by natalia | Apr 21, 2013 | Cleansing
Favorite Detox 4 Women Meals (April 12, 2010)
Helen asks, “Ana, please give me some well-combined evening meal suggestions. I feel like I just eat the same thing over and over and I’m getting bored. And also, is it okay to eat the same meal several nights in a row if I am really loving it? I want to stay on track and keep enjoying my meals.”
Thank you for your question. I want to address the second part first. The answer is yes, it is perfectly fine to have the same meals several times in a row, provided they are well-combined and working well with your body. Remember, the focus in this lifestyle is no longer on getting what we need from outside sources. Instead, we focus on the removal of obstruction so our bodies can perfectly regulate themselves and draw what they need from the sun, and the raw juices and salads we are flooding them with.
If you are having a meal that is water-rich (with plenty of raw veggies), is combined to exit quickly, and results in a massive bowel movement the next morning, you are doing no wrong. For example; a large raw salad with goat cheese followed by steamed broccoli with marinara sauce, and some 70% dark chocolate. These are all classified as “human food” with the exception of the dark chocolate, which is certainly okay nightly in moderation. The meal is well combined (raw and cooked neutral veggies with goat cheese, which is an animal protein), and contains enough raw to really move and pull some hydrated and awakened waste out with it.
If, however, your meal contains grain, or fruit, or nuts and seeds, you must be more careful. These can be tricky, and your bowel movement will give you the answer. If you have a big raw salad followed by some cooked quinoa, and it passes cleanly, go ahead a second night. If instead you feel bloated and gassy, and have little or no movement the next day, it’s time for a change. Very few women can get away with eating a fruit dinner every night of the week, it is simply too awakening and it will be yeast-feeding for the new detoxer. Nuts and seeds are quite dense, and although they can work well in the company of a heap of raw veggies, I’ve found that they can slow progress, and that not many people can eat just a few.
Two of my favorite salads:
Starch night:
• 1 box organic spring mix greens
• Juice from 2 limes
• stevia to taste
• 1 head chopped cilantro
• 1 diced avocado
• 1 ear raw corn (cut off the cob)
• 2 tblspns high-quality salsa
This makes the most delicious south-western Tex-Mex salad. And it’s so dense and satisfying (and perfect for summer).
Protein night:
• 1 box organic baby romaine
• Juice from 1 lemon
• stevia to taste
• 2 tblspns Diijon mustard
• 2 chopped baked beets
• 3 oz grated Alta Dena goat cheese
• ½ box grape tomatoes
The contrast between the sweet beets, tangy cheese, and spicy mustard is heavenly. By the way, every Sunday I slow-bake about 6 beets for the week while I putter around the house. They go in washed and unpeeled on a baking tray at 325 for about 2 hours. They pop them in the fridge and they’ll last several days.
Some dinner favorites:
Starch night:
•Bake one acorn squash by halving it, scooping out the seeds, and placing it face down on a baking tray at 350 for about 30 minutes.
Turn both halves face up, and mix the squash with a small amount of butter, cinnamon, and stevia, until it is creamy. Serve right in the shell.
This is a wonderful chilly night comfort food. And kids love it as well…
Protein night:
Steam a broccoli/cauliflower mix by cooking them with about a half an inch of water in a covered pan. The water will run out right about the time the veggies are perfectly steamed (if not, simply drain the excess).
Add ¼ cup marinara sauce and about 3 oz grated Alta Dena cheese. Turn off the heat, but recover the pan.
Enjoy your big raw salad, and by the time you are ready for your cooked portion of the meal, the cheese will be nicely melted.
This is an easy way to satisfy those Italiano cravings for pasta, pizza, or anything else dripping with sauce and cheese. How decadent!
by natalia | Apr 21, 2013 | Cleansing
GUIDE TO BIRTH CONTROL, AND POPCORN (March 22, 2010)
Jennifer writes, “I know that IUDs are not ok, along with the pill. I currently have an IUD, and am wondering what a good alternative method of birth control is. Also, my husband is not into the raw food thing. He’s eating healthier along with me, but I don’t expect it to go very far. Do I need to protect myself against his toxins during sex?”
