Last Monday, my girlfriends and I started the Fat Flush Plan by Ann Louise Gittleman. We’re doing a two week liver detox that consists of lean protein, fruit, cranberry water and lots of veggies and greens (no alcohol, no coffee, no flour, no dairy among other delicious food categories). Yum, yum (cough, cough)! It’s an extreme and rigorous two weeks but in the end, my liver will be clean as a whistle. Thank goodness for my girlfriends though; I don’t think I would have lasted one day on my own.
In anticipation for our last day of the diet (which is next Sunday the 20th- not that I’ve been counting), I bought these decadent Honeyed Lemon and Tarragon Fleur de Sel Caramels from La Bella Caramella.
Did I mention I’m getting a 1/2 pound box? Yes, I will be sharing with the other liver detox troopers. These will be a perfect (small) treat for after our celebratory salmon dinner on Sunday to rejoice that our 14 days of Liver Detox is over, and yes, feel proud of ourselves for sticking to it in spite of numerous opportunities to fall off the wagon. Hopefully this will help bring us back to normal eating in the real world. Whether or not they help usher in our new and improved eating habits, they will taste delicious! Five days until Caramels & Carbs …
I love that your Dad commented here! Let us know how those caramels are. They are definitely making my mouth water!
-Michelle
…but of course, the debate on cellulite is a whole 'nother story!
Hi Dad,
Thanks for popping in. You should do so more often.
All scientific arguments aside, even if my liver now does not look like the age of a 12 year old's pristine, healthy liver, the fact that this 'liver detox' has rid my body of cellulite (however temporarily) has me quite delighted. I actually never thought that was possible. Who knew? Clean living and poof! no cellulite.
You've inspired me to write a longer blog post about all the good stuff about the liver fast! And, I'll start with the cellulite…
Love, Your Daughter
Dearest Daughter, greatest CEO on the planet, Queen of Soap, etc, etc,
You Rock. But, not alas as a medical scientist.
A diet of lean protein, fruits (including cranberry, blueberries, and other high anti-oxidant stuff) and veggies and greens is a WONDERFUL diet for LIFE, every day, for ever. Add some nuts, olive oil and fish and regular exercise in there and you are living healthy. The evidence is solid that we would all, all of the time be better off without animal products including dairy (read The China Study). Avoiding flour is a good idea for the up to 15% who may be gluten sensitive, but otherwise an unnecessary deprivation — except that flour is so often the foundation for otherwise useless creations (cookies, white bread, dare I say it…..cupcakes). The evidence is neutral on coffee in modest amounts. The latest evidence for WOMEN (men were not studied) is that alcohol in any amount increases the risk of cancer – especially of the breast (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090224163555.htm ) –and it is the only thing on your list that is truly toxic to your liver.
But, it is absolute undiluted bovine excrement that there exists the ability to or utility in intermittently “detoxifying” your liver. It is a silly concept. It leads to the idea that “if I just clean out my liver filter like I regularly change the oil filter on my car, I can abuse my body the rest of the time, until my liver filter fills up again.” It just does not work that way.
Nothing, in this post, should, of course be taken to mean, that I, personally, want my next Father’s Day Dinner to look anything remotely like your so-called detox diet – a reprise of the fig-stilton squares (http://soap-queen.blogspot.com/2009/09/fig-and-stilton-square-recipe-not-soap.html) and butterscotch pecan cake (http://soap-queen.blogspot.com/2009/01/butterscotch-butterscotch-cake.html ) would be a fine starting place.
Few of us ever approach a consistent application of our highest ideals (though I stand in humble admiration that the Soap Queen comes about as close as anyone I know) and to be inconsistent is a natural human trait. But, misinformation remains such even if held with sincere passion. We still got to get the science right.
Daddy (Richard Faiola, MD, ABFM)
I can give up on alcohol and coffee for 2 weeks, but flour and dairy? No way! I'd need more than friends to help me through; I'd need a lock for my mouth! LOL!
ahem. i like lemongrass
and of course WHO does not like
coconut…
but in Caramel?
just can't reconcile the two flavors…
While you're shopping, you should try her Thai Coconut & Lemongrass…Mmmm. They are awesome!
that is dedication
I LOVE flavored caramels! And congrats on making it so far! I'd love to do something like that but of course doing things on your own is much harder.