Category: Skinny Dish

Detox Day 5: Alkaline and Feelin’ Fine

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Tahini Dressing for Veggies, in SKINNY DISH!

Woohoo to Day 5! You are just a few days away from multigrain tortillas! That is going to be one fantastic burrito 🙂

You may or may not have caught the acid/alkaline breeze in the Detox wind convo. Well, here’s the deal: Our blood and tissues love to be at a pH (measure of acidity/alkalinity) of about 7.35-7.45, which is slightly basic/alkaline. This is where your immune system is an immediate bad-guy destroyer and your overall health is sky high. As you loved learning in high school chemistry, the pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with 0 to 6.9 being acidic, 7 being neutral, and 7.1 to 14 being basic (alkaline).

Contrary to what you may think, foods that are more acidic do not make your blood and tissues more acidic. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Oranges, tomatoes = acidic. But shocker, they make your blood and tissues more alkaline. As you could have guessed, pretty much all veggies, fruits, dark leafies, unprocessed grains, and other healthy foods help to make your blood and tissues more alkaline, while meats, dairy, eggs, sugary goods, highly processed foods, coffee and alcohol make your blood and tissues more acidic. One reason loading up on healthy fluids, fruits, and veggies, and avoiding all the other foods is so good at helping you detox, is because you’re working the alkalinity. For more on pH, check here and here and here.

Now for some extra credit: Want to check your very own pH? Using your SECOND urine of the day, pee on one of these test strips (or ones similar). Is the Detox working? Hurrrahh!

You never thought this would be so much fun! Keep truckin’ and Happy Weekend! XOXO

Detox Day 4: Calories

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Broccoli Leek Soup, SKINNY DISH!

No doubt you’re feeling pretty jazzed that it’s Day 4. Afterall, you’re a Detoxing star! You’ve got your little ziplocks, you’re all smiles, and hopefully the days have gotten easier, the cravings for unhealthy foods are dissolving, and you’re feeling lighter and freer (but restraining from bra-burning…). Someone said the other day that this Detox is downright easy. Not just “not bad,” but simple! Well that’s exactly what I was hoping for. While challenging at times, it is completely doable and perhaps even enjoyable.

Alright, so what’s the deal with calories on this plan? Are you feeling lighter and freer because of the magic plant foods that raise your metabolism, the lower calories, or just because I keep saying that you’re feeling lighter and freer…. yoooou’rrree getttting skiiinnnnyyyy…? A little bit of all that!

Each Detox day has about 1500 calories at a minimum, 60-80 grams of protein, and around 50 grams of fiber. Adding extra servings of nuts, seeds, avocado, fruit, etc. increases all those numbers. This is not a starvation diet, juice fast, or air diet. It’s plentiful, nourishing, and reboots your body. It can be short-term or long-term. Either way, it should include supplemental vitamin B12 and vitamin D (the amounts in a common multivitamin are perfect). Both vitamins are needed because you’re not eating many–if any–foods that are fortified with these little dudes. Vitamin B12 is actually a bacteria found in animal-derived foods and dirt. I imagine you’re washing the dirt (and B12) off your produce (a wise move). Vitamin D is made in the body after sun exposure, and many latitudes aren’t getting adequate sun this time of the year. Foods that ARE typically fortified with B12 & D are non-dairy milks, cereals, and fake meats. So, not a bad idea to supplement when you’re relying heavily on raw foods.

As an example, Today’s Plan including a 2-cup serving of Purple Nurple, a 2-cup serving of Curried Lentil Stew, and all the other recommended serving sizes has 1459 calories, 61 grams of protein, and 49 grams of fiber. The average American gets about 12 grams of fiber a day. You may or may not have been the average American prior to this Detox. Regardless, you are moving some serious crud out of your system. Cheers to crud movement!!

So, March On!, and clean, cleanse, and recharge your core some more. Just a few days left!

Detox Day 3: Fluids and Raw Foods IN, 10 Times More Pee OUT

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Gavins Point Dam Release, Photo by: Omaha USACE

Pee Angels!

