New Years Cleanse Update

I was looking back at my New Years Cleanse post and realized it was lots of information about things I won't do. Here is some information on things I am doing:

I will focus on eating as many fruits and veggies as I can get into my face. I already ate most of my two week CSA package...in one week. I took a trip to the farmer's market yesterday and bought more seasonal produce... cauliflower, carrots, radishes, turnips, I found some decent tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, etc.

I will focus on drinking one green drink per day and eating at least one big salad for a meal per day.

I will drink hot water with lemon every morning. It's such a great way to start your digestive functions moving, and it helps to clear out your liver.

I will drink as much herbal tea as I want. I am not cutting green tea... I am  not addicted to caffeine and don't have to worry about coffee, and I love my green tea. Also, it has so many benefits...to me, it out weighs the caffeine issue. Most cleanses recommend cutting caffeine all together, but I am not getting rid of my green tea.

After my first few days, I will reincorporate whole grains. I am giving my body a break from those for a few days...but am definitely craving them!

I am also eating lots of legumes...chickpeas, aduki beans, lentils...any kind of legume I can find.

I am focusing on eating as many seeds and nuts (in moderation) as I can. Variety is the spice of life...and there are so many seeds and nuts that are good for you out there...Chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds....the list goes on and on.

I finally am starting to feel better, so I went to yoga for the first time in three weeks yesterday. It was AWESOME! I am super sore today, but in a good way.

Today I am going for a hike and another yoga class. Tomorrow I am getting back to running (the last time I ran was in NYC on December 26th.

I already can feel my body cleansing. Cutting out dairy and wheat alone make a big difference, as does cutting out alcohol. I feel a little drained of energy, but not horrible. I have been sleeping really poorly ever since I got sick, so I am hoping this cleanse will help reset my internal clock.

Due to the aforementioned sunshine, I have been slow to start on my list of projects, but I have been able to do a few things, like cleaning up my computer and going through a bunch of old photos. I also have cleaned out my work and personal file cabinets and cleaned out and organized my Christmas decorations. These are all little steps towards "detoxing" my house, office, etc.

Here is some more information on the benefits of detoxing your body. Of course, I take this as a time to "detox" everything...my house, computer, etc.

Detoxing Done Right
Weekend Detox 
Benefits of Detox on Livestrong

Happy Cleansing!

2012 Beginning of the year cleanse and kick off

Each year I like to take the first month and cleanse away the previous year, the holidays, and just start the year off right. This will be like any other year! As soon as I get over being sick and empty my fridge of some cheese and left over holiday deserts that I don't want to waste,  I will start the 30 day cleanse. It will look like this:

1. No Dairy (I will still eat eggs and fish in moderation)
2. No refined sugars or flours.
3. No alcohol.
4. No processed food.
5. Yoga 6 times a week.
6. Run 4 times a week. Including one long training run a week.
7. Scrub my house from top to bottom. Clean carpets, windows, clean doors, floor boards, remove books from bookshelves and clean and reorganize them, clean out and reorganize kitchen, clean out garage, clean up plants on deck, get rid of anything I don't need. Make the house spotless.
8. Organize all of my work paper work. (This is all pretty organized as it is, but I just want to fine tune.)
9. Drink as much green juice as possible...including doing a 3 day juice cleanse.
10. Pamper yourself as much as possible: give your self facial masks, at home spa treatments, etc.
11. Get working on those New Years Goals!

I LOVE when I do this cleanse every year. My skin becomes perfect...my sleep is divine, I loose weight, I work more, I get super organized, my house gets super clean, and everything just feels calm. Last year I also did one during the summer to recharge...I think I will do that again this year.

I will keep you all updated....and hope I feel better soon so I can start!

XO
A

Kicking off 2011 right...

January is a great time to do some sort of a cleanse and start the year off right. I have done this for the past few years and it is a great way to get rid of all the crap and sugar I eat during the holidays and just really clear the slate for the new year.

I am fighting a cold, so hopefully it is gone soon. As soon as I am back to healthy, I am going to do a 30 day cleanse and yoga challenge. I had hoped to start today, but when I am sick I can't do yoga, and all I want to eat is bread, pasta, and white rice. I think I am getting better, so hopefully I can start in the next day or so.

Here are the guidelines:

With the exception of eggs and fish, I am going to eat a vegan diet. No dairy at all.

No "white" or processed carbohydrates. No white bread, no pasta. I still plan on eating whole grains and beans, but just want to take a break from bad white carbs that make me fat, tired, and hungry for more.

Limit salt. I can't eat food that doesn't taste good, and I don't think most food tastes good without salt, but I am just going to monitor it and try to use more fresh herbs and healthy seasonings.

No processed or packaged foods. I don't eat much of this anyway, but I am going to omit it all together.

Try to eat some raw dishes, perhaps once or twice a week.

No alcohol.

***One more thing....no processed sugar. If I need a treat I might have some vegan dark chocolate, dried fruit, or some organic apple cider from the farmers market. But I really want to limit or eliminate all of that if I can. I just want to make sure I stay on track, and if that happens by giving myself a few concessions, well then  so be it.

Basically I am going to eat a wholesome, healthy, diet based on plant products with lots of fresh veggies, fruit, whole grains, nuts, etc. This is the way that I feel I should eat all the time, and I know I will feel great after a few days of eating this way. I hope it entices me to eat like this more often throughout the year. (I love fish and cheese, so I don't think I can ever give those up, but I can try to eat the best I can as much as possible).

Last but not least, 30 straight days of yoga. We don't have any trips planned and no visitors so far, so this should be attainable as long as I don't get injured or sick again.

I also want to start running, but I am not sure how much time I will have with doing yoga everyday and working hard to start the new year off right with my job.

I encourage everyone to do some sort of cleanse in January. When I was still eating meat, I did the fat flush  plan which works GREAT. The first few days I felt super sleepy, but then I felt suddenly fabulous, with lots and lots of energy. My skin was lovely and my sleep was perfect. It's tough to do anything like that without eating meat, so I am hoping my new approach will work for me.

Here is to a healthy 2011 for everyone!