HEALTHY EATING FOR FOR Simple BUSY PERSON Cleanse FOR THE BUSY PERSON Page 1
Simplifying the Cleanse It s easy to get intimidated by the prospect of having to prepare food and meals for a cleanse. I know I was before my first cleanse and even now! It s still a change from my normal routine when I go through the program. Even if you don t have the time to make elaborate meals, you can still detox and feel amazing! Here are my top tips for a no-sweat cleanse: Don t get overwhelmed by the recipes. It s okay to deviate from the plan, as long as you are eating food in its most natural state. Refer to the Cleanse Approved Foods and Cleanse Foods to Avoid lists in your 15-Days at a Glance guide. All you need for a detox meal is a healthy protein, vegetables, and a healthy fat. This can be just half an avocado and some grilled chicken on greens. Adding salsa, hot sauce, coconut aminos, tahini, garlic, or other healthy condiments can make any food taste fabulous. I absolutely love guacamole on chicken breasts. Explore the take-out options at local restaurants and health food stores, or even delivery services if they re available in your area. The key to success is planning ahead and prepping. Look at the 15-Day Suggested Meals to determine which recipes you know you can/want to cook. Make extra servings, and freeze them. Try to make the prep fun! I love blasting music while I cook. Or have a cooking party with your friends to make a bunch of meals for the cleanse. Look at the soup recipes in your guide or online to see which ones you can make large batches of to freeze. When searching online, look for the words Paleo and Vegan to automatically filter out recipes with ingredients not allowed on the cleanse. Pre-chop veggies and salad greens to have ready to go in the refrigerator. Keep your favorite dressing from the recipes in a Mason jar in the fridge, or toss together a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon, and raw apple cider vinegar. My favorite tip: I love making a batch of the Lemon Basil Vinaigrette and using it all week. Page 2
Have healthy snacks on hand so the vending machine doesn t tempt you. Cannot stress this one enough for grazers out there like myself. Prepare little bags of pumpkin seeds with shredded coconut or have a green apple with Sunbutter or date balls with you. Prepare your Lemon Water Elixir and Cranberry Flush Cleanser the night before, or make a big batch that will last several days. What helped me was getting a new, glass bottle to bring my cranberry drink to work with me. Everyone loves new things! Prepare natural Gatorade by adding 6 tablespoons of Himalayan sea salt and 2 tablespoons of raw honey to a gallon of water. Carry your bottle of water around with you to remind yourself to hydrate. Prepare your breakfast smoothie the night before. Store it in a BPA-free container or Mason jar overnight. If you want to juice, but it feels like too much, then simply buy a juice at your local health food store. How to Make a Foolproof, Fuss-Free Detox Meal Start with a stainless steel or cast iron pan. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, and allow it to sit in the pan for a minute over medium to medium-high heat to warm up. If you re using onions, add those to the pan and stir occasionally for 5 minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables you want to use. If you re not using onions, just add whatever vegetables you want in your dish, and stir occasionally for 5-8 minutes (until soft). Then, add some garlic and ginger and cook another 3 minutes or so, still stirring occasionally. Set the veggies aside on a plate to keep warm. Next, add a protein to your pan and a little more oil if you need it. You might want to pre-cut the protein into bite sized pieces with kitchen scissors or a knife. Add a pinch of sea salt and pepper. It will probably take 6-8 minutes to cook. Page 3
When it s done cooking, add your veggies back in to warm and voilà, you have a fabulous, healthy meal! You can keep this basic dish new and fresh by varying your protein types, and adding different types of herbs and seasonings. Here are some ideas for you: Mexican Variation: Add some fresh chopped cilantro, lime juice, cumin powder, chili powder, and garlic powder to sautéed onions, bell peppers, shredded cabbage, and tomatoes and top with guacamole. Asian Variation: Add some coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, garlic powder, and ginger to your sautéed cabbage, carrots, zucchini, and maybe some water chestnuts for extra crunch. Italian Variation: Add some dried basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sage to your dish with some fresh green parsley, tomatoes, and garlic. Nutritional yeast is really good with this combination too because it tastes a bit cheesy. If you don t feel comfortable pan-searing your protein, the poaching method works well too, especially for chicken. In a skillet, place chicken breasts and add enough water to almost cover them, cook on medium for approx. 10-12 minutes until no longer pink in the middle. Building a Simple Salad 2 cups greens* Choice of protein or 1/2 cup detox-approved beans 2-4 tablespoons seeds (optional) Shredded raw or cooked vegetables** Choice of (non-creamy) dressing or the juice of one lemon Half an avocado or drizzle of olive or sesame oil Page 4
Put your salad in the refrigerator for the next day (with the dressing stored separately), and then you ll have it ready to take to work or for dinner when you get home. * Salad greens ideas: Romaine, spinach, mixed greens, kale, chard, arugula, endive, radicchio, watercress, butter lettuce, red leaf lettuce **Salad vegetable ideas: Carrot, cucumber, avocado, jicama, celery, bell pepper, green onion, sprouts, broccoli, radish, fennel, tomato, peas, beets Simple Snacks Berries Apples or apple chips Kale chips Flax crackers with guacamole or salsa Coconut milk yogurt or kefir with cinnamon A smoothie with protein powder or seeds optional A green juice or KeVita probiotic drink Trail mix (seeds/raisins) Raw veggies and dip Soup Nori wrap with veggies and a spread (like zucchini hummus or guacamole) Flaxseed crackers Date balls Avocado with tomato and sea salt Raw veggie cereal Organic deli meat wrapped around carrot/cucumber/bell pepper sticks Apple or celery with tahini or Sunbutter Page 5