Phase 1 Day 5

Breakfast: Peach Quinoa with Flax & Nuts, Unsweetened Plain Soy Milk, 360C

Quinoa has always been one of my favorite grains because of its nutty taste and airy and fluffy texture. Compared to all other grains, this nutritional powerhouse has the greatest protein content. So the timing worked out pretty well today considering I had just completed some more strength-training. In this dish, quinoa and diced peaches were simmered in soy milk with ground allspice and then topped with flaxseeds and chopped hazelnuts. I wish the peach had been riper to help sweeten everything up a little more, but nevertheless I thought this breakfast was still filling and tasty. The glass of soy milk was a nice complement.

Snack 1: Apple & Pecans, 270C

Hmmm...this snack reminded me of pie. I wonder why. Must...not...think...about...pie!

Lunch: Curried Waldorf Salad, 280C

Anyone know what waldorf is? Anyway, this was an excellent salad! At first skeptical, the family ended up scarfing it down quickly. What a wonderful harmony of flavors: Red Delicious apple, tofu, celery, toasted walnuts, flaxseed, ginger, curry powder, and walnut oil. These topped some crisp endive leaves.

Snack 2: Tahini with Flax Crisps, 230C

The original recipe called for "Flax Crackers," but I was able to find only flax crisps. Does any of you on UMD know where I can get any? The crisps were still nice though. It felt like eating chips, but without any of the guilt! Flax is known for promoting heart health. And the tahini-lemon juice dip wasn't too bad either.

Dinner: Sesame-Crusted Sole with Baby Bok Choy & Wild Rice, 420C

I'm not a stranger to sole and bok choy. I've actually sauteed them with sesame oil in many dishes before, and those always went well. Today's dinner was no exception. The new food item this time however was the wild rice. It's actually a marsh grass and the only small grain native to North America, and is apparently a good source of B vitamins, Fe, Mg, Zn, and fiber. I love its earthy flavor and hearty, chewy texture.

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Today's workout: p90X Legs/Back, Ab Ripper X

Phase 1 Day 4

Breakfast: Nut Butter Smoothie, 280C

I've always been a fan of almond butter, but I never thought to blend it in a smoothie. This great-tasting drink was also made with some banana and organic silken tofu and soy milk.




Snack 1: Apple & Walnuts, 260C

Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and are one of my favorite nuts.




Lunch: Asian Bean Salad with Tahini Dressing, 470C

It was exciting to see tahini on the grocery list because I thought it would be used in a dish that called for hummus. But alas, no. No pita bread during phase I anyway. The salad mix comprises adzuki beans (which I've ever only tasted sweetened in numerous Asian desserts), organic baby spinach, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. The tahini was mixed with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and minced garlic. I realize that from the picture, the salad may not look too appetizing. When I first stirred the dressing components together, it turned out nice and creamy. My mistake was leaving it in the fridge too long where it became thick and grainy. And subsequent microwaving made it even more grainy. I'll get it right next week. I also need to remember to bump up the acid with more lemon juice.




Snack 2: Artichoke Paste with Raw Veggies, 105C

Some artichoke hearts processed with with a little olive oil and Italian herbs. Tasty.




Dinner: Coconut Dal with Steamed Broccoli & Brown Rice, 490C

It's nice to see that the UM diet encompasses many ethnic cuisines. From the Moroccan Chicken, to the Asian Bean Salad, and now to Coconut Dal, which I think is Indian-inspired. This was truly mouth-watering! The dal was made by simmering yellow split peas in some lite coconut milk and organic low sodium vegetable broth with turmeric, garlic, onion, and freshly grated ginger. I look forward to having this again next Thursday.

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Phase 1 Day 3

Breakfast: Hot Brown Rice, Nuts, & Flax, 350C

The brown rice was cooked in soy milk and interestingly seasoned with nutmeg, which subtly and nicely complemented the flavors of the flaxseed and Brazil nut toppings. I think the stovetop heat was too high, and so the moisture quickly evaporated and left the brown rice dry and slightly undercooked. Still a yummy breakfast though. Instead of a saucepan, I'll just try using a rice cooker next week.

