One Day Detox

Today my mom, Steve, Drew, and myself embarked on a one day detox cleanse.  The detox was designed by Dr. Gillian McKeith and can be found in her book (which I highly recommend reading) You Are What You Eat.  It is designed to give your organs a break from what you normally eat to facilitate the expulsion of toxins from your body.  It's a safe, easy, and quick cleanse for your liver, bowels, and cells.  You basically avoid all of the "bad" foods like coffee, sugar, dairy, meat, etc. and instead eat and drink lots of fruits, vegetables, and herbal tea.  Here is our menu for the day, in case you're interested:

• 8:00 AM: Warm water with fresh squeezed lemon (helps with digestion and elimination)
• 8:30 AM:  1 tbsp of flax seeds soaked in a cup of boiling water over night (only drink the liquid)
• 9:00 AM:  Fresh organic fruit.  We had pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries.
• 10:30 AM: Herbal tea break. We chose nettle tea but you can pick from dandelion, chamomile, sage, or echinacea - just no caffeine.
• 11:00 AM:  Fruit Juice - fresh squeezed or pressed with a juicer.  Ours was a combination of apples, pears, and ginger root - tasty!
• 1:30 PM:  Lunch - lots of different options here including raw salad or grains.  We chose a raw mint cucumber soup with juiced cucumbers, celery, mint leaves, and parsley.
• 3:00 PM: Herbal tea break.
• 3:30 PM: Veggie Juice - also made with a juicer.  We did a mix of carrots, celery, and apple. 
• 4:00 PM: Herbal tea break
• 4:30 PM: Snack of sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
• 5:00 PM: Veggies smoothie - carrots, avocado, basil leaves, apples, and lemon.
• 6:30 PM: Dinner of a hearty raw salad and raw sprouts. 
• 7:30 PM: Miso Soup
• 8:30 PM: Warm water with fresh squeezed lemon.

There are tons and tons of options in terms of what types of fruit and vegetable juices you can try and Dr. Gillian gives a lot of juicing ideas in the book.  She also recommends taking some supplements during the detox day to help support the cleanse and give you the nutrients you need.  We chose a green superfood energy powder (basically a concentrated superfood of dried grass juices, greens, sea vegetables, and probiotics) and milk thistle (which helps protect the liver against toxins and improve its overall function).  I liked this cleanse because you didn't have to starve yourself for days at a time like other "detoxes", which can have negative effects on your organs and metabolism.  We are continuing to eat throughout the day, but choosing foods that are easy to digest and gentle on our bodies.  The result will hopefully be a big boost of energy and vitality.  And a reminder of the types of foods to fill up on - and the types of foods to avoid.