I went through a bizarre health kick my senior year of high school. I became vegan, binged on yoga, and cut back on coffee. And to round out my salad stint, I decided to try a cleanse. I spent an absurd amount of money on fresh produce to make juice and spent five days of my life blending, straining, and drinking ground-up fruits and vegetables. I was promised nirvana – isn’t that what all those “enlightened” yoga-toned, manicured mommies at my studio claimed?
The only sort of liberation I felt was a sort of hunger-induced delirium. But my stomach was flatter than ever!
I’m not trying to knock a juice fast. It was sort of nice to think of all the toxins literally flushed out of my body. I definitely felt a sense of well-being, but food is meant to be eaten! That’s why you read articles from Small Kitchen College. You like to cook and savor food. Not just suck back kale juice with a wince and a promise for glowing skin.
Good news folks! You can have your cleanse and eat it too. Over the summer I read an encouraging piece by Jennifer Reilly, a plant-based dietician in Washington, DC. She recommends a very user-friendly cleanse that can be used as a health overhaul or as weekly maintenance. It’s really what you make of it.
Ready to jump in? The best part about this little regimen is its versatility. You can choose to eat this way once a week , three days a week every other week, or for a whole week once a month. Or if you have a ridiculous amount of willpower, maybe try this detox for a month once a year. I really like the idea of a subtle cleanse once a week to stay balanced and renew my body on a regular basis. I’ve treated Monday as my wellness day to kick off the week and get rid of the weekend nasties, but maybe you’re more of a humpday kind of person.
**Best Ways to DIY Detox**
1. Begin the day with a large glass of filtered water with the juice of half a lemon. This aids digestion and stimulates the liver to begin the day’s detoxification process. Add a dash of cayenne pepper to balance out your blood sugar.
2. Only consume liquids (smoothies, fresh juices, herbal tea, water) until noon. Snack on raw fruits and veggies if necessary.
3. Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of filtered water each day. For example, if you weigh 120 lbs. you should drink at least 60 oz. of water. This is a good rule of thumb for overall health!
4. Eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible. Go for organic, especially for the dirty dozen.
5. Enjoy 1/2 cup raw nuts and and seeds per day.
6. Fill up on 2 cups of cooked whole grains throughout the afternoon and evening. But! Avoid gluten (whole wheat, barley, rye).
7. Follow the 80/20 Rule: at least 80% of your cleanse should include raw foods, and 20% can be cooked vegetables, grains, and beans.
8. Take a daily multivitamin.
9. Eliminate: dairy, eggs, meat, fish, sugar, gluten, and alcohol. Cut out caffeine if you can, but this is where I cheat. A small cup of coffee or tea in the morning is actually good for you!
See? Not so painful. If you’d like a little more guidance, Jennifer provides a sample day in the life of a cleanse:
7:00 a.m. – Large glass of filtered water with cucumber slices and a dash of cayenne.
8:00 a.m. – Green smoothie: 1 banana, a few handfuls of spinach or kale, nondairy milk, ice, stevia, cinnamon, raw almond butter
10:00 a.m. – Herbal tea; 1 cup raspberries.
11:00 a.m. – Large glass of filtered water with cucumber slices.
Noon – Large green salad with: sliced veggies, ¼ cup raw cashews, olive oil and fresh lemon juice dressing; 1 cup brown rice.
2:00 p.m. – Large glass of filtered water with lemon wedge; hummus with sliced veggies.
4:00 p.m. – Herbal tea; 15 raw almonds.
6:00 p.m. – 3 cups mildly steamed broccoli, ½ cup quinoa, ½ cup lentils; filtered water to drink.
8:00 p.m. – Chamomile tea.
Bonus points awarded for exercise, meditation, laughter, and writing in a journal.
Remember that a cleanse isn’t about perfection. It’s about taking a conscious break from everyday indulgences to give your body a rest. This is especially important as we approach the holiday season! And if you’re looking for more wellness information, check out Kris Carr. She’s a fun, inspirational, and realistic health guru.
Suzannah Schneider is a junior at Tulane University. She strives to follow a vibrant vegan diet despite her undying love for chocolate cake.
PDF Tags: featured
Originally posted on Monday, September 24th, 2012
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!
