Ripe London

Days 20 & 21: Hooray! Now what?

A few days ago I was coming home on the tube when a young couple started chatting with me.  Somehow we got onto the topic of what you’d have for your last meal if you were on death row (I didn’t bring this up, honest).  The guy said he’d have a spread of his favourite fast foods: McDonald’s cheeseburger and fries, Burger King milkshake – supersize (do they even sell these anymore?)  He was almost salivating, looking off into the distance with a big grin. It felt ironic to me (but somehow fitting) that his ideal final meal was so, well, lifeless.

If it seems like my 21-day detox is extreme and ridiculously restrictive, I’d say it’s all about your state of mind.  In these three weeks of no animal products, gluten, alcohol, caffeine and sugar, I’ve had great fun experimenting in the kitchen, I’m squeezing comfortably back into my skinny cords and my energy levels have soared.  I’ve fallen in love with smoothies again – the beautiful pastels, the silky goodness, the fact that they’re only about 250 calories and I still crave them like crazy.

The only thing I’ve really missed and am excited about having again is bread.  Not banana pancakes, not quiche, not even hot chocolate.  Bread.  To celebrate, I’ve bought myself a loaf of cranberry pecan sourdough from Whole Foods, a truly addictive little sucker that I'll be greedily tucking into tomorrow.  I’m also looking forward to enjoying wine again.  As for sugar, I think the 21-day tastebud-retraining rule actually works.  Aside from having found a great alternative in agave nectar, refined sugar just seems so boring and predictable to me now.

And you already knew it was coming:  I’m going to keep the vegan thing going for another week.  Just one more week, for a total of 30 days.  I got the idea from Steve Pavlina’s blog.  I’m not ready to slap the vegan label on myself yet, or any label for that matter.  It’s working for me and it feels good, so why not stick with it – for now.  For inspiration (and motivation!) I’ll be referring to another gem I found today, FatFree Vegan Kitchen (see, wasting time on the Internet can actually be quite fruitful).

I knew that throughout this detox I’d have to come to terms with the grip food has had on me. But instead of feeling deprived, I’ve felt incredibly full.  I’m eating and eating, but the weight just melts right off.  And every time I look at my plate, I see life.

Day 19: Thank-You Notes

The day before I started this 21-day detox, I made a vow to be more appreciative – to take more note of what’s great in my life.  To that end, I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal.  I got the idea, of course, from Oprah, who learned it from Sarah Ban Breathnach who wrote about it in her book Simple Abundance.

One day Ban Breathnach found herself stuck in a funk and unable to see her way out.  Suddenly, she was struck with a message from within: “Sit down and write 50 things you’re grateful for, and don’t get up until you do.”  It took her hours, but the experience taught her that appreciation is the key to satisfaction.  The author recommends a more streamlined, practical approach: every night before you go off to sleep, make note of just five things you appreciate that day. These could be big things like the love of friends and family, or little things like warm flannel sheets (a big thing these days, if you ask me!)

This practice has been a truly wonderful addition to my life, and not just because it puts a smile on my face before I go to bed.  It also makes me more aware during the day since I have to keep an eye out for those five things I’ll write down later.  I encourage you to give it a try.

One of the things I’m grateful for are all the fun free things to do in London.  And last night I enjoyed a new one – the Dana Centre talks at the Science Museum.  A number of great food-focused ones are coming up, including Eat Leaner, Live Longer? and Sustainable Seafood.  Last night’s topic, Future Foods, drew a packed house to debate GM issues. I also noticed some very alluring food coming out of the café – something else to appreciate once I’m off my detox, definitely.

Check out the upcoming talks at the Science Museum’s Dana Centre.  All are free, but you need to email them to pre-book a ticket.

Day 18: Baby, it's cold inside

When people moan about the British weather, what we really should be referring to is the British heating – or rather lack of it.  The weather here is just fine; the problem is that you can’t take your coat off when you get inside.  I remember roasting during winter in my Brooklyn apartment because the radiators were so powerful; I’d have to crack open the windows to get some sleep when there was a foot of snow on the ground.