Birth Control is a hard issue. For myself, I choose not to put hormones into my body. They have interfered with my weight, skin, mood, and almost every aspect of my mental and physical health. But this is a very personal decision, and I can never make it for another person. If you choose to use oral contraceptives, IUDs, or Depo-Provera shot just please carefully understand what you are putting into your body.
If, like me, these options will not work for you there are several alternatives, and none of them are perfect.
Pull-Out Method
This is where a man disengages in intercourse right before he ejaculates.
Benefits: no harsh chemicals are involved, and if perfectly timed this can help prevent pregnancy.
Risks: pre-ejaculatory fluid does contain some sperm so there is a risk pf pregnancy. This method does not protect against STDs, and it interrupts a very powerful intimate moment.
Condoms
Benefits: a range of pregnancy and STD protection in the 90%s (depending on the brand, just carefully read the label) and orgasm can still be achieved during intercourse with no interruption. A clean/detoxing partner will also be protected from a more toxic partner’s ejaculation.
Risks: there is always a small percentage risk for both pregnancy and STDs, and latex, lubricant, and spermicide and act as irritants. And lets face it, it just doesn’t feel the same!
Rhythm Method
This is where a woman times her cycle by taking her temperature to determine when she is ovulating and can more easily become pregnant.
Benefits: when done perfectly, women can understand their body’s natural cycle to the point where they know which days are safe for intercourse, and which will result in pregnancy.
Risks: this method is very tricky to master on one’s own, despite numerous guide books and websites. And it is not effective in preventing the spread of STDs.
Lady-Comp
There is a cool new product for helping you to get in touch with your Month. I’ve been using it for some time now, and really liking the results. It’s called the Lady-Comp, and was actually recommended to me by a community member! It is a German engineered devise with a smart-chip that is programmed with over 20,000 cycles. It acts as an alarm clock, to take your base temperature before you start to move around and really wake up. It then gets to know your cycle, and is able to indicate green days (safe for sex without pregnancy), yellow days (it cannot be sure, proceed at your own risk) and red days (ovulation days). As it gets to know you there are only 4 red days a Month, and the manufacturers claim it is 99% effective if used correctly.
Risks: you will misuse or misread the lady-comp, and it also does not protect against STDs.
Benefits: It will adjust for time zone changes, altitude, ambient temperature, and really does get to know you quickly! It has a 15 year warranty, and can last on battery alone for up to 30 days. Also, it can be taken as carry-on on a plane (it’s quite small).
For me, the best way to go is a combination of my Lady-Comp (www.lady-comp.com for more info) and condoms for those red light days. But again, this is a personal decision for you and your partner that should be well researched and agreed upon. It is true that some clean eaters can be irritated by the fluids of less clean folks, but condoms can sometimes produce the same effect. It’s a matter of choosing the highest comfort level for you and your partner.
Andy asks, “How does popcorn combine, and is it part of the Detox4Women program?”
Popcorn combines as a starch. I do not recommend it too often for women who have weight to loose, or who are already eating cleanly. It is not one of the foods listed in Detox4Women for several reasons, but there are plenty of other movie-going snacks that you can enjoy. And occasionally satisfying that popcorn hankering won’t get you into trouble if you do it right.
The issue with popcorn (and any other dry starchy snack like potato chips) is that it is yeast and fungus feeding so it will not allow a yeasted woman to progress as quickly as she’d like. It is also extremely constipating, and so not really a quick-exit food. If you would like to have it once in a while just make sure it is in company of a big raw salad. And a wonderful clean alternative is puffed kamut, which has a similar texture and crunch.
For the movies, my favorite thing to do is to stop at the grocery store on my way and sneak in my own snacks. I like to get crudités (like carrots, celery, and bell peppers) and guacamole for dipping (sometimes these are too crunchy for a quiet movie!). Or I will make cabbage leaf rollups with raw goat cheese and Dijon mustard. Olives and cherry tomatoes are also wonderful, especially during a pre-dinner movie.
