DIY Detox Cleanse Day 5 Menu & Lessons Learned

It’s here. The final day of the cleanse. At times, we questioned it, even cursed it, but in all, it wasn’t nearly as painful or drastic as I made it out to be when going through a cheese craving.

One thing I didn’t expect: we ran out of food. We went through veggies and fruits like nobody’s business and day 5 ended up being a little improvised based on what I had leftover.  

Detox Day 5 Menu

First thing in the morning:

Lemon cayenne water

Breakfast: 

Smoothie with kale, papaya, mango, lime and water.

Snack:

Detox tea

Papaya and goji berries with lime

Lunch:

Leftover roasted carrots and parsnips over quinoa/brown rice blend.

Snack: 

Kale and beet salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar.  

Dinner:

The plan: http://food52.com/recipes/2434-one-pot-kale-and-quinoa-pilaf

Reality:  

I could lie and say the cleanse ended at 5 pm, but really, it was Friday and I needed a sandwich. And wine.

In my defense, I was out of food and needed to go grocery shopping. You know the rule about going grocery shopping on an empty stomach?  Well, double down on that – try going grocery shopping on an empty stomach AFTER a detox cleanse. Dangerous. I’m surprised I didn’t walk out of there with a cart full of donuts. 

So now that the cleanse is over and I’ve got the obligatory post-cleanse indulgences out of my system (read: burgers, beer..and yes, cheese), here are my thoughts on the experience:

1. Eliminating something from your diet is a good exercise in self-control, which is a mental muscle worth taking around the block now and then just to make sure it still works. 

2. Clean, vegan and gluten-free food can be very, very tasty. Restrictive, yes, but tasty. I made several meals this week that I will gladly make again. 
3. A cleanse can be healthy and still result in weight loss. The few pounds I gained from too many margaritas and tacos in Mexico quickly slipped off last week. In fact, in 5 days, I lost about 4 pounds total. And I didn’t have to resort to any drastic measures, like other cleanses. 
4. While I didn’t notice any dramatic changes with my body during the cleanse, there were subtle differences – I was definitely less bloated and puffy. I felt thinner. My skin looked clearer. I slept well (but that’s not typically a problem for me.) Maybe it was just the placebo effect, but it felt good to be eating clean. Did I really clean anything out of my body? Who knows. But it felt like my body was responding in a good way, and that’s all I can really ask for. 
5. One the most interesting parts of this cleanse was how it sort of reset my taste buds. The avocado on Tuesday was the best tasting avocado I’d ever had. Suddenly, almond butter was an utter indulgence. The sweet was sweeter, the salty even saltier. Eating too much junky types of foods, you become accustomed to that level of taste so this was a good way to break out of the cycle. 
6. A cleanse helps you understand what certain foods do to the body. First, doing the research on what detoxifying foods to eat and why, it was fascinating to learn about some of their medicinal qualities. We tend to eat for the mind, not for the body, but thinking about what actually happens once that food goes past your taste buds is helpful perspective and something I want to be more mindful of in the future. Second, at the end of the cleanse, when you start introducing the things you have eliminated from your diet, you can really see how those things affect your body. After a burger and beer? Yeah, I no longer felt thin. I felt bloated. And too full. I was happy, yes. But my body wasn’t.
7. A cleanse doesn’t need to be a one-time thing. Elements of it can be incorporated into your regular diet. Brian and I even talked about trying to eat like this during the week on a regular basis, and then eating (and drinking) how we want during the weekend. I don’t think we’ll commit to that exactly, but I think our middle ground on the scale between healthy and unhealthy has shifted a bit and we’ll be making a few lasting changes in our diet. 

When I started this cleanse, I said I would post the full grocery list on this blog. Since I failed to take into account the amount of food we’d be eating, that list won’t be very useful to anyone. I will say, however, it wasn’t very expensive. We spent $20 at the local farmers market, and about $50 at both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. That’s a week’s worth of food for two people, so $60 per person. Actually, that’s probably less than we spend on food in a normal week, so the cleanse was pretty economical. 

I guess I’ll just have to try again to get the planning part down. Practice makes perfect, after all. And after our next vacation full of indulgences, my body will certainly need it again. 

