Tag Archives: smoothies

Aztec Diet Day 15: Depths of Depravity

March 5, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: Holding steady at a 9 pound net loss

Breakfast: grapefruit; Lunch: blueberry, avocado, banana; Snack: cottage cheese; Second Snack: way too many Triscuits to count. Dinner: Spinach Kelp Noodle Soup; Snack: none.

Today I encountered my bete-noir.

I am reminded of an old friend who quit smoking and made it through the Christmas holidays with two smokers in the family. Then she sat down to write an article, a process she always began by lighting a cigarette. She couldn’t write. She was on deadline and couldn’t pull a word out of her hat to save her life. Finally, she lit up, got the article done. I’m happy to say that was many years ago and she has been smoke-free for a couple decades.

I have been in the habit of mindless munching while writing. Especially if I’m a bit stalled out. Got a hankering for a few Triscuits yesterday afternoon, after my cottage cheese. Then a few more, then a few more after that. And then the rest of the box was gone. Oops. Fortunately it was only about 1/3 of a box to begin with. At least I met my writing goal for the day, and my mystery witness is now in the clutches of the police.

The good news is there are no more Triscuits left to tempt me. I will not be adding them to my grocery list again. I’ve got to learn to re-direct my munching urges to celery. It’s got the sodium I crave. If I go on a binge and eat all my celery, it’s not going to do any damage.

Tomorrow is going to be a real challenge. I’m going to be gone all day, visiting the police museum with a retired cop who’s agreed to consult with me on technical matters. Going to my brain injury group. Getting my brakes done.

Stay tuned.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 14: After the Fall

March 4, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: Holding steady with a 9 pound net loss

Breakfast: nothing; Lunch: Carol’s Kale Blueberry Variation; Snack: multi-grain crackers and celery ribs Dinner: Kale Apple Carrot; Snack: popcorn

I wasn’t at all hungry this morning. I’m not surprised. 8 ounces of beef is more than even my pre-diet intake. I have not experienced any symptoms of a carb bomb. I did, however spend a few moments yearning for hot chocolate when I stopped by Circle K this morning. since I had a sweet-tooth going, I opted for Carol’s Kale Blueberry Variation for lunch. This is based on Dr. Bob’s recipe, using the meat and water from a young coconut instead of Greek yogurt and water. I also add cacao, ginger and green powder.

I guess I’m a hedge-your-bets kinda gal. I went to the grocery store today. Along with enough produce to keep me in smoothies for the next two weeks, I also bought several cans of tuna and some frozen salmon filets. I already have black beans, quinoa and sprouted bread (frozen) at home. If I feel like I must move on to some solid meals, I’m covered. I also picked up a one quart bottle for transporting smoothies.

I’ve borrowed a little trick from my days as an addictions counselor. When an alcoholic or drug addict gets a craving, they are often advised to “play the tape to the end.” This means to get past your image of the high, and remember everything that came afterwards, all the consequences. During my trip to the grocery story, I found myself responding to the smell of the doughnut case and other forbidden so-called foods. So I jumped past thinking about the taste and went directly to the part where I am feeling bloated and groggy from all the carbs, and thought about how I looked and felt 6 months ago before I started losing weight.

If you find yourself responding to foods you used to eat, it doesn’t mean you aren’t committed to your diet, or that you are secretly sabotaging yourself. It simply means that you’ve formed neural pathways from your previous habits, and your brain naturally urges you to do what’s familiar. A car follows the ruts in the road. Recognize the response for what it is: an artifact of conditioning, not your secret, innermost desire. Bring your frontal lobe into play and play that tape out. And keep moving. If you aren’t standing in front of the doughnut case, chances are, your sugar jones will go away.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food, Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries, On Being a Writer

Aztec Diet Day 13: Do I or Don’t I?

March 3, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: -2 pounds; Net Loss: 9 pounds; Waist: – 4″

Breakfast and Lunch: All Day Blueberry Smoothie; Snack: none; Dinner: Peanuts, ceviche, 1/2 pound Angus burger, 1/2 side of fries, skin on, water with lemon; Snack: none

We already know I’m going to cheat this evening, so the big question isn’t that. That’s a done deal. The only question about that is how much I cheat. I’ll address that experience after I get back this evening.

