One Week (Or Longer) Spring Reset
WHY?
You’ll feel better. The pandemic has interrupted our routines. Many of us have developed some unhealthy habits. It’s time for a healthy reset. Spring is the season of new beginnings and the time to awaken out of the sluggishness of winter. It’s the time to clean house and revitalize.
We are in need of a reset now more than any other time in human history. Our stressful lives are building up harmful stress-related hormones in our bodies. Some of these hormones even cause us to retain belly fat. (I’ve gained 12 pounds - check out my free videos and we’ll get moving together) We’ve been comforting ourselves with processed foods filled with refined sugars, saturated fats, additives, artificial colours, preservatives, bleached flour and other unhealthy garbage that have come with negative consequences. We are exposed to a plethora of environmental toxins. Even our household cleaners and personal grooming products have us breathing in an unhealthy chemical soup all day long.
Some of our eating habits have left us feeling fatigued, irritable and out of sorts with digestive problems, compromised immune systems, belly fat, skin problems and an assortment of aches and pains.
The goal is to:
1. Reset your palate
2. Drive out toxins from the body
3. Refuel the body with healthy nutrients
4. Leave you feeling full of vitality, energy and well-being.
HOW?
There are lots of choices. I am going to outline two simple and safe versions. Even so, if you have any concerns, talk to your doctor first. This reset isn’t really about getting thinner (although that will likely accidentally happen) it’s about feeling your best.
Option 1: Basic Reset
Start every morning with a drink of lemon juice (¼ of a lemon) and 300ml water (warm)
Sip on warm water all day long - bring a thermos of boiled water to work
Enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks following the guidelines below
Make your evening meal the last food consumed for the day (no food 2/3 hours before bed)
No Red Meat: We want to give your digestive organs a break. Red meat is hard to digest, has been linked to breast cancer & colorectal cancer among other things, and has lots of saturated fats.
No Pork, Ham or Bacon: The meat and fat of a pig absorbs toxins like a sponge. Pigs can have up to 30 times the toxins in their bodies than other animals (partly because pigs can’t sweat). The meat is full of toxins, piles of saturated fat, and may be injected with growth hormones and other chemicals.
No Refined Sugar: Avoiding refined sugar is essential in resetting. While researching, I found no less than 124 scientifically proven reasons to avoid eating refined sugar!!!! There are 25 tricky names for sugar, so be aware (corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose etc. etc.) It is an absolute energy killer.
No Alcohol: Kind of obvious. I’m going to miss my red wine!
No Processed Foods: This may be the hardest one because it means a bit more work on our part. Processed foods are an unhealthy cocktail of additives, preservatives, “bad fats” and hidden sugars. Almost all the nutrients have been leeched out in the “process”. The following recipes might help:
BREAKFAST IDEAS
1 or 2 boiled eggs, fresh fruit and wholegrain toast
1 or 2 slices of wholegrain toast with almond butter and fresh fruit on the side
Plain natural yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh fruit and walnut or almond pieces
Smoothies made with plain natural yogurt, your favourite fruit or leafy greens, juice or almond/soy/oat milk, and plant protein powder
Hearty Homemade Oatmeal (try swirling in some almond butter, honey, hemp seeds or chia seeds, and banana slices)
HEALTHY SNACKS
Low sodium nuts: Pistachios, almonds, walnuts, cashews etc…
Sunflower seeds, dried or fresh fruit, apple sauce, celery filled with almond butter
Veggies & dip (try Greek yogurt with parsley, garlic powder salt and pepper)
Apples and cheese (green apples and old cheddar is nice)
Edamame
Protein Balls (there are so many wonderful recipes!)
LUNCH IDEAS
Vegetarian Chili
Grilled chicken breast on a bed of leafy greens with homemade vinaigrette
Grilled fish (Arctic Char and Tilapia have low mercury) and brown rice with veggies
Veggie wraps
Almond butter and organic honey sandwich with side salad
Hearty Soup and Salad
DINNER IDEAS
Veggie Lasagna (layer favourite grilled veggies - I like thinly sliced sweet potatoes, zucchini, roasted red peppers & portabella mushrooms with homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella )
Grilled or Baked Chicken or Fish (use favourite homemade marinade-lemon, rosemary and olive oil is nice and simple) over brown rice and veggies
Go online and check out some vegetarian recipes – experiment!
Option 2: Deeper Detox/Reset
Start every morning with lemon juice and warm water
Sip on warm water all day long
Replace any coffee with tea
Daily Greens + supplement
Enjoy breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner following guidelines below
No food 2/3 hours before bed
No Red Meat
No Pork, Ham, Bacon
No Refined Sugar
No Alcohol
No Processed Foods
No Wheat (we eat far too much wheat!!! Try wheat and gluten free pastas and breads)
No Dairy (try soymilk, oat milk, rice milk or almond milk as an alternative)
Use natural cleaning products in your home
Some Detox diets include fasting and juicing which might be good too, but it’s not my thing and there are concerns. There are lots of books on juicing and fasting to guide you through it, if you’d like to go that route.
Choose a reset/detox program that doesn’t overwhelm you. Plan and shop ahead for your reset week and allow yourself more prep time for cooking.
You will love the way you feel!!!
Health Tip: Yoga can help you detox and feel great all year long.
Try This Recipe:
Mango Avocado Salsa
1 large mango peeled and diced
3 tbsp diced jalepeno peppers
3 tbsp minced red onion 3 tbsp diced red pepper (optional)
½ large avocado diced salt & pepper or herbamare to taste
1 ½ tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Mix together adding avocado last.
Colourful, flavourful, healthy and delicious! UkrCanada
