Past the halfway mark and Bonus Recipe

Well past the halfway mark, and closing in on the last few days of this detox. Cravings have subsided. Energy levels are returning to normal.

You may even at times ‘forget’ you are on a detox program.

Its important to see it through the full 12 days, for its these last few days that your body and mind start to think that this lifestyle is ‘normal’ or at least a new normal. The body has an amazing ability to adapt, and what at first seemed so foreign (like living without bread) now seems completely natural.

If your not there yet, have faith that you will get there. Health improvements begin when we stop fighting with ourselves and allow our actual nutritional needs to dictate what we eat, rather than our taste buds and habits.

Hang in there. Health and longevity await!

Bonus Recipe from the Wild Rose D-tox Cookbook

Kale, Corn and Beet Salad

Serves 4. Cook the beets the day before while preparing for another meal. To easily peel the beets, press their skin with your thumb under water once they are cool enough to handle.

4 cups kale leaves, finely sliced
2 medium cooked beets
1 cup corn kernels, fresh, canned or frozen
1 tsp tarragon leaves
¼ tsp salt
Pinch pepper
¼ cup Basic Oil and Lemon Dressing, (see previous post).

• Steam kale, with lid partially uncovered, for 3 – 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel, quarter and slice beets and place in a medium bowl.
• Add corn, tarragon, salt, pepper, dressing and toss.
• Enjoy!

Eating out while on the detox

It is possible to eat out while on the detox … it just takes a little bit of planning and the courage to ask for what you want.

Most restaurants are more than willing to work with you to customize their menu to suit your needs. Fast food places are not able to customize changes, so all the more reason to stay away.

When eating out on the detox stay away from:

• sauces that may be full of sugar and thickened with flour
• breading on chicken and fish
• salad dressings and condiments (full of sugar and vinegar)
• bread, buns, biscuits and crackers
• cheese and other dairy that may be hiding in foods such as mashed potatoes
• drinks that are full of sugar and artificial flavour

Here’s a few helpful hints:

• Ask for lemon wedges and olive oil to use as salad dressing
• Choose meat and fish dishes without breading
• Hold the sauces and ask for extra spices such as rosemary, black pepper, etc
• An assortment of olives makes an excellent appetizer
• Choose sparkling water or soda water with a wedge of lemon or lime
• Pass on dessert
• Ask for lightly sautéed or steamed vegetables
• A green salad with lightly grilled chicken or poached fish is a perfect meal

Read below for bonus recipe: Detox friendly Caesar Salad Dressing

Hungry? You shouldn’t be. The 12 day detox isn’t about calorie restriction … you can, and should be, eating enough to feel satisfied and have the energy you need to go about your day.

By Day 5 many people say that they are hungry and feel deprived. If this describes you, I encourage you to get creative with your meals. You can eat as much as you want, it just needs to be the right foods.

If you can’t remember what are good foods to eat, you can click here to refer to the detox information sheet

Don’t forget to use spices and herbs to make your dishes flavourful and yummy.

Bonus Recipe from the 12 Day Detox Recipe Book

Caesar Salad Dressing

Yields 1 cup
Olive oil solidifies when stored in the fridge. If the dressing becomes solid, hold bottle under warm water for a minute or leave at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

1 egg yolk
¼ cup lemon juice
2 – 3 anchovy fillets
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Place egg yolk in a food processor along with lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, salt, pepper and blend for 1 minute or until ingredients are pureed.
• Mix the two oils together and add slowly in a steady stream to the processor while it is on high speed.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend for 30 seconds.
• Transfer dressing to a jar and store in the refrigerator.
• Try using lime juice instead of lemon juice, for variety.

Cravings  and Snacks

By Day 3 and 4 of the detox you may be having some cravings for something sweet … in fact you may be feeling like if you don’t get something sweet to eat, really sweet … like a hot fudge brownie covered in caramel sauce you might just explode … ahem … sorry about that …

Speaking of cravings … here’s how to cope:

• Berries are allowed on this detox and you will be surprised just how scrumptiously sweet frozen blueberries will taste at this point
• Cold Apple slices are also a good sweet-craving-squasher
• Rice cakes smothered in almond butter
• Carrot and Celery sticks
• Fresh, raw nuts like almonds and cashews (no peanuts)

What do you like to snack on while you are getting over the sugar withdrawal blues?

The Laxative Talk

WARNING: Don’t read if you are squeamish …

Day 2 and I’m just starting to feel the effects of the herbal supplements … most notably the laxative effects. Anytime you take herbal cleansing formulas its very important to ensure that you are having at least 2 – 3 bowel movements every day to keep your system well cleared out.

Having said that, sometimes taking four Laxaherb pills each day (2 in morning and 2 in evening) can be a bit much for some people. So by the end of Day 2, if you find the program to be too laxative, simply cut back the Laxaherb supplement by 1 or 2 daily. For example, you could take 1 Laxaherb in the morning, and 1 or 2 in the evening. We are each individual, and its ok to adjust this herbal supplement to fit your physiology.

DOUBLE WARNING: the next paragraph gets graphic!

You should cut back on the Laxaherb if:
1. Your bowel movements are mostly liquid
2. During a bowel movement, you find yourself doubled over with cramping that lasts more than 5-10 seconds
3. Bowel movements are urgent and you fear you won’t make it to the bathroom on time

Usually cutting back by 1 or 2 Laxaherbs per day will quickly relieve any discomfort.

