3-Day Detox Diet: The Rules

People like rules.

They really do, I am convinced of this.

When we have rules there are lots of things we can do with them. We can make colourful signs to enforce them. We can shake our heads at other people not following them. We can break them ourselves in order to feel rebellious, or guilty. And we can list them.

Lists seem to be particularly popular. Maybe it's the technological advances of our times, where social networking and powerpoint presentations have left us thinking in one sentence bullet points. Or maybe it came about after 'Top-5' John Cusack in High Fidelity. Or maybe the insecurity of the economic situation leaves us all yearning for the stability of the 1 - 2 - 3.
 

Whatever the case, this weekend I've assembled my own list of rules. The purpose being a little 3-day detox. Now, to be clear, I'm all about not starving myself, nor liquidizing excessively. It's a simple weekend to readjust my eating priorities before the holidays are upon us (ok, and it might have a little something to do with that giant skillet cookie from last weekend.)

Next month, I want those gingerbread men, midnight fudge snacks, and mug upon mug of eggnog to feel like the indulgence it ought to be. And anyways, there's no time like the present to make sure our bodies are in tip-top form to fight off coming winter colds.

The rules (or guidelines, for you softer gentler souls reading this):

1) No alcohol, coffee/black tea, or sodas/juices

2) No salt, sugar, or oils (natural flavour enhancers like Braggs liquid aminos, nutritional yeast, or Spike/Vegit are allowed)

3) No meat, dairy, grains, nuts, or starchy fruits
 
(Of course, these are just what I've decided my body needs right now, based on common sense and a rainy afternoon googling detox stuff)


What's in the kitchen then?
1) Vegetables with colour (i.e. no white potatoes)

2) Citrus fruit, berries, and pomegranates

3) Miso paste and nori seaweed

4) A variety of spices and fresh herbs, lemon, chilies, ginger, and Spike seasoning blend

5) Ground flax seed, psyllium seed powder, probiotic supplements, vitamin C tablets, and a good multi-vitamin + calcium

6) Unflavoured mineral water

7) Tea (Green/White/Red, Nettle, Ginseng, Ginkgo, Pu-erh, Mate, Smooth Move, and any other detox blend that floats your boat)

What to do all weekend?
The usual calming activities: sauna, massage, skin brushing, napping, walking the dog with friends, light exercise, chilling in a salt cave, and comedy watching (laughter is the key here).

The day before the detox, stop on by a health shop for your tea/supplements/seed powders, and then head over to the farmer's market to stock up on veg (bring a friend or a wagon to help you carry it all!) Also, It helps to eat healthy and limit caffeine the day before you start, to ease in a bit.



I'll be posting some detox recipes over the coming days. For now, here are some detox diet and recipe links:

Vegetarian Times: Weekend Detox
Woman and Home: Detox Plan
Healthy Healing: Sea Vegetable Detox
Energise for Life: Detox and Cleanse Recipes
Soup Chick: 7 Detox Soups

And some past detox-friendly Cumin in the Cupboard recipes:
Fennel Orange Salad (dressed only with lemon juice)
Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Spread (as a dip for another veg, like sweet potato or zucchini fries)
Gazpacho (sans bread roll)
Minty Lentil Salad (if you allow for lentils during the detox)
Garlic Mushrooms (atop a bed of assorted greens)

Detox Series:
Detox: The Rules

Day 1: Fennel+Grapefruit / Miso+Beet Soup

Day 2: Strawberries+Ginger / Moonblush Tomatoes / Ratatouille

Day 3: Roasted Root Vegetables+Squash

Dobrou Chut'/ Enjoy.
-- Jo