It’s summer and the wind is upon us. Allergies abound, weight
wants shifting, and minds crave downtime as the end of year
looms. What better way to do this than a quick, conscious and
very do-able detox. Preparation, if you like, for the transition from
one year to the next. It may even help plant the seed for a more
health conscious New Year.
A detox is best completed under practitioner guidance with the
addition of herbs and supplements to support liver detoxification,
the lymph and kidneys. If you suffer with diabetes or any serious
medical condition, please consult your practitioner. Water should
be drunk throughout.
Day 1 Preparation
Cut out all allergenic foods, artificial flavourings and colourants. If
you read the labels, you will be amazed at how many things you
don’t recognise as food! It’s a detox, so no sugars, pastries, biscuits,
alcohol or caffeinated drinks. Drink hot or cold water with a slice of
lemon, rooibos or green tea.
Day 2 Elimination
Remove eggs and dairy. Substitute milk with unsweetened rice,
soya or nut milk. Alternatively coconut milk. You can still eat nuts,
seeds and grains.
Day 3 Clean-up
From today, you leave out gluten found in bread, wheat based
products, rye, barley, spelt and oats. Eat quinoa, rice, millet,
buckwheat or breads made with potato, rice, and tapioca flour.
Day 4 Clear-out
Lose the other grains, nuts and seeds. Eat vegetables, fruits, beans
and lentils, sweet potato, butternut, carrot and beetroot salad. It’s
your last day of fowl, fish and meat.
Day 5-7 Staying with the program
It gets a little more challenging. Eat heaps of cruciferous
vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale
lightly steamed with a sprinkle of olive oil. Green leafy vegetables
such as spinach, Swiss chard, lettuce, rocket, watercress, romaine
lettuce and tatsoi, in big tossed salads with steamed beans,
mange tout, asparagus spears, radishes and any other vegetables.
Have hummus, avocado, roasted aubergines, peppers, butternut,
onions, squashes and baby marrow. Good fruits to include are
apples, plums, pears, and nectarines either fresh or stewed, but
no banana. Drink lots of fluids such as squeezed watermelon
or pineapple juice or your favourite green juice. This is a good
opportunity to try things that you may not have cooked before,
like waterblommetjies, kohlrabi or Jerusalem artichokes.
Day 8 Adding some carbohydrate
Today, you add some ‘easy to digest’ white basmati rice to your
vegetables and salads. Don’t overdo the rice though!
Day 9 The end is in sight
It gets easier. You can add back some other grains such as quinoa,
millet or buckwheat with some orange lentils and bean sprouts.
Snack on some nuts through the day.
Day 10 Well done! You made it!
Slowly introduce other foods over the next few days. If you suffer
with food intolerances, introduce one thing at a time. Observe any
brain fog, a sore gut or a skin reaction. It is strongly advised not to
rush out and binge on a large coffee and cake or a night at the
pub.
You should be feeling alive and energised and find that your gut is
working better. Use the time to notice if any old emotions come to
the surface. Just observe them and let them pass through you. As
you clean up your gut, your mind cleans up too.
Wishing you a gentle transition from the rigours of 2011 to a
consciously peaceful 2012.
Dr Carla Boswell
Phytotherapist – House of Holistic Health
70 Barnet Street, Gardens, 8001
021-465-2870
