Detox Diet: Day 2

When I embarked upon this three day detox diet (will probably do five days), I did not think it was a big deal. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies anyway so I felt like I would be barely changing anything. Boy, did I underestimate the amount of processed foods and caffeine I was consuming. I normally start off my morning with a latte or cup of green tea and then have another cup of tea in the afternoon. And over the past few weeks, I have probably consumed 3 -4 pieces of pure sugar (in the form of Christmas candy, cookies, etc.) a day. So believe me when I say that I can feel a difference in just two days. And not in a good way! I feel like I have a hangover. Forty-eight hours of oatmeal, veggies, and water seems like an eternity. My steamed veggies for today consisted of red peppers, edamame, sweet potatoes, and spinach.

So why do it?! I truly believe detoxing helps your body's natural cleansing system to operate more efficiently. Our bodies are designed to be self cleaning but we often fill them with so much junk that we literally clog the system. I also wanted to detox to re-set my sugar cravings. I can usually turn down any dessert that falls short of being a gourmet masterpiece. So when I start eating random cookies, I know it's time for a change.

I will continue at least through tomorrow and probably through Friday. I will keep you posted.

Meatless Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Detox Diet!

So I've decided to start of 2011 with a week of detoxing. What better time than after indulging in two weeks worth of dishes and desserts that I don't normally eat? I initially planned to do a juice detox for the week however I think that is a bit intense for me at this point so I opted for a steamed veggie detox instead.

Even though I eat well and generally consume a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, I must say that the first day was a bit difficult. My steamed veggies consisted of red pepper, squash, spinach, and carrots. However, I kept fantasizing about bacon and burgers. The funny thing is I rarely eat those foods!

I tried to stick to the following plan from Dr. Elson M. Haas' The New Detox Diet book.

Morning (upon arising): Two glasses of pure water, one glass with half a lemon squeezed into it.

Breakfast: One piece of fresh fruit (at room temperature), such as apple, pear, banana, grapes or citrus. Chew well, mixing each bite with saliva.
15-30 minutes later: One bowl of cooked whole grains, specifically millet, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, raw buckwheat or buckwheat. Flavoring can be two tablespoons of fruit juice for sweetener, or use the "better butter" mixture mentioned below with a little salt or tamari for a deeper flavor.

Lunch (noon-1 pm): One-two medium bowls of steamed vegetables. Use a variety, including roots, stems and greens (e.g. potatoes & yams, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, asparagus, kale, chard, cabbage.) Chew well!

Dinner (5-6 pm): Same as Lunch
Seasoning: Butter/Canola oil mixture-make this "better butter" by missing a half cup of cold-pressed canola oil (or olive or flaxseed oil) into a soft (room temperature) half-pound of butter, then place in a dish and refrigerate. use about one teaspoon per meal or a maximum of 3 teaspoons daily.

11 am and 3 pm: one-two cups vegetable water, saved from steamed vegetables. Add a little seasalt or kelp and drink slowly, mixing each mouthful with saliva.

Evening: Herbal teas only, such as peppermint, chamomile, pau d'arco or blends.

NOTE: You may feel a little weak or have a few symptoms the first couple of days; this will pass. Clarity and feeling good should appear by day 3 or 4, if not before. If during this diet you start to feel weak or hungry, assess your water intake and elimination. You needed, you can eat a small portion of protein food (3-4 ounces) in the mid-afternoon. This could be fish, free-range, organic chicken or some beans.

I am not a medical professional nor am I endorsing this detox plan but I will keep you posted as the week progresses. And yes, I already broke down and ate 4 ounces of wild salmon today. I did 40 minutes of cardio this morning and I was starving!