At least once a  year I do a cleanse.

I have used colon cleanse ‘kits’  in the past (which can be very effective) but this year I want to customize it.   I also didn’t want to shell out $100+ dollars.  I’d rather save that for the Vibram’s I have my eye on.

So I thought I’d share what I’ve put together in my brain that doesn’t seem to want to slow down.

Very important caveat:

To cleanse or not to cleanse is a personal decision. I do not encourage anyone to do anything that they are not comfortable with.   As a matter of fact, check out this articles about cleansing if you are considering it.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colon-cleansing/AN00065

There are many ways to detoxify. From the Master Cleanse (a fast of sorts) to a 30 day eating overhaul there are endless possibilities.   I always begin with the gut because so much takes place there. My plan is a 5 days with two components: diet and supplementation.

I’ll talk all about supplementation in the next post but let’s get the diet part out of the way.

*Rules carry over from one day to the next*

Day 1: Eliminate processed food. For me this means most anything in a box/bag.  Grains typically come in a bag/box but I make sure that nothing has been added (sugar, salt, preservatives etc.).This includes store brought breads of any kind. I only eat things that are 100% home-made. Even the ingredients. Focus is on nutritionally dense meals (I can make a chocolate cake from scratch but this not within the spirit of this day!).

Day 2: Eliminate all white stuff. Includes but is not limited to: sugar, pasta, rice, bread, flour, cornstarch. Also no simple carbs of any kind.  I will use this time to focus on all sorts of grains: whole wheat couscous, bulgur, quinoa, and steel-cut oats.

Day 3 Elimination of chicken and seafood. I usually focus on legumes and eggs as a protein source.

Day 4: Vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds only.  Raw or very lightly steamed. By the end of this day I feel like a rabbit.

Day 5:  Juice fast. I juice all of my meals. Fresh veggies and fruits only.

A couple of key points:

I only buy organic, free range, grass-fed, wild caught, fair trade products during this time.

Red meat and pork and dairy (with the exception of eggs) are not a part of this cleanse at all.

I plan well in advance for this type of eating. I determine my menu and budget early on and give myself permission to shop at Whole Foods…I deserve it!

I still have one cup 6 ounces of coffee in the morning.  My coffee is a ritual and is not up for debate. Same with my 4 ounces of Pinot noir at night.  But this is not Maxwell House or $2 Buck Chuck.  (I’ll go into detail if requested).

Day 6 and 7 are transition days to balanced eating. Take note that I don’t go back to the Holiday bad girl I was before. 😉

I am very careful about what I expect from myself during this period of time. I am training for another half marathon so the timing of this cleanse is no accident. I also try to limit my interaction with others.  Between the training and the cleanse I don’t think I will be a nice person to be around. My evolution will look something like this:

Partying like the Mayans are on to something

  A hungry, cranky, detoxing mess with temporary bad skin

Ahhhh… all is right in the world (my world anyway)!

By the way:

I don’t cook for ANYBODY.  Fortunately,  three of the four of the remaining members of my family can cook well.  Even the princess can make a mean sandwich so I am not worried.

I will allow for loads of sleep.  I am always wiped out when I cleanse. I also try to limit negative people, the news, traffic… anything that upset my equilibrium. Not always possible (I do have teenagers) but I try.

I will go into specific details once I start my cleanse on  January 21.  Feel free to submit questions at any time though!

Next up… supplementation. Big part of my plan but I need to collect my thoughts. And go party like it’s 1999!

Happy New You