A New Canvas

January: Clean

Listening to: "Beautiful Things" Gungor

http://youtu.be/OR7VOKQ0xJY

Before any artist can begin a new work they must prepare their work space.  There must be a clean, inspiring medium on which they project their inspiration.  This month my goal is to cleanse myself and create a new canvas.  

I will wipe the slate clean.  

Ironically even in wiping a slate clean there is always the memory of yesterday, a lingering residue.  But some of the greatest works of art ever conceived were born onto a grimy surface.  The sistine chapel was around 30 years old when Michelangelo began his attempt at painting the grand structures vaulted ceiling.  That's 30 years of gathering dust, mildew, grime and pollution!  Yet Michelangelo took the less than perfect canvas that chapel offered and created a masterpiece.  Like the sistine chapel, I too have had 30 years to collect multiple layers of grime.  So much that my soul is beginning to resemble one of Dickens' street urchins.  

  In this month of CLEAN, I am not attempting to erase the past, rather let it go and allow my imperfect canvas the room for a piece de resistance.  

Obviously this idea of a january cleanse is not original.  I even unoriginally googled "cleanse" and found over 11 million search results! The unique part of this cleanse is the goal goes beyond fitting back into pants (although MAJOR alarm bells went off when even my strrrreeeeetchy pants seemed tight)it also aims to clean the mind and the spirit.  The tenants of this cleanse are as follows:

clean eating 

no alcohol

no tv/media entertainment

10 min of meditation

Thankfully I overindulged in all of the "off-limit" items prior to this cleanse.  I haven't had a TV for 8 years, but I do occasionally watch movies/shows on my iPad.  I am happy to say I binge watched Sister Wives on Netflix (don't do it, you won't be able to stop!) prior to beginning this journey and, whew, I finished it today.  So, I can walk into this cleanse with a little less trepidation!  

If you choose to walk into this cleanse with me I invite you with open (& dirty) arms, a shopping list in hand.

As organic as possible:

Large bag of carrots

Bunch of beets (greens still intact)

Bunch of Kale

Lemon

Lime

Honeycrisp Apples

Pineapple

Sweet Potato

Pear

Cucumber

Wheatgrass

Eggs

Sprouted grain English Muffins

Raw Almonds

Pearl Jasmine Green Tea

Quinoa

I know often it is difficult to find (or afford) organics so below is the Clean 15/Dirty dozen, which chronicles the produce that is the most critical for you to buy organic.  I am sure most of you are scratching your heads about now thinking how on earth is she going to utilize this seemingly random combination, but never fear tomorrow is near and making meals out of nothing is my superpower!  ( I mean really try me, give me a list of weird ingredients and I will make you a gourmet treat!)  Get excited for pics of wheatgrass shots and menus!