Following my 30 day challenge, I felt like I needed to check my diet too.
It's almost summer & I'm going to have to expose these shy dry legs & wear summery clothes verrrry soon.
It feels right to carb up & eat comfort food whilst you're wrapped up in your onsie under a blankie in front of the fire in winter, but as soon as that sun comes out to play, it's time to feel fresh, light & energised.
And I'm so pleased I decided to do a detox (or 2...).
It's amazing how it helps alter your mind set & bring awareness to what we are eating - rather than just shoving everything in sight down!
I have a terrible 'gowwan then' habit when it comes to yummy things. Whether it's birthday cup cakes at the office (there's 100 people, so it happens often), someones leftover weekend baking delights, a handful of raisins here, a leftover fish finger & chunk of cheese there, I'm often not fully aware of how many extra nibbles I'm consuming in the day.
I believe I eat quite healthily, and I do, but I probably eat too much & have too many 'extras' through the day.
So just like the 30 day Exercise challenge helped me conquer my fear of exercise & make it an every day norm rather than something to dread, this detox has helped make me more conscious of what & how much I am eating.
I have to say, when I list the food used to make up the meal over the 3 days, it seems really measly, but surprisingly, I haven't been hungry once & quite the opposite, have felt full most of the time. The combination of food obviously works.
And the best thing is, the food is all readily available & affordable. I wanted to feel cleansed & refreshed without spending a fortune on special powders & supplements.
Here you go, from the Hungry for Change Detox Plan :
* Wake up Water
Squeeze 1/2 lemon juice & the squeezed juice from 1/2" knob of grated ginger in to a glass of water.
This apparently boosts your metabolism, hydrates your body & activates the bowels, ginger being a great detoxifier
* Breakfast Super Green Juice
Blitz 2 sticks of celery, a handful of parsley, 2 Kale leaves, an apple, 1/2 lemon juice & half a cucumber together with water to make a thick refreshing & nutritious juice.
This juice is a blend of easily digestible, alkaline minerals, like potassium. And alkalising the blood is important during the cleansing process as it keeps bad bacteria, yeast & fungi in check, which helps prevent cravings
* Mid morning snack
Celery, Cucumber & carrots cut in to crunchy sticks
(or have another Super Green Juice)
* Lunch : Sushi Salad
Salad : 1 Avo, 1/2 chopped cucumber, 1 grated carrot, Handful of sprouts (alfalfa/ sunflower sprouts), handful of coriander, 1 Nori sheet cut in to bite-size pieces, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds.
Dressing : 1 Tbsp finely grated ginger, 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce, Juice of 1 lemon
Sea vegetables such as nori, are one of the most nutrient-dense plant foods on Earth. They are particularly high in calcium & iodine which help draw toxins from the body.
This is so delicious, so detox or no detox I'll be adding this to my lunchbox options.
Soak 3 handfuls of raw nuts (almonds, macadamia, pecan, hazelnuts, Brazil, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds)overnight, drain & store them in the fridge in a jar for the 3 days
Soaking the nuts improves digestion, increases vitamin intake as well as all sorts of other benefits as listed here
* Dinner : Potassium Balance Soup (makes enough for 3 days)
4 cups of water, 4 courgettes, 3 celery stalks, 1 cup of green beans, handful of parsley, 3 medium tomatoes, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tsp unrefined sea salt, 2 teaspoons of dried thyme/rosemary or French Provence herbs
Chop all the ingredients up & bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 30 mins & then blitz to whatever consistency you like (I like mine totally smooth, no pieces)
This vegetable tonic provides an ideal combination for restoring acid-alkaline & sodium-potassium balance to the body's organs & glands.
* Dessert : Chia Seed Pudding (makes enough for 3 days)
Combine 1 1/4 cups Almond milk (or homemade coconut milk) with 1 Tbsp raw honey, 4 Tbsp chia seeds & 1 Tsp cinnamon.
Shake it all together & then divide in to 3 potions & leave to thicken in the fridge (30 mins)
* Calming Chamomile Tea
Finish the day with a cup of herbal detox tea (Chamomile/ Nettle / Dandelion/ Liquorice)
A deep restful sleep is important during the cleanse as it will help digest unwanted stress hormones which can cause weight gain.
The 3 days were really easy. I feel fresh & eager to continue to eat healthily.
On to Detox No 2
<3
