evolve day 1

Today is the first 'official' day of Evolve detox. I have unofficially have preempted this because of my commitment to LifePower training; this maybe the third week or so. I approximate 80% of my diet is free of animal products, but I am still consuming caffeine and alcohol. The wine is occasional; I primarily drink a glass or two during a weekend meal because we splurge and have a richer, more decadent meal when we (husband and I) are relaxing together. The weekday is too hectic to enjoy this indulgence. Caffeine, on the other hand, is the fuel that feeds my daily grind (sorry for the pun!). I feel that I am addicted to the idea more than the chemical itself, as I am able to drink a cup an hour before bed with no problem. I plan to use my Shape tea (cleanse tea, with fennel and citrus rinds) in the meanwhile until I can get my hands on some decaffeinated beverage to replace.

I did have a bit of a nervous breakdown, and an electrolyte imbalance the first week, as I went balls to the walls. I lost too much weight quickly and the emotional aspect was heavy to bear. I was trying too hard and did too much, too quickly. The journey must be fun, because the destination is not nearly as important. Getting to goal weight only happens once, and then its over. I enjoy the path and the travel! Emotionally I was overwhelmed because everything I knew was uprooted. I no longer eat foods I have known all my life. Weird stuff like quinoa and agar agar entered the picture. Chia seeds were not for growing funny ceramic gift plants anymore. I didn't know how to pronounce seitan, much less ask someone where I could buy it. I can understand how someone from the US could feel if they moved somewhere exotic like Africa or Southeast Asia. Food is so integral to self identity, that is why they say you are what you eat.

Red meat was a staple that I easily removed, as it is uncomfortable to digest. At most, it was a once or twice a week occurrence; the only time we eat it is during an indulgent meal (weekend) or maybe a hamburger helper meal. For the past few years, we have used turkey ground meat and have not noticed red meat's absence. It worked well in our meaty pasta sauces, or any instances we used ground beef. Chicken was my crutch, admittedly I use it mostly every day that I was not using ground turkey. Fish and pork rarely made appearances; perhaps once or twice during a six month period and usually out in a restaurant or a party would we eat fin and pig. Lately, fish has replaced our indulgent weekend meal, as we have discovered steelhead trout grilled on charcoal makes a wonderful savory meal. Being asian means lots of pork, but since I don't live with my parents (its been decades); it's become a fading memory. Lichon, or a roasted suckling pig is traditionally the centerpiece for any proper Filipino function, similar to a roasted turkey during Thanksgiving. It was not hard to give up a slice of bacon during a weekend breakfast because of the infrequency of consuming. Hot dogs are all snout and ears anyways, please reconsider what you eat and why they press them into homogenized shapes. Wild boars are smelly and mean. You are what you eat, remember?

So, tofu is my saviour lately, as it looks just like diced grilled chicken when I bake it in the oven (my tofu bites). I was made fun of during taco night, when my husband quizzically looked at my baked tofu bites that i used in place of the ground turkey meat that I layered with pico, avocado and onions inside the taco shell. The tofu easily integrates in my meals, as I have not gotten over the fact that each meal MUST have a meat component. My quinoa black beans and corn dish has enough protein (albeit a bit more carb that my staunch body building diet demands in the summertime when I like to look cut) but it does seem like I am only eating side dishes.

Breakfast and afternoon snack consists of my chia or ground flaxseed, soy powder and oat flour pancake, which are high enough in protein without jacking up the carbs. I eat two of those a day instead of the whey protein powder I used to supplement with. I feel that most meals should be eaten and not liquid smoothie drink so that you feel sated and satisfied that it was an official meal rather than a rich thick drink. My pancakes have a TWO (2) component: 2 tablespoons of ground golden flaxseed (this is the egg replacement, 3 tablespoons to one tablespoon flax thickens, binds and even has omega 3) mixed with the appropriate amount of water (6 tablespoons), 2 tablespoons of soy powder (100% protein powder and not the 35% soy flour), 2 tablespoons of oat flour. This mixture makes a putty-like ball. I then cook it in a skillet with a tiny spritz of olive oil. Basically you are just browning it/drying it out. It keeps well all day because there is nothing in it that would spoil. I make two of these a day, store in a plastic ziplock; they travel well in my purse. Both tally up to: 34 g protein 30 g carb, fiber is a whopping 11 g and polyunsaturated fat (good ones) at 3.5 g.

Since starting this change (I am not calling my changes a detox or a temporary thing, as these changes need to be permanent because of my commitment to yoga and teaching) I have lost 5 lbs. I started at 111 lbs and now I am 106. I fluctuate up to 108 lbs though, because of bloat and water retention. I exercise extremely and don't drink enough liquids. On average, I lift weights 5 days a week, run 2 days and do hot vinyasa yoga every day. I do take breaks from weights or yoga (maybe one, once a week) but I am religious to running. My daily calorie expenditure is 655 weekdays, 850-950 weekends. Back in 2010, I started at 147 lbs, but that is a story I will tell at another time, as it requires a full blog entry to describe my journey in full.