 

DIY Detox Cleanse Day 4 Menu

It feels like the homestretch! But still two more days to go. Today, I’m actually feeling pretty good about this cleanse. The food is filling and tasty. And I’m not having serious Diet Coke cravings in the morning or headaches. The detox tea has been my morning beverage replacement for Diet Coke, and so far, I’ve been enjoying it. I’ve not really a hot beverage person, but in the summer, with the strength of the AC in our office, it’s sort of nice to have a hot mug to hang on to. 

Today, I sort of went off-menu and had a series of snacks (mostly leftovers) instead of lunch. 

Detox Day 4 Menu

First thing in the morning: 

Lemon cayenne water

Breakfast: 

Smoothie with kale, papaya, mango, POM, lime juice, apple and water

I had intended to use the papaya earlier in the week, but the one I bought took a bit longer to ripen. Papaya is on my detox food list because the fruit has a lot of fiber and is said to help cleanse the colon and remove waste. There are even cleanses dedicated solely to eating papaya. 

To me, papaya by itself tastes a little weird. I read someone online describe it as “musky” which I think fits the bill. But I really like papaya when paired with something citrusy or tangy, hence the addition of lime and POM to the smoothie. Delish!

Snack 1: 

Detox tea  

Papaya with goji berries and lime

Another great combination with the goji berries. Top with lime and your gray windowless office will feel like the tropics! (That was a bold-faced lie, but it is good.)

Snack 2: 

Cucumber tomato salad leftovers

Refreshing and still tasty after a night in the fridge. 

Snack 3: 

Baby carrots, celery with almond butter

I gotta tell you, after 3 full cleanse days, almond butter tastes so decadent, it’s like candy. This was a special treat and a good way to use up the extra celery I didn’t use in the soup.  

Snack 4:

Half a grapefruit  

Brian also got a bonus snack – a tiny bit of leftover lemongrass quinoa from last night’s dinner – which you can see from the menu I wrote out for him in the morning:

You’ll notice the order is a little different than what I wrote above. I wrote the order I actually ate my snacks based on my cravings. It was sort of nice to be able to decide what I wanted to eat and when. 

Dinner:

Roasted beets with ginger

Roasted carrots and parsnips 

Quinoa brown rice blend

For the beets, I used this Oprah recipe. I also had pre-cooked my beets on Sunday, so I only had to do the second part of the recipe, which was essentially re-roasting the beets to get them extra soft and flavorful.  

I didn’t follow a recipe for the carrots and parsnips – just coated them in olive oil and fresh rosemary, then roasted in the oven at 375 for about 45 minutes. I love roasting vegetables because it’s so easy – just add olive oil and some seasonings, the heat does the rest. 

I was expecting to have some more leftover quinoa at this point, but we are going through food faster than I expected, so I ended up using a microwave quinoa-brown rice blend just to give this meal some bulk.

Brown rice wasn’t originally in my cleanse menu, but it’s not an unhealthy addition and a good option to compare to the many other ways I could cheat! 

One more day of the cleanse-life!

 

 

DIY Detox Cleanse Day 3 Menu

It’s hump day during a particularly busy week at work, so honestly, the cleanse is not the first thing on my mind. And maybe that’s for the better, because if I start to think of the foods I don’t get to eat, I get a little hot and bothered. (Mmmm cheese… and bread… and cheesy bread.) 

Today’s menu consisted of a lot of the same things from day 1 and day 2, so I won’t go until a lot of detail – until dinner.   

Detox Day 3 Menu

First thing in the morning: 

Lemon cayenne water

I’m starting to get the hang of this now. 

Breakfast: 

Smoothie with kale, apple, mango, pineapple, POM and water

Snack: 

Detox tea

Pineapple and goji berries

Lunch:

Leftovers from dinner – one artichoke, cauliflower rice and squash

I was happy not to be eating soup today, and even more happy that I had something that felt so substantial. Let’s all celebrate the existence and many different uses of cauliflower. 

Snack:

Kale and beet salad with oilve oil, red wine vinegar and sesame seeds

Apple

Dinner:

Roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots

Roasted fennel and garlic

Lemongrass quinoa pilaf

Cucumber, tomato and red onion salad

This was sort of smorgasbord of sides, but they complemented each other enough you could almost toss it all together on your plate. 

