My January Detox: A Chef’s Food Cleanse, Week 4

By Carolina Santos-Neves
I did it! Four whole weeks living a life with almost no sugar, dairy or grains. Will I celebrate with my old favorite indulgence, a gooey hot fudge sundae? The surprising truth is I don’t actually want one.
Anyone who has read my weekly cleanse diary knows that I’ve been feeling better and better as January progressed. My relationship with food has changed tremendously in this short time. I’m enjoying what I eat more, getting full sooner, and have been cooking a lot more at home, which was one of my New Year’s Resolutions. And besides eating and feeling better, I lost over 4 pounds.
Just because yesterday was my last official day on this cleanse doesn’t mean I’m going to go back to my old habits. I know that I didn’t feel as happy as I do now, nor have as much energy. My skin and stomach issues have cleared up, and I actually look forward to my daily exercise routine. Plus, I’ve become addicted to some new veggie-based recipes, including this super easy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce on Zucchini Noodles (watch the video above or follow the recipe below).
I hope my journey has motivated you to eat cleaner and more mindfully. It certainly inspired me to keep treating my body well. I’ll continue to post my healthy recipes on Instagram and tag Clean Plates and I would love to see your inspired creations!
Friday: 1/19/17
Breakfast
1 cup of Coffee With Almond Creamer; 2 8-ounce glasses of water
Lunch
Grilled Salmon; Sauteed Crimini Mushrooms; Roasted Artichokes
Dinner
Oven Roasted Brook Trout, Brussels Sprouts & Zucchini With Basil Cheese-less Pesto
Exercise: 55-minute total body conditioning and walked, totaling 4.96 miles
Saturday: 1/20/17
Breakfast
Coconut Chia Pudding; 1 cup of Coffee with Almond Creamer; 2 8-ounce glasses of water
Lunch
Curried Cauliflower; Grilled Chicken; Kale Salad; Hard-boiled Egg
Snack
Americano Coffee
Dinner
Yellowtail Sashimi; Spinach with Sesame Seeds; Steamed Edamame; Seaweed Salad
Exercise: 55-minute cardio dance class, walked totaling 4.63 miles
Sunday: 1/21/17
Breakfast
Kale-Coconut Avocado Smoothie; 1 cup of Coffee with Almond Creamer; 2 8-ounce glasses of water
Lunch
Chopped Kale Salad with Pinenuts; Roasted Brussels Sprouts; Roasted Salmon Filet
Snack
Almond Butter
Dinner
Eggplant Caponata and Broccoli Puttanesca; Roasted Curried & Coconut Cauliflower; 3-Seed Quinoa Pilaf with Cauliflower-Alfredo Sauce
Exercise: 55-minute cardio dance class and walked, totaling 4.22 miles
Monday: 1/22/17
Breakfast
2 cups of Coffee; 2 8-ounce glasses of water
Lunch
Soft Scrambled Eggs; Roasted Broccoli; Caramelized-Onion Cauliflower Rice
Dinner
Oven Roasted Brook Trout; Arugula Salad; Roasted Green Beans with Saffron-Coconut Sauce
Exercise: 1 ½ hour yoga class and walked, totaling 2.79 miles
Tuesday: 1/23/17
Breakfast
Kale-Protein Smoothie; 1 cup of Coffee with Almond Creamer; 2 8-ounce glasses of water
Almond Cappuccino
Lunch
Grain Bowl with Pickled Beets, Sauteed Kale & Roasted Brussels Sprouts; Roasted Salmon With Poblano-Pepper Sauce
Dinner
Coconut-Milk Veggie Curry with Crispy Sardines
Exercise: 55-minute body-pump class and walked, totaling 5.03 miles
Wednesday: 1/24/17
Breakfast
Avocado-Arugula Smoothie; 1 cup of Coffee with Almond Creamer; 2 8-ounce glasses of water
Americano
Lunch
Cauliflower Rice with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Dried Cranberries & Cilantro Cheese-Less Pesto
Dinner
Green Salad; Cauliflower-Alfredo Sauce With Zucchini Noodles
Exercise: 55-minute cardio dance class and walked, totaling 3.60 miles
Thursday: 1/25/17
Breakfast
2 Poached Eggs with Sautéed Kale, Broccolini and Romesco Sauce; 1 Almond Milk Cappuccino; 2 8-ounce glasses of water
Lunch
Arugula Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Avocado & Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Dinner
Braised Beef; Pan Seared Broccoli with Lemon; Sicilian Cauliflower
Exercise: 55-minute cardio dance class and walked, totaling miles 4.61
Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce With Zucchini Noodles
SERVES
4PREP TIME
10 minCOOK TIME
00 minIngredients
2 cups cauliflower, chopped into small florets
½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
½ cup unsweetened organic almond milk
¼ cup nutritional yeast
juice of ½ lemon
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 cups cooked zucchini noodles
Directions
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the cauliflower in a steamer until tender, about 6 minutes.
In a small saute pan, warm the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until softened.
In a blender, add the cooked cauliflower, shallots and garlic, almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon, and sea salt and process until thoroughly blended, about 30 seconds. Serve with zucchini noodles.

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