Nope, today’s quandary is this: I need to go shopping. Sunday is my 14th day, the end of the Chia Challenge. So do I stock up on Phase II lunches, or do I keep going on?

I’ve lost 9 pounds in 14 days. There’s a good chance I’ll make it to 10 pounds by my Monday morning weigh-in, even with the cheat. I’m thrilled, but I have more to go. Continuing with Phase I makes sense. Yet, I’m a little tired of every meal having the same texture. I’d like to chew something. The kelp noodles have helped a bit. I figure, since they are 100% raw seaweed, they’re okay.

My options are: 1. Stay on Phase I; 2. Go onto Phase II; 3. Stick with Phase I, but allow myself one or two solid meals a week while keeping close to Aztec Diet guidelines.

What would you do?

Later: Terry’s was packed, with people, with servers, with retro neon signs. Brightly lit with high tables and peanut shells all over the floor. Even at 5 p.m., there was a thirty minute wait. There’s no room to wait inside, so Terry’s constructed an ante-chamber with plastic sheeting, old stadium seats and hanging outdoor heaters.

We sat outside and had an energetic discussion about my WIP, Maximum Security. Pat kept proposing different ways in which my victim could bite the dust. I had to keep reminding her that the cause of death was a done deal, since the body has already been found in Mount Airy Forest, and the question was who done it, and why. This caused the woman sitting next to me (who thought we were chortling about a real event) to make an inquiry. Whereupon Pat and Anna enthused about my books. So maybe I have another reader.

I ate a small handful of peanuts while we waited and skipped the beverages in lieu of water with lemon. The appetizers were tiny, artful creations. I had the ceviche, which was spicy, skipped the accompanying saltine crackers. I ordered my 1/2 pound burger medium rare, with Swiss cheese and the Burgundy sauce with wild mushrooms and truffle oil. I ordered it sans fries. When it came with, I went ahead and had some, with ketchup. I ate about half the bun.

I’m no saint. I’m not proposing myself as a model of dietary perfection. I had a good time. I don’t feel either deprived or guilty, and I’m happy to get back on the wagon. And, If I allow myself the occasional exceptional treat, it helps me pass by ordinary temptations. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

All Day Blueberry Smoothie
1 avocado
1 banana
1 Cup spinach, packed
1 – 2 Cups blueberries
2 TBSP cacao
4TBSP ground chia seeds
1/2 TSP ground ginger
1 TBSP green powder
Water to desired consistency

Makes 5 – 6 cups

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 12: Chew your Juice, Drink your Food

March 2, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: holding steady for a net loss of 7 pounds. Waist: 4″ lost

Breakfast and Lunch: All Day Papaya Raspberry Yum; Snack: 1 small handful of mixed nuts; Dinner: hot miso broth with garlic and kale over kelp noodles; Snack: none

A reader pointed out that the amounts in my smoothies exceeded Dr. Bob’s recommendations. After I got over being huffy, I decided she had a point. It occurred to me that my smoothies came close to 4 cups. With a tweaking, I could bring them to between 5 and 6 cups, making enough for two meals instead of one. This appeals to my lazy/busy side. So I am experimenting with all day smoothies. This only works if you have a 6 cup blender.

The revised recipe for my Papaya Raspberry Yum is below. I am not posting the recipe for the Miso Kale soup. It was a miserable failure. I ate it, but have no desire to subject you to it.

There is an old adage attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, but probably centuries older: “Chew your juice, drink your food”.

Blending foods aids in digestion by breaking it down into small pieces and increasing the overall surface area which is exposed to digestion in the stomach. We negate this advantage if we gulp our smoothies down. Digestions begins in the mouth, with saliva. Chewing is the mechanism which allows saliva to mix with food in the mouth, starting the digestive process. For best digestion, and therefore, assimilation, your food needs to spend some time in the mouth mixing with saliva. Dr. Bob says to sip your smoothie slowly. This is good advice. Even better, swish it around in your mouth a little before you swallow. “chew your juice.”

