Keri’s 8 Foods Cleanse [The New You (and improved!) Diet]

A few weeks ago I received a copy of Keri Glassman’s new book, The New You and Improved Diet: 8 Rules to Lose Weight and Change Your Life Forever (it’s on the the Kindle too).

new-you-and-improved-diet

I was very excited for this book because Keri’s 3 taglines for this book are:

  • Eat more, not less!
  • Catch some zzz’s!
  • And have more sex (you heard me!)

Sounds like a plan anyone in their right mind would want to follow and enjoy following – nothing like the typical restrictive diet.

Keri catapults you right into her plan. She intros a quickstart “Eight Foods Cleanse” early on – page 27 to be exact. I figured if I am going to give this book a proper review (to come…) I should at least try out the cleanse. To be honest, I haven’t ever really followed a proper “diet” plan. I generally just try to eat less/move more. I’m really interested to see if I feel any different at the end of this “cleanse”. In the past I’ve tried doing the “raw/juicing” thing, “macrobiotic“, etc…

Cleanse… yes, that word with bad connotations. Keri’s 8 Foods Cleanse is not really a cleanse in the usual sense of the word – no long days of sipping juices with your stomach rumbling – this cleanse is simply eating a few simple, wholesome foods for just 4 short days.

I am jumping right in today, though I did make a few mods based on what I had in my kitchen this morning (yes this was a last minute decision). I’ll go shopping tonight for the proper ingredients! Here’s what my day will look like:

  • Breakfast is 1 egg and 2 egg whites with black pepper and ground black sesame (those spices are my own touch on this). I’m also having a cup of organic coffee with unsweetened almond milk and this chocolate stevia (Thanks Ron!). (Keri’s plan doesn’t include coffee… I am easing my way into this, so I’m gonna have it for now.)
  • No morning snack – I have breakfast ~10am so there is no time for a snack before lunch.
  • Lunch – a salad of romaine, seaweed, tomato, apple (leftovers) + 1/2 cup chickpeas + 1 hard boiled egg + 2 teaspoons EVOO. (Yum!)
  • Snack: 1 Ronnybrook plain whole milk yogurt with cinnamon. (This is what I have in the fridge – this is off plan.)
  • Dinner: TBD – Salmon & greens I believe, and I need to go get an avocado.

This cleanse may be a little low in calories, but it’s only 4 days – and after a few months of indulging (during renovations we didn’t have a kitchen – and even if you’re careful, eating out for every single meal can get really old really fast). I think I can follow it for 4 days and then start adding in more of Keri’s favorite Empowering Foods.

I’ll be back later with my take on the rest of Keri’s Diet Rules – one of them is “Clean Out Your Closet” – so you know I am gonna love it.

De-Lite-Ful Tofu Pudding (Recipe)

This is a low-calorie, low-fat dessert that’s very voluminous. Unlike many of the low-calorie/fat/sugar options out there, this dish is completely natural and easy to make in your own home kitchen.

I used to be a big fan of the lite ice cream fad. Unfortunately those ice creams still have lots of sugar and if I have too much, I break out. And anyway, I’d prefer a McD’s cone over fake ice cream any day. But one day I was home and didn’t feel like running out for a cone, and didn’t want a sugary dessert, so I made this. It even has a decent amount of protein.

De-Lite-Ful Tofu Pudding AKA Vegan and No Sugar Tasti Delite!

Ingredients

  • 1 package light silken tofu
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon NuNaturals vanilla stevia drops (one dropperful)
  • 1/2 teaspoon NuNaturals cocoa bean extract (one dropperful)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
  • sesame seeds for topping (optional)

Directions

Blend all ingredients except sesame seeds in a (mini) food processor. Adjust extras to taste. Top with sesame seeds if you so desire!

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This is similar to some of my other dessert (pudding!) recipes… See also:

Have you ever made tofu pudding? Do you like tofu?

I’m not a huge tofu person, but I eat it occasionally.

P.S. I made that bowl the pudding is in.