This was especially evident last night when I went with my friend Kara to see Slumdog Millionaire, a great movie with an even better soundtrack.  It was 2-for-1 Orange Wednesdays at Odeon, something I had strangely never taken advantage of even though a) I live five minutes from an Odeon b) I’m an Orange customer and c) I whine almost as much about the price of movies in this country as I do about the poor temperature control.  The queue was enormous, and Odeon must be feeling the brunt of it; it was clear to me the boilers were conveniently shut down.  I guess there really is no such thing as a free lunch.

Even my pre-pub crawl curry and bhajis didn’t succeed in keeping the chill off, but the fact that we stunk of Indian food for the whole of the film was a nice touch, I thought.  What, this doesn’t look like detox food to you?  It is in this house. Next time I’ll have to throw in some extra-hot chillies.

Slumdog Bhajis
Makes as many as you want

equal parts onion and potato, grated
a couple of shakes of gram flour
a couple of dashes of korma curry powder
Maldon sea salt
Mild olive oil (extra virgin has too high a smoking point for this)

Mix everything but the oil with a fork and let it sit for a bit while the salt works its magic on releasing the water from the onion.  Get the oil very hot and drop the batter into it in small batches.  Flip the bhajis when they brown on the bottom and keep cooking.  Drain on paper towel and serve with plenty of mango chutney.

If this looks like a pretty vague recipe, it’s because I just eyeball the amounts.  I don’t claim authenticity here, only what I can describe as an easy Indian-influenced hash brown.  I haven’t had a disappointed customer yet.

Day 17: Where there's a will...

Could it be?  Did I fall off the wagon in the home stretch?  Did I shove the cashew cream and make-believe muesli out the window and run out to the nearest Paul with only five days left?  No, dear friends, this is what happens when you’re on detox, have some time on your hands, your flat is freezing and the craving for thick hot chocolate hits.  Well, it’s what happens to me anyway.

So I got in the kitchen, pushed up two layers of sleeves and started experimenting.  The results were nothing short of comforting.  See how the top puckers!  Behold how it pushes up playfully against the inside of the cup!  The interesting thing is that, wonder of wonders, after 17 days on this cleanse I couldn’t fathom having an entire mug of anything as rich as this.  Instead, I finally put to use my espresso cups.

Ya didn’t think it was possible, did you?  Detox-friendly thick hot chocolate?  Only on Ripe London, of course.

Detox Hot Choc
Serves one cheeky detox devotee

2 teaspoons 100% cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
A few specks of Maldon Sea Salt
a sprinkling of chilli powder
a good dash of cinnamon
1 teaspoon Agave nectar (a natural sweetener with minimal effect on blood-sugar levels)
soy milk to fill a demitasse cup

Put everything but the soy milk into the cup and blend until you get a fudgy paste.  Meanwhile, heat the soy milk in a small saucepan.  When it starts to bubble, add a little bit of the soy milk to the cup and stir to dissolve.  Now pour the rest of the soy milk into the cup, stir and then pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan.  Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and keep stirring until it thickens.  Serve and smile.

Day 16: Yeehaw!

Nothing more to report today, really.

Day 15: The Opposition

There are plenty of detox detractors out there.  Their arguments go something like this:  “Our bodies de-toxify themselves.  It’s a waste of time.”

True, our bodies are incredibly adept at processing and eliminating stuff without us even having to think about it.  But I’m pretty sure they were never created to withstand what we put in them.  Just like you take your car in for a service check, the wear and tear of modern life means human tune-ups aren’t optional.

Hot chocolate notwithstanding, I tend to eat a fairly healthy diet.  But after just two weeks on this cleanse I’m feeling a notable difference.  Not only do my clothes fit better, I also need less sleep and my mood has lifted.  Yet the most positive outcome so far has been a renewed reverence and respect for my body. 

In keeping with the spirit, I did a major stock-up today at Julian Graves.  Unfortunately there aren’t many stores around London, but the selection and prices are much better than at Holland & Barrett.  In fact, I stopped going to H&B when I noticed their prices seem awfully over-inflated before the perpetual “sale” sticker is slapped over them.  Since this is starting to sound like an ad, I'll add that "healthy" stores can harbour some spectacularly unhealthy stuff.  As they say, always read the label – especially if it says “2 for 1.”

