Clean Eating: My “Controversial” Diet – Jackie Shea
- No Comments
I gave up booze and drugs at the startling age of 17—the age many (or most?) people are just getting started. Jaws still drop when I mention in passing that I, in fact, do not drink and haven’t in over a decade, but the news doesn’t land with the same deafening impact it did in my early twenties when my peers found such a choice to be blasphemous. I am no stranger to the often judgmental— but sometimes inquisitive— reaction I get from strangers or new friends (or even “friends”) about my lifestyle choices. Choice. If you want to call it that. But I quit drinking because it was destroying me and I really want to live…fully and vibrantly. And in order to LIVE fully, vibrantly, and, ironically, limitlessly—I now follow an extremely strict diet as well, a diet that generates the same jaw-dropping, mind-boggling reaction— “Why do you do that to yourself? What DO you eat? Do you have any fun, ever? How do you do it?” I’d like to address these questions I am faced with almost daily.
I do this FOR myself because it is one of the things that saved my life. I do it because I prefer to be in a pain-free body. I do it because I like to have energy and sleep well and because I really really like that I have essentially starved Lyme disease out of my body. I do it because I love to be alive and I love to feel alive. I do it because I was very sick and willing to do whatever I needed to get better and, as it turned out, I like this way of life a whole lot better. I do not feel deprived—I feel rich and fulfilled.
What do I eat? I eat fruits,vegetables, all meat (with the exception of pork), rice, legumes, nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate. That means I am free of alcohol, coffee, gluten, dairy (with the exception of goat dairy and ghee), refined sugar, soy, pork, eggs, corn, MSG, canola oil, and any weird preservatives like citric acid. And, yes, I have fun. I actually have much more fun because I’m healthy, which affords me the opportunity to actually go outside, exercise, socialize, work, and play. I have a big full life AND I have a big full menu of delicious foods to choose from. And for the people who earnestly ask me how to do it, for those of you who are also sick and looking to jumpstart your immune system or relieve a little pain or just clean up your act in hopes of a brighter future, below is a practical look at how I do it. But, first, a quick disclaimer: This is the diet that works for me. I deeply believe that we each have an ideal diet—I cannot say what’s best for you, listen to your body.
On an empty stomach every morning, I drink 16 oz of celery juice followed by filtered water and probiotics. Following that, I make a strong green tea blended with coconut oil and cacao powder.
Breakfast: A smoothie of 2 bananas, a cup of wild blueberries and pure hemp protein
Mid morning snack: Apples with almond butter or just apples OR Food for Life exotic black rice bread with sliced tomatos, avocado, and olive oil
Lunch: A big salad with kale, spinach, or arugula base and toppers of radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, hemp seeds, avocado mash, and a Sunshine, Engine 2, or Hillary’s veggie patty on top. Dressing is lemon, olive oil and salt.
Snacks: Carrot sticks, gluten free crackers, nuts, dark chocolate, Lara bars,
Dinner: Brown rice, steamed or sauteed veggies, black beans OR a turkey or beef patty OR a homemade soup and black rice bread OR brown rice pasta with pesto and some raw veggies.
Delicious and mostly clean comfort food: Coconut oil purple heirloom potato chips by Jackson’s Honest, Amy’s gluten free and dairy free mac and cheese, gluten free and vegan desserts (there are so many, be careful with this one—they’re still often full of sugar. Read ingredient labels), goat cheese and Jilz gluten free crackers. If you live in a big city then you would be surprised just how many options are out there of delicious tasting and clean foods. I have eaten many gluten free, dairy free pizzas in Los Angeles and I have MADE the creamist mashed potatoes using only cashews to make them creamy. It IS possible to enjoy this diet.
Favorite resources for cooking this way: Kriscarr.com, Anthony William medicalmedium.com, Soupelina (get the cookbook on amazon!) and my friends that have passed down incredible recipes and gems for superfoods to me.
Also: I cheat! I mean, I really cheat! Every once in awhile, I have the cake or the bread or the—I don’t know—ENTIRE brick of cheese. I love french fries and I love them with mayo and I try my damnest to balance out the fries with leafy greens, but I’m sure I’ve failed. Now, I usually retreat from these choices quickly since they don’t taste as good as they once did AND they don’t make me feel good but I’m telling you that “cheating” IS a part of clean eating…for me, anyway.
Get your nutrients, enjoy your food, live your best life, do not beat yourself up, and use this as a resource if you ever need it.
Fun and love,
Jackie