For the Brussels sprouts, I basically followed this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis  but without the potatoes and parsnips.

The fennel and garlic was a modified version of this recipe from the Chicago Tribune – basically followed everything but the addition of the leek. 

I didn’t use a recipe for the cucumber tomato salad – it was essentially just chopped up tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion, tossed with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, fresh squeezed lemon juice and dill. 

The lemongrass quinoa pilaf was my favorite part of the meal. I sort of followed this recipe from the blog A Girl, A Market, A Recipe but made quite a few changes based on this being a side item and not the main course. I had my quinoa pre-cooked, which was convenient, and I didn’t include any tofu, broccoli or mint. Instead, I added some spinach and parsley. 

This recipe really revolved around the lemongrass, which has a strong but delicate flavor – definitely not overpowering but flavors the dish well. You don’t need a ton – I bought mine at Whole Foods and it was just one stalk.

From what I’ve read about lemongrass, it is full of both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Apparently, lemongrass oil is used in herbal medicine as a diuretic, to help detoxify the liver, kidneys, bladder and digestive system. 

The bonus is it tastes really good, especially with quinoa, which is sort of flavorless until you add something to it. 

Overall, Day 3 of the cleanse was mostly a breeze. We did have a friend over for dinner (who ate according to your cleanse rules too because he’s cool like that) and we started planning our binge this weekend when we’re done with the cleanse. Thinking about pizza, burgers and beer was a little brutal, but hey, it gives us just one more reason to look forward to the weekend (as if we needed one). 

DIY Detox Cleanse Day 2 Menu

Day 2 of the cleanse started off great because today’s smoothie was delicious and tasted nothing like grass. Unfortunately, I think my lack of caffeine finally snuck up on me this afternoon and my head started to ache. I was also absolutely starving near the end of the work day, and I got home and made myself another smoothie so I wouldn’t be tempted to reach for something salty, bready and/or cheesy. 

Detox Day 2 Menu

First thing in the morning:

Lemon cayenne water 

I was definitely more delicate with the cayenne today. Just a tiny pinch – you can still taste it, I promise.

Breakfast:

Smoothie with kale, pineapple, mango, apple, POM and water

I used canned pineapple for this, but made sure to get the version in just pineapple juice, no added sugar. I don’t eat pineapple a lot, but added it to the detox menu because it is supposed to have some potential anti-inflammatory and digestive benefits, because of an enzyme called bromelain. Plus, pineapple loaded with Vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals. 

Snack: 

Pineapple with goji berries

Again, with the pineapple. This was perhaps my favorite combination with the goji berries. The pineapple really neutralized the tartness of the berries and softened them up a bit. 

Lunch: 

Veggie soup leftovers

Snack: 

Kale and beet salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing, topped with sesame seeds

Apple

I loved this as an afternoon snack because it feels pretty substantial and it satisfies my craving for something more savory. The red wine vinegar dressing provides a nice tang to the beets, which I think need that counterbalance the earthiness. I dressed the salad in the morning, and allowing the kale to soak in the oil and vinegar softened it up quite nicely.

Emergency after-work snack: 

Smoothie with mango, POM and banana.  

Technically, bananas weren’t a part of this cleanse, but it was either this or order a pizza. 

Dinner: 

Steamed artichokes, cauliflower rice with roasted summer squash, spinach and watercress salad with avocado and toasted sesame seeds.  

This was probably my favorite dinner of the cleanse.

For the artichokes, I essentially followed this recipe from Tyler Florence but scratched the bay leaves (because I didn’t have any) and I used cooking wine so I wouldn’t tempt myself to have a few sips, or glass. We dipped the artichoke leaves into an olive oil/lemon juice mixture, which maybe wasn’t as good as something creamy or buttery, but the artichokes already has so much flavor from the steaming liquid, it didn’t really matter. 

Artichokes have not made an appearance on our menu in quite some time, and I’m not really sure why because they’re sort of fun to eat and super healthy.  I read they have more antioxidants than any other vegetable and they are also supposed to aid digestion and help regenerate the liver. Mark me down!