It’s almost time to move to Phase II. This advice holds for solid foods as well. “Drink your food” means to chew it so much that it slips down your throat of it’s own accord. Bolting your food leads to indigestion and poor assimilation.

All day Papaya Raspberry Yum

Should make 5 – 6 cups
12 ounces water

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 11: Cheating

March 1, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: -0 according to new scale -1 according to old scale. Net Loss: 6 pounds? 7?

Breakfast & Lunch: All Day Chocolate Covered Cherry; Snack: 3 celery ribs; Dinner: Spinach Kelp Noodle Soup, 12 ounces water with 2 scoops of chia; Snack: 9 Triscuits

At some point this weekend, I’m going to cheat.

No, I’m not tired of the diet. I love the convenience of blender meals. I enjoy green smoothies. I like inventing new ways to put a meal in a glass. And I’m thrilled to be losing weight. Nope, the diet is not the problem. I suspect I will never fully move on to Phase III of the Aztec diet. I expect to eat at least one green smoothie a day for the foreseeable future, possibly the rest of my life.

Friday is Anna’s birthday. We’ve been friends for 20 years and we always go out for her birthday. This year she wants to go to Terry’s Turf Club, reputed to have the best burgers in Cincinnati, and not a salad in sight. I do love a good burger. Check the menu here: http://www.urbanspoon.com/cities/32-cincinnati/restaurants/363284-terry-s-turf-club/menu

What’s a friend to do? I’m going to enjoy myself.

I am reviewing the menu ahead of time for some pre-emptive damage control. They’ve got ceviche on the appetizer menu. I became a fan of ceviche on my trip to Peru several years ago. This is sea food which is “cooked” by marinating it in lime juice with herbs and vegetables. Great stuff, low fat. I’ll skip the french fries and the chips. I’m still mulling over whether or not to get a burger. No, it’s not on the Aztec Diet. But it’s reputed to be seriously good. I read in a review that the buns are not so hot, so maybe I’ll skip the bread, too. Thankfully, they do not have deserts.

All Day Chocolate Covered Cherry

This makes about 5 cups, enough for breakfast and lunch.

I wanted something savory for dinner, with a different texture. Kelp noodles are a raw product and come ready to eat. They are great for fast meals. They’re low in carbs and calories (6 calories a serving!). They come in a tangle. You cut off what you want. Rinse them off and they’re ready to eat.

Spinach Kelp Noodle Soup

Put your rinsed kelp noodles into a large bowl or 24 ounce cup. Blend the other ingredients. pour over the noodles.

I made this and had my chia on the side.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet: Coffee, Tea or ?

February 28, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: -1 pound. Net Loss: 6 pounds

Breakfast: Papaya Yum; Lunch: Dr. Bob’s Kale Blueberry Smoothie with ginger and cacao; Snack: freeze dried veggie chips; Dinner: Spinach Portobella Smoothie with 1 clove garlic, made with hot water; Snack: nothing

Now that I’m refreshing my memory about PH, it occurred to me to look at my morning cup of coffee. When I first decided to tackle my weight problem last fall, I was drinking a morning cup of hot chocolate from the convenience store on my way to the dog park. The first dietary change I made was swapping this for a cup of coffee with almond milk. I knew eliminating the chemicals and sugars in the hot chocolate mix would be beneficial. It did not occur to me to ask myself how the PH factored in. I wondered if I would do better with green tea, instead.

Your typical cup of coffee has a PH between 5 – 6. Darker roasted blends are at the top of the scale. You can also reduce the acidity of coffee by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for more than 12 hours. Use this concentrate to make your coffee. Caffeinated teas also run between 5 – 6, with green tea at the high end of the spectrum. So tea and coffee are comparable, and are not a problem if limited to a morning cuppa.

In contrast, soda pop varies between a PH of 2 – 3, except root bear, which is 4. These drinks are loaded with chemicals and calories along with the acid. My personal choice is to never drink them.

