Balsamic Roasted Green Beans

I don't just like green beans, I love them. To the moon and back.

 Green beans have been a staple at my family get-togethers since, well, the day I was born and probably long before. My grandmother was the champion of the green bean casserole, my mom the adapter of the green bean bundle, and my aunt the undisputed queen of southern-style French green beans. 


Needless to say, I've got big shoes to fill. Here's one of my first attempts at penciling my name into the family green bean hall of fame...

BALSAMIC ROASTED GREEN BEANS

GRAB THIS:

• 1 lb. fresh green beans, preferably thin French style beans
• 1 1/2 T olive oil
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 T finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

DO THIS:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
• Trim ends of beans. Cut beans in half, if desired.
• Put cut beans  into a Ziploc bag or plastic bowl. Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pour over, then squeeze bag or stir so all the beans and mushrooms are lightly coated with the mixture.
• Arrange on large cookie sheet, spreading them out well so beans are not crowded. 
• Roast 20-30 minutes, until beans are tender-crisp. 
• Season beans to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper, then sprinkle with Parmesan if desired. 

Reflections from Detox

The results are in!! Before I comment on my experience in detox, here are the numbers you may want to know...

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Starting Weight: 116.0 lb

BMI: 21.2

Body Fat: 15.5%

Waist: 27.0 inches

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012
 

Ending Weight: 111.2 lb

BMI: 20.3

Body Fat: 14.0%

Waist: 26.25 inches

PHYSICAL EFFECTS: If nothing else, the numbers above prove one thing: there's something to this whole detox fad. To add credibility to these numbers, I should also mention that Justin (who completed a 10-day detox) lost around 8 pounds as a result, and my friend Jen (who completed the 5-day detox with me) lost 6 pounds. Now, let me repeat what I said several days ago - I'm not trying to lose weight. The weight that I lost during those 5 days was not primarily body fat (though a small percentage probably was). Rather, the bulk of the weight loss for all three of us is excess water weight and body waste. As a result, it shouldn't be surprising that all of us immediately gained a little weight back as soon as we completed the detox. That's okay, because it's primarily water and certainly not fat. 

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS: Some detox advocates claim that a true detox will ease anxiety, stress, and other negative psychological baggage that we often carry with us. I'm not sure about my friends, but I cannot honestly and accurately say that I experienced any measurable improvements in any of these arenas. 

PERSONALITY EFFECTS: As I mentioned in my daily detox reports, I usually experienced a lag in energy from about noon to three o'clock every afternoon during my detox. I'm not sure how much of this was physical and how much was purely mental, but the lag existed nevertheless. On day four, I definitely became a bit irritable late in the day and even a bit short with my sweet husband and some other acquaintances who were unfortunate enough to cross my path during that time. The reason? I was hungry, and I couldn't think about much more than my desire to eat something solid. For the most part, though, the detox didn't change how I acted or how I went through my daily activities. 

PURITY EFFECTS: One of the most obvious reasons to complete a detox is to feel clean, pure, and generally more "organic," for lack of better terminology. I did indeed feel cleaned out, and I went through my day knowing that I wasn't carrying around excess toxins and waste. That's all fine and good, but I must consider that this feeling may have resulted from the simple fact that I knew I was detoxing for that very purpose. In other words, I have no suitable way of determining whether or not I was merely experiencing a placebo effect. 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

I'm glad I did it. I can say that for sure. Now, I feel confident that I can answer questions about detox with adequate knowledge and credibility. I know what detox did (and did not) accomplish for me, and I can compare that with others who have been through similar plans. And finally, I feel that I can make accurate recommendations regarding detox to clients and friends with different motivations, goals, and abilities. 

