“Ugh, why are you doing a cleanse? Are you trying to lose weight or something?”

That was the universal reaction from friends and family when I embarked on The Love Cleanse last summer. It’s warranted, given that many  cleanse plans are diets in disguise, focusing on deprivation and calorie-cutting rather than detoxifying and learning what your body actually needs to feel good.

The first time I did the Love Cleanse, I did it because I knew it was time to make healthy eating more of a priority in my life. I work at Greenling, I’m surrounded by vegetables, how hard could that be? Well, I’m in my mid-twenties, I work hard, play hard, and didn’t make a lot of time to plan out balanced meals. I’ve always been passionate about eating organic and local food, but even when they’re made with good ingredients, tacos for every meal isn’t exactly balanced.

I suffered from afternoon energy crashes every single day, even though I chugged fair trade coffee like nobody’s business. I craved sweets constantly and always felt bloated. To me, this was just life. I was very nervous about the cleanse – I figured I would be hungry all the time, and not have the energy to keep up with my jam-packed daily routine. I’m also a novice cook – I know my way around the basics, but I was nervous I didn’t have the skills to feed myself cleanse compliant food.

I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, the first few days are hard. I grieved for my morning coffee and craved meat. However, my Love Life coach encouraged me to add more protein to my mid-day meal – black beans or pumpkin seeds – and it made a world of difference. By day 8 my energy was soaring and I actually craved vegetables.

A key difference between The Love Cleanse is that it’s creator, Kim Love, doesn’t believe in deprivation. The Love Cleanse is food-based, and if you’re going hungry while you’re doing it, you’re doing something wrong. The program is built to support you feeling your best every step of the way, and Kim and her team personally review your daily tracker and make suggestions to modify your cleanse based on your personal reactions. Also, Greenling offers cleanse compliant recipe kits and cold pressed green juice to make it super easy to stay on track.

At the conclusion of my last cleanse, I found that gluten and dairy were two culprits that really brought my energy down and increased bloating. I’m happy to say I’ve been able to continue to avoid these ingredients and have felt better than ever in the last 9 months since I completed the cleanse.

I’m embarking on the Love Cleanse again starting today for 2 reasons: 1) I’ve gradually let vegetables move away from the center of my plate. While eliminating gluten and dairy was a step towards eliminating foods that bring me down, it doesn’t equal healthy eating. I’ve noticed in recent months I’ve focused a lot more on meat and potatoes than plant-based protein, so I’m ready to reset and re-focus. (Not that there’s anything wrong with bacon. I will always believe in bacon!)

2) After listening to me rave about the cleanse for almost a year now, I’ve finally convinced several loved ones to try it with me. I really want them to love it as much as I have and so I’m excited to go through the experience with them and offer support along the way.

The best thing about The Love Cleanse is it’s about finding what works best for YOU – you might thrive on gluten and dairy but not so much with chicken or nuts. Maybe garlic and onions are the hidden culprits behind why your seasonal allergies have been so awful. Discovering personal food intolerances is empowering and life-changing – it doesn’t mean you can never eat that food again, it just means you know you’ll feel your best if you can avoid it most of the time.

So here we go – Day 1 of 21 of The Love Cleanse. This time I’ll be sharing my experience here, hoping it helps sheds some light for those of you out there who might be curious about trying a cleanse. I hope you’ll chime in with any questions or comments. And anyone who is joining the group cleanse this go-round – a virtual green juice cheers to you! Let us know how you’re doing!

Okra has one of the prettiest blooms in vegetable land. When you think of okra, this probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. This hearty vegetable from the hibiscus family has a lot more up its sleeve, too, and is making its first appearance in the Local Box and on our website this week.

Most people I meet either love okra or hate it. It’s a polarizing food that can break up dinner tables. The hate usually stems from the gooey slime that can sometimes coat these ‘lady fingers.’ Well, I’m here to spread the word that it doesn’t have to be that way! If you like it like that, more power to you! But if not, keep reading.

Any cooking that involves water (boiling or steaming) will increase sliminess and any dry cooking (baking or frying) will reduce sliminess. Also, overcooking increases slime. One paradoxical tip is to cut off the tips (but not piercing the inner-pod) and blanch the okra for just a minute. Then throw in some ice water, and dry. Keeping okra whole is the best guard against slime. If you must cut, cut lengthwise in as few slices as possible. The more you cut it when raw, the slimier it will get.