For the rest of the day, I drink water. Even better is water with lemon. This is a widely accepted practice for alkalizing your body. I have a friend who is doing a great job of outliving her life expectancy while fighting stage 4 cancer. One of her habits is to start her day by squeezing a lemon into her morning glass of water. Today I pulled out my grandmother’s old pitcher. I added the juice from one lemon to a quart of water. I plan to add this to my daily routine from here on out.

Another healthful beverage option is 1TSP – 1 TBSP raw apple cider vinegar, with or without raw honey, in a glass of water. This tonic is reputed to have many health benefits. Bragg’s has been promoting it for decades. Now they have bottled the tonic and you can buy it at your natural food store for many times the cost of making it yourself at home.

It has occurred to me that eating popcorn is not the best option for a snack, even if it is on the approved list. I do love the smell of popping popcorn, and I really enjoy the crunch. If I need a snack tonight, I’m going to try celery instead.

Papaya Yum

Carol’s Kale Blueberry Variation

Aztec Diet, Diet

Aztec Diet Day 8: Glorious Greens

February 26, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: down 1 pound Net Loss: 4 pounds

Breakfast: 1 cup grapes; Lunch: Dr. Bob’s Kale Blueberry Smoothie; Snack: 1 ruby Red Grapefruit; Dinner: Kale Apple Carrot Smoothie w/ ginger instead of lemon; Snack: air-popped popcorn

Today I mostly cleaned house. Not an exciting topic for a blog, so instead we’ll talk about how your diet can help you clean house. Cleaning the toxins out of your bloodstream enables it to pull more toxins out of your stores of fat. This is critical. The body uses fat stores to protect the body from toxins it has ingested but is too overloaded to process. Clean your blood, and the body is able to start processing those toxins. Once the fat stores have let go of the toxins, they no longer serve their purpose of protecting the body and can be dissolved.

Most of the smoothie recipes in The Aztec Diet include some form of greens. This is a critically important part of the diet. Green means clean. Be sure you are including greens in your smoothies at least twice a day. The greener your green, the better. This is why kale is number 1 on Dr. Bob’s list. Further down the list is spinach, and below that is leaf lettuce. Romaine is comparable to leaf lettuce, but has more protein and beta-carotene and less fat than leaf lettuce. It may be that Dr. Bob prefers leaf lettuce because it blends more easily than romaine.

I like to add a tablespoon of green powder to my morning smoothie. Green powders come from any of a number of plants and algae that have a high concentration of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is very similar to hemoglobin in make up. The main difference is that it has magnesium instead of iron at its core. Chlorophyll is a wonderful blood builder and detoxifier.

Chlorophyll is alkaline and combats acidosis. It is also a deodorant, which is why restaurants used to garnish plates of food with parsley. You were supposed to chew on it to freshen your breath. Ironically, the sprig of parsley that has been so ignored is likely, gram for gram, the most nutritious thing on any given dinner plate. The greener something is, the more chlorophyll it has. Your green powder should turn whatever you put it in a deep dark green.

You can buy green powders in jars for about $20 and up for a one month supply. I make my own and pay much less. Many of the commercial green powders have lots of extras in them. However, you may not be getting therapeutic amounts of all the ingredients, especially the expensive ones.

I buy the following from the bulk herb section of my favorite health food store, Clifton Natural Foods here in Cincinnati: 4 oz. spirulina, 2 oz chlorella, 2 oz. wheat grass powder, 2 oz. barley grass powder. I toss them all in a big jar, screw the lid on tight and roll it around until it’s well mixed. Any one of these powders is a wonderful supplement in its own right. I like to use a blend. While each is a good detoxifier, they all have different properties.

Spirulina has many benefits. It has a highly concentrated complete protein. It works to balance blood sugar and increases brain function

Chlorella Japanese research found that chlorella could be beneficial in fighting obesity, diabetes and heart disease by reducing body fat percentages and blood glucose levels. Researchers also claim that chlorella is effective in boosting energy, improving digestion and fighting depression (The FDA does not support these findings). Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/243612-benefits-uses-for-chlorella-powder/#ixzz2LxakA1hv

Wheatgrass increases energy and stimulates the thyroid gland.

