For the past week and a half or so I've been eating like I don't care about my body. I've noticed a rise in headaches and a general feeling of BLAH in my entire body. So last night we ate up all the unhealthy things in the fridge and today I begin my little detox program, which is actually three programs rolled into a week of clean eating. I felt I needed a kick start, so here we are.
I've had one friend express concerns about what I'm doing, so I'm going to explain everything here, even down to the diet. There are several detox/cleanse methods on the market and generally I think they're a bad idea. Anything powdery you have to buy from some manufacturing company is not likely to be real food and therefore not very helpful with a cleanse. Other programs rely on severely restricting calories and variety of foods. I believe that if you eat well you don't need to count calories. If your snack is an apple, who cares? If your snack is nachos then you might want to count your calories. I also don't believe in restricting foods too severely. We need a variety of fruits and vegetables and natural ingredients to make our bodies function. So when the scientific community does a study on detox programs they usually pick ones like the Master Cleanse, which let's be honest, if you honestly think drinking spicy lemon water for 10 days is healthy, you really have some issues to work out. I have chosen programs that use a blender (I don't have a juicer) and natural foods which means I get a variety of options and I get the benefit of all parts of the plant (Pulp? Yes, please!).
I also have a problem with the Western world view that places most ideas in opposition. Either it's healthy or it's not; either you're right or wrong. Give me a break. Once again we come up against popular detox programs versus the media/scientific community which says all detox programs are pretty useless. I believe that they are useless depending on the individual and the program (but science hasn't to my knowledge, put this theory to the test. We know that intention can change a person mentally and physically but no one has asked that question in relation to detox which is why we have to rely on testimonials). An unhealthy program does nothing for you. You get to be wildly restrictive and unhealthy and then go back to whatever unhealthy choices you were making before. You must also consider the individual and that person's intention. If the intention depends on the program, there is nothing gained afterward. I believe that most people go on a detox for a quick fix or because friends have told them to do it. If their mindset is for the program and for healthy habits to last only as long as the program prescribes, there is little gained. If, however, the intention is for the program to be a jump start to a healthy lifestyle then the intention will outlast the program and the health benefits are retained.
So we see there are two major players in a detox program: the program itself and the intention of the individual. It is easy to make unhealthy choices when you consider the variables. The program must be a healthy one that includes real food, and the intention must be for the program to boost healthy decision making in the future. We are dealing with body and mind: they both have an effect on each other. I believe for the physical benefits to be reaped, one must be mentally prepared for a life style change.
Then why not just eat healthy since I was eating healthy before? Like training for a race, a detox gives a regimen and a goal. For those who don't know what healthy eating is really all about, a healthy detox gives knowledge and hopefully helps create and solidify good eating habits. For some one like me, this detox is like pressing my restart button. It gives me a goal and some guidance in case I should feel like splurging. Some people have turned to juicing to save their own lives. It is about intention and knowing that you are pursuing a healthy program, which is why most people say, and I will say, it's a good idea to check with a doctor before you go off on an extreme diet plan.
Those are my thoughts and my reasons. If they don't make sense, that's fine. We all have to find our own drive to do the things we do. Here's my home-spun program in a nutshell: The first three days are modeled after the Dr. Oz 3 Day Detox--liquid meals. I chose this because I can use a blender and real food. I'll throw a picture up on the side. The next three days also include liquid meals and reintroducing solid foods (based on SkinnyMs. 3-day Detox found here: http://skinnyms.com/three-day-cleanse-detox/). The last day is based off The Detox Diet (
The Detox Diet; The Definitive Guide for Lifelong Vitality with Recipes, Menus, and Detox Plans by Elson M. Haas and Daniella Chace), which focuses on solid foods like fruit, grains and veggies and allows for protein if desired.
Here are the specifics (I have done some tweaking because I use what I have on hand if I can reasonably substitute something out):
Day 1-3:
Breakfast: Green tea with lemon
Shake: 1cup water
1TBSP flax seed (I wasn't buying a whole bag of flax seed meal when
I could use what I have in the pantry.)