As for my general recommendations, I have a few guidelines to consider:

• There's something to detox, and I think that it can be safe and effective for nearly all populations. 
• My friends and I did a very strict detox, and I do not recommend our methods for everyone nor for all purposes. Most people can experience the positive effects of detox without abiding by such strict guidelines as we did. 
• My detox plan (which you can view in my earlier posts) consists almost entirely of liquid meals and eliminates a lot of food options (i.e. no meat, dairy, artificial substances, enriched foods, cooked foods, etc), and this will likely yield the most drastic results in the shortest amount of time. For healthy populations who are seeking to lose excess water weight and body waste for a short period of time (i.e. wedding, class reunion, weekend at the beach, etc), I think that my methods would be greatly effective (though not the most enjoyable).
• A less stringent plan (an example can be seen above) might be a better choice for healthy populations who are willing to do a detox for a longer period of time (10-21 days), have less self-discipline, really need to chew some foods (you don't know how valuable this is until you can't do it) and/or are more interested in feeling "pure" or "clean" as opposed to dropping water/waste weight. 
• As always, please consult your doctor before making any drastic changes to your diet, especially if you have any health or nutritional concerns to consider.

I hope this helps answer any questions that you may have had about detox in general! Please feel free to leave any comments or questions that you may still have, and I will do my best to respond to the best of my ability. Thanks for tuning in and for encouraging me to persevere in this experience...all of your support and accountability helped to pull me through!

                                                                                

Clean Macaroni and Cheese

Confession: I LOVE pasta. I also LOVE cheese (and dairy products in general). Ipso  facto, I LOVE macaroni and cheese. 


I know, I know. That's not very health-minded of me. Not to mention the fact that it makes me sound a bit like a five year old. Nevertheless, can I get an amen? Really, let's think about it - how many people do you know that truly dislike macaroni and cheese? Far less than those who truly dislike brussel sprouts, I bet. 


I've always felt a bit guilty, though, when I indulge in all that creamy, cheesy goodness (unless, of course, I'm indulging in said side dish at Ajax in Oxford, MS. In that case, I'm just in heaven on earth). If you've ever shared this guilt with me, you'll enjoy the recipe listed below, which I've adapted from thegraciouspantry.com.

CLEAN MACARONI AND CHEESE
(Makes 2 servings)

Grab This:

2 cups cooked, whole grain pasta
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, lightly packed

1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. dried, ground mustard
1 tbsp. whole wheat pastry flour ( Regular whole wheat works as well)

1 tsp paprika (optional)

1 tsp pepper (optional)
Se salt to taste

Do This:

Step 1 – In a medium pot, warm the milk over medium heat. You want it hot, but not boiling.

Step 2 – Whisk in the paprika, pepper, and flour. Continue whisking for 2-3 minutes to be sure it’s well incorporated and doesn’t settle to the bottom.
 
Step 3 – Whisk in the mustard.
 
Step 4 – Remove pot from heat and stir in the cheese. Stir until completely melted and combined. If the cheese doesn’t melt enough, return pot to the stove over low to medium heat.
 
VERY IMPORTANT: Do NOT let the sauce boil. You only want the pot on the heat until the cheese is just melted. Then remove immediately.

Step 5 – Add salt to taste and pour sauce over your pasta.

                                                        

DETOX: Day 5 of 5

This is it, my friends. My last day of detox. If you asked me right this moment, I can't say I'm sad to see it go. This girl is craving some foods...chewable foods, to be precise. In fact, there are so many tasty things I'd like to eat right now, I'm having a really hard time trying to figure out what my first chewable  meal will be on Tuesday. Any thoughts?

Justin, my boss, completed his 10-day detox over the weekend and celebrated with an egg white omelet Sunday morning and a trip to Top of the Hill in Chapel Hill, NC, Sunday afternoon. I'm so proud and amazed at his perseverance! Justin is actually in the middle of trying to drop a little weight, and he lost around 5 pounds during his detox alone! The bulk of that is probably water weight and waste build-up, but those are important nonetheless! Just think about how you might feel if you purged all the junk that sits around in your system!

As for me, I'll weigh in, take a waist measurement, and get a body fat reading tomorrow (Tuesday, February 14) to see my final results! Stay tuned for that info...I cheated a little and stepped on the scale Saturday morning...let's just say I'm pretty excited to see what Tuesday will bring!

Tonight, instead of my normal purple smoothie, I'll be consuming those foods that are normally included in that smoothie in solid form (blueberries, kale, cucumber, etc). This way, my body can slowly adjust and ready itself for normal solid foods tomorrow. If you choose to skip this step and continue to consume detoxifying foods in smoothie form, you may run the risk of having a very upset stomach after your first day or normal eating. 