I’ve seen you in my crystal ball, and you are doing some SERIOUS peeing! Do you love it or hate it? Well, it’s good. REALLY good. Here’s why: You’ve been dehydrated. When that happens, your body holds back water like a Dam. It thinks you’re in a drought situation, so it clings onto as many ounces as it can as a means of survival. This translates into a slower metabolism (body panic mode), inefficient kidneys, bloating, water retention, and a really bad holistic poker hand.

SO, by scarfing down tons of raw foods rich in H2O and drinking herbal tea and water all day long, every cell of your body celebrates. The Dam is lifted and away goes the bloating, body sadness, and the toxins that are purging themselves from your person while you detox. Guess I shoulda put toilet paper on the Detox shopping list!? You’ll also note that your pee is very light in color. Another reeeally good sign. You’re hanging on to the good nutrients and flushing your system of the bad. Hurray!

For more hydration excitement, check out one of my most popular posts from 2011: The Water Solution: Younger Skin, More Energy, and Less Flab.

Now for Day 3: If you’re following the Detox meal plans exactly, know that this morning’s Shamrock Smoothie is one of my absolute favorites. It’s green, it’s better than great, and you can freeze leftovers in popsicle molds or rinsed-out yogurt containers with popsicle sticks or chopsticks (strategically placed in the middle) for scrumptious frozen treats later on. Who said no dessert on the Detox? 🙂

You’re almost halfway there–Keep up the fabulous treatment you’re giving your precious body, and keep sharing your experiences! XOXO

Detox Day 2: Why Detox, and Why is Raw So Great Anyway?

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Photo by: The Sean + Lauren Spectacular

Standing Ovation for the Day 1 Survivors! Now it’s easy PEASy from here, starting with Day 2. So… tell me your Highs and Lows of Day 1 and I’ll tell you mine. Ok, I’ll just tell you mine. (But you can still tell me yours…)

Highs: 1) Surviving a coffee-free AM, and actually kind of liking it. 2) Never feeling low on energy, hungry, or like a space cadet as I always expect is going to happen when I detox. Quite the contrary this time around–I multitasked like I had taken that drug in Limitless in the AM, staying calm and thoughtful all the while, and I actually got my son to preschool on time for the first time in forever. 3) Spending more quality time with my kids as I sipped my 20 cups of herbal tea. That urge to cram a chore into every second of my day had miraculously lifted, and yet I was still highly productive. This Detox is like magic! 4) Seeing snow for the first time this season. Pretty sure the Detox was responsible.

Lows: 1) Not being able to finish/ tossing out my kids’ breakfasts (DELICIOUS gluten-heavy pumpkin shortcakes I made last week). 2) A mild headache that hit around dinner time, but annoying enough that loud noise made me cover my ears. 3) Skipping dessert–I love me a little dark chocolate after dinner. And while I know a little won’t hinder the detox, I kind of like going a week without, just to prove to myself that it’s not an addiction 🙂

Which brings me to an important question that goes something like this: Wait a sec, why ARE we detoxing? I don’t know about you, but I eat preeettty stinkin’ well. WELL, I’ve just posted all about it on the Cooking with Trader Joe’s blog. My favorite reason is that it helps you say sayonara to unhealthy food cravings. Who’s not ready to be able to drive BY rather than drive thru a Popeye’s?

And then there’s this other question that’s such a curious thing. Why so much raw stuff? How come foods have to be mostly raw on a detox? The answer is simple: more digestive enzymes, more water-soluble vitamins (C, and B’s mostly), easier digestibility to encourage the detox process, and a faster resting metabolism (thus encouraging the disappearance of love handles). Cooked foods actually have advantages too, which is why a combo of both over the long-term is ideal. Read all about it in a previous post here.

Keep sharing questions, breakthroughs, feedback, etc., and keep feeling joy in the healthy being you’re restoring! Happy Day 2! XOXO

7-Day Detox Complete Shopping List & Days 1-4 Menus Posted

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Photo by: Christaface

Monday is right around the corner! Check out all the Detox info here, along with the full shopping list here. And check out menus for Days 1-4 in the menu bar above.

Is your tea kettle dusted off and has your blender been cleaned? Did you find all the parts to your juicer (if using)?

Are you phasing out coffee, bread, meat, and dairy?

You’re ready! The remaining menus for Days 5-7 (which also appear in SKINNY DISH!), will be posted on Sunday, and each day during the Detox I’ll be posting videos and fun detox info.

