detox

Hello friends! And welcome back! I hope your holiday weekend was just as great as mine. It was so nice to have a few days off work, along with some good friends, family and food of course. If you're like me, than you ate a whole boat load of food this weekend and are now hurting on this following Tuesday. I've consumed loads of calories and carbohydrates that I think it's time to give my body a flush. So, I've done a bit of research on detox and cleansing diets. I did the Lemonade Cleanse diet this last year, and let me tell you it was tough. While the first couple of days it was nice to not feel bloated from food, I was struggling by the end of the week. Feeling groggy, nauseous and miserable to say the least. I decided it was time to look into something that I could handle, without feeling like a dried up, lifeless prune. Here are a few cleanses that are easy to prepare, and won't kick your tastes buds to the curb either!

The Green Smoothie cleanse is one of the most popular cleanses, as it is simple and easy to do. Blending together leafy vegetables along side some fresh fruits, makes for a tasty smoothie. It is recommended to have a smoothie in the morning for breakfast, a few fresh pieces of fruit for an afternoon and evening snack, another smoothie for lunch, and a large leafy salad for dinner along side with some nuts.

The 28 Day Raw Detox is also another combination of lots of fresh fruits and veggies. While it does not focus on the "smoothie" aspect of the detox, it does exemplify lots of leafy salads, and soups. Some of the recommended daily meals follow anywhere from, yogurt parfaits with fruit, to large leafy salads and homemade dressings. The 28 Day Raw Detox may help increase motivation and kick start a new healthy approach to eating. It is easy to manage and push froward into your regular, every day eating habits.

While I put a few harsh words above, on the Lemonade Cleanse, I still figured I would share with you what if has to offer. I will say that this sort of cleanse does take mental as well as physical preparation. This cleanse only consists of a few ingredients and is something that will be easy to whip up if you are in a hurry. Only needing, 60 oz spring water per day (spread over 6 10 oz glasses),12 tablespoons Organic Grade B Maple Syrup (or 2 tbsp. per glass),12 tablespoons freshly squeezed organic lemon juice (or 2 tbsp. per glass), and a little over half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or 1/10 tsp. per glass) for taste. It usually lasts anywhere from 5-7 days and does not recommend any sort of exercise.

To learn more, or see a larger variety of detox and cleanse diets, you can visit EveryDiet for more information and more structured, as well as informational meal plan layout for each. Good luck in your detoxing endeavours, and may you feel a little less "large" after your completion!