Part II of doing a detox from Kate and the Avocado a Day team – why you should do a detox and tips on being successful!
5 reasons why I think everyone should try a detox:
- Challenge yourself
- Experiment with new foods
- Become more in-tune with your body
- Increase your energy
- Learn how great you feel when you eat whole-foods
Tips on being successful
When detoxing most people tend to focus on all the foods they cannot have instead of focusing on all the new foods they can have! Some examples of ways to avoid getting stuck in a detox rut include:
- Trying new vegetables, fruits and grains.
- Trying a raw food restaurant: almost all of their meals will be gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and corn free.
- Asking for more options: a lot of restaurants now have vegan and gluten free options – just ask!
I always find the first three days the most challenging as your body is adjusting to the lack of sugar, caffeine, simple carbohydrates and processed foods. If you can make it through the first three days then you are golden!
- Start slow; choose a detox you know you can complete; even if it means starting with a 5-day detox
- Do it with a friend or family member
- Try eliminating one food category at a time (gluten, dairy, caffeine, refined sugars, peanuts, corn or soy)
- Be prepared! Plan your meals and snacks
- Know your weaknesses and try to avoid them so you are not tempted to cheat
- Prepare meals and snacks in advance
- Check every food label– you would be surprised all the places common food allergies/triggers can hide (eg. Caramel coloring has gluten in it; Casein and Whey are derived from dairy)
Easy food swaps:
- Wheat pasta – try brown rice or quinoa pasta (make sure you rinse these with cold water once cooked)
- Cow’s Milk – try almond, coconut, soy or rice milk
- White rice – try brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat or millet
- Peanut butter – try almond butter, apple butter, cashew butter or any other nut/seed butter – there are tons of options out there!
- Coffee – try herbal teas
- WheatCrackers – try rice crackers, rice cakes or bean crackers (watch out for corn in gluten-free crackers!)
- Dips – try making your own hummus or guacamole
- SodaPop – try carbonated water (Perrier or soda water with a cucumber, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit or any other fruit can be tasty)
Best in health,
Kate Kokoski
These are some great reasons and tips on being successful (thanks, Kate!). Next on Recipe-for-Health.com will be ways to boost your detox, including some delicious food and drink you can incorporate!