Along with my numeric results, I'll also be posting my reflections on this 5-day period: what I learned, what I did correctly, what I did incorrectly, etc. I really want this to be a reproducible experiment, one that you can take and modify as needed for yourself. Stay tuned!

DAY 5: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13

TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE: 1002 calories

MEAL #1: WHEY PROTEIN SHAKE AND ALMONDS

• 1/2 cup chocolate almond milk
• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop natural whey protein
• 1/4 cup almonds 
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

NUTRITION: 350 calories, 17 g carbs, 23 g protein, 23 g fat, 9 g fiber 

 

 

 

MEAL #2: COMBO SMOOTHIE

• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup kale
• 1 cup cucumbers
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1 scoop natural whey protein
• 1/2 cup almond milk

NUTRITION: 346 calories, 50 g carbs, 25 g protein, 5 g fat, 6 g fiber

SNACK: SMALL BLOOD ORANGE

• 1 small blood orange

NUTRITION: 70 calories, 6 g carbs, 1 g protein, 0 g fat, 3 g fiber

 

MEAL #3: SOLID DETOXIFYING FOODS

• 1/2 cup cucumbers
• 1/2 cup kale
• 5 strawberries
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup blueberry acai tea

NUTRITION: 236 calories, 40 g carbs, 4 g protein, .6 g fat, 7 g fiber   (This meal is far too low in calories, and I know that I should eat more, but even though I'm hungry during the day, I haven't had much of an appetite at night lately, and I don't want to force more in.)

Thanks for all of your support and encouragement! Keep a look out for my results!

DETOX: Day 4 of 5

I'd be lying if I told you that everything is going perfectly. All in all, I really can't complain - Justin just FINISHED his 10-day detox as of this morning, and he hardly complained for a moment. In case your math is rusty, that's twice as long as my 5-day detox...I'm not sure how he did it.

This looks WAY more do-able! Sign me up!

I'm not sick or weak or nauseous...just a bit hungry. I'm starting to crave foods: grilled chicken, pasta, macaroni and cheese, frozen yogurt, pita and hummus, real milk...you name it, it sounds pretty darn good right about now! The worst part is, I actually craved fast food today! I know, gross. But I just couldn't help it. I passed a Chik-Fil-A and my mouth instantly started watering.

The good news is, I'm nearing the end! And, I have to admit that I do feel "clean," hydrated, and anti-bloated. That's a good sign that this whole detox thing has something to it; I can't wait to weigh in on Tuesday morning and see what happened!

Yesterday, I did our weekly grocery shopping and nearly fainted from all the solid food around me! Tonight, I'm cooking turkey tacos for my sweet husband, so I'm going to need some serious perseverance to keep from crumbling! In the words of Dionne Warwick, say a little prayer for me!

DAY FOUR: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12

TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE:1003 calories

MEAL #1: WHEY PROTEIN SHAKE AND ALMONDS

• 1/2 cup chocolate almond milk
• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop natural whey protein
• 1/4 cup almonds 
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

NUTRITION: 350 calories, 17 g carbs, 23 g protein, 23 g fat, 9 g fiber 

MEAL #2: GREEN SMOOTHIE

• 1 medium banana
• 1 cup kale
• 1 blood orange
• 1 cup cucumbers
• 1/2 scoop whey protein
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

NUTRITION: 329 calories, 56 g carbs, 18 g protein, 7 g fat, 10 g fiber

SNACK: SMALL BLOOD ORANGE

• 1 small blood orange

NUTRITION: 70 calories, 6 g carbs, 1 g protein, 0 g fat, 3 g fiber

MEAL #3: PURPLE SMOOTHIE

• 1 blood orange
• 1 1/2 cups kale
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk

NUTRITION: 254 calories, 58 g carbs, 5 g protein, 4 g fat, 9 g fiber

One day left!

Black Bean Burgers

Need a healthy alternative to your greasy Big Mac? We've got one for you! If you need a tasty, colorful side dish, keep scrolling to find the recipe for my FAVORITE baked sweet potato fries!

