So, the first month of 2009 is now over!  Wow, that went quickly.

I’m still feeling a little bit of the sluggishness from the holidays, so I’m considering a detox regime.  Nothing really serious, but maybe a couple of days just to kick start my body.

I have done one detox diet in my life and I think I was about 20 or 21 years old.  It was a 7 day system and was actually fantastic!  I would highly recommend it for anyone considering detox.

Here is the 7 day plan:

First 48 hours – liquid only
This includes tea (only caffeine free), water (you can add lemon juice if you need to), and triple berry smoothies.

Recipe for triple berry smoothie:
Use ice, a handful of raspberries, a handful of blueberries, a handful of strawberries, 1/3 to ½ of a banana (depending on how big the banana is), and one scoop of protein powder – must be non-dairy.  Best to find a good quality whey protein.  Something like Maximuscle or EAS works well.  And most flavors work really well with the berries.

You can have as much of the above beverages and smoothies as you want for the first 48 hours.

Next 5 days – a mix of smoothies and solids

For each of the next 5 days, you have a triple berry smoothie for breakfast and for snacking during the day.  Then for lunch and dinner you are allowed any of the following:

Baked potato – but with nothing on it unless you want vinegar or black pepper
Unsalted rice cakes
Brown rice – with nothing on it unless you want vinegar or black pepper
Non sugary vegetables/leafy greens – again, with nothing on them unless you want vinegar or black pepper (I think the most sugary vegetables are peas, corn and carrots.  I remember eating mostly broccoli, spinach and cauliflower)

From memory, you were allowed as much of the above as you want.  So, essentially, you cut out any salt, sugar, fizzy drinks, caffeine, dairy, and protein (except for the protein powder.)
By day 5, I remember I was feeling so good!  You do end up needing to go to the bathroom more than usual, mostly for the first two days, but it is worth it.  And I don’t remember feeling hungry at all.  You can’t imagine how much you look forward to that first unsalted rice cake!

Since the first time I did this, I’ve done just the first two days (liquid only) and it really helps get your body moving again. I think I’ll go for that again now.

Just a quick note to say that there are lots of unhealthy detox plans out there, so just use caution if you are deciding to try something.  Consult your doctor or a nutritionist if you’re not sure.  (Or you can always ask me and I’ll see what I can tell you about it!)

Here’s to your health!

Kimberly