In my personal opinion cleanses and detox diets are a lot of hype and not so much help. As promised, I have designed recommendations to guide you through this dietitian approved cleanse! I believe it is a safe, effective and guaranteed to improve energy levels, reduce unhealthy cravings, promote a healthier weight and a better quality of life.
In the spirit of spring cleaning, let’s get cleansing!
The science says that if we consume complex energy sources consistently throughout the day we will have steady energy levels and be able to stay full longer. Also, by reducing your intake of processed grains, sugars, fats and salt you will begin to retrain your taste buds and your cravings. The goal of this cleanse is to slowly reduce the unhealthier foods in your home, and introduce more health-full ones.
- Stop the Cycle. Begin by keeping writing down what you eat on a typical day, or a weekly grocery list. Remember this is what you are doing now, not what you desire to do. Then, using a highlighter or colored pen, identify all of the foods that are high in processed sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats (a.k.a. saturated fats). These will be the targeted foods to cleanse from your daily diet. These will also be the foods that require a bit of a make-over. Make a realistic goal and commitment to limit these foods to one time per month. Now that you have identified the culprits, move to the next stage of cleansing.
- Cleanse your Cupboards. Look through the food that you keep in your home. Using your list from before, remove the targeted foods, or other foods that may tempt you. Remember you are looking for foods that your grandmother may not recognize and those you tend to over-eat. Place the un-opened, non-perishable food items in a container and donate them to a local shelter or food pantry. Throw away all opened and perishable food items, because as I heard from another dietitian, “it either goes in the wastebasket, or on your waist!” Take a minute to look at the clean refrigerator and pantry with lots of space for healthier foods.
- Refill to Refuel. Return to your list of foods, screaming for a make-over. Identify healthier foods items that can replace the culprits. Don’t forget about what you drink, try to make water your beverage of choice. I have provided some suggestions below:
- Ground beef for Ground Turkey/Chicken breast
- Oreos for 1 ounceDark Chocolate (> 72% Cacao) and Non-Fat Milk
- American cheese singles for Reduced fat Cheddar cheese
- Whole or 2% Milk for Non-Fat Milk
- Juice (100% and/or from concentrate) for 1 Whole fruit
- Chips for Baked Potato
- Ice cream for Low-Fat Yogurt
- Prep your Pantry. Once you have re-stocked your shelves with nutrient-dense foods for lasting energy it is important to make them readily available. One of the perks of eating processed foods is that they are ready when we are. Healthier foods tend to require more prep and cooking time. Identify time during your week to slice and dice fresh vegetables, wash fresh fruit, boil eggs, grill chicken, etc. You can even make a few meals ahead of time and place them in the freezer. (Tip: Soups, stews and breads freeze very well). This way you can eat healthy in a hurry.
- Step Up to Active Living. The refrigerator and pantry are clean; the meal plan is made; now we need to cleanse our day of excess screen-time. Screen time is any time spent in front of a screen (I.E.: TV, Video games, Computer, etc). It is best to strive for less than 2 hours of screen time each day while at home. The end result will most likely be you moving more.
Congratulations you have been cleansed! Please remember though that any change- especially lasting, lifestyle changes- take time. Perhaps, you want to identify only one food per week to limit/add, or maybe you want to dive in head first. Whichever you decide, don’t go at it alone. By identifying at least one other person to share this experience with you will increase your odds for success.
If you have additional questions regarding cleansing, or would like individual recommendations, I am happy to help.
Written by: Cassie Vanderwall, MS RD LDN CPT
