How to Cleanse

Not one more day could pass with all of these New Year’s cleanses flashing on my screen without me putting my two cents in. Most cleanses don’t get my seal of approval because they’re miserable to follow, leaving you hungry all day. Too many have ridiculous juices or supplements involved. I won’t even engage in the Splenda horrors, the major omission of food groups or the ridiculous lies of negative calories. Those cleanses will make you feel deprived. Hungry. Unhappy. Don’t do them.

Here’s what a cleanse should do:

• Remove bloating by giving your body a rest from hard to process foods
• Hydrate you healthfully without over taxing your kidneys
• Remove sugar cravings sugar cravings
• Give you an opportunity to “reset” your digestion and nutrition
• Free your mind of “what should I eat?”
• Offer you whole foods that allow you to maintain good energy

Try a LMN cleanse. I’m giving you two choices. You’ll notice there are no processed foods, no dairy, no salt and no starches. Include 100 oz water daily. For some of you one day of a cleanse will do the trick. Others may want to follow it for a few days (yes, it’s the same cleanse each day) which is the max recommended. After you cleanse, go right back to your baseline day.

Cleanse #1

BREAKFAST

• Scrambled eggs (1 whole DHA/EPA fortified egg plus 3 egg whites)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 cup green tea
• 1 cup water with 1 ounce lemon juice

SNACK

• Sliced apple with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

LUNCH

• Spinach (cooked or raw)
• Chicken breast, turkey breast, salmon, dry chunk light tuna or 1.2 cup beans
• ¼ avocado
• 2 tsp olive oil
• vinegar as needed
• 1 cup water with lemon juice

SNACK

• 16 oz green juice: spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, lemon and ginger or 16 oz green soup

DINNER

• Romaine lettuce salad with carrots, and red bell peppers; dress with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice to taste ( if already dressed be mindful that they don’t overdress)
• Steamed or roasted fennel, asparagus, green beans
• Salmon or chicken breast or white fish such as sole, cod or halibut
• 1 cup water with 1 ounce lemon juice
• 1 cup blueberries

Cleanse #2

BREAKFAST

• Smoothie: 6 oz almond milk
• ½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup frozen mango
• 2 teaspoons flax meal
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• Dandelion tea

SNACK

• Grapefruit with ½ teaspoon cinnamon + drizzle of honey

LUNCH

• Bed of arugula (2 cups)
• ¼ pound grass fed burger or 4 oz wild salmon burger
• ¼ avocado
• Sliced tomato and onion
• Hot or iced green tea, unsweetened

SNACK

• Crudités: sliced fennel, green beans and jicama
• 20 pistachio nuts, unsalted

DINNER

• Stir fry with carrots, onions, snap peas, water chestnuts, kale and peppers
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 5 oz salmon, chicken, turkey or ½ cup beans or lentils
• Garlic and ginger
• Bed of cabbage, raw or seared