For some people, the Wild Rose 12 day D-tox actually has the opposite effect – they become constipated while on the cleanse. If that happens to you, make sure you are drinking plenty of water and engaging in moderate exercise everyday. (Even just walking around the block after dinner can be helpful.)

If you still need help, you can increase the Laxaherb supplement by 1 or 2 daily. If after increasing the Laxaherb you are still experiencing constipation, you may want to add in a product called LBT3, which is a specific herbal formula to tone up the lower bowel.

Ok … there you have it … the Laxative talk.

Happy Cleansing!

First day of the detox and I am treating myself very well!

Started off with unsweetened Blueberry & Ginger Shake, made using the Raspberry Shake recipe , (substituting frozen blueberries to replace raspberries and omitting the dates.)

Second breakfast (why not?) is homemade hummus with carrot and celery sticks.

Lunch is a super salad made with quiona, greens, nuts and raspberries, dressed up with a splash of fresh lemon juice, olive oil and fresh ground sea salt and black pepper.

Dinner consists of homemade veggie and bean soup made with turkey stock , served over cooked brown rice and a handful of greens.

Snacks today are rice cakes with butter and almond butter, sliced apple, and raw pistachio nuts.

Day 1 is usually an easy day. You may experience slight cravings for something sweet or a ‘need’ for junk food. A brisk walk or other exercise can take care of those cravings pretty quickly.

Make sure you drink plenty of fresh, filtered or spring water.

Not just for pita chips, Hummus is the ideal dip for vegetable sticks such as carrot sticks, celery, broccoli, rutabaga, cucumber, etc.

Hummus Dip is:
- Diabetic Friendly
- Gluten Free
- High Fiber

Ingredients
1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas
Juice from half a lemon (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons tahini
1 – 2 cloves peeled garlic
½ tsp sea salt
2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne powder (more or less to taste)
¼ to ½ cup water (or liquid from chickpeas if using canned ones)

Directions
1. Put smallest amount of all ingredients into blender
2. Turn blender on low and slowly increase speed, using plunger to keep food in blades
3. Add more water if required to keep the hummus in a dip like consistency
4. Turn blender to high for 30 seconds, then turn off
5. Taste and add more garlic, lemon juice, and cayenne to suit taste
6. Blend again until smooth and creamy
7. Enjoy

Can be stored in fridge for several days.

Starting the Wild Rose 12 Day D-tox tomorrow and taking some time to prepare before starting helps to make it a smoother process. Here are a few tips:

• Try to plan your 12 day detox during a two week period when you don’t have any celebrations (birthdays, weddings, etc)
• Clear out your fridge and pantry of any forbidden foods (see below). Give it away, trash it or wrap it up tight and put it in a place that is difficult to get to.
• Stock up on detox friendly food that you enjoy eating. Remember you don’t need to restrict calories on this cleanse … just stay away from the forbidden foods.
• It can help to make a meal plan for the 12 days

Forbidden Foods: For the next 12 days stay away from the following:

• Dairy Products (milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc) except Butter … yay butter!
• Products that contain flour, (i.e. any grain that has been ground up finer than corn meal). This includes all bread, buns, crackers, cakes, cookies, pasta, soups and sauces thickened with flour, etc)
• All sweeteners, including sugar, honey, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, etc
• High sugar fruits (bananas, oranges, grapes, melons, pineapple)
• Dried fruit
• Fermented foods (vinegars, soy sauce, wine, beer, black tea, miso, etc)
• Mushrooms
• Peanuts
• Shell fish
• Candy
• Any processed food that doesn’t fall under the above categories

Herbal Supplements: There are three bottles of pills and one bottle of liquid herbal supplements included in the 12 Day D-tox kit. During the 12 days you take two of each of the pills and 30 drops of the liquid, with breakfast and dinner. One of the supplements is a Laxative (Laxaherb). If you find after a couple of days, the program is too laxative, then you can cut back on this supplement by 1 or 2 pills per day.

Easy … right? Yup it is.

If you want to follow along, pick up your kit at Prema Sai Clinic, your favourite health food store, or online.

I’ll be starting the Wild Rose 12 Day D-Tox program in a few days, and thought you might like to follow along or even join in.

The Wild Rose 12 Day D-Tox program is an easy to use kit and diet plan that provides the body with a thorough cleanse. This detoxing kit can be done 2 – 4 times per year. You can purchase the kit online here or at your favourite healthfood store.

Benefits of detoxing

A detox is to your body, what a fridge cleaning is to your kitchen … it gets rid of the bad smells and makes everything feel more efficient and roomy. Sometimes the process can get a little bit gnarly … like when you have to remove the slimy, smelly onions from the produce drawer. But for the most part detoxing is an easy process that can make you feel like new in less than two weeks.

The benefits most people receive after a 12 day detox are:
- more energy
- less brain fog
- reduced cravings for crappy food
- relief from transient aches, pains and stiff joints
- improved digestion
- relief from heartburn, acid reflux,
- increased resistance to colds and flus
- improved sleep
- less PMS and mood swings
- increased awareness of how food affects health
- greater appreciation of the body’s ability to heal

Watch for the next post where I’ll talk about the kit and how to prepare to detox … and then on Friday, we’ll get started.

Feel free to post your questions below or on Facebook.