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!