Eating the cauliflower rice seriously made me feel like I was cheating on the cleanse. Rich, tasty and so easy to prepare. I followed this recipe from Nom Nom Paleo but did not use butter. Instead i used coconut oil and olive oil, which seemed to work fine. It did start to stick to the pan, so I just put a couple swigs of cooking wine in there and that did the trick. I also did not use their seasoning suggestions and instead, added a tiny squeeze of lemon, garlic powder and some fresh chopped parsley (and salt and pepper to taste, of course). 

I’ve never really gone wrong with cauliflower but this will be a regular on our menu. Plus, cauliflower (like broccoli) is one of the highest yielding vegetables of glucosinolates, which are supposed to help detoxify the body. 

I also had some CSA squash – I have no idea what kind it was, but it was yellowish green. I roasted it, Skinny Taste style, and served it on top of the cauliflower rice. 

I know this was just the second day of our cleanse, but already, the avocado tasted so rich and creamy to us that my husband even asked, “Are you sure we’re allowed to eat this?” 

Yes, yes we are – and thank goodness, because it was just what I needed after feeling quite famished earlier in the day. And of course, avocado is on the list of detoxifying foods because it is high in both insoluble and soluble fiber, which helps cleanse the colon and carry toxins out of the body. 

The toasted pumpkin seeds were also a nice salty, crunchy addition to the salad. 

All in all, day 2 was a little rough, but a filling and satisfying dinner ended it on a good note. On to the next one…

Detox Cleanse Day 1 Menu

Day one of detox is in the books. So far so good! Here’s how my day went..

Detox Day 1 Menu

First thing in the morning:

Glass of water with lemon and a small pinch cayenne pepper. 

And when I say small pinch, I mean SMALL. Mine was a few cayenne sprinkles away from being unpalatable. Not because it was necessarily bad, but it is just spicy.

(If this water sounds familiar, you may have heard of the controversial “Master Cleanse” – this water is essentially the only thing you can have for 8 days. I wouldn’t advocate or volunteer myself for something so extreme, but the water itself is a good way to start a detox day.)

You may be asking why I would drink this concoction? Well… 

Lemon juice has many good super food qualities, but most notably, it is supposed to help stimulate your digestive track.

Cayenne pepper is said to increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories. It’s also used as an herbal remedy for digestion issues and even high blood pressure.

 

Breakfast

Smoothie with apple, kale, frozen mango, parsley, mint, lime and water.

This is actually a juice recipe in one of the juice cleanses I found, so I wanted to give it a shot. Quite tasty, but the parsley is more powerful than I expected.  My husband said it tasted like grass. 

Nutrition-wise, you can’t really go wrong with any of the ingredients in this smoothie, but a couple  have special detoxifying powers: Apples have pectin, a soluble fiber that helps remove food additives and metals from your system, while Parsley has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and is high in fiber. 

Morning Snack

Every Day Detox tea made with dandelion root, which is known to detox and debloat.

Cantaloupe and goji berries with fresh squeezed lime. 

This was my first time trying goji berries, but since they are supposedly the fountain of youth, it’s about time I got on trend. They are a bit dry, but softened up a bit with the melon juice. I always like a splash of lime on melon to give it an extra tanginess. 

Lunch

Vegetable soup – recipe to come! Basically included fennel, carrots, kale, cabbage, celery and onion. I also added some cayenne pepper (maybe a little to much) to give it some punch. 

 Snack

Carrots and sliced cucumbers in lemon, dill, ginger sauce.  

This was a pretty tasty afternoon snack with all foods I’ve found on detox lists. 

Dinner 

Warm quinoa, beet and spinach salad and steamed broccoli.

For the salad, I essentially followed this recipe minus the goat cheese. I also had pre-cooked my beets and quinoa (yay for productive Sundays!) The toasted pumpkin seeds and balsamic vinaigrette made this salad actually super tasty and satisfying. Of course, goat cheese would have made it even better. Goat cheese makes anything better. But in all, a decent and filling dinner. 

Detox wise, the beets are the real star of this meal. Beets are one of the richest sources of detoxifying amino acids which help maintain the health of the intestinal tract, and they also help increase activity in liver enzymes.

That was my day. I survived a work day without Diet Coke and even turned down a mini pop tart. (Small victories.)