Planning and Day 1

So I don’t want to get into the nitty gritty of the diet right now.  I will touch on the different aspects of the diet and my experience with them as time goes on, so stay tuned! If you are interested in learning more about it, there is a lot of information on the internet.  I did my research, but didn’t get a full grasp on what the Body Ecology Diet actually entailed until I read the book.  Not going to lie, it is a little overwhelming! There are so many rules and different nuances that you need to follow… 80/20, acid/alkaline, food combining, cleansing…. Ahhhh!! As I read, I took notes in a notebook of all of the important points that I need to remember.   This has really helped me as a quick reference guide, since the book is over 300 pages long with a lot of information! 

I finished the book yesterday (I use the term finished loosely, I skimmed over some of the chapters, such as the one on colon cleansing- yikes!)  I was so excited to get started that I made a shopping list off of the recommended products in the back of the book and headed out to Mother’s Market.  I was so excited to find pretty much everything I needed! I bought quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, spices, kefir, sea vegetables, and free range eggs.  I also found cultured vegetables, which are a staple on this diet.  If you don’t know what cultured vegetables are, you take cabbage and other vegetables and put them in the food processor.  You then pack them in jars with a brine and “culture starter”, and let them sit at room temp for a week.  During that time, all of the friendly bacteria start to proliferate and feed on the vegetables.  Sounds gross, I know. But it is supposed to be super healthy and healing for my stomach, so I am going to eat it!   Anyways, I wanted to try the cultured vegetables before I went through all the trouble to make them myself, so I’m glad Mother’s had some already prepared.  I also hit Sprouts for some organic vegetables.  Once I had all my supplies, I headed home to start preparing! 

Word of advice: Planning is KEY! I probably should have created a meal plan for the week.  I was so excited to get started, I didn’t really take the time to do that.  Now I had  a whole bunch of supplies, but no direction to go in. 

I started with preparing the veggies.  I figure if I have a bunch of clean, ready to use veggies that would be a good start! I ended up with a ton of shredded carrots and cabbage.  Chopped broccoli and celery, kale, and daikon (my first experience with this veggie… it doesn’t really taste like much but has a nice crunch!), and diced red and white onion.  I also cooked up some quinoa to have it on hand!

I decided to make a slaw with the carrots and cabbage that I could eat for a snack at work on Tuesday.  I made  dressing with red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and garlic.  Not that good.. why the heck didn’t I use one of the recipes from the book? They have some really good ones!  I also made a big salad with lots of fresh veggies and a kefir and cucumber dressing.  I took inspiration from a tzatziki sauce I made for Christmas… I put cucumber and garlic in the food processor with some dill.  Blended in some kefir and a little bit of xanthan gum to thicken it up.  It actually came out pretty good!  For dinner I plan on doing quinoa with a cauliflower curry sauce that is in the book.    I’m really excited since I love curry!

I figure this week I will take it day by day with the food prep and start planning out my meals for next week!  I'm feeling great so far this morning, and I can't wait to see what this diet has in store for me! 

New Beginnings

Hello! I am so excited to start this blog and be able to document my journey on the Body Ecology Diet.

If you know me, you know that I have tried every diet that is out there! You name it, I have tried it.  I have always tried these diets with the intention to lose weight.  I'm not overweight by any means, but there has always been that 10-15 pounds that I have wanted to lose.  Like most people, I have never been able to stick with these diets. I'll stay on them for a few weeks and then fall off the wagon.  It is a never ending cycle!

So why am I starting the Body Ecology Diet? Well, there is a bigger reason than just losing those 10-15 pounds (but that would be nice, who am I kidding?) I need to do it for my health! I have been plagued with stomach problems for my entire life.  My mom had to carry around plastic bags when I was a kid, since throwing up was a regular occurrence.  Getting into my college years, I can't say that I was nice to my stomach.  I joined sorority, frequented bars in Downtown Fullerton, and ate Dell Taco at 2 in the morning.  Now, at 28 years old, my stomach and I are at odds with each other.  I get stomach aches and heart burn all the time.  I can't go out and have a few drinks with my friends, or I will pay for it for days later.   I think it is time to make a change and focus on my health!

I've been doing research on the Body Ecology diet for a few weeks, and it sounds like just what I need to heal my stomach and improve my health.  In addition to my stomach problems, I frequently feel low energy and sluggish.  My boyfriend told me recently "You have energy problems!"  I don't want to be that sick and tired girl that I have been lately.  I'm 28 years old! I should be out enjoying life and having fun!


So here we go... this is my journey on the Body Ecology Diet.   Enjoy!