Inspiration For Cleansing Ideas

Inspired by Heather (and the beginnings of a muffin top) I decided to jump on the cleansing train. Time to get my caboose in gear. I have been putting it off because it takes some preparation to do it right. Lately I have been exhausted when I get home from work. While this is a perfectly good excuse it’s also another reason to cleanse! Time to detoxify after the holidays and regain some much needed energy. I poured over my cookbook collection this morning and made a shopping list. In my experience you can fill your fridge with fresh fruit and vegetables and then exclaim, “there is nothing to eat”! It really is necessary to do some meal planning ahead of time.

I work normal office hours and take my breakfast with me to work. I’m going to get some plain yogurt and berries, apples and almond butter, corn tortillas for a breakfast tostada and some almond milk to put in the coffee that I will attempt to wean myself off of for at least a week. Maybe this is part of a subconscious plan to get fired from my job and collect unemployment while I attempt to launch my own business. “Woman fired after going into tirade and having a meltdown over mundane filing and office duties – all due to lack of caffeine.”

Which brings me to the reality of a cleanse. You can’t look at the process as if someone is telling you no, you can’t eat this or that. We are all familiar with that approach and it usually does not work. Instead, surround yourself with healthy choices and the first 3 days will be tough, especially when your coworker is heating up mac and cheese while you are crunching on celery sticks. Anticipate these things in advance and change your lunch plans. A walk, run errands, call your mom, you get the idea. As far as lunch goes you should be prepared with snacks for both before and after. The great thing about cleansing is you actually eat more food. You should never feel hungry. Smoothies, nuts, dried fruit, hummus and veggies – all make fast and easy snacks. You can even prepare several of these in advance to bring with you so you feel like you have some variety. For lunch a loaded salad is great. Add sunflower seeds, pine nuts or walnuts. Experiment with different veggies, we love green beans, corn and broccoli in our salads. Chop your veggies fine and toss together with some olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper and you are ready to go. This is your chance to get creative. Think in themes – craving Mexican food? Add corn, black beans, avocado and black olives. Try mixing some plain yogurt with salsa and you now have a delicious dressing.

Dinner is the hardest part for me because I just want to relax when I get home, not cook up an entire meal from scratch. Slow cookers are your best friend. Make some yummy soup with vegetable broth and you will have enough to last several meals. Baked potato stuffed with grilled onions, mushrooms, zucchini and spinach with some marinara sauce can curb that Italian food craving. Try and do as much prep as possible ahead of time and if that means buying frozen or canned veggies to fill in then do it! No one is taking off points. Staple items like polenta can be the base of many a meal because there are so many ways to prepare it.

Dessert can be fruit, popcorn, some tea with honey or agave – the important thing is no refined sugar or processed food. If you can’t bear to watch your evening TV show without something sweet then bake an apple stuffed with some pecans and a little honey. Or alter your routine. Go for a walk, get a new book or magazine to read, start a project or work on a puzzle. This will stimulate your mind and make less room for craving late night snacks.

Remember – you are doing this for YOU! A cleanse will help you rethink what you are putting in your body. You will be surprised by the new found energy you have. Your food will start to taste better. DRINK WATER. After the initial urge to pee every 5 minutes wears off your skin will look brighter and you will likely loose a few pounds.

I’ll keep you posted! Cleanse starts Monday, Jan. 31st.