Over the years I’ve watched my husband try a myriad of diets: the Beach diet, the Fat-Flush diet, low-carb/high-fat diets, low-fat/low-carb diets, a raw vegetarian diet that gave him bad breath for weeks (all that garlic, all those weird spices–ughh), even the infamous lemonade diet (lemon juice mixed with maple syrup and cayenne pepper, consumed for as many days as one can stand—in my husband’s case, it was eleven). I should explain that my husband eats normally most of the time; he also works out daily and is in great shape. But he inherited a slow metabolism from his father, who was obese much of his adult life, so every once in awhile—maybe once every six months or so—my husband tries out the latest diet in order to drop a few pounds. I, on the other hand, was born with a fast metabolism and, until the last five years or so, have never had to watch what I eat (apparently the fast metabolism gene expires at age forty-five). In fact, as a teenager I was so painfully, self-consciously thin that I did everything I could, including drinking protein drinks, to put on weight, to no avail (Cry me a river, I hear you say—I know, I know, but really, I hated it). And don’t get me started on my pre-mission physical, when I had to convince the BYU Health Center doctor that I wasn’t, in fact, anorexic, just abnormally thin, and that the stress of finals week had made me even thinner than I normally was. But I digress.
My point is that I’ve never joined my husband in any of his diets. That is, until about two months ago, when my husband decided to try the Clean diet. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, the Clean diet, which is actually more of a three-week detox program geared toward kick-starting healthier long-term eating habits, advocates eating mostly plant-based foods: organic, fresh veges and fruits; legumes and nuts; whole grains like brown rice and quinoa; and healthy fats; with some lean meats, such as chicken or fish, thrown in. The cleanse excludes eggs, dairy products, sugar, red meat, corn products, oats, and anything containing gluten (in other words, all yummy foods) and starchy fruits/veges like potatoes and bananas (after the cleanse you can start adding back in most of these foods in moderation, with the goal of keeping your overall diet primarily plant-food based).
My husband wanted to try the cleanse, and, since I’d been dragging a bit physically and have actually been wondering if I’m lactose or gluten intolerant because of digestive issues, I told him—gulp—that I’d try it with him (besides, Gwyneth Paltrow gave the diet a thumbs up). It sounded fairly easy: two raw vegetable/raw fruit soups or smoothies a day—one for breakfast and one for dinner—and one main meal at lunchtime of whole grains and legumes, veges, and chicken or fish. I skimmed through the book, made a grocery list, girded up my loins and set out for the local health food store/farmers’ market, and came home laden with kale and quinoa and red lentils, tins of coconut milk and cartons of almond milk, and bags of raw nuts, and the diet began.
Three long weeks later, I finished the diet feeling healthier, pleased with my overall self-control, and I was five pounds lighter to boot (enabling me to fit into my pants again). Here’s what I learned over those three weeks:
1. There’s a reason fast food and packaged food and casseroles were invented. It takes a lot of work to eat a primarily plant-food-based diet. The food wasn’t bad, actually, but all that peeling, chopping, seeding, roasting, and pureeing nearly killed me. Plus, making a main meal for every lunchtime, and two separate dinners every night—a pureed soup for us, a regular meal for the kids—was grueling. My husband merely had to cart the meals I’d prepared for him to work and eat the soups I made at night (he kept remarking about how easy the diet was—lol) but I was exhausted by the end of every day. And I put so much work into feeding me and my husband, that my children ate less healthily than usual, because I didn’t have the energy to make them a whole extra meal. They often had grilled cheese sandwiches or frozen dinners while my husband and I ate our pureed super healthy soups.
2. Although cucumber mint soup (cucumbers pureed with water, pine nuts, sea salt, and mint) might not sound too bad, it is, in actuality, bad. I’ll never forget the sight of our children laughing as my husband and I forced down our soup, making “bleh” sounds, while they ate their delectable French bread Jimmy John sandwiches. They also laughed as we ate our pineapple avocado gazpacho, which, though actually quite tasty, was a putrid green and reminded us of the green drink the mom serves in the latest Kid History video (my kids enjoyed saying, over and over, “I know it’s green, but what else is about it?”—watch the video and you’ll get it).