These foods will pass through the body quickly and cleanly, as much more alkaline, high-vibration, water-rich options. And I find them to be much more satisfyingly crunchy and delicious!
by natalia | Apr 21, 2013 | Cleansing
Wine and Sprouted Grain Bread (March 8, 2010)
Carl writes, “I was wondering about combining wine with a meal. Is it possible to combine wine with a meal and if so are there any exceptions or groups of food that should be avoided when drinking wine?”
Wine is a “safe poison”, which means that while it is certainly acid forming, it is allowable in small quantities. We recognize that it is not health generating, but rather slightly health deteriorating, and use it wisely.
We can get away with wine consumption because it is not a concentrated substance that leaves undigested waste behind in the body, because we are doing everything else right, and because we consume it in such moderation. It is not an ideal substance, but it makes this way of living something that can remain social, pleasurable, and not feel too stringent (ultimately giving this diet its longevity). When the first half of the day is spent concentrating on pulling acidic toxic waste out be flooding it with alkalinity, a small amount of wine will never hinder progress.
Like all of the “safe poisons” that make this lifestyle livable (like dark chocolate or goat milk ice cream), wine is best consumed alone and following an alkaline water-rich meal. Have your big salad with goat cheese, followed by your steamed veggies and marinara sauce, and then join your spouse/roommate/best friend for a relaxing glass of cabernet sauvignon. Sipping your wine along with your dinner is okay, too, just make sure you start with that big raw salad. And both red and white are equally acceptable.
Typically, steering clear of combining large amounts of liquids with your meal is the best course of action. It aids your “quick exit” eating strategy by allowing your undiluted stomach acids and enzymes do their work on your properly combined meal to quickly shuttle things along. But a properly poured glass of wine is only about 4-6oz, and will not work against you. The key is not to overindulge, and not to overindulge in too many “good poisons” at once. You wouldn’t want to follow dinner with a bottle of wine and a pile of chocolate.
Here’s the key: if the rest of your day is filled with delicious green juice and big raw salads, wine is not going to impede even the most advanced detoxer. It’s the processed flours, meats, and badly combined eating that will hold you back.
Liz writes, “I would like to incorporate the Ezekiel bread in my daily diet, and I have a couple of questions about how to do so.
1. Can I toast the Ezekiel bread?
2. Can I spread the raw honey or almond butter on the toasted bread or un-toasted bread?
3. And can I have bread at lunch after eating a large bowl of raw salad or is it better as a snack between meals?”
Thank you for your questions, Liz. Grains are wonderful transitional tools for beginning detoxers, children, and un-yeasted men. Proceed with caution if you are a woman who is dealing with the more finicky weights by eating grain very rarely, and only properly combined.
If you want to included the bread, feel that it’s right for where you are in your transition, and that you are able to eat it in moderation, here are some tips:
First, it is always better to eat sprouted grains in the company of water-rich alkaline veggies (like with or after a salad) to help escort it through the body. I make avocado, sprout, tomato and sea salt sandwiches for my boyfriend. And for children who can get away with less focus on combining principals, you can use the raw goat cheese or nut butters in a sandwich.
Toasting is fine, and a small amount of high quality butter is a nice topping. Adding honey is yummy for kids and gents, but really hard for a yeasty woman. Better to try stevia and cinnamon. And to be clear, goat cheese with bread is a miscombination that really only works for men and children and will have a harder time passing through the body. Nut butters will be an even slower exit.
Sprouted grain bread for women in general isn’t the best course of action, especially because most varieties include nuts and seeds and are in themselves improperly combined. Feel yourself out. If you can have a big salad and then eat only one piece once in a while you’re in good shape. If, instead, you go running for slices 3 and 4 several days in a row, you’ve got to set it aside. Instead, make personal pizzas using toasted thinly sliced eggplant, sauce, and cheese. Or use red pepper halves filled with sauce and cheese. For something comforting and sweet try hot tea with lemon and stevia and a slice of ginger root, or make your (organic, local, free range) omlette sweet instead of savory by dusting it with nutmeg and stevia. And don’t forget Natalia’s cabbage leaf rollups for a great sandwich option! You can roll avocado and salsa, or goat cheese and mustard for a perfect lunch or snack option.