We’re used to it being stewed in gumbos. But it can be fried a million ways, pickled, grilled, baked, sauteed, eaten raw, stuffed, and blanched. The seeds can be ground for coffee and the leaves can even be used to treat skin wounds!

Okra is also a nutritional powerhouse. It’s high in fiber (2.5g per 6 pods), Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Protein, Niacin, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper, and Iron.

Seriously, folks. Rejoice in the amazing Okra! And enjoy it while it’s here for the summer.

Agriculture uses 3 times as much potable water as all other forms of human consumption, COMBINED. A full 80% of the water we use in the US is for agriculture. Organic agriculture uses 30%-50% less water than conventional ag. Agriculture also consumes more oil than any other activity except for driving. 400 gallons of oil per year per citizen is consumed for our food. Only 20% of that is from seed to harvest. The rest is in transportation.

You really can make a huge difference for Sustainability just by what you eat. Here are 10 great ways to eat for Sustainability:

1. REAL
• Eat real food, mostly plants, with a small amount of meat as an accent rather than the main ingredient (Michael Pollan)
• Cheap processed food doesn’t reflect its true cost. Plan ahead to avoid them

2. VALUE
• Re-define the way food is valued and fit into the household economy
• Spend money on wholesome foods, not supplements

3. FLEXIBILTY
• Cook from ingredients rather than recipes (See recipe section of Greenling.com)
• Read blogs and the internet for ideas to use what you have and what’s in season

4. EDUCATION
• Ask questions about where your food comes from, everywhere you eat
• Know the farmer who produced it or have a surrogate (like Greenling) to know the farmer for you

5. SEASONALITY
• Learn to stop thinking of out-of-season items as everyday necessities or staples
• Learn seasons ahead of time so you can plan for their bounty

6. PRESERVE
• Learn to preserve and save leftovers to be incorporated into other dishes/meals to eliminate waste
• Can or freeze fruits and vegetables in season. Make your own stock and sauces

7. VARIETY
• The more diverse your diet is, the healthier and happier you will be
• Try new things rather than relying on a few standard ingredients

8. FLAVOR
• Appreciate food for flavor and slow down to enjoy it
• Stop judging produce by its shape, size, and color (some delicious local produce wouldn’t win a beauty contest)

9. INNOVATE
• Learn to cook, appreciate, and enjoy lesser-known foods that are in season
• Don’t be afraid to make stuff up! If it tastes good, you just discovered a new recipe.

10. TOGETHER
• Cook and eat with friends and family. We all know that food can sometimes be a great pleasure…why shouldn’t it always?
• Join discussion groups and list-serves to collaborate on ideas

Eating and living with sustainability in mind isn’t always easy, but it’s especially not easy when you live in an apartment and the grocery store isn’t within walking distance.  I have often lamented over the sad state of my not-so green thumb; how eco-friendly I could be if I grew my own food, herbs, anything!

But all this beautiful weather (minus those tornadoes!) has me inspired! Why can’t I have a green thumb! Surely there is a plant for beginners! Something small and simple, but beautiful and useful. Something I can grow and harvest myself. What could it be…

Oregano!

As a woman of Italian-American decent, I know the delicious merits of oregano. It’s a delectable staple of my cultural cuisine, but it’s also a simple to grow herb for apartment dwellers and also for kids who are interested in gardening.

To get started, pick a soil free of chemicals, something you want food growing from, and cute little pot. Fill the pot with  soil and a little sand, leaving one inch of space between the top of the soil and the rim of the pot.

Place your seeds atop the soil and mist with a bit of water, then cover with a bit if plastic wrap and leave in a sunny window. Here’s the best part. Leave it and wait. Spend the next few days relaxing.

After about ten days, the seed should begin to sprout, when this happens remove the plastic wrap and gaze in wonder; you’re now a proud plant parent.

Save your plant baby the trauma of immediately going outdoors and gradually move it from a shaded area of your patio or balcony, into a sunny area. When the oregano is ready, it’ll need all that sunlight.

Water only when the soil seems to be damp (which may be often in this Texas heat) and be careful of cold nights and in no time you’ll be able to trim fresh oregano for your favorite Italian dishes.

You can harvest your oregano at any point in the growing season, but oregano’s flavor is best when the flowers are beginning to form. It’s best to harvest your cilantro from the outside leaves first and then go inward and downward, but be sure there are leaves still attached to the base, so your oregano can continue to grow.

And simple gardeners we all shall be! What next? Rosemary, basil?