Skip the wheatgrass and hang the herbal potions. Alex Jamieson, author of The Great American Detox Diet, helped her boyfriend Morgan Spurlock detox after his McDonald's binge for the film Super Size Me. Here she reveals a real-world plan for detoxing
by Alex Jamieson
As the new year dawns, many of us will begin to focus on making positive changes in our lives. Usually we want to feel healthier, lose weight, save money - and why not? These are fantastic goals. As a matter of fact, these should be monthly, if not weekly or DAILY resolutions. If you feel constantly exhausted, bloated, have recurring headaches, energy and mood swings, and a plethora of aches and pains, you could greatly benefit from giving your regular diet the old heave-ho. Detoxifying your dinner plate will help your body to detoxify and heal as well.
The lazy girl's detox plan
A detoxification plan doesn't have to be completely restrictive and boring - actually, it should be fun and tasty! The better the food tastes, the more likely you are to stick to your plan. The definition of a detox diet is pretty simple - remove the foods and ingredients that are causing problems with your health. By removing the offending foods, you allow your body to heal, release built-up congestion and really thrive. Focus on simple, fresh foods and you will have a much easier time detoxifying your diet.
Detoxing your diet can be simple, but you may need a few days to get into the groove. Start off by writing out a plan of what you're going to eat, go shopping beforehand, and cook larger portions of healthy meals so that you can take leftovers for lunch. You don't need to spend a lot of money on herbs and supplements - just keep focused on real, whole foods. Even supermarkets have prepared foods that are simple and delicious (think a packet of hummus and a bag of baby carrots for lunch).
Every person is different - we have different jobs, different family backgrounds and a unique health history. Because of that, you should take a good long look at what state your body is in, what your health has been like in the past, and where you want to end up. Depending on where you begin, you may start to feel better immediately simply by removing sugars and caffeine. Someone else who has a decade-long caffeine addiction will notice some withdrawal symptoms like feeling tired, headaches, or moodiness - these symptoms will often retreat after a few days and you will begin to feel a stronger, more stable energy, so stick with it! Feeling healthy, strong and alert is a great reward for making a few simple changes to what you eat.
The most common toxic ingredients
The most common ingredients in the standard western diet that are causing health woes are caffeine, refined sugars, refined carbs, artificial sweeteners and food additives. Even vegetarians need to clean up their diet and allow their bodies to detoxify on a regular basis. No matter what your health goals are - more energy, weight loss, a healthier diet, or to heal from a disease - they can be addressed with a simplified, delicious, cleansing, vegetable based diet. A wholefoods vegan menu detoxifies your body and allows its natural healing powers to kick in to gear.
How to do it
Follow a vegan cleanse for two weeks: that allows your body to release the accumulated effects from sugar and caffeine, heavy dairy products and food additives, while adding nutrient dense foods that will help the body to heal, stabilise and balance itself. By detoxifying what is on your daily menu, the wholefoods that you feed your body will increase its strength and ability to heal. Go back to the roots of wholefood vegetarianism: whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables all freshly prepared in a simple, healthy way.
A bit of planning, a little patience and support from friends and family will make your detox a success. Most people realise that once they start feeling better they don't want to go back to the way they were eating and living before. If you switch to water instead of sodas and then try a sip of the sugary bubbly-thick liquid, you may well wonder how you could have ever drunk that stuff for so long! This detox is not a quick-fix, fit into your bikini by the weekend plan - it is about stopping the barrage of toxic foods coming into your body and feeling healthy and vibrant. The short-term concerns of unknown territory and convenience will quickly disappear, and you'll wonder how you ever lived 'that way' before.
iVillage's ideas on what to eat
Make these tasty vegetarian and vegan recipes so you eat well during your detox
Vegetable cassoulet
Red kidney bean and corn salad
Garlic chickpeas
Nadine Abensur's Thai green vegetable curry
Nadine Abensur's roasted winter vegetables 1
Nadine Abensur's roasted winter vegetables 2
Broad bean pilaf
A 7-day vegetarian meal plan