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Tales of a Sugar Detox Gone Right

9/22/2013

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I’ve been a bit [coughINSANELY] busy and boggled down for the past week-ish while simultaneously experiencing the JOY of a bodily yeast attack. Yay! So I finally broke down last night and decided that I hadn’t been serious enough about fighting this thing off. The great news: it’s not like I was ignoring it completely. The bad news: I wasn’t changing my habits quite enough, and according to what I’ve read, yeast LOVES when you just pretend to eat differently.

So today was Day 1 of actually eating differently. I haven’t had alcohol in a week (woot!), but I was still drinking coffee, eating fruit, sneaking in the occasional bites of raw cookies at work (I mean, raw coconut palm sugar is BETTER, right?), aaaaand drinking juice. Okay, fine, I wasn’t really trying hard at all.

I really wanted to do a green juice cleanse. We sell juice cleanses at work, but they’re pretty fruit dense, which is great normally, but not for me right now. The green juice is just perfect. Luckily today I was able to snag two that had expired. Shhh. But the cleanse itself is just a bit out of my budget’s reach at the time being, even with a great employee discount. So I read all about the Candida Diet and what to eat, and decided that if it was going to work for me, it was going to have to be super simple. Almost as simple as a green juice cleanse would be.

This list is so not simple to me.

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Sooooo, I broke it down into terms I could understand that wouldn’t send my brain frying: if it’s green or sugar/starch-free, I can eat it.

Now, I’ll admit that it’s going to seem like I’ve just made my life more difficult, because in essence I’ve cut down the “can eat” list into virtually a third its size. Sobeit, my brain is free to think about other things.

I had also heard before about a brown rice cleanse. Before I continue, though, I want to make something extremely clear. I AM NOT A FAN OF CLEANSING. I’m not one of those folks that tries a new cleanse every month. I hate restriction. I think the word “diet” is ridiculous. And, frankly, I’ve learned that when I’m staying physically active, I naturally crave more of what’s good for me. But cleanse-schmeanse attitude aside, this is a time in my life when I’ve hunkered down to decide it may actually be the only thing to cure my ailment.

Back to brown rice. Word on the street is that it’s hella good for you. So I did a little reading to make sure it wouldn’t act like Chocolate Chip Cookies to my little yeast buddies, and sure enough its extremely probiotic in defending the body from overactive yeast. Sweet. I’m in!

Hence, my cleanse consists of anything green, brown rice, kimchee, and sauerkraut. Just wanted to throw in that extra probiotic there with the pickled stuffs, and the list tells me it’s okay.

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Which leads me to why I’m telling you all of this. Today concludes Day 1 of The Cleanse. I woke up prepared, having made brown rice last night (a little extra sticky so it would still be good cold at work) and a couple of salads. My breakfast would be romaine, cucumber, avocado, and some lemon juice. I’ve read mixed reviews on eating lemons to fight yeast, so I’ve opted to keep it minimal. Same with almonds, btw. I know, I know… my “cleanse” is pretty self-defined. But I’m totally okay with that.

I got to work this morning with my two salads, some ginger, and two boxes of herbal tea. I knew I was gonna have to be ready for this! I immediately started my morning tasks, which usually includes brewing the coffee for my staff, but the poor things had to make their own today. I wasn’t going anywhere near that pot. Instead, I made myself Hot Cinnamon tea (made of real cinnamon, which is supposed to be supremely antifungal), and proceded to do my job. I have to admit, I was pretty cranky off and on all day, and I got pretty bummed around 10 am, when my head just started pounding. But I knew that I had to resist the urge to give in, and I allowed myself to bear with that headache. All. Freaking. Day.

Around 2pm, I started feeling especially foggy. I reminded myself to drink tons of water, which helped, and just breathed through the discomfort. I almost left work early, but I knew that I wanted to end this cleanse feeling like I woman-handled it, not like I had been dragged behind. So I stayed at work another hour and a half and focused on concluding some simple tasks. It felt so awesome to make that choice! Terrible headache still pervading!

Finally, I went home and took a nap. I never nap, but today I just had to. And I zonked out so hard! It helped that I ate a huge bowl of kale and brown rice when I got home. Then I woke up immediately aware that I had a running date with my friend Tammy, who “needed” to run an “easy” 5 miles today. Again, I was determined.

Those were some slowwww 5 miles! She said she was hurting, too, so I didn’t feel too bad. At first, though, every step reminded me that my head was in serious pain, like having a migraine but being forced to stare at a bright light. Except, I was choosing to do this, and I knew I would eventually get over the hump. And I did… the run was exceptionally difficult, but more on my brain than anything. My body felt amazing.

I came home and ate another huge salad. Romaine, cucumber, and avocado never tasted so good. A little olive oil (allowed!) and some ginger (encouraged!) and voila. Yum. A handful of sliced raw almonds for dessert.

Then I sat down to get my daily dose of blogs, and suddenly I realized that my headache is gone. I did it! I feel really awesome. Tomorrow I’m gonna champ through it again, and I’m pretty sure it won’t stop there. Yeast-be-gone, BRING IT!

