Day 1 of detox was actually quite easy. I would say the hardest part for me was avoiding coffee, a sweet after lunch (there are Lindor chocolates everywhere in my office!) and a glass of wine while I was cooking. But I felt really good when I woke up this morning; the most awake and energetic I’ve felt for a couple weeks now. I think it’s the no drinking. I remember one of my psychology professors from university saying that even one glass of wine can affect your sleep and make you feel tired the next day.
Feeling energetic, I woke up early and went down to the gym. I ran for 20 minutes & did some weights; sweating out some more toxins. I recently discovered the “fat burn” setting on the treadmill. You can control the speed, but it automatically adjusts the incline so it simulates running hills outside. It really works your butt, and spikes your heart rate, which is the goal when doing less than 30 minutes of cardio. Another good fitness tip; when you go to the gym, don’t bring a magazine or a book. Go to the gym ready to work out as hard as you can while you’re there. I know a sub-par workout with a magazine is better than nothing, but you’ll feel better after knowing you worked your hardest.
Ok, so here’s my detox diet for day 2:
Pre workout: ½ cup All Bran cereal with ½ cup light vanilla soy milk
Breakfast: 1 small banana, a boiled egg (I wasn’t sure about this one, but I wouldn’t consider this a congesting or toxic food) and 1 Clementine
Snack: 1 Clementine and a Ryvita Sesame Rye cracker
Lunch: 1 Tilapia filet with cooked spinach (leftovers!) and 2 cups of raw veg (carrots, snap peas, cherry tomatoes and cucumber)
Lunch #2: Apparently fish was not enough to fill me up! I had a bowl of Blue Menu cinnamon & spice oatmeal with 1 tsp of honey. By the way, this is a great option for oatmeal; you get the flavour from the cinnamon & spice, but only 1g of sugar, and you can add in your own honey if you like a bit of sweet.
Snack: 1 apple with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter (I know I had this yesterday, but it’s my go-to mid-afternoon snack. It combines fibre & protein so it keeps me satisfied until dinner)
Home from work: glass of lemon water (make sure you drink 6-8 glasses of filtered water everyday, even when you’re not detoxing!)
Dinner: Baby spinach salad with cucumber, avocado, tomatoes and shelled edamame (this is the best! I buy the frozen, pre-shelled organic edamame and have it for a snack, appetizer, in salads, quinoa or pasta dishes, it’s a great source of fibre and protein) and Spelt Gnocchi with Tofu Tomato Sauce (just pour your tomato sauce in a sauce pan and whisk in about 1 cup of soft tofu, heat and pour over gnocchi (whole wheat or rice pasta would work too). It’s an easy way to incorporate a healthy protein into your dinner!
Stay tuned for Detox – Day 3 tomorrow!
Lauren – this is very cool. Thanks for the tips on healthy eating and exercise, it’s helping us stay motivated!