Barley grass promotes the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines. It also is full of iron.

Spirulina and chlorella are algae. They naturally clump on top of water. Whenever you add these to a smoothie, wait until you have a nice whirlpool in the center of your blender, then open the lid and pour your green powder into the center of the whirlpool. This prevents your green powder from sticking to the side of your blender.

Other good blood cleansers are lemon and cayenne. Including these in your diet will accelerate your losses. I put cayenne into empty capsules and take them with meals. Go slow with the cayenne, it can cause stomach upset. Lemon can be added to smoothies or drinking water.

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 6: Delicately Put

February 24, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: up 1 pound. Net loss: 6 pounds Waist: lost 1″ Total loss: 2.5″

Breakfast: Dr. Bob’s Kale Blueberry Smoothie* Lunch: Chocolate Covered Cherry with avocado Snack: 1 cup cottage cheese Dinner: Carmen Miranda Snack: air-popped popcorn

Up a pound? But down an inch? How does this happen?

I didn’t cheat! I swear! But I have not been drinking enough water between smoothies. And that creates a problem. I’m . . . er . . . well, jammed up. Not a polite subject for public conversation, but for those of you who are doing this diet, it must be discussed.

All that chia needs lots of water to absorb and move it along. So yesterday’s wastes are now lurking like a beached barge in my belly. Along with those from the day before. This could be resolved by a quick trip to the drug store. Or, I could use Stanley Burrough’s solution from The Master Cleanser.

I don’t like to post other people’s stuff, since they worked hard to develop it and you should buy their books. Which is why I’m only posting my own recipes, and not Dr. Bob’s go-to Kale Blueberry Smoothie* that everyone keeps Googling. However, in the interest of public health, I’ll make this exception.

For constipation during a cleanse, Burroughs recommends an internal salt water bath that washes your entire digestive tract. This is very non-invasive, unlike enemas and colonics. When you first get up (I recommend setting your alarm clock one hour before your usual wake up time for this) add two level teaspoons of non-iodized sea salt to 1 quart lukewarm water and drink it all down at once. Do this on an empty stomach. Hang around; it will wash right through you. In an hour or so, you should see relief. If you don’t, you may need to adjust the salt:water ratio slightly. If you have any herbal laxative tea, drinking some the night before will help.

And if nothing happens today, I’m going to do this. First thing. Tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I went back to The Aztec Diet and re-read the first 6 chapters. It doesn’t mention hydration at all during Phase I. I checked the index. only one listing for water. It refers to drinking a glass of water before and after meals during Phase II. I’m thinking this would be a good habit to adopt during Phase I.

My social life has been suffering since I started this. Whenever I get together with my friends, it’s always around food. This week I turned down a Wednesday dinner invite with Anna and Pat. Angie didn’t bother to call about our usual Thursday lunch get-together because she knew about my diet. This evening, I am trying something different. Anna reserved Looper at Redbox and I will be bringing my own smoothie ingredients, along with some air-popped popcorn. Thank God she is not making Chinese ribs tonight. I am only strong, not impervious.

Carmen Miranda
1/4 Cup cashews (raw, if you can find them)
1 banana
1/2 Cup frozen tropical smoothie blend (pineapple, mango, strawberry)
1 large handful of spinach
2 TBSP ground chia seed

*Here is an url to Dr. Bob demonstrating his go-to Blueberry/Kale Smoothie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjwSVS4sOf8

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet Day 4: Avocados!

February 22, 2013 carolannnewsome Leave a comment

Stats: 1 pound lost since yesterday. Total: 6 pounds since Monday morning. Total inches off my waist 1-1/2.