1cup berry mix (I already had bags of frozen berries)
1 banana
1 TBSP almond butter
2 TSP lemon juice
Multivitamin & Fish Oil
Lunch: Shake: 4 celery stalks
1 cucumber
1 cup kale
1/2 green apple
1/2 lime
1TBSP coconut oil (I'll try olive oil since I have that. if it doesn't work
out I'll try half oil and half coconut water)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup pineapple
Snack: repeat favorite shake
Dinner: Shake: 1.5 cups fruit
1.5 cups coconut water
1 cup kale
1 TBSP lemon
1/4 avacado
1/4 TSP cayenne pepper
1TBSP flax seed
Day 4-6
Breakfast: Green tea with lemon
Shake Options: Lean Green Juice
Super Detox Green Smoothie
Cleanse & Detox Smoothie
Coconut Milk Smoothie
(I'll post what I make as I make it, but the original recipes can be found at the
SkinnyMs. link above)
Snack: cut carrot, cucumber, celery with handful of nuts (nuts optional)
Lunch: Green salad with garlic and oil dressing (I make my own)
Snack: veggies and nuts OR one Mean Green Juice
Dinner: vegetable soup (I'll be following the recipe from the SkinnyMs. website)
Day 7
Breakfast: 1-2 glasses water with lemon
1 apple
1 bowl whole wheat grains (I have plain instant oatmeal, even though
according to the plan quinoa is the best to use)
Snack: drink water collected from steamed vegetables (add veg salt for taste)
Lunch: 1-2 bowls steamed vegetables (I may do one cup veg, 1 cup mashed sweet
potatoes)
Snack: water collected from steamed vegetables
Dinner: same as lunch but may add 4oz protein
I'm using this as a guide, not as a rule set in stone. I'll be updating daily about the previous day; should be fun. Anthony has been really supportive of me, as have some other friends, and I have to say it is awesome to have friends who will support you. I also have to say it is nice to have friends who disagree with you. I find that it makes you think more about your decisions and helps you really understand what you're doing and why.
I've had one friend express concerns about what I'm doing, so I'm going to explain everything here, even down to the diet. There are several detox/cleanse methods on the market and generally I think they're a bad idea. Anything powdery you have to buy from some manufacturing company is not likely to be real food and therefore not very helpful with a cleanse. Other programs rely on severely restricting calories and variety of foods. I believe that if you eat well you don't need to count calories. If your snack is an apple, who cares? If your snack is nachos then you might want to count your calories. I also don't believe in restricting foods too severely. We need a variety of fruits and vegetables and natural ingredients to make our bodies function. So when the scientific community does a study on detox programs they usually pick ones like the Master Cleanse, which let's be honest, if you honestly think drinking spicy lemon water for 10 days is healthy, you really have some issues to work out. I have chosen programs that use a blender (I don't have a juicer) and natural foods which means I get a variety of options and I get the benefit of all parts of the plant (Pulp? Yes, please!).
I also have a problem with the Western world view that places most ideas in opposition. Either it's healthy or it's not; either you're right or wrong. Give me a break. Once again we come up against popular detox programs versus the media/scientific community which says all detox programs are pretty useless. I believe that they are useless depending on the individual and the program (but science hasn't to my knowledge, put this theory to the test. We know that intention can change a person mentally and physically but no one has asked that question in relation to detox which is why we have to rely on testimonials). An unhealthy program does nothing for you. You get to be wildly restrictive and unhealthy and then go back to whatever unhealthy choices you were making before. You must also consider the individual and that person's intention. If the intention depends on the program, there is nothing gained afterward. I believe that most people go on a detox for a quick fix or because friends have told them to do it. If their mindset is for the program and for healthy habits to last only as long as the program prescribes, there is little gained. If, however, the intention is for the program to be a jump start to a healthy lifestyle then the intention will outlast the program and the health benefits are retained.
