Monday, June 1, 2009

When the Husband's Away . . . .

My husband left on a business trip yesterday and I'm in hog heaven. I got to sleep peacefully in my bed without someone keeping me awake half the night snoring, and there was no mess in the kitchen to clean up this morning (not to mention no mess on the bedroom floor).


My husband being out of town also means I don't have to worry what he wants to eat. My husband generally looks askance at any meal that doesn't include meat (and fish doesn't count), and he barely tolerates vegetarian meals.

He's not really that big of a fan of anything too "healthy" either, so at least once a week I have to serve something he really likes such as rigatoni with sausages and meatballs (with regular, not whole wheat, pasta), hamburgers or something fried or laden with cheese and cream.


But when he's gone, not only can I eat exactly what I want to eat, I really don't have to cook. The kids are satisfied with something nuked in the microwave, and I can make do with something as simple as a salad or a baked sweet potato.


Business trips are also an opportuntiy to go far "healthier" than I ever could when my husband is home. In warmer weather, I often like to use my husband's absences to go on juice fasts--something impossible to do when he's around. With one less person in the house to feed and clean up after, it's a perfect opportunity to relax and detox.


This week, I'm taking the opportunity to do a mini detox as well, but not a juice fast. Although it's June, it's still a bit chilly here in New England to go completely without cooked food. This morning, the temperature was barely 40 degrees outside and our heat came on.


So instead of a full scale juice vast, I'm just further dialing back my diet to help my body rid itself of some toxins (and hopefully some weight as well). I cut out caffeine and alcohol for the entire time he's gone, and am eating completely organic.


Yesterday I had freshly extracted juice for breakfast (watermelon and fresh raspberries), a salad consisting of completely raw ingredients for lunch, and steamed broccoli and brown rice with a lemon vinaigrette for dinner. Snacks consisted of dried apricots and almonds.


Today I had freshly extracted juice for breakfast (pineapple and blueberry), a salad consisting of completely raw ingredients for lunch and two baked sweet potatoes for dinner. Snacks are grapes and almonds.


Tomorrow, I'll again have juice for breakfast and salad for lunch, and then my husband will be home for dinner. I'm planning on making a vegetarian pasta loaded with fresh veggies, including tomatoes and arugula and other healthy ingredients such as olives. He'll probably eat steak every night he's gone so he'll be less inclined to complain about a meatless meal tomorrow.


I love business trips!! I just wish the recession would be over so that he'll go on more of them again.

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