't overpowering.

Yesterday I dined at Dave's Cosmic Subs and had the Veg-Out, minus peppers. Slathered in Dave's Cosmic Sauce, the hearty sandwich had mushrooms, artichoke hearts, lettuce, provolone cheese, cheddar cheese, and Swiss cheese. It was very tasty. This was my first dining experience at the University Heights location, and I was sad to see that they didn't have any vegetarian soup. On a previous visit to the Coventry location, I was happy to find a baked potato soup that was meat free.

Tomorrow is Earth Day so I hope to take a field trip to Whole Foods to pick up some delicious vegetarian treats!