let's get clean...

Brett and I have been considering a “cleanse” for the past few months. We looked into several and either they we’re too costly or sounded impractical. This past Monday someone recommended to try the Dr. Oz 48hr Cleanse so we looked into it. It seemed reasonable, affordable, and after all it was only 2 days. How hard could it be? So we jumped in the car and headed to the store. For about $120 bucks we had everything we needed for the 2 days. OK, let’s give it a go.

Day One

Breakfast: Quinoa with Chopped Prunes

Ingredients (Makes 1 Serving) 

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup water

1 pinch nutmeg

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp flax seed oil

1/3 cup chopped prunes

1/4 cup rice milk

Directions

In a small pot, stir 1/2 cup quinoa, a pinch of nutmeg and 1 tsp of grated ginger into a cup of water.

Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the prunes and rice milk. Cover again and cook another 