Enjoy your last day of prep! Questions or comments welcome now and anytime during the detox. Let’s get our veggie on!

SKINNY DISH! 7-Day Detox Starts Monday, January 9th!

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Friends! Friends who ate too many Kwanzaa cookies! I’m leading a 7-Day Detox starting this coming MONDAY, January 9th based on the one in SKINNY DISH!. Check out my dedicated SKINNY DISH! 7-Day Detox Page and read all about it. Prep and shop over the next few days and then juice with us, blend with us, and chow down on some seriously healthy food for a mere 7 days. Your tush, your belt, and your general person will fall in love with you all over again.

Ten Lessons Learned in Cookbook-Writing

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Skinny Dish! Launch Party, Washington DC

Now that Skinny Dish is out, here are some valuable lessons I learned along the way.

1. Do not refer to the cruciferous family of vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage) as “stinky.” No cookbook publisher, reader, eater, kid, or other human finds this funny.

2. Plan to ONLY eat cookbook experiment food until the book is written, or plan to name your next book Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook: Fat and Famous!

3. Do not leave your camera on tripod unattended, even to just run to the kitchen to grab another garnish. Wind, dogs, cats, and little boys will quickly have you scrambling to replace lenses on eBay.

4. Never use a hand blender. They are dangerously cute and unnecessary. But if you do, be sure to deliver a copy of your book to the hand surgeon and guy who stitched you back together in the ER. This will give you closure and a smile.

5. Do not think that when your child drinks the OJ prop in your food photo that you can just refill it with water like you did your parent’s vodka bottle in high school (see Confetti Pancakes photo, page 64).

6. Fiber only has one ‘R’, no matter how much there is.

7. Pasta actually takes 8 minutes to cook, eventhough 6 minutes sounds way faster and better (6-Minute Meals became 8-Minute Meals in the final version).

8. If the book is focused on weight control, be sure to have more veggie dishes than desserts.

9. Do not use dried rosemary in any recipe. It’s chewy, bitter, and will ruin perfectly delicious stuffed mushrooms. (There’s none in Skinny Dish, but it was tried in 2 different recipes that were tossed out.)

10. If you want soup splatter on your kitchen ceiling, fill your blender to the top with hot soup, cover it, and turn it on high. If you like your ceiling as is, check out the Safety Tip on page 95.

Mediterranean Tofu Wraps and Lazy Lentils Save Me

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First off, THANK YOU for the Skinny Dish love this week! What a joy getting all your positive feedback and watching it top Emeril, Rachael Ray, and Jamie Oliver on Amazon, even if only for a short while!

Speaking of the week, it’s been a food tsunami… food interviews, food talks, food prep, food demonstrations, food shopping, more food planning… so bad that I’m having trouble stepping into my own gourmet kitchen. So, I wanted to share 2 Skinny Dish recipes that have kept me anchored, sane, and nourished this week. Without them and buckets of green tea, I’d have laryngitis, pimples, and an exhausted tank.

Mediterranean Tofu Wrap, Skinny Dish

Mediterranean Tofu Wrap
Makes 1 wrap
Prep time 5 minutes

This fresh and quickly-prepared wrap is a dance party of healthy flavors. Enjoy this wrap as a quick meal on its own, or with a side salad. Captain Reilly likes this one squashed and heated in a skillet or Panini maker. Hot or cold, you can’t go wrong!

1 Habanero Lime Flour Tortilla or whole grain flour tortilla
1 Tbsp hummus
1 Tbsp Olive Tapenade Spread
2.3 oz (1/3 pkg) Organic Baked Tofu, Savory Flavor, other marinated tofu
Handful baby lettuce or 1 oz (1/2 pkg) Organic Microgreens
2 Tbsp Julienne Cut Sun Dried Tomatoes, or other sliced sun dried tomatoes
4 fresh basil leaves

1 With flour tortilla open on a plate, spread hummus and then olive spread evenly over tortilla.

2 Place 4 tofu strips 2 x 2, flat down, and lengthwise. Then top with baby lettuce, sun dried tomatoes, and basil.

3 Wrap the tortilla and secure with a toothpick or foil wrap.

4 Eat within a few hours so olive spread doesn’t make the tortilla soggy.

NUTRITION SNAPSHOT
Per wrap: 358 calories, 12.5 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 800 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrates, 6.5 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 17.5 g protein, 41% vitamin A, 31.5% vitamin C, 6.5% calcium, 20.5% iron

