Doing a 30 day cleanse is no joke. A couple of days ago, I surpassed the halfway mark, and thought to myself “I’m not done yet?!” Nope. I still have many many many days to go.
So, remember how I told you I wasn’t going to white-knuckle my way through this? Well, I started to feel my grip tightening this week. I felt my resolve shaking and the draw for a piece of cake grew larger. This was no longer an issue of commitment, it was the beginning of deprivation.
Deprivation is NOT okay. Deprivation sends me (and you, too) into really unhealthy mindsets and behaviors. So, how do I deal with my deprivation and still stay the course?
I compromise.
I add rice noodles to my chicken and veggie soup when I’m feeling white-knuckly. I make some healthy chocolates. I grill a burger, top it with tomatoes, homemade pickles, fresh cilantro, and then I wrap it in butter lettuce.
I found organic daikon radishes at the salvage grocery store last week for less than $1. I had no idea what to do with them. I knew they would be slightly spicy, an unusual texture and fun to play with. So, what’s a girl on a white-knuckle free cleanse to do?
I MADE FRIES.
Those nagging feelings of deprivation, the unhealthy beginnings of berating myself while feeling out of control while attempting to exert ALL the control evaporated. I gave myself permission to eat, to enjoy a compliant treat. I just needed to think outside the box for a minute.
Full disclosure: These are oven fries. They don’t get super crispy. They are also naturally spicy on their own, which I love but my friend didn’t. But I thought they were damn tasty and I would eat them again, cleanse or not.
Daikon fries would also be great with some siracha mayo, especially if you’re a fan of spicy food. (Siracha mayo recipe: add siracha sauce to mayo and stir until combined. Rocket science, right?) The fries were plenty tasty on their own with just a little salt and paprika, though.
Ingredients
- 2 large daikon radishes
- 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
- paprika
- sea salt
Directions
- Peel daikon radishes like a carrot.
- Cut into matchsticks. (The skinner the cut, the crispier the fries will be.)
- Coat in melted coconut oil, and spread evenly on a baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with paprika, and bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes, turning fries over halfway through the baking process.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt. Eat immediately.
You could probably deep fry these as well, and they would taste super amazing. I’ll probably try that sometime when I’m feeling like I need some deep fried goodness. Until then, the oven is great, and the daikon might be my new favorite veggie.
Fries Forever,
Carrie