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So, before I left for Wisconsin I decided to try a new style of eating for a week: completely non-processed with all fresh produce and grains, and no alcohol, caffeine, sugar, dairy, red meat, wheat, and minimal salt…just to see how I’d feel. And I did it! I usually eat healthy, just not this extreme, but I’m proud I stuck it out.

It all tasted good, and I felt good afterward. But I spent hours preparing meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and dessert every single night. It was crazy time consuming, I never once made it to bed before 1 a.m., my back hurt from all the time in the kitchen, and overall – it just didn’t feel good enough to justify the effort. The flavored waters were fun – it helped me drink as much water as I should every day, and they tasted great, so I’ll keep those in steady rotation…and I’ll likely make some of the recipes again too in the future, because they were all good (my favorites are marked “winner”). But this is not a lifestyle that one easily can, or in my humble opinion, really should, keep up with full-time. A fun trial, but in the future I’ve determined I can still eat fresh and healthy without skipping out on all the delicious stuff I listed above and still save myself a ton of time, energy, and sleep. Also, Ted would eat none of this. So he would basically starve if I ever attempted this tomfoolery again when he is living here.

{lemon, cucumber, mint, and rosemary water – winner}

{breakfast smoothie: mango, banana, strawberry, chia seeds, almond coconut milk, fresh tangerine juice, spinach – winner}

{warm grapefruit tea: freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, agave, cinnamon, all spice – winner}

{trail mix – winner}

{roasted chickpeas with vegetable oil, cumin, ginger, coriander, paprika, and salt – winner}

{chia seed pudding with almond coconut milk, chia seeds, pure vanilla extract, blueberries, and mango}

{roasted acorn squash glazed with maple syrup and stuffed with quinoa, shallots, pecans, spinach, rosemary, and pear}

{baked white fish tilapia in spiced broth with quinoa, garlic, shallots, ginger, coriander, cayenne pepper, yellow squash, tomatoes, and cilantro leaves – winner}

{black beans with sauteed tilapia, lime, and cilantro}

{quinoa with carrots, zucchini, artichoke, lemon, and shallots}

{sauteed kale and pinto beans with garlic and shallots – winner}

{and this one came after the trial experiment, hence the corn tortilla and cheese…but Ted still won’t eat it, so in this post it goes! cumin roasted butternut squash with black beans, NY state sharp white cheddar, cilantro leaves, lime, and a sriracha, agave and apple cider vinegar sauce in a corn tortilla – winner}

{views from the epic Mexican fun lunch of tacos, salads, rice, beans, quesadillas, dessert nachos, and all the fixings that we all contributed to at work a few weeks ago…and that’s not even all of it. It was amazing. Now this Ted would eat!}

{a good thought with some merit, but not of total truth. perhaps what inspired my experiment?}