Tip: Prepare several wraps ahead of time, wrapped in foil, but omitting the olive spread until ready to eat. Store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Lazy Lentils, Skinny Dish

Lazy Lentils
Makes 2 servings
Prep and cooking time: 6 minutes

Fortify a can of lentil soup with extra veggies, and you’ve got a nutritionist-approved value meal in less than 8 minutes! Serve this dish with a chunk of whole grain bread or a handful of multigrain crackers. Dinner’s served!

2 (14.5-oz) cans Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup
2 cups Organic Foursome frozen vegetables, or other mixed vegetables
2 servings multigrain bread or crackers of choice (optional)

1 In a medium-sized soup pot over medium-high heat, heat soup contents and veggies, covered, until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.

2 That’s it!

NUTRITION SNAPSHOT
Per serving: 334 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1130 mg sodium, 54.5 g carbohydrates, 14.5 g fiber, 4.5 g sugar, 15 g protein, 119.5% vitamin A, 39% vitamin C, 11% calcium, 33% iron

Recipes reprinted w/ permission from Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook – Skinny Dish!, by Jennifer K. Reilly, RD,
(c) 2011, Brown Bag Publishers http://www.cookTJ.com

What are YOUR nutzoid week food go-to’s?

Skinny Dish! is HERE!

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Dear Health Champions,

Today I’m proud to announce the official launch of my Trader Joe’s-inspired cookbook and nutrition guide, Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook: Skinny Dish! This book will eternally set you free from lengthy meal prep and calorie-counting as you back-flip through quick, mouth-watering veggie dishes, learn “The Five Rules of Skinny,” and wow your family and friends with your new profesh chef skills… laughing all the way.

So, if you haven’t done so already, cartwheel yourself over to Amazon this week and snag a copy.  Together we can hit the bestseller lists! Here’s how else you can help:

Get it while it’s hot. Save on shipping and grab a copy for aunt Shirley, uncle Fred, and even total strangers. When to buy? This week! Oct 17-22. I’m confident that the metabolic-boosting tips, detoxing plan, and 90+ easy breezy recipes will be one of the best holiday presents you can give yourself and your posse. And, don’t feel left out if you’re not a Trader Joe’s shopper or don’t have a TJ’s nearby—the recipe ingredients can all be found at your local grocer. Extreme couponers too!

Spread the word. Share news about Skinny Dish!’s arrival on Facebook, Twitter (use #SkinnyDish and see sample tweets and status updates below), or write a review on your own site. Copy and paste this link as you share: http://tinyurl.com/SkinnyDish

DC-Area folks. Join me at Barnes & Noble in Georgetown this Friday at 7:00 PM for a recipe-tasting and book-signing extravaganza. Or, bring your copy to Capital City Cheesecakes in Takoma Park, MD on Sunday, November 6th at 1:00 PM (during the Farmers Market) for another scrumptious tasting and signing. More options? Check ‘m out here.

Thank you in advance! I hope you enjoy the full-page photos, fun side of healthy eating, and scrumptious grub as much as I do!

XOXO
Jen

Sample Tweets:

Ta da! #Skinny Dish! is finally here! Grab a copy & enjoy the road 2 simple slimdom thx 2 @DCdietitian : http://tinyurl.com/SkinnyDish

Tired of dieting & rebounding like a killer whale? Snag #Skinny Dish! by @DCdietitian & never rebound again!: http://tinyurl.com/SkinnyDish

Need simple & delish ways 2 dive into beans & veggies? Snag newly released #SkinnyDish by @DCdietitian 2day! http://tinyurl.com/SkinnyDish

Sample Status Updates:

Dietitian Jen Reilly’s “Skinny Dish” is finally out! Order your copy today and start craving veggies like a wild tiger! http://tinyurl.com/SkinnyDish

Just ordered “Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook: Skinny Dish!” by nutritionist Jen Reilly. Can’t wait to try the simple, healthy masterpieces! http://tinyurl.com/SkinnyDish