Breakfast: avocado/banana/blueberry/romaine Lunch: 1 cup cottage cheese Snack: Popcorn Dinner: Papaya Yum with young coconut meat and water instead of nuts Snack: none

My normal meal schedule is breakfast at 10, lunch at 2, and dinner somewhere between 6 and 8. This schedule doesn’t seem to be working on the Aztec Diet. Today I found myself ravenous at 2 and needing to get to work. I had a cup of cottage cheese instead of a smoothie for lunch. I topped this off with a cup of decaf with two tablespoons of almond milk. I obviously don’t have the hang of sipping extra water to keep full. Tomorrow I’m going to try having 1/2 my breakfast smoothie before the dog park. That worked well on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, I did have a good day writing. The newly bereaved did not act as I had planned. Good thing Peter took Brent along with him. I noticed my concentration improving. I met my writing goal more easily than usual. So maybe this omega 3 brain connection has merit.

Dr. Bob doesn’t say much about avocados. A 200 calorie avocado has a measly 3 grams net carbs with 9 grams of fiber. The fat is heart healthy. It has an almost perfectly balanced PH and an ANDI score 0f 37. Not a blockbuster, but 5 points higher than yogurt. Diane Onstad calls avocado “one of the world’s most perfect foods.” Diane’s The Whole Foods Companion is one of my favorite books. I consider it essential for anyone interested in healthy eating.

One avocado blended with one banana makes a lovely, creamy base for a smoothie. I’ve used this for years, with endless variations.

The single, biggest drawback of the avocado is that so many people lack confidence in choosing a good avocado and peeling it.

Avocados never ripen until they are off the tree. The very best way to get a perfectly ripe avocado is to buy them when they are a brilliant green, then ripen them yourself. Leave them out on the kitchen counter. It will take a few days. Check them a couple times a day. You’re looking for a brownish, blackish skin with green undertones. Feel them. If they give under gentle pressure, they’re probably good. If it still has its stem, press down on it. If it gives easily, it’s ripe. The last check is to pop the stem off. If the spot under the stem is a lovely green, you’re there. You can only pop off the stem once, though. After it’s off, the spot quickly turns brown and that test is useless.

Once they are ripe, put them in the fridge. They’ll keep for a week. So having a steady supply of avocados involves a certain commitment to timing. You’ve got a window of a day or maybe two to get them into the fridge once they’re ready.

To peel an avocado, hold it in one hand. Lay the blade of the knife along the vertical axis and cut in until you hit the pit. Rotate the avocado against the blade until you have cut all the way around it. Twist the halves to separate them. Now hold the half with the pit, take your knife and press the blade into the pit. Turn the knife gently and the pit will pop loose. Avoid cutting yourself. If you use a ceramic knife like I do, do not stick the tip of the knife into the pit and torque it or you will snap the tip off. Ask me how I know.

At this point, many people just take a large spoon and scoop the flesh out. I cut the avocado halves into slices while still in the skin, then peel the skin off with my fingers. If it is at correct ripeness, the skin will be flexible and leathery and will come right off.

I always eat a whole avocado. I’ve never found a good way to keep an avocado half without it browning and turning yucky. If you know of something that really works, please post it in the comments!

Aztec Diet, Diet, Food

Aztec Diet, Day 3: I’m Borscht

February 21, 2013 carolannnewsome 1 Comment

Stats: This morning I weighed in with a 1 pound loss. Total loss: 5 pounds. Another 1/2″ off my waist. My BMI is down .7 since Sunday!
Breakfast: Avocado/Banana/blueberry/Spinach Lunch: Borscht Snack: 9 Triscuits Dinner: Papaya-Raspberry Yum Snack: 3 cups air-popped popcorn

I am a sometimes lab rat for North Cliff Consultants. I had an appointment with them after the dog park, so I had half my breakfast smoothie before the dog park and saved the rest for when I got back. This seems a much better plan than waiting until 11 am to eat.

What kind of appointment, you ask? Sorry, confidentiality rules. If I told you, well, you know the drill.

While I was waiting, I opened today’s paper to the food section. No, I didn’t want to torment myself. I was looking for the crossword puzzle. Really. It’s not my fault they tuck it in with the recipes on Wednesdays. On the front page in living color was a life-sized photo of a stack of 13 pancakes, dripping with syrup, topped with whipped butter. The lead article featured “wholesome” pancakes. There I sat, ambushed by an image of softly textured cakes, soaked with melted butter, oozing with sweetness, flavor bursting in my mouth . . . you get the picture. I turned the page.