I don’t know how the brand managers at Walkers can possibly live with themselves promoting stuff like these "festive edition" crisps I spotted at Clapham Junction, and I believe in ten years time – and hopefully much sooner – ads like these (along with the 9 to 5) will be a thing of the past.

Days 13 & 14: Great Gains

I’m not a fan of gyms and prefer to workout outside, but I love these ads for Virgin Active.  I hope Brown and Cameron find them as funny as I do.

I don’t mean to be flippant about it, but isn’t the credit crunch genius?  If everything happens for a good reason, as I believe it does, then the current economic crisis is just part of a necessary cultural evolution leading us to live for life rather than for work.  In short, it’s forcing us to lighten up.

A few days ago KPMG announced it would offer employees a four-day workweek in exchange for a paycut.  Hallelujah!  The world is waking up!  Who cares if they’re doing it “to avoid job loss,” this is exactly the kind of change we need.  With the communication tools we have today, there’s just no need to be in an office five days a week.  Telecommuting is the way of the future, and I hope this latest development means we’re getting closer.  It’s greener.  It’s saner.  It’s common sense.  I could go on and on about this, so I’ll stop now.

My friend Hadley is suspicious that my 21-day detox is really just an excuse for my inner control freak to have her way.  Guilty as charged, I’m sure; but I think I’m also quite good at processing constructive criticism.  In fact, I love getting it.  It makes me think, and it ultimately makes me better for it.

Last night, the inner control freak faced a challenge: a group dinner at Tayyabs.  I don’t know how this place has managed to escape me for the five years I’ve lived here, and the fact that I get invited there during detox can’t be a coincidence.

It’s BYOB so easy for me to turn down drinks.  Ben, who organised the dinner and whom I now affectionately call the “detox devil,” promised me the tap water was quite exceptional after singing the praises of the place’s mango lassi.  He had also been prepping us over email for the lamb chops, of which platefuls arrived – along with an assortment of other grilled meat.  But I didn’t feel left out at all; he ordered every veggie dish on the menu, and every one was a knockout.  I’ve tried a lot of Indian food in England, but Tayyabs truly deserves the enormous queue outside.

Now, I’m betting there was ghee in there.  Lots of it.  I had a pretty good hunch even before my first bite.  It occurred to me for a second to ask the waiter if any dishes were vegan.  Then I told the inner control freak to lighten up.

Tayyabs is at 83 Fieldgate Street, E1 1JU.  Everything came to £17 per person, so even those “short-changed” KPMGers will be able to manage.

Day 12: Long Live Learning

My name is Jessica Stone, and I am a recovering sugarholic.  Having just spent my Friday evening at a seminar on metabolic ageing, I am also a nutrition nerd.  Or just plain weird.  Actually, I need as much motivation as I can get on this 21-day detox, and this lecture was just what the Chinese doctor ordered.

Unlike the sales-y approach at Monday’s addiction talk (okay, so that’s twice in one week – now you can worry about me), nutritionist Gosia Desmond filled over two hours with truly useful info.  The highlight for me was when she discussed “secrets of centenarians”.  It was riveting stuff – sort of like watching a National Geographic special.   She introduced us to the long-living Abkhasians, Vilcabambans, Okinawas and, surprisingly to me, Seventh-day Adventists.  What do these people have in common?  Yep, a plant-based diet.  They also keep physically fit and have strong community support, yes, but it’s the vegetarian thing that struck a special chord.  And these people don't just live longer, they live well.

Towards the end of the seminar, Desmond played a clip of Dr. Ellsworth Wareham, a 94-year-old heart surgeon.  He looks about 65. He’s also a vegan.  Now this hit home – my mother had a heart attack last year and, just weeks later, was treated for several more arterial blockages.  I was intrigued and inspired to learn that patients with heart disease who are put on a plant-based diet show remarkably reduced arterial blockage in just three weeks.  Good news, mum!