BLACK BEAN BURGERS

Serving Size: 1 burger patty

Calories: 118

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cans black beans
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 2-3 tbsp EV olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

• Rinse the black beans in a colander.
• Dump one can of beans, breadcrumbs, oats, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and the egg into a blender. Pulse it together until it forms a goopy paste.
• Empty the blender contents into a bowl. Stir in the other can of beans and the onion.
• Using your hands, form mixture into patties (makes 4-6, depending on the size of your burgers).
• Heat oil in a pan to medium and gently place your patties in. Cook 5 minutes on each side and flip.
• Serve alone or on a bun with your favorite toppings (tomato, avocado, lettuce, salsa, etc)
• ENJOY!

BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

(From TheArtOfDoingStuff.com)

INGREDIENTS

• 6-8 sweet potatoes
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt, to taste

• Cut your sweet potatoes until they’re a medium thickness.  Not hugely thick cut and not shoestring.

• Let potatoes soak in water for an hour – half the day.  (not mandatory, but recommended)

• Preheat oven to 425°

• Throw a Tablespoon or two of cornstarch into a plastic bag.

• Dump a handful of sweet potatoes into the bag with the cornstarch.  Twist the top of the bag so it forms a balloon with some air inside and shake the fries around until they’re lightly coated with the cornstarch.

• Put your coated fries on a non stick cookie sheet.

• Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over the fries. 

• Using your hands, make sure the fries are well coated. Arrange them on the sheet again, so they have space between each fry.  The less fries on the pan the better they’ll cook.  Too many shoved together and they’ll never get crispy.  They’ll just steam.  Pop the fries into your preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes.

• Check the fries after 15 minutes, flip them over (you might have to use a spatula depending on how “non stick” your pan is) and return to the oven if necessary for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle modestly with sea salt as desired.

DETOX: Day 3 of 5

Tonight, I can officially say that I'm OVER half-way through my 5-day detox!! That's definitely something to be excited about. You know what's also exciting? My husband comes home from Atlanta tonight (albeit very late tonight)!! Very exciting indeed.

This does pose a very special challenge for me, though. My husband needs a real dinner, not a blended one. And, since he's been out of town, I want to cook something that he really enjoys but rarely gets to eat...tacos. Turkey tacos, of course, but tacos nonetheless. So, I am interested to see what temptations cooking turkey tacos will bring to the table on Sunday night. Stay tuned to find out!

Yesterday (Friday), I got a bit lethargic around noon but finally caught a second wind later in the afternoon. I'm not sure how much of that was caused by my busy week and long nights, and how much of it (if any) resulted from the detox.

Today, I'm going to try to get even closer to my calorie goal AND stay more motivated...all in one short step. Between lunch and dinner, I'm adding in a snack - a blood orange, to be precise. Although the most extreme instructions ask that you avoid whole (solid) foods in their entirety throughout a detox, I'm 100% confident that one small blood orange (which is soft to begin with and easy to digest) will make or break this detox. 

DAY THREE: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11

TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE: 1514 CALORIES 

PRE-BREAKFAST: NATURAL OATS

•  1/2 cup natural oats
• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 5 blueberries

NUTRITION: 229 calories, 50 g carbs, 6 g protein, 5 g fat, 8 g fiber




MEAL #1: WHEY PROTEIN SHAKE AND ALMONDS

• 1/2 cup chocolate almond milk
• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop natural whey protein
• 1/4 cup almonds 
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

NUTRITION: 350 calories, 17 g carbs, 23 g protein, 23 g fat, 9 g fiber

MEAL #2: GREEN SMOOTHIE

• 1 banana
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup brussel sprouts
• 1/4 cup carrots
• 1 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 scoop whey protein
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

NUTRITION: 439 calories, 90 g carbs, 27 g protein, 8 g fat, 20 g fiber

SNACK: SMALL BLOOD ORANGE

• 1 small blood orange

NUTRITION: 70 calories, 6 g carbs, 1 g protein, 0 g fat, 3 g fiber




MEAL #3: PURPLE SMOOTHIE

• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups kale
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 brussel sprouts
• 3 spears asparagus
• 1/2 cup chocolate almond milk

NUTRITION: 426 calories, 103 g carbs, 11 g protein, 6 g fat, 17 g fiber



Thanks for all the encouragement!