Leez

Thought I'd post up a couple things I did during the 28 days that made things more enjoyable. Maybe it will give you some ideas of your own.

Coffee Substitutes: I tried three of them: Pero, Roma, Cafix. Of the three, I prefer Cafix. It has less of a grain taste and a little more bite, which makes it more reminiscent of coffee. Make no mistake, it is not coffee, but it does have an aroma and its pleasant tasting. Roma would be next because it's crystals instead of powder. Mixes easier and you don't get a half cup full of foam like you do with Pero.
Both Pero and Cafix are GMO-free. Roma is likely not. For any of these, I needed two heaping spoonfuls per cup to get some decent body to the blend.

Phase2: My secret weapon for enjoying Phase2: RHUBARB
Everyone dislikes this phase because there is no fruit. What I found was that I could use stewed rhubarb anytime I wanted that sweet-tart fruit taste. I dipped chicken tenders in it, I used it like applesauce with any meats, I had it for breakfast and desserts. If you want something sweet and crunchy, you can dip the raw stalks into xylitol crystals and munch away. Or you can dip jicama or cucumber slices in it.

Stewed rhubarb: Add about about a half cup of water and a pinch of salt to a bag of frozen rhubarb cuts. Bring to boil and stir until the fibers break down into what looks like chunky applesauce. Remove from heat and sweeten to taste with xylitol or stevia.

Kelp noodles (Sea Tangle) and Miracle noodles are also options for P2 that can make it easier to get through. A nice stir-fry or a cold asian-style salad are nice additions to the Phase2 options. The kelp noodles have a water-chestnut like crunch, but if you want them soft, just add some acid like lemon juice or vinegar to your sauce.

The need for chocolate: Easy enough on Phase 3 when you can make cocoa crack or lemon truffles, but what to do on Phase 1? I make aduki bean fudge with my protein allowance at either lunch or dinner. Aduki beans have a natural sweetness that you can capitalize on. Drain well and puree your half cup of aduki beans and add 2 T or more cocoa powder and powdered xylitol to taste. The powders firm up the beans into a soft fudge consistency. Add a pinch of salt, some vanilla or other flavor you like and you can either eat it as spoon fudge, or you can roll it into balls and dust with more cocoa powder to make a truffle.

Breakfast vegetables: Some combos that I liked:
Phase 1:
Sweetened spiced pumpkin or stewed rhubarb on sprouted grain toast
Butternut squash with nutmeg, cinnamon and xylitol. Add sunflower seed or walnuts for Phase3
Butternut squash puree mixed into your oatmeal with blueberries
Sweet potato with pineapple

Phase 2: Breakfast smoothie: Scoop NOW unflavored pea protein, frozen power greens (baby spinach, baby kale, baby chard) at least a half cup of stewed rhubarb, fresh lime and a knob of ginger. More sweetener to taste. Not the greatest, but sometimes you just can't face meat so early in the morning. I can't use Hayley's Phase 2 meal replacement because it contains xanthan gum, which I have to avoid because it's a corn product. But I think if I could, it would be worth getting it for phase 2, since I believe it might be more pleasant tasting than my concoction. Although the base is the same (pea protein and greens), I understand it has predominantly a vanilla flavor, kind of like cake batter.

Nut milks: If you cant use almond or coconut milks, or can't find any without additives, you can buy organic hemp hearts and make a yummy nut milk yourself super easily. Put your 1/4 cup allotment in a blender jar and whizz up with about a cup of water until milky. (I used my immersion blender) Thats it. If you don't mind some tiny bits, you don't even have to strain it. I just added some vanilla and drank it straight. It has a lovely nutty flavor.