Snack 1: Apple & Soynuts, 205C

I actually first plated some walnuts but then decided to substitute with soynuts because I had just completed a resistance-training exercise routine, and I remember learning that soy is the most complete non-meat source of protein and packs in more protein than most true nuts. They're also an excellent source of fiber (6g/oz)!

Lunch: Avocado & Bean Tacos, 255C

Wowzers. I've even invented a new word, though I think I've heard it before. I thought this would be a boring lunch, but more and more I'm learning that the UM Diet works miraculous flavor combinations. Mum was initially emphatic that she wouldn't have some, but I persuaded her to take a small taste of just the filling. She then begged me to prepare for her a whole taco, to which I happily obliged. I absolutely love it when the rare opportunity arises in which I get to teach my family that healthy can also mean really tasty. The original recipe called for a burrito, but I had to improvise with taco-sized tortillas. Romaine lettuce, cilantro, raw onion, avocado, salsa, and fat-free refried beans went into them. The jalapeno refried beans from Whole Foods Market are actually a staple in our pantry, as they're so guilt-free at only 80C/0.5c with 5g each of fiber and protein. The new food item in this meal though were the sprouted corn tortillas. They're made without corn meal or flour and completely derive from freshly sprouted 100% organic whole kernel corn. Apparently, sprouting a grain maximizes its nutrient potential by increasing the vitamin and mineral content and somehow altering their proteins and carbohydrates in a way that allows them to be absorbed more efficiently by the body.

Snack 2: Dark Chocolate & Fresh Coconut, 310C

These two taste awesome together! Nice crunch, and just the right amount of sweetness. Another new combination for me. This journey through UltraMetabolism is turning out to be a really fun, new culinary experience. And what's extra sweet is that dark chocolate (i.e., cocoa) is "emerging as the king of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenols, not to mention PEA or phenylethylamine that mimics the love molecules in your brain, and the source of OEA, the special fat that turns on your metabolism" (App. B, emphasis mine--ooh la la).

Dinner: Moroccan Chicken with Cauliflower & Cashews, 400C

First Moroccan-inspired meal I've had ever, and it was pretty good! The two exotic ingredients in the dish were garam masala and pomegranate molasses, which together imparted the broth with an interesting curry-like, yet mildly sweet flavor. Garam masala, a "smorgasbord of phytonutrients," is an admixture of cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamon, fennel, mace, black pepper, and nutmeg. I've used it before in Indian dishes. The debut food item for me this meal however was the pomegranate molasses, a natural sweetener that makes for a nice change from honey.

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Today's workout: p90X Shoulders/Arms, Ab Ripper X

Phase 1 Day 2

Breakfast: Berriest Smoothie, 255C

This was good, but perhaps a bit on the bland side. The recipe did call for the "plain" varieties of soy milk and soy yogurt, but I used "unsweetened plain." I had assumed those were synonymous. Thinking about it now, however, I do remember seeing that most varieties of plain soy milk have a good amount of sugar (many of the brands--wayyy too much!), and that's why I always opted for unsweetened in the first place. I suppose this explains why my smoothie contained nearly 35 fewer Calories than stated on the recipe. I didn't really feel I was missing the sugar, so there's no need to go out and buy regular plain.




Snack 1: Apple & Raw Almonds, 240C

I like slivered almonds because you feel like you get to eat more than if you were to have the same amount nibbling on whole almonds. (Almond slices would be too extreme though. There's no way I would have the patience or discipline to eat each individual slice one-by-one; I'd probably get fed up and chug them in by the palm-full as if I were in a movie theater eating popcorn.) The only problem with these is that they're blanched, and so I miss out on some of the phytonutrients and fiber which I assume are in the skin. Anyway, I also included a pic of the detox broth I enjoyed with the snack.