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I Did It!
It’s Day 3, and the “cleanse” is essentially over. I have plans to cook a plant-heavy vegan dinner with friends tonight, and I couldn’t be more excited. The past two days have been wonderful. I’m actually very surprised at how easy a food cleanse can be. I emphasize the “food” part, because I realize that full-on juice or suppliment based detoxes are an entirely different story.

But all in all, Day 1 was the hardest to get through. Truth be told, I think the caffeine headache is primarily to blame for that. The second day felt like any other day, and my body felt amazing. I was super sore from my 5-mile run (my butt cheeks can’t decide if they’re angry with me or thrilled...true story), and then today I hiked up Crowders Mountain with some friends, complete with mid-hike yoga stops and cleanse foods consumed en mass at the peak.

What a great way to end things! I feel like that extra 62 hours of eating a sugar-free diet was exactly what my body needed to kill of the tail end of my infection. And HALLELUJAH.

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If you’re considering doing a similar detox, here are the handful of things I ate and drank to keep me sane. And by “handful,” I mean I was CONSTANTLY drinking something and ate a minimum of 4 meals per day. 

Beverages
Water, water, and more water!
Hot water with:
- Lemon and Cayenne (Every morning!) 
- Lemon and Ginger
- Cucumber, Ginger, and Basil
All sorts of herbal teas! Peppermint, ginger, cinnamon...
Green Juice! Make them at home, or buy them at Luna’s! 

Brown Rice with...
- A dabble of coconut oil, tons of black pepper, and avocado mashed in.
- Sliced avocado and Kimchee (Trader Joe’s Vegan Kimchee is the best!)
- Coconut oil and Cinnamon
- Steamed Kale and Sliced Garlic
- Sauteed Spinach with Sliced Garlic
(I use Trader Joe’s Organic frozen brown rice...it makes things SO much easier!)

Romaine with...
- Kimchee and Avocado, plus a drizzle of EVOO and tons of black pepper
- Avocado, sliced cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, black pepper

Dressing (on spinach and romaine...yum!)
½ Avocado
1” Ginger
¼ Cup Olive Oil
¼ Cup Water
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- Process all together using an immersion blender or food processor. Enjoy!



This is just the simplest cleanse in my opinion. The next time I do it, I'll get even more creative. I'm thinking massive amounts of fresh herbs chopped up and tossed in with brown rice pasta, zucchini noodles and avocado. Oh man...this cleanse may have made a believer out of me! 


In love and taste,
Hannah
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No Place for Fear in my Kitchen.

9/10/2013

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If there is one thing that my love for cooking has taught me, it’s that fear has no place in my kitchen.
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I’m gonna get a little real here for a second folks. Well, don’t let that lead you to believe I’m not always “real,” but you get the idea.

Okay, so quick thoughts on fear… Fear is this debilitating emotion that often disguises itself within us to keep us from doing the hard things. It’s fascinating and incredible, in my opinion. It takes the shape of our highest sense of reasoning, it justifies our most terrified parts, and it acts to protect us from something in our past that once hurt us. Can you really blame it? At one point in time, something hurt us, deeply, and as we move forward in our lives, fear surfaces to protect us from ever ever ever getting hurt again.

But the funny thing is that sometimes that same fear acts to protect us from things that really didn’t hurt too bad. When you think about all of things we (ourselves and our fearful selves) work to protect ourselves from, it’s things that range from physical pain (reasonable), emotional distress (that’s the worst!), and rejection (definitely sucks). But in the end, when you look back at those times, it’s fairly safe to say that - well - you survived!!

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I was thinking about this because I’ve got a few areas of creative fear creeping up that are trying to keep me from acting. They say, “don’t take pictures of your food, that’s stupid!” Or, they tell me I’m a terrible writer, and that no one enjoys what I have to say.

What also comes to mind is an area that I’ve never felt much fear around. That would be in the kitchen.

I want to make it very clear that this isn’t because I’m that amazing of a cook. Like any chef will tell you, all great recipes started with many trials and many errors. It certainly doesn’t hurt that I’ve received so much positive feedback in my kitchen. But! I also love to draw, and people like my drawings, but I gain no enjoyment or satisfaction from the act of drawing.

So what is it for me that keeps me continuing to try in the kitchen?

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I think the answer is pretty simple: the loss has never been big enough to make me feel as though my life is threatened. And when things go well, my tastebuds get rewarded!

If we think about our art in light of how much it affects our survival, everything suddenly comes into perspective. I truly, honestly, literally have nothing to lose if the cookies I just baked turn out terrible. I can just make them again!

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So, in celebration of the trying, of giving ourselves permission to fuck up, and of letting go of the fear for the sake of the fact that we have survived, I want to share a recipe with you that I feel I stepped out on a limb for. It may sound silly, but I’ve wanted to make a Gazpacho for years, but was certain it would be the most difficult to flavor well.

In light of that fear, I came up with a combo all my own. When I do that, it's because I know that next time I'll need to follow a recipe. I knew tomatoes and balsamic went well together (duh...caprese!), but the orange juice I wasn't so sure about. Fortunately my instincts were correct, and it was delicious.