3. You should always put the lid on the blender when you’re making your morning blueberry smoothie, otherwise you’ll end up with blueberries all over your kitchen and in your husband’s hair.
But there was definitely a positive side to the diet, however (did I mention the five pounds?). I also learned that
4. Coconut milk is the new cream. I quickly discovered that I love to cook with coconut milk (the thick, creamy canned kind) and can substitute it for cream in many recipes, especially cream soups and sauces. Ditto for substituting olive oil for butter and agave nectar for sugar. And, though I hated lentils growing up, I think I like them now. And who knew that kale could be so yummy, or that chia seeds are used for more than just growing grass pets? I also overcame my fear of chopping up butternut squash, I learned to enjoy perusing the farmers’ market for local produce, and “buy organic” became my new mantra.
5. My digestive system likes being dairy and gluten-free. I was surprised at how my indigestion and heartburn disappeared after just a couple of days of going Clean. Though we ended the cleanse over a month ago (one of us feeling very relieved that she could go back to cooking just one dinner every night), my husband and I still enjoy snacking on a bowl of fresh raspberries drizzled with agave nectar, a ripe peach, or an apple and a handful of baby carrots. We’re still drinking our fruit and coconut milk smoothies for breakfast; I still make—and use—a big pot of brown rice every week; we’re still cutting back on wheat and dairy; and we’re all, our children included, eating healthier, overall—although they still put their foot down at the green gazpacho. I won’t lie—we still love a big bag of kettle corn at the movies, a bowl of ice cream on Sunday nights, a slice of cheesecake, an occasional steak dinner with side of au gratin potatoes swimming in cream and Gruyere cheese. But we’re also appreciating more the fresh, simple “good things which come of the earth,” which “strengthen the body and enliven the soul” (D&C 59:17, 19).
Whether these dietary changes are here to stay remains to be seen, but this is the first diet my husband has tried that, so far, has potentially changed the way he eats for good. I think he has internalized the idea that it’s more about eating mindfully and healthily on a consistent basis than going on a fad diet every six months. At least, I hope he has. Check back with me in six months.
Tell me about your eating habits. Are you satisfied with the way your family eats? Have you ever made any major dietary changes? Do you see a connection between your eating habits and your spiritual well-being? What is the weirdest/hardest diet you’ve ever been on? And, as a bonus, I’m including two of my favorite recent recipes. Please feel free to share any of yours, as well.
Kale salad (surprisingly yummy, I promise), courtesy of my sister Charlotte
1 medium head of kale, leaves finely chopped, stems discarded
2-3 Tbl lemon juice
1/2 Tbl agave nectar
dash sea salt
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
½ cup dried cranberries
Sprinkle lemon juice over chopped kale leaves, massage juice into leaves to wilt slightly. Add agave and salt to taste, toss in almonds and cranberries. Adjust the amounts of lemon juice, agave, and salt, if necessary. You can also add thinly sliced red onion. Salad is better when eaten the next day and the lemon juice has wilted the kale even more.
Butternut Squash Pasta (the pasta isn’t Clean diet approved, but this dish is a yummy splurge anytime)—my own recipe
Two 9-oz pkgs of store-bought ravioli (Buitoni or similar brand), cooked according to package directions
Half of a butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 Tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbl fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 cup canned coconut milk (I like the Thai Kitchen brand)
grated Parmesan cheese
Saute the chopped squash in olive oil until tender and just starting to brown, about 8 mins. Add salt, sage, and garlic and sauté for 2 mins more. Add coconut milk and stir until mixture is boiling, about 30 seconds. Toss with cooked ravioli (or any pasta) and salt more if needed. Top with Parmesan cheese.
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