So we see there are two major players in a detox program: the program itself and the intention of the individual. It is easy to make unhealthy choices when you consider the variables. The program must be a healthy one that includes real food, and the intention must be for the program to boost healthy decision making in the future. We are dealing with body and mind: they both have an effect on each other. I believe for the physical benefits to be reaped, one must be mentally prepared for a life style change.
Then why not just eat healthy since I was eating healthy before? Like training for a race, a detox gives a regimen and a goal. For those who don't know what healthy eating is really all about, a healthy detox gives knowledge and hopefully helps create and solidify good eating habits. For some one like me, this detox is like pressing my restart button. It gives me a goal and some guidance in case I should feel like splurging. Some people have turned to juicing to save their own lives. It is about intention and knowing that you are pursuing a healthy program, which is why most people say, and I will say, it's a good idea to check with a doctor before you go off on an extreme diet plan.
Those are my thoughts and my reasons. If they don't make sense, that's fine. We all have to find our own drive to do the things we do. Here's my home-spun program in a nutshell: The first three days are modeled after the Dr. Oz 3 Day Detox--liquid meals. I chose this because I can use a blender and real food. I'll throw a picture up on the side. The next three days also include liquid meals and reintroducing solid foods (based on SkinnyMs. 3-day Detox found here: http://skinnyms.com/three-day-cleanse-detox/). The last day is based off The Detox Diet (
The Detox Diet; The Definitive Guide for Lifelong Vitality with Recipes, Menus, and Detox Plans by Elson M. Haas and Daniella Chace), which focuses on solid foods like fruit, grains and veggies and allows for protein if desired.
Here are the specifics (I have done some tweaking because I use what I have on hand if I can reasonably substitute something out):
Day 1-3:
Breakfast: Green tea with lemon
Shake: 1cup water
1TBSP flax seed (I wasn't buying a whole bag of flax seed meal when
I could use what I have in the pantry.)
1cup berry mix (I already had bags of frozen berries)
1 banana
1 TBSP almond butter
2 TSP lemon juice
Multivitamin & Fish Oil
Lunch: Shake: 4 celery stalks
1 cucumber
1 cup kale
1/2 green apple
1/2 lime
1TBSP coconut oil (I'll try olive oil since I have that. if it doesn't work
out I'll try half oil and half coconut water)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup pineapple
Snack: repeat favorite shake
Dinner: Shake: 1.5 cups fruit
1.5 cups coconut water
1 cup kale
1 TBSP lemon
1/4 avacado
1/4 TSP cayenne pepper
1TBSP flax seed
Day 4-6
Breakfast: Green tea with lemon
Shake Options: Lean Green Juice
Super Detox Green Smoothie
Cleanse & Detox Smoothie
Coconut Milk Smoothie
(I'll post what I make as I make it, but the original recipes can be found at the
SkinnyMs. link above)
Snack: cut carrot, cucumber, celery with handful of nuts (nuts optional)
Lunch: Green salad with garlic and oil dressing (I make my own)
Snack: veggies and nuts OR one Mean Green Juice
Dinner: vegetable soup (I'll be following the recipe from the SkinnyMs. website)
Day 7
Breakfast: 1-2 glasses water with lemon
1 apple
1 bowl whole wheat grains (I have plain instant oatmeal, even though
according to the plan quinoa is the best to use)
Snack: drink water collected from steamed vegetables (add veg salt for taste)
Lunch: 1-2 bowls steamed vegetables (I may do one cup veg, 1 cup mashed sweet
potatoes)
Snack: water collected from steamed vegetables
Dinner: same as lunch but may add 4oz protein
I'm using this as a guide, not as a rule set in stone. I'll be updating daily about the previous day; should be fun. Anthony has been really supportive of me, as have some other friends, and I have to say it is awesome to have friends who will support you. I also have to say it is nice to have friends who disagree with you. I find that it makes you think more about your decisions and helps you really understand what you're doing and why.
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