I hope you’ll enjoy this as much as I have!

Love,
Hannah

Fearless Orange-Balsamic Gazpacho
24 oz. Tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 small Yellow Squash or Zucchini, diced
1 Orange Bell Pepper, seeded and diced
1 Cup Parsley, finely chopped
1 large Cucumber, seeded and diced
1 small Red Onion, minced
6 cloves Garlic, minced
Juice from 2 Oranges, strained
1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper, to taste!

Combine all ingredients, chill, and enjoy!
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Interview with an Artisan: SUNSHINE SAMMIES' Susie Pearson

9/8/2013

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In keeping with the spirit of community, I’m so excited to take this opportunity to introduce to you a new segment of my blog, Artisan Interviews! As my tagline, “Beautiful Food. Beautiful People,” suggests, The LL is meant to be an equal expression of both the delicious foods I create and enjoy, and the people with whom I share this pleasure.
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Yet I’ve been doing a lot of cooking lately, and haven’t shared so much about the people I’ve been doing it with. Blast! I’ll blame the minutes that are so few and far between, because lord knows that at any given moment I have about 18 food ideas I want to share. Luna’s also puts me face-to-face with hundreds of people every day, and my list of people to share with you grows exponentially.

With that in mind, then, I’ve asked myself, how on earth will I choose whom I introduce to my world??

I settled on letting my gratitude be the decision-maker.

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For this reason, my interviews may not always be with artisans who are exclusively vegan, or whose art is exclusively vegan. Instead, I will focus on connecting our worlds, with emphasized gratitude for these individuals who accommodate the vegan, even if sometimes I wish there were more. I believe that expressing this gratitude loudly is the only way that the options will expand, and that eventually it will become a no-brainer for all new food establishments to provide more options on their menu.

So without further ado, I am SO excited to introduce you to a new friend, Susie Pearson of Sunshine Sammies. I’ll call her my first “victim,” because this sweet lady has had me (truthfully, a stranger) hunt her down and force her to answer all sorts of annoying questions. But my curiosity couldn’t be stopped!

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And how can you blame me?! She sells homemade ice-cream sandwiches out of a solar-powered cart!! She’s seriously the cutest thing since who-knows-what…and her ice-cream sandwiches are out of this world.

Susie, thank you for sharing your love with me, and for making an awesome vegan ice-cream sandwich! From what my mom and sister say, your “traditional” sandwiches are amaaaaazinnnnng, too. They said it with a little less finesse, though, since they were too busy stuffing their mouths with caramel, chocolate, and cream.

Again: can anyone blame them?


Read the full interview with Susie and learn all about Sunshine Sammies here!

Feeling the love,
Hannah
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Outside the Vegan Comfort Zone

9/2/2013

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You may or may not have noticed that all of the recipes in The Lavender Lunchbox are vegan. However, I’ve made a point to not specify this as a “vegan blog,” because frankly, it’s not just about that.

While I would like The LL to be all about keeping vegan classy, it’s most certainly also about the people who are doing so.

Being the only vegan at a potluck couldn't stand between the fact that we all needed help sheltering one another from the storm.
I have mad respect for all folks who adhere to a stringently particular way of living, whether it’s a diet, a workout regimen, a strict journaling schedule… you name it, because I understand that life can be challenging enough without rules and regulations.

For this reason, my aim is to inspire a sense of ease and humanness into anyone who wants to dabble into the vegan lifestyle. From the day I chose “vegan” as a personal descriptor, I promised myself I would never allow it keep me from doing the things - going out to eat, for example - that I so much love to do. Yet this is coming from someone who has been cooking vegan since long before I cut out the meat and dairy. 

Hence, I understand that being vegan can be difficult for reasons far more than just knowing what to order on a menu.

Being vegan is also about community, for me. I’ve felt strongly for years now that we are only as impactful as we are willing to step outside of our comfort zone. That being said, another promise I made myself was never to decline an invitation to a dinner party or cookout just because the food options may be limited. Rather, I will bring something delightful that I will enjoy, and make certain others can enjoy it, too. This way, my community - the people I can get to know, learn from, and love - grows exponentially with each conversation I have, whether it’s with a fellow vegan or someone who runs from the word like the plague. 

This is also because I believe that being an animal-rights advocate is only as impactful as one is a human-life advocate. I’m not talking about abortion issues here, folks. I’m talking about living. Living, in my eyes, entails seeking enrichment in every way possible, outside of your comfort zone, through getting to know people that you may not initially think think shares a common ground with you. It is about surrounding oneself with beauty and soul, and savoring the joy of even the simplest things. It’s also about stopping to smell the ugliest flowers, getting your hands dirty, and listening to the loud guy in the corner with deep intention.

This is Life. 

My hope is that these words and my recipes inspire you, one day at a time, to live fully, to embrace each bite of life with an open mind, and to share the love only you have to offer even when it makes you slightly uncomfortable. 

Thank you becoming my community.

Hannah Joy L.
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