Detox Day 6 – Weekends can be tough

It’s Saturday and when I woke up this morning I longed for my cup of coffee while my kids watched cartoons. Notice I said ‘longed for’, not ‘craved’. At this point it’s not cravings, it’s more a mental game. It’s the ‘routines’ we’re used to, and adapting a new way of doing things. Once I actually had my morning shake and settled down on the couch with a warm mug of green tea, I found myself to be really content. I dreaded this weekend, knowing it’s usually a time of either social eating, or simply a movie night with my husband in which we may make some of our favorite snacks and enjoy a glass of wine. I don’t intend to give that up, and that’s not what a cleanse is about. It’s more about giving the body a break, learning about your body and how it functions, trying new healthy recipes, re-training your taste buds, and exploring ultimate health. My energy is awesome. I have not had the mid-morning or mid-afternoon lows that are normally experienced when eating gluten or drinking coffee. Digestion – fabulous (I won’t give details). My stomach is feeling much better today – yesterday I overdid it by consuming hummus, lentils, black beans and chick peas all in the second half of my day. The peppermint tea did the trick.
If you asked me what’s the toughest part of the cleanse, I’d hesitate to answer. In a way, the first 4 days are the toughest with the change in routine and the physical symptoms of detox. Once you get through that, you get a momentum going that makes things simple. On the other hand, for some people the second week is tough because it takes more energy to be so diligent with planning and executing healthy meals all day long. It DOES get easier the more cleansing you do, because you find tips and tricks to get you through it.
Cravings – I’m going to be honest – none. Like most people, I expected sugar cravings, but they were not an issue at all. Having a date or a bit of honey in tea is OK if you get them, and the chromium in the Mediclear helps your body be more sensitive to insulin anyway.
My sister-in law asked me to include some pictures of the foods and portion sizes in my blog. I will do my best, but It’s tough getting THAT organized! Portions – for rookie cleansers, I don’t worry about portions. Listen to your body, and eat what you need without stuffing yourself. Don’t deprive yourself – that’s not the point. Your body will be burning through the food more efficiently anyway because it’s such a clean diet, so weightloss is normal. If you’re looking for extra weightloss during the cleanse, just don’t go as heavy on the grains/crackers/pasta – do more veggies!
Breakfast – Mediclear shake with mango, strawberries and almond milk, then green tea. Then I had 2 rice cakes with almond butter, banana slices and honey.


Snack – a split a mango with my kids
Lunch – brown rice and curry from yesterday
Dinner – Second Mediclear smoothie with strawberries and almond milk. 20 min. later I made Quinoa pilaf: bring 3 cups water with 3-5 Tbsp Bragg’s seasoning to a boil. Add 1 cup rinsed quinoa, 2 cloves crushed garlic and simmer 20min or until almost soft. Meanwhile cube a sweet potato, drizzle in olive oil and bake at 425 25 min. Add broccoli florets, can of chickpeas (I used red kidney beans because I was out), and sweet potato. Cook until broccoli is soft and quinoa is cooked. I also made a side of grated carrot, grated apple, olive oil, salt and pepper and l tsp lemon juice.
I think we’ll watch a movie tonight, and will have a cup of tea and maybe guacamole with rice crackers, or a mango.
I want to touch on exercise, but I may do it tomorrow when I have more time. Today was a good day. Off to put the kids to bed!



Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor & Clinic Director
Vitality for Life Health Center
www.vitalityforlife.ca

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
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