Lunch: Tarragon Chicken Salad, 370C

This recipe was my first introduction to tarragon and watercress. The tarragon was nice and pleasantly aromatic, but as I tasted the watercress while trimming away the thick stems and washing the leaves, I nearly decided to throw it all out and substitute with another green. By itself, the watercress tasted overly bitter and extremely peppery. I remember thinking that the dish should have been named as a kind of watercress salad, for surely the watercress flavor would have overpowered the chicken and all the other ingredients. But fortunately, my taste buds were happy to discover that the combination of watercress, chicken breast, radishes, celery, pear, pine nuts, tarragon, ground cardamon, and walnut oil worked superbly well! In flavor and texture, I thought each component complemented the others nicely. I particularly liked the walnut oil and pear cubes because they respectively afforded the salad a curious "hmm...what is that?" and surprising "ooh wow! what's that?" factor. The watercress was not forgotten, but it didn't taste nearly as pungent as it did on its own. And I've learned that watercress is the best natural source of the phenylethylisothicocyanate (PEITC) compound, a powerful detoxifying and anti-cancer agent. I did some research and found this article from J. Nutr. Biochem.: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0955286306000489 . Check it out. Seems like a prime example of nutrigenomics, yeah? I'm gonna train myself to enjoy watercress now, haha.




Snack 2: Olive Tapenade & Raw Veggies, 110C

I've never liked whole olives before, so I wasn't expecting to enjoy this snack too much. The tapenade ended up tasting similar to those I've sampled at our local Whole Foods Market, and I didn't think those were that great either. There has always been something about preparing and cooking my own dishes, however, that usually makes the final outcome instantly more appealing. This snack was no exception and was very enjoyable. Maybe it was because of the roasted garlic puree mixed into the tapenade. Anyway, in the past couple years I've slowly trained myself to enjoy zucchini, butternut squash, and onions, and they are some of my favorite vegetables now. I'm now slowly learning to enjoy beats as well, and I think olives and watercress will be my next venture. Yes, variety is the spice of life.




Dinner: Black Bean-Cocoa Soup with Lime Zest, & Arugula Salad with Golden Vinaigrette, 410C

This day has been all about surprises. Chocolate soup?! It sounded appealing until I read all the other ingredients. Actually, I've always been gustatorily adventurous, but I suppose I was pretty shocked this time by the seeming insanity of cocoa powder being used in a savory dish. The cocoa, cumin and lime really worked well together! It's absolutely genius, really. Now I have another use for the stash of cocoa powder besides hot chocolate and baked goods. Anyhow, I may have simmered the soup a little too long, and it ended up looking like a stew. Regardless, this dish was awesome.

The only time I ever have arugula is as part of the continental salad mix from Costco. By itself, I've found today that it tastes quite bitter, just like the watercress from lunch. The "Golden Vinaigrette" was made with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and ground turmeric. Using turmeric in a salad dressing was also a novelty for me today, as I usually use it only in curries. It's another cool powerfood because of its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-oxidation effects, among many other benefits: http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/DVH/HerbsWho/0,3923,4046%7CTurmeric,00.html


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Today's workout: p90X Cardio X

Phase 1 Day 1

The UltraMetabolism diet is not really a diet, but rather a way to help one learn to eat healthfully as a lifestyle. It emphasizes consumption of whole, nutritious foods, and encourages the limiting and/or banning of refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and trans fats. During Phase I, common potential allergens like gluten, dairy, eggs, and most saturated fats, however, are also eliminated. This 21-day "detoxification phase" is designed to prime and refresh one's metabolism on a clean slate. During Phase II, the potential allergen-containing foods are reincorporated back into the diet. Doing so slowly affords one a realistic gauge as to how certain food items have been affecting physical, mental and emotional health. It then becomes easy to best tailor one's own eating patterns. This is a four-week phase, but is really only the ushering of new behaviors as second nature, lifelong habits that optimize metabolism and promote overall well being.

"You will maintain a healthy metabolism for life by eating foods that are rich in healthy fats; slowly released, low-glycemic-load, high-fiber carbohydrates; plant proteins and minimal lean animal products; as well as disease- and weight-fighting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant chemicals and phytonutrients. These foods will speak to your genes in new ways and your genes will say yes" (278).