P.P.S. I’m attending/participating in a Twitter party tonight with @SteviaInTheRaw – it’s tonight, Tuesday, May 24th at 8:00pm ET/ 5:00pm PT. Feel free to follow along if you want! Should be pretty fun. And if you’re not following me on Twitter, this is me: @TheSaladGirl. Maybe “see” you tonight 🙂

A Spiced Rice Obsession

Do you remember this “Indian rice” recipe I made a few months ago? I almost forgot about it until this week. Then I made a variation of it and now I’m obsessed again. It is just so good. Eating rice (spiced rice!) just makes me happy.

Here is my new variation, and the new ways I’ve been enjoying it:

Obsession-Inducing Spiced Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice of choice (this week: brown basmati (1x) and short grain white (1x))
  • water (1:1 ratio for white rice; 2 cups water to 1 cup rice for brown)
  • 2 heaping tablespoons of ghee (butter works too) (or if you are vegan use peanut/sesame oil)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2+ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2+ teaspoon dill
  • 1/4 cup raisins

Method

  1. Soak raisins in hot water until plump. Chop in small pieces.
  2. Put all ingredients in rice cooker, mix, press start.
  3. (Alternately, you can cook rice on the stove, the normal way…)
  4. Serve with peanut butter.
  5. Or serve with yogurt.
  6. Or however else you choose.

My dessert one night: peanut buttery brown basmati rice concoction (just basmati obsession-rice + heaping spoonfuls of peanut butter):

And a breakfast of: yogurty short-grain white rice mix (obsession-inducing white rice + 2% greek yogurt + NuNaturals cocoa bean extract) (enter my NuNaturals giveaway here):

The rice comes out nice and chewy and flavorful. I will definitely keep making it!

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Don’t forget about my NuNaturals giveaway! It ends Saturday.

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Teaser:

White obsession-rice over a mystery salad… can you guess what’s in that lunch bowl of yum?

NuNaturals Giveaway (#2)! Free Stevia!

Happy Mother’s day! I spent yesterday with my mom instead of today, and it we had a wonderful time 🙂 We got mani/pedis and went out for brunch in Brooklyn. I love you mom!

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for entering!

Winners Here.

My last NuNaturals giveaway was so successful that NuNaturals is letting me do another one! I have demolished the sampler pack they sent me – gotta get some more. This time around NuNaturals actually has a 3-part program for you, with part 1 being the giveaway. Keep reading to enter!

What is Stevia?

Stevia is an all-natural zero-calorie sweetener (made from the leaf of the Stevia Rebaudiana plant) that has been used around the world (Japan, Brazil and South America, Korea, Europe, etc…). It is much sweeter than sugar and some brands taste bitter… But not NuNaturals. NuNaturals’ stevia is not bitter at all from what I can tell. What stevia is not: aspartame, splenda, or any of those other awful sweeteners. (Stevia has really helped me wean me off of them. Remember my healthy diet soda?)

NuNaturals Stevia Giveaway

Part (1): This giveaway will have FOUR (4) winners. Each winner will receive one (1) box of NuStevia Packets, 50 ct. Box, AND one (1) bottle of NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia Liquid, 2 oz. bottle. The contest is open to Continental U.S. residents ONLY.

To enter (1 entry each, please leave 1 comment for each entry – 5 possible entry options):

Giveaway now closed.

Start date: today, Sunday, May 8th

End Date: Saturday, May 14th, at midnight (Eastern time)

More Free Stevia Goodies!

Part (2): IN ADDITION, NuNaturals now has a “FREE SAMPLES” program for ALL Continental U.S. readers. You can receive FREE SAMPLES of NuStevia Packets by sending a SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED, #10 envelope to the following location:

NuNaturals , Inc.
2220 West 2nd. Ave. #1
Eugene, OR 97402

Stevia Discounts

Part (3):  PLUS, ALL readers can take full advantage of SPECIAL DISCOUNTS on all future orders by ordering through the NuNaturals website: www.nunaturals.com.

When you go to the website checkout page, simply enter this CODE: BLG531, for a SPECIAL DISCOUNT of -15% on your TOTAL ORDER. And don’t forget, by ordering from the website you ALSO receive FREE SHIPPING to the Continental U.S. on all orders totaling $35.00 and over (AFTER this special discount).

This offer is EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, and ENDS MAY 31, 2011.

Hope you enjoy! Please enter! Do you like stevia?