I couldn’t figure out how old Desmond was; she had this – dare I say it – ageless quality.  It made me very curious about her diet, and at the end of the seminar she revealed that she has been a vegan for 15 years.  Again, when I really think things through, it does feel intuitively like the ideal way to eat.  But can I do it?  I’m finding it very easy going without meat again, but do I want a life without thick hot chocolate?  What about quiche?  Quiche.  But what about thick heart blockages and quick fat around the middle?

Lots to digest.

The College of Naturopathic Medicine will hold an upcoming seminar on cancer-fighting foods.  Something tells me sticky toffee pudding isn't on the list.

Day 11: Bells & Whistles

Not being a suit, I rarely work in the Square Mile. And today, I got lucky. No, not that kind of lucky – I’m on a he-tox, remember?

I doubted that I would find something that would tick all my detox boxes in the chain-ridden City. But a Google search came up with The Place Below in the crypt of St Mary le Bow. Bingo.

I’ve been irresistibly drawn to church cafés ever since moving to London. St Martin in the Fields’ was an easy find, but the French gem at St Etheldreda still feels like a closely-guarded secret. And now, The Place Below.

It’s the kind of place I wish I ran, especially when I learned that the owner, Bill Sewell, used to be an accountant. I love stories about people who’ve ditched their corporate handcuffs as much as I love church cafés, especially this one. It’s vegetarian with plenty of vegan (read cleanse-friendly) dishes, the menu changes daily, they do a discount during non-peak hours and the dining room is charming simplicity. Pepper grinders on each table are a very nice touch, too, and should be par for the course everywhere.

I went for the “healthbowl,” a filling mix of puy lentils, brown rice, vegetables, mushrooms and sprouts with a sesame-ginger dressing. I eyed the homemade desserts and vowed to return.

Like the aforementioned churches, the place above also doubles as a tourist attraction. A Sir Christopher Wren masterpiece, you were a true cockney if you lived within the sound of its bells.

There’s also a takeaway counter, so no excuses for a lame lunch. But as I walked back to my office du jour, dodging harried suits clutching Pret bags, I wondered how many of them have stopped for a moment to hear the bells. And really listened.

The Place Below in St Mary le Bow church is in Cheapside, EC2V 6AU.  Sit by the chapel door if you can.

Days 9 & 10: Mirror, Mirror

Recognise that the other person is you.
– One of the many wonderful quotes on Yogi tea bags.

A sure-fire way to feel better about yourself is to invite people over.  But not just because of the reasons you might think. 

No matter how explicitly you communicated the details of where you live, included a link to Streetmap and gave turn-by-turn walking/bus options from the tube, you can guarantee that your phone will be buzzing with questions about how to get to your place. 

As you’re running around the house getting everything in order you’ll wonder how people manage the more complex aspects of their lives when they can’t follow simple instructions.  That is, of course, until you’re the guest; and, minutes before the start of a soiree – or, more likely well into the appointed time – you catch yourself dialing your exasperated host.

We can only see and appreciate that which we know.  So, when you admire certain qualities in someone, understand it’s because you possess those same attributes yourself.  Likewise, when we criticize, we are actually identifying the disowned behavior in ourselves.  This is an incredible, life-changing insight.

So is the fact that everybody loves guacamole, especially a hostess run off her feet.  You don’t need a recipe, it brightens up the table and lets you show off a couple of tricks when you make it in front of your guests.  It also happens to be detox friendly!

You need good, ripe Hass avocados.  The first trick is don’t skin the avocado.  Once you’ve halved and twisted it open, simply use your knife to slice a grid through the flesh just to the skin.  Then use a big spoon to scoop out the pieces into your bowl.  Don’t toss out the stone yet – you’ll see why.

Next, chop tomatoes (I do a small one per avocado), squeeze them to remove seeds and juice, and throw them into the mix.  Now add torn cilantro/coriander, chopped and de-seeded jalapeños (if you like it hot – I tend to leave them out), lots of freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.  Mash everything up with the back of a fork, but keep it nice and chunky.

The other neat trick is to tuck that stone you kept into the guac – it keeps it from going brown.  Nature is so clever.  And we really are all the same.  We all share the same fundamental fears and the same desire: to be loved.  Even if we don’t all have the same tolerance level for jalapeños.