Happy ‘almost’ New Year! I don’t know about you, but my holidays have been wonderful. Great friends, family and food. And lots of food! Probably too much. Lots of butter and cheese! Every new year I pick some random ‘diet’ to jump start a fit year. Usually I go meatless or all raw. This year I’ve decided to do a ‘get clean detox’. Detoxing is a way to flush your system of toxins. Detoxes really shouldn’t be longer than a few days. Personal I’ve decided on a week (5 days) and then sporadically through out the rest of the year.
Every morning I start of with 20-24 ounces of ‘detox water’. I’ll post the ingredients in a minute. At the beginning of every meal, I drink the detox water (20-24 ounces) and 8 ounces of green tea at the beginning of each snack. As always, 3 medium size meals and 2-3 snacks is pretty standard for any diet. I try to stay away from cooked foods with the exception of beans/legumes. I will list the foods to consume at the end of the post as well. Hydration is key during any detox! Personally I stay away from all meats, however lean organic turkey, chicken and fish is acceptable, but once a day at the most. Always keep in mind portion sizes, webmd has a good guideline —->> http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/portion-control-size-guide. Remember not to starve yourself. This isn’t about losing weight but about cleansing our bodies.
Here is the detox water ingredients. (It makes about 1 gallon):
- 12 cups of water
- 2 to 3 lemons, thinly sliced (lemon juice but only if you have no other choice!)
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
- 10 to 15 mint leaves
Also, here is the list of foods appropriate during a cleanse (I will post different recipes through out the month that make these items into a meal):
Fruits
- fresh or frozen fruits
- unsweetened, natural juice
- dried fruit – unsweetened, in limited amounts, such as cranberries, dates, raisins, goji berries
Vegetables
- Vegetables thought to be particularly good detox foods include broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, onions, garlic, artichokes, beets, and dark leafy greens such as kale, collard greens, and swiss chard
Grains and Starches (personally I stay away from grains)
- brown rice
- quinoa
- buckwheat
- millet
- amaranth
- wild rice
- oats
Beans and Legumes
- split yellow and green peas
- lentils
Nuts and Seeds (unsalted, raw)
- almonds
- cashews
- walnuts
- sunflower seeds
- pumpkin seeds
- sesame seeds
- chia seeds
- hemp seeds, hemp nuts
- coconut, especially young coconuts
Oils
- extra-virgin olive oil
- hemp oil
- flax oil
- chia oil
- almond oil
- avocado oil
- coconut oil
Sweeteners
- brown rice syrup
- stevia
- real maple syrup
- raw honey
- black strap molasses
Condiments
- apple cider vinegar
- black olives
- lemons and limes
- fresh and dried herbs and spices
- sea salt
- mustard
- cayenne peppers
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