Clean up your act

I don’t know about you, but my produce intake seriously slips during the holidays. With sugar and salt filled treats lurking at every corner, it’s tough this time of year to dodge the platters of decorated cookies at home and the baskets of homemade treats at your office. And then there’s the countless holiday celebrations we attend this time of year….each one filled with tempting hors d'oeuvre and drinks galore. With all of this in front of us, even the healthiest eater can inadvertently get out of whack this time of year.

After an indulgent spell of rich foods, late nights, and a few more cocktails than usual, there comes a time when we need to detox, destress amd regaom your well being.

So if the holiday fun and folic has left you in need of a serious do over, consider following these steps to detox and get your body back to feeling energized and strong:

• Before cleansing: 3 days before you start detoxing, focus on eating whole grains, veggies, fruit, fish and lean poultry. Avoid sugar, dairy and fried foods.
• Drink more H₂0: carry around a water bottle and set a personal goal to drink a set amount (for example, 3 Kleen Kanteen’s while at work). Also try drinking green tea over coffee and black tea as a way to ease up on your caffeine intake.
• 4-day detox: during these 4 days stick to liquid meals (fresh green juices, fruit smoothies, and broth based soups) for BREAKFAST AND DINNER. Have a solid and mostly plant-based meal at lunch.
• For lunch: have to plant-based meal mid-day. A combination of vegetables, fruits and whole grains is essential for maintaining your weight and overall health. Whole grains will keep your blood sugar stable ad richness from plant-based fats like avocado and olive oil will keep you satiated.
• Snack ideas: munch on raw veggies, fresh berries, raw almonds and walnuts along with herbal tea. Keep drinking lots of water (if you get bored of plain water, flavor it with mint, cucumber or lemon).
• For optimal cleansing: leave 12 hours between dinner and breakfast the next day. Drink hot lemon water in the morning and before bed.
• Exercise: devote at least 30 minutes daily to exercise (yoga, cardiorespiratory conditioning, or strength training). Establish a routine now that you’ll be able to stick with once you’re through with your detox.
• Snooze: get at least eight hours of sleep a night. Your body needs sufficient rest for optimal muscle recovery, in order to “clean house” and repair your cells, and to transfer information into your long-term memory.

Remember: avoid saturated fats (found in processed foods or full fat-dairy, refined sugars, dairy, butter, eggs, alcohol, caffeine, and mayonnaise.

You can detox and clean house easily and effectively while you continue to eat clean, as long as you cut out the foods and other substances that interfere with the elimination process. I personally find it easiest to eat a mid day meal and stick to soups and juices morning and night.


I hope you find this post useful to kick off your January on a healthy note. Consider this year the opportunity of a lifetime. Start fresh by cleaning, removing, restoring and rejuvenating.