The Most Important Don't!!

So, coming off my detox last week I was reminded of the most important don't of detox:
DON'T COME OFF YOUR DETOX TOO QUICKLY! I started out my first day off my detox with 2 eggs fried in butter, a piece of whole wheat toast with butter and apricot jam, and black tea with agave nectar and milk. For lunch I had leftover lemongrass chicken pad thai (that was okay). I went out for a glass of wine and cheesy artichoke dip with my hubby after work then picked up pizza for dinner on the way home--with which I had a bit more wine. So, on my first day off detox, I reintroduced at least 7 foods I hadn't been eating for the previous 10: eggs, dairy, wheat, sugar, black tea, refined flour, and alcohol. Needless to say, I was a bit buzzed(who knew your tolerance could completely disappear in 10 days!) and felt lousy the next day (headache, unhappy digestion, bloated).

So, even if you are not intending to do an elimination/challenge diet as part of your detox, I recommend coming off it slowly--only reintroduce one or two foods a day and reintroduce alcohol just a little at a time. You spent all that time being good to your body--don't do what I did and blow it all in the first day off!

Happy eating!

The Dos & Don’ts of Detox

Well, I have one day left of my 10 day detox and I must say that I've learned some important things about being successful at detox this time through! I'm feeling pretty good—my energy is up and I've lost a little weight. My headaches resolved after the first 2 days. I really didn't miss alcohol or wheat or cheese as much as I thought I would. Even the MediClear shakes were better this time around thanks to a reformulation! So, I thought I'd share a few tips with you.

DO drink lots of water throughout the whole day! I think part of my headaches the first 2 days was dehydration. Also, drink water all through the day so you aren't too thirsty at the end of the day. I had a few evenings where I was playing catch up and then I had to get up a lot during the night!

DO sauna if you get the chance! I only got to go once mid-cleanse but it felt amazing and I did some great sweating to help clear out even more toxins (your skin is your largest organ of detox you know!).

DO plan ahead for meals and snacks! With the restrictions of a cleansing diet, you need to make sure you have plenty of food on hand for when hunger strikes. I realized that most of my snacks, with the exception of fruit, are foods I was avoiding. The first day, I made up a big batch of quinoa which I ate for the first 5 days (with black beans, as a side with olive oil and lime juice with fish, added to salads). Then I cooked a bunch of brown rice with homemade chicken stock. I bought frozen fish that I could thaw on the days I wanted fish. I bought a huge bin of organic baby spinach and 10 pounds of organic apples at Costco and raw walnuts, sunflower seeds, and cashews. I also ate dried fruit that I had dehydrated over Christmas. Just be prepared so you don't slip because you are hungry!

DON'T go to Costco when you are detoxing! I went on the first day of my detox and you are surrounded by free samples of all kinds of things you can't have! I did sample a marinated artichoke heart but had to resist everything else!

DON'T lose your dog! On day one, my husband took our hunting dog out and lost her in the woods. I was heartbroken and all I wanted to do was eat comfort foods like mac and cheese and drink wine. He searched for her over the next 4 days and thankfully found her. The lesson here is to try to avoid stressful situations that lead to emotional food cravings.

DON'T host a BBQ for people who aren't detoxing! To celebrate finding our dog, we invited our cousin and a friend who came out to help search for a BBQ. The two of them and my husband drank beer, ate chips, French bread, and steak for dinner—all of which I wanted to eat! I had cranberry raspberry juice mixed with mineral water, grilled Mahi Mahi, quinoa, and steamed Brussels sprouts with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (all of which was really amazingly good). But I'd advise saving the get togethers until after your detox is over.

I'm very glad that I did this detox—but I must admit that I'm more glad that it's over tomorrow!