Monday 28 January 2013

Cleansing the Healthy Way

Cleansey goodness :)
When my sister went on her first Cleanse, I thought she was nuts. A shake for breakfast AND dinner . . no way in hell. However, after reading the book "Clean" I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Everything I've learned about the toxins we circulate through our body and cling on to day after day has made me realize that regardless of how healthy Chris and I might think we eat, there's a lot we're ingesting that's truly a waste of space. And so, the start of a 25 day Cleanse. . .shakes and all.

Ingredients required for your first Cleanse:
  • A knowledgeable and experienced friend/family member
  • A partner/roommate who's joining in or loves erratic food-related mood swings
  • A couple of willing and eager girlfriends at work to share the 'load' with, so to speak
--> Once you have each of these things, the task is simple: figure out what you're going to eat for every meal of the 3 weeks, prepare each meal, preserve it in what seems like hundreds of reusable containers, and purchase supplements like they're going out of style.

There are also a bunch of realizations I had to come to in order to do this, so be prepared:

1) Sugar may taste great, but even the smallest bit ain't too hot for your bod. Skip it and use Stevia instead - you honestly won't miss the sugar after awhile. 

2) The traditional veggie staple, Peanut Butter, is clearly not the way to go. Chuck it and opt for Organic Raw Almond Butter instead . . never thought I'd agree to that!

3) Cooking with oil is a must, so why not choose something body-friendly to cook with? Coconut Oil is delicious in your food and is also great for your skin. My Mum was just recommended it by her naturopath to heal skin that general doctors have been stumped by.

4) Respond to HUNGER. I can't count how many times I walk into the kitchen, pop a handful of crackers or pre-made granola into my mouth without even considering whether I need it or not. Eating only when hungry makes complete sense . . who knew!?

5) Be Creative. Even though all of our meals were homemade, veggie, and pretty natural, we were rotating through the same few meals. (We all do it - don't lie to yourself!) Using different types of veggies, sauces (wheat-free tamari instead of soy sauce is great!) forced us to step even farther out of our comfort zones and explore. It costs a bit of $$ to start, but it's worth it.

I'm certainly not trying to plug one type of cleanse in particular, but I do have to say that from one previously non-believing veggie to many others - the benefits are great. The movies without popcorn and the uneaten Christmas chocolate starting at you from on top of the cupboards may not make it seem worth it . . but that's what makes it a challenge :)

Clean recipe ideas to come!!