It’s the New Year which makes it a good time to start eating healthier with a cleaner diet.
Some people do this with an herbal cleanse as there are usually some dietary restrictions.
Often, the person doing the cleanse has to eliminate certain things from their diet – depending on the type of cleanse they are doing or which product they have purchased.
Some cleanses eliminate dairy and red meat as well as all forms of alcohol, all forms of sugar, tropical fruits like bananas, anything with yeast or vinegar, all processed cereals and white flour products.
There’s a very good reasons for this. I can compare it to trying to clean a house with kids running through the house with dirty shoes leaving a trail behind them of muddy footprints while shoes, knapsacks and wrappers or empty water bottles are tossed aside.
“Hey, I’m cleaning in here,” you shout after their disappearing backs. It’s frustrating, because you’re not getting anywhere.
Well, your body feels the same way. “Hey, I’m cleaning in here,’ it says, while you’re dumping in junk food, sugar, saturated fats and processed foods. So it’s a great idea to eliminate that to help your body do it’s job.
What’s Left to Eat?
Let’s see – so that means no steak, milk, cheese, cereal, sandwiches, chips, chocolate bars, pasta (made with wheat) fruit drinks, yogurt or salad dressings made with vinegar.
If you’ve followed the Standard American Diet, SAD, which is what the above is, you might find it challenging to eat something different.
The good news is that there is lots to eat. Even better – you may end up losing weight while detoxing. Two rules for losing weight – eliminate bread and sugar.
Anyway, the Detox Diet is a healthy way to eat.
Breakfast
Start with scrambled eggs or omelette made with sauteed onions and peppers or tomatoes (no mushrooms though, which I do love). Try different grains and non-wheat flours to make healthy pancakes with spices. Apples and berries are often allowed on a detox diet. Use that as a topping (lightly cooked in a saucepan) along with butter (no margarine allowed and of course, no syrup of any kind). It’s quite good and also filling.
Lunch
Soup is a choice made without pasta, a salad with salad dressing made with lemon juice, olive oil and herbs or corn tortillas or taco shells filled with a protein such as fish (like tuna but no shellfish), fresh vegetables and a sprinkling of nuts or seeds, if desired. Another choice is Indian food which can be served with rice or cooked Quinoa – an ancient grain high in protein. Check labels to ensure there is no dairy.
Dinner
Most vegetables are allowed and encouraged. So the choice is often a fish (such as salmon) with potatoes or rice along with veggies such as carrots, snow peas or a salad. I also make Jambalaya (a delicious cajun rice dish) with beans. Since Jambalaya traditionally has sausage or shellfish, I skip that unless it’s a tofu weiner. Beans are a good choice for dinner too. I make tacos with chili beans on a bed of shredded carrots. Fresh salsa is allowed but no canned salsa (contains vinegar) or sour cream.
Are You Nuts?
Nuts are a good choice on a detox and also encouraged (except for peanuts). I’ve enjoyed almonds, walnuts as well as sunflower seeds and soy nuts (which aren’t really nuts but still good for snacking). Many people undervalue nuts and seeds, though they are high in minerals like magnesium and calcium. Some nuts, like almonds and peanut, contain protein as well. Nuts are high in fats so small amounts are encouraged.
Snacks
Every one likes snacks so there is no need to feel deprived on a detox diet. Enjoy almond butter on a rice cake. Or mix almond butter or peanut butter with chocolate powder and spread that on a rice cake. Popcorn is also allowed. Celery sticks and baby carrots are good for snacking on too and an apple is always delicious and portable.
So don’t let food restrictions stop you from doing an herbal cleanse. Even if you won’t want to do an herbal cleanse use these tips to eat healthier every day. You might even lose weight. Woohoo!
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