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Breakfast: Apple-Walnut Amaranth, 365C

Today was my first time trying amaranth, and I was delighted to discover its pleasant texture and nutty taste. The apple-walnut amaranth recipe was also pretty good. Mum even thought so, though she frequently expressed confusion in the newness and strangeness of it all. Anyway, the recipe called for simmering the grain in some soy milk along with some apples and cinnamon, ane then topping the mixture with walnuts. The seemingly meager 2/3-cup serving was surprisingly enough to fill me up, even after having just worked out. I look forward to enjoying this dish again next Monday.

Snack 1: Apple & Raw Cashews, 280C

Hooray for an apple and some raw cashews! :/

Actually, I don't really mean to be sarcastic. This was a filling snack, and I love cashews. Also, the local Asian market has some really crisp organic Fuji apples, which are my favorite kind.

Lunch: White Beans on a Bed of Greens, 230C

I'm not accustomed to completely vegetarian meals, but this white-bean salad wasn't all too bad. In fact, the simplicity of flavors afforded by a garlic-extra virgin olive oil-lemon juice emulsion marrying the bean, parsley and baby greens mixture was very enjoyable. I actually amused myself by repeatedly shouting how delicious it was. I tried to savor each bean and bit of lettuce, chard, mizuna, arugula, frisee, and radicchio, or whatever was in that cornucopia of organic greens. Each ingredient in itself was made unto a culinary experience, and that reminded me of the Pixar film Ratatouille. I always called it mindful eating, which I'm trying harder to get into the habit of these days. Anyway, ever the party-pooping critic, mum just had to remark, "You love your own." It was a playful joke, but she meant it. Whatever. I casually tossed back, "Don't be jealous." As if I really believed in those words. Yes, I know I was trying hard to believe the food more tasty than it really was. But it really was good!

Snack 2: Avocado with Lemon, 135C

I guess I shall be slowly introducing avocados back into my diet. I only really used to eat them as dessert (chunks in milk with sugar) as a youngster wee yay small, and as guacamole during middle and high school to complement the chips and salsa, but I eventually got bored and forgot about them. Avocados were usually pretty expensive anyway. Hmm...but avocado with lemon: a bit prosaic, and not exactly an exciting comeback--but heck it's still nutritious and good for me. Per the recipe, avocado/lemon snacks are supposed to be around 325C, and I think that calls for a large avocado, but the small ones were on sale for 4/$0.99 at ValuMart, and I was still pretty full from the white bean salad from lunch.

Dinner: Wild Salmon with Rosemary Sweet Potatoes & Lemon Asparagus, 375C

The recipe's title may be a misnomer since the rosemary does not actually coat the sweet potatoes but rather goes over the salmon. However, unless my ingredients were off, I think the true error was in the recipe itself. For some reason, the garlic-rosemary-lemon-ground mustard sauce over the baked salmon tasted really bitter. or maybe I'm at fault here. The recipe called for "dry mustard," and I assumed that was the same as ground mustard. Does anyone know if those are the same thing? In any case, everything besides the sauce turned out very well. The wild salmon was delicate and flaky; the asparagus, crisp and tender; and the sweet potatoes and onions, deliciously caramelized. This also was a huge success with mum. Anyway, I'll need to play with the sauce next week. Hopefully I can incorporate the rosemary because I enjoy its earthy, pine scent. According to Dr. Hyman, its' apparently good for the brain as well: "'Rosemary for remembrance,' an age-old adage, holds true today as this aromatic herb in the mint family offers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits important for memory" (263).

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Detox Broth

The UM Diet also recommends that we enjoy daily a couple cups of "Detox Broth" made with a variety of vegetables and herbs. Today I made some with sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, spinach, wekame seaweed, ginger root, some dried oregano and a bay leaf. I wasn't expecting much but allowing the vegetables to gently simmer for a couple hours really imparted the broth with a delectable taste! I hope I've made enough to last me the week.

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Today's workout: p90X Core Synergistics

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Addenda, 01/16/08:

-While UltraMetabolism does encourage exercise, the workouts mentioned in this blog are not specifically part of the program. I list them only as a personal journal reminder.

-UltraMetabolism does not, however, encourage calorie-counting. I plan to calculate calories only the first time around for each new dish so I have only a rough idea of my average daily energy intake.