Lazy Cleanse - Week 2

I’ve officially closed out week two of The Standard Process Cleanse. Week one was certainly a challenge, emotionally, physically and food-wise. I was told that week two would be a breeze in comparison and that I should really start to feel physically better, more energetic, and emotionally balanced. I’m kind of a skeptic at heart so when I first started to feel the increased energy I sort of assumed it was some sort of placebo effect. Certainly somewhere deep in my subconscious I knew that I was supposed to feel more energetic so it was playing out into my life. But as the week progressed, I began to feel more alive, more energetic, and honestly, happier. Sure – I still had my moments of frustration and I lost my patience with the kids a few times (please, if there is a supplement to help me be more patient, call me) but overall, I haven’t felt this physically and emotionally well in a very long time.

Of course – a week cannot go by without a lesson learned. In this case, I learned two valuable lessons and began to meet a new network of people who know of and have done the SP Cleanse! I’m also excited to mention that I’ve been approached on several occasions by people asking me for more information about the SP Cleanse (thanks Patch)!

New friends – Most of the time when someone inquires about my strange looking shake or why I don’t want to join the group for lunch and I tell them it is because I’m doing the SP Cleanse, they sort of give me a vague stare and make some sort of uncomfortable comment like, “Better you than me,” or the popularly insincere “Let me know how that works out for you.” But every once in a while you meet a person who has heard of the SP Cleanse, or who has done it, and for that I am thankful. Last week I was seated next to someone at a baby shower and the subject of the cleanse came up. My shower neighbor informed me that she and her each husband do the cleanse once a year (good idea) and that they still drink the shakes every morning. I am thankful for her tip on the giant bag of mixed frozen fruit from Sam’s Club. It has been a lifesaver for a quick afternoon sweet treat!

Cinnamon – As far as the smoothies go, I’ve kind of been winging it. I mix various fruits & veggies and on the weekends I break out the juicer for an added zing. Some are better than others, but no matter what produce configuration I blend together, I can’t seem to get rid of that weird taste that the SP Cleanse powder gives the shakes. So I was leafing through the SP Cleanse book again over the weekend and saw a recipe for the Apple Pie smoothie (or something like that). It was simple, one apple, half a banana, cleanse powder, and a bit of cinnamon, water, ice. As I took my first sip I was thrilled. Mostly because it really was sweet, and it was as close to apple pie as I was going to get for the next 10 days. But overall, I noticed that the cinnamon killed the aftertaste of the shake powder. Now all of my fruit shakes contain cinnamon. I highly recommend.

Close the Lid – I think I mentioned last week that I have been bringing this ultra cool blender bottle to work for my afternoon shake. I double up my morning shake preparation and pour the second half in the blender bottle and I drink it as a late afternoon snack. The other day I was on my way from the kitchenette at work back to my desk and as I began to do my routine walk and shake I was given a peach, blueberry, mango bath! Fortunately the majority of it landed on the floor but my hair, shirt and pants did not walk away unscathed.

Day 11 of the SP cleanse also brought forth a new and exciting addition to my diet—meat! Yes, days 11-21 one is permitted lean meats (chicken and fish). And because I’ve been craving tacos for the past 10 days, I whipped up these delights over the weekend.

Ground chicken tacos (DIY seasoning) in lettuce cups with fresh guacamole

Taco Ingredients
Ground chicken (or turkey or 92% lean beef)
1 small onion
1 tsp garlic

DIY Taco Seasoning
2 tsp. chili powder
1.5 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
dash of ground cayenne pepper (add a little more if you want more spice)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Guacamole
1 whole avocado (diced)
1 hand full of Cilantro leaves finely chopped (I like a lot of cilantro so feel free to cut back)
½ Red Onion finely diced & rinsed (again – I like onion so cut back on that too if you want)
Juice from ½ lime
Celtic Sea Salt

How I did it
Brown ground chicken (or turkey or lean beef) with garlic and onion (drain any excess oil if there is any). Add DIY taco seasoning (add a small amount of water – 1 tbsp if it seems a little dry)

Mix guacamole and rinse/dry lettuce. I used Boston Leaf Lettuce because it makes cute little cups for serving.

Scoop a mixture of meat into the lettuce leaf, top w/ guacamole (or salsa or cheese).