The Detox Diet
By Marilyn Zink
Whenever anyone does a herbal cleanse, 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.
The one I am doing (which is from Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox by the way) eliminates 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.
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. Um - what’s left to eat?
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.
For breakfast - I have been eating scrambled eggs often made with sauteed onions and peppers or tomatoes (no mushrooms though, which I do love). I have also been experimenting with different grains and non-wheat flours to make healthy pancakes with spices. Since apples and berries are allowed on the detox diet, I 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.
For 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. And no, I don’t smell like curry or garlic after eating it. The product I’ve been using is Tasty Bites, which has several different choices. Check labels to ensure there is no dairy.
For dinner - this is fairly easy as 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).
Snacks - Everyone likes snacks so there is no need to feel deprived on a detox. I’ve made my own almond butter to enjoy on a rice cake. I’ve also mixed chocolate powder with butter 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 a herbal detox. By the way, I’ve also lost 5 pounds. Woohoo!
Marilyn Zink is the publisher.editor of the Herbal Collective magazine. Get some Free herbal recipes today!
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