The Aztec Diet is essentially a low-carb diet with some lovely bells and whistles thrown in. Dr. Bob talks extensively about “carb-bombs.” If you are interested in the Aztec Diet, you’ll find knowledge about cutting carbs helpful. Phase I includes a high percentage of raw foods, one of the things that attracted me to the diet. My biggest quibble is that Dr. Bob errs on the side of many people who are new to raw food by overdoing fruit.

All of the smoothie recipes except one feature fruit and a sweet taste. His only savory smoothie is the Gazpacho Gratitude. Even that has cantaloupe in it. For true satiation, you need savory and sour tastes as well as sweet. Thus my search for vegetable smoothies. Does that sound yucky? Call them “cold-soups-you-make-in-a-blender-and-drink-from-a-cup” if you like.

I love gazpacho, but tomatoes don’t like me. They cause excruciating joint pain when I eat them, so I don’t. Otherwise I would live on gazpacho and we would be very happy together. It’s a little known fact that nightshade vegetables (these include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, chiles and eggplant) exacerbate symptoms of arthritis in some people. If you have joint pain, try cutting these out and see if you feel better.

I’ve got some beets my landlord dug up from the garden, so today I decided to make borscht. Raw borscht. Never having made borscht or even tasted borscht, I was not sure how to go about it. I asked Rudy (my landlord). Being Hungarian, he is an expert. He said beets and sour cream are essential. Everything else is up for grabs. I checked a couple recipes online. The ones I saw emphasized cabbage, carrots and vinegar.

I don’t have any cabbage on hand. I do have kale, a relative which is high on Dr. Bob’s list. Then I remembered some dusty jars in the top of my cabinet (Okay, they aren’t really dusty. That’s poetic license). A few years ago (3? 4?), I put up a batch of raw sauerkraut and forgot about it. Last fall I started eating it. A good raw sauerkraut ages like fine wine. It is sweet and sour and tender and delicious. It bears no resemblance to the slimy stuff they put on hot dogs. My version of raw sauerkraut has cabbage, carrots, celery, garlic and ginger in it, along with other things I’ve forgotten but hope I’ve recorded somewhere in this computer. And it comes with it’s own vinegar. So this is what I made for lunch:

I’m Borscht

Toss in the blender. Adjust to your personal taste. The result is chewy. This is fine, as long as you moderate your expectations. This is lunch, not desert.

*These are thin skinned and not waxed. I get them around the corner at Francis International Market. You can find the at many Asian markets.

Meanwhile, I’ve got to get back to my Work-In-Progress. On Friday I left poor Detective Dourson contemplating the joys of asking the next-of-kin for dental records. I mean, How do you tell someone that not only do you believe their missing loved one is dead, but that the remains are unrecognizable? Not an enviable task, and he’s been stewing on it for five days while I’ve been so obsessed with the Aztec Diet. I know the poor man just wants to get it over with. Then there’s that rash of Drano bombs at the local high school. The man needs me.

Papaya-Rasperry Yum

1/4 of a football sized papaya, seeded and peeled
1/2 6 ounce container of raspberries
1 handful cashews (raw, if you can get them)
1 handful walnuts
1 handful spinach
12 ounces water
2 TBSP ground chia seeds

dump it all in the blender and hit that button!

Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries by C.A. Newsome

Tag Archives: smoothies

Aztec Diet Day 15: Depths of Depravity

Aztec Diet Day 14: After the Fall

Aztec Diet Day 13: Do I or Don’t I?

Aztec Diet Day 12: Chew your Juice, Drink your Food

Aztec Diet Day 11: Cheating

Aztec Diet: Coffee, Tea or ?

Aztec Diet Day 8: Glorious Greens

Aztec Diet Day 6: Delicately Put

Aztec Diet Day 4: Avocados!

Aztec Diet, Day 3: I’m Borscht

Murder. Romance. Dog Slobber.

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Murder. Romance. Dog Slobber.