The BGSK Book
20 Responses to “Beyond the Juice Cleanse: Best Ways to DIY Detox”
November 3rd, 2011
[...] information in this diet, you can develop different ways to bring healthier juices to your family.Juicing can be a great way to get the nutrients that are in vegetables and fruits combined into a ta…a healthier diet for your family. When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind [...]
December 30th, 2011
This sounds great for AFTER the holiday season, too! I’m going to try this after New Year’s
Thanks for the article!
January 5th, 2012
Hi, Neat post. There is a problem along with your site in internet explorer, could test this? IE still is the marketplace chief and a big portion of other people will leave out your excellent writing due to this problem.
January 5th, 2012
You actually make it appear really easy together with your presentation but I in finding this topic to be really something that I believe I might by no means understand. It seems too complex and very broad for me. I am having a look forward in your subsequent publish, I will attempt to get the hang of it!
February 6th, 2012
The sample meal plan is around 1100 calories. That’s what I eat in the first place, lol. (I’m trying to lose weight.) It might cleanse you of toxins if you eat poorly on a day-to-day basis but I generally eat well. The only “bad” foods I eat are egg whites, a little dairy, and cheerio’s… lol.
July 29th, 2012
Just tried this for the first time-I could easily do this cleanse for a week straight. It’s not a painful cleanse whatsoever because all the grains and roughage make you feel full throughout the day. I’ve never felt so healthy!
July 31st, 2012
Number 2 states that you should only consume liquids until noon, yet the sample still has you drinking tea until 8 pm. I’m confused. Oh, and hooray for someone who finally ‘allows’ me to have my coffee in the morning. I don’t think I could get through even the first day of a cleanse while also being mom to a toddler AND dealing with a migraine.
All in all, this seems totally doable; I’ll bet I could manage two consecutive days a week. Thanks!
July 31st, 2012
Hey Kelly, sorry for the wording! It should say – consume ONLY liquids until noon — meaning you can drink all the water and herbal tea you want throughout the day, but consumer nothing BUT liquids until noon (smoothies, freshly-squeezed juices, water, herbal tea). Sound alright?
August 12th, 2012
I would like to see a more structured plan. Especially as far as the smoothies go. Meal ideas help make the detox much easier to follow.
October 7th, 2012
[...] Best Ways to DIY Detox — Small Kitchen College [...]
October 23rd, 2012
[...] narrative about some adorable but irritatingly tiny chick’s diy cleanse, and this article on diy detoxing. As tempting as these things look (and by ‘tempting’ I mean that they’ve all [...]
November 7th, 2012
It’s important to check in with your body on a daily basis during the fast. If you’re feeling tired that day, take it easy and try to schedule some nap time if possible. If you’re bouncing out of bed, then feel free to do your usual routine, including exercise.
January 14th, 2013
I tried a three day juice cleanse right after the holiday season ended.. let me tell you- I have never felt so refreshed and healthy! I have tried juicing in my past but it was soo time consuming and frustrating to make the juices from home. I went to Juice Crafters in LA and they provided me three days worth of juices for their “Master Cleanse” program. They also were able to guide me thru the process which made all the difference. I 100% recommend the master cleanse to anyone!!
February 23rd, 2013
[...] ago I did a cleanse that kick-started a healthy eating and exercise regimen where I lost 20 pounds. This past weekend I did another cleanse, mainly to eliminate the post-holiday toxins in my system. For 3 ½ days I fasted until noon [...]
February 28th, 2013
Does the lemon juice have to be fresh? Or can I use the concentrated kind from a bottle? Also, can I used bottled water? I don’t have much time and it would be easier for me if I could take a few shortcuts. Please let me know what you advise.
Thanks!
February 28th, 2013
Fresh is best, but concentrated is better than nothing! And bottled water works fine too, just make sure to recycle the bottles
April 23rd, 2013
I enjoy what you guys are up too. This type of clever
work and exposure! Keep up the fantastic works guys I’ve included you guys to my personal blogroll.
May 6th, 2013
Thanks for another magnificent article. The place else may anybody get that type of information in such an ideal method of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I’m at the search for such information.
May 6th, 2013
I like the helpful info you provide for your articles. I’ll bookmark your weblog and check once more right here regularly. I am fairly sure I will be told lots of new stuff right right here! Best of luck for the next!
May 20th, 2013
I love what you guys tend to be up too. This type of clever work and coverage!
Keep up the wonderful works guys I’ve included you guys to blogroll.
Leave a Reply