Day 6: Green Beans

Ginger Green Beans

I couldn't find organic green beans at the store I usually shop at (other than the canned variety that is), so I went back to Green Acres knowing that today they would have green beans on the menu. Again, preparation is key and a back up plan is must when on this detox. Their green beans were simply steamed. This was fine for lunch, but for dinner I wanted to wake up the beans as I reheated them. I warmed the beans in a skillet with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. Then added a 1/2 tsp of grated ginger. At the very end I added 1 tbsp of sesame oil. I got a little caught up in the Asian flavors and sprinkled on sesame seeds which are, of course, out of bounds on the detox.

Today was by far the toughest in terms of cravings and sticking to the detox. I don't know if it was the weather, the fact that it's the weekend, or that the TV was betraying me with beer and crap food commercials, but I was needing some serious comfort food. A steak and grilled sweet potatoes washed down with a nice Zinfandel would have gone a long way with the green beans! I could all but hear the sweet whispers from the meat department, but before every moment of giving in (which were numerous) I was reminded of something I read about discipline.

"The Myth of Discipline" was written on another blog by Charles Poliquin. In this article he states that there is no discipline, only love. What he means is either you love health, wellness, and washboard abs or you love doughnuts, cheeseburgers, and doritos. Beating yourself up over the fact that you lack discipline can only send you further off track. So ask yourself what do you truly love in life. First, you must love yourself. For if you do then you will thoroughly inspect all things in your life.

It's funny, I read this article several months ago but Poliquin just happened to re-post it on Facebook today. The timing was perfect. This is not to say that my only source of strength was this article. My wife has been a tremendous help this whole week. Supportive spouses are an integral part to a successful detox week. I tell my patients that they should get their loved one involved along with them to maximize compliance. Friends, co-workers, neighbors are also viable options because by now you have come to know that detox is for everyone.