New Year's Resolution 5-Day Cleanse

Over the holidays, many of us overindulge. Great food, baked goods, etc., with friends and family is what I love about the holidays.

But many of those things can also "bog us down."  A cleanse is one of the most effective ways to feel lighter and look younger.

And if you have a New Year's Health Resolution, a cleanse is a great way to "jump start" your metabolism, and kick of your resolution.

Below is a simple 5-Day Cleanse that I have done a few times before--and always felt great afterwards.


The 5-Day Cleanse:

1. Immediately after you get up each morning, drink one cup of hot water with fresh squeezed lemon.
2. No dairy other than 1/2 cup of plain yogurt once per day.
3. Eliminate all grains, including rice.
4. Each day each one fruit (ideal fruits are apples, blueberries, or clementines)
5. Vegetables are free (each as much as you want), except--do not eat any of the "starchy" vegetables: potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, corn, squash, etc.
6. Eliminate all red meat.
7. No more than 3 ounces of protein to be consumed at each meal (tuna, salmon, tofu, chicken, turkey, sole, etc.)
8. No beans or legumes
9.  No coffee or alcohol.  Substitute green or black teas, herbal energy drinks, and herbal teas.
10. 8 glasses of water per day.  Add chlorophyll to water twice a day.  Mint flavoured chlorophyll is available.

Tips:

• 
• If you become constipated, add fibre such as ground flax seed, ground chia seed, or Fibre+ from Health, to smoothies/shakes and/or yogurt.
• Maximum of 15 nuts per days.
• If you feel tired or low-energy throughout the day, instead of drinking a coffee, try a Pro prolonged energy drink.

Recommended Grocery Items:

• Yogurt: use plain (not-flavoured), probiotic yogurt. Not skim or non-fat yogurt. Liberte brand is a very good choice--no sugar, good probiotic count.  Astro plain is a good compromise.
• Omega 3 eggs (hard boiled and kept in fridge--great snack or protein for lunch)
• Cinnamon tea (for cravings)
• raw almonds &/or walnuts
• green or red apples
• red peppers
• cucumbers
• carrots (including baby carrots)
• celery
• fresh lemons
• Imagine brand Soup Broth (vegetable or chicken
  --drink as much or as often as you like.)
• Pro prolonged herbal energy drink mix
   (to get you through the afternoon low).
• Vi-Shape shake mix for your protein smoothie.

Supplements:

1. Ground flaxseeds: add 1 tablespoon to shake/smoothie and/or yogurt
2. Acidophilus (probiotics): Makes sure capsules have >3 billion organisims per capsule.  Take 4 capsules per day--2 in morning, 2 in evening.
3. Chlorophyll: available at most health food stores.  Add 1 teaspoon to water twice daily--morning and evening.

Banned from the cleanse:
- mayonnaise
- sugar (including adding to tea)
- bread, pasta, cereal, grains, etc.
- potatoes
- rice
- red meat
- coffee
- wine
- beer
- alcohol
- dates
- raisins
- cheese (including cottage cheese, cream cheese, hard cheeses)
- beans (including hummus)


Sample Meal Plan:

Breakfast:
Vi-Shake--1 cup Almond milk, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1 tsp flaxseed oil, 1 tbsp ground Chia seeds, 1 tsp mint chlorophyll.

Snack:
1/2 cup of plain yogurt with 1/2 cup of berries, 6-8 almonds, and 1 tsp of ground flaxseeds.

Lunch:
1 cup vegetable or chicken soup broth
salads with 3 ounces of tuna
carrot sticks, celergy sticks
or
Vi-Shake

Snack:
1 apple and 6-8 almonds

Dinner:
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- chicken breast
- salad
- steamed vegetables