How I Eat
IF ANYONE HAS VISITED THIS PAGE PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS KNOWN AS “THE DETOX.” I’M LOOKING AT A LONG TERM WAY OF EATING, NOT SHORT TERM. SO I’VE CHANGED THE TITLE TO “HOW I EAT”.
I have done various versions of this detox, but the basic principles are the same.
It’s basically whole unprocessed food that eliminates common allergens.
No GRAINS – including wheat, rice.
No DAIRY.
No SUGAR (I will have small amounts occasionally of stevia, honey, maple syrup, agave in salad dressings, smoothies).
Limit CAFFEINE from coffee (other than green tea).
Limit SOY (soy is another genetically modified food, so I try to keep to the fermented soy – miso, tempeh, edamame).
Limit PEANUTS (peanuts are one of the most GMO foods).
Limit ALCOHOL – but when I do, I stick to red wine and vodka (gluten free drinks).
Don’t worry about quantity – it’s hard to overload on veggies and fruits.
Here’s the list of DO EAT (see there’s lots here! It’s not so bad!):
Vegetables: any vegetable except for corn
Fruits: try to eat berries when possible. I do limit dried fruits as most of them have sugar added!
Limited amounts of beans: chickpeas, lentils, black beans, etc.
Nuts and seeds: all nuts and seeds except for peanuts.
Fish and meat: all red meat, poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, etc.), fish and seafood (except shellfish). Heck, I even eat bacon! Although chicken bacon really is one of my favourites.
1 serving per day of non-cow (is that a word?) dairy: feta (made from sheep or goat milk); goat cheese; small amounts of butter. Replace dairy milks with oat, almond, rice or soy milk.
Soy products: Tofu, tempeh, soy nuts, soy milk, and whole soy beans. Only have one serving of soy per day.
Sweeteners: honey, Stevia, maple syrup, agave (in small amounts). No artificial sweeteners or low/no calorie sweeteners other than stevia. Those are all chemical!
Spices and Condiments: All spices are fine, although read labels of mixed spices as they often contain gluten
Oils: I use mostly coconut oil, olive oil, and some butter.
Eggs
And of course the list of DON’T EAT:
Dairy products: yogurt, cheese, milk, cream, sour cream, cottage cheese, casein, whey protein concentrate. 100% pure whey protein isolate and goat-milk cheeses are allowed.
All grains that contain gluten: wheat, spelt, rye, kamut, amaranth, barley. This means that most breads, bagels, muffins, pastries, cakes, pasta, durum semolina, couscous, cookies, flour and cereals are off limits, unless they are gluten free.
Corn: popcorn, corn chips, corn breads or muffins, corn of any form
Oils: hydrogenated oils, palm kernel oil, trans fatty acids, soy bean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, vegetable oil, shortening and margarine. Limit your intake of safflower and sunflower oil. Olive oil is okay.
Alcohol and caffeine.
Peanuts and peanut-containing products: peanut butter, peanuts, etc.
Sugar: table sugar (sucrose) and all products with sugar added must be cut out completely. Foods to avoid include rice syrup, foods/drinks containing high fructose corn syrup, packaged foods, candies, soda, juice, etc.
Read labels and stay away from preservatives and chemicals as much as possible. If you don’t recognize it, don’t eat it!
Here’s what a typical day could look like:
Start the morning with warm water with a slice of lemon. It’s very refreshing and is great for your digestive system. This really helped me when I was having heartburn.
Green tea and smoothie for breakfast. Don’t skip breakfast and make sure you have protein for breakfast! Eggs are also great for breakfast.
Lunch – I like leftovers or a big salad with protein for lunch.
Mid-afternoon snack – fruit and nuts are great. Hummus with veggies. Try to have protein with your snack.
Green tea and/or Greens + in the afternoon.
Dinner – protein, lots of veggies. Soup is a great dinner.
Also remember to drink lots of water throughout the day. 6-8 glasses of water or tea MINIMUM.
See, now how hard is that!
While this is a pretty basic guideline for a detox, if you have the opportunity, I encourage you to undertake a detox with a Naturopathic Doctor. If you live in Toronto, Dr. Turner at Clear Medicine is absolutely amazing, and I highly recommend her.
**This isn’t medical advice or health advice. I’m not a doctor, just someone who has read a lot and has found things that make me feel healthier. If you are concerned about your health, it’s best to get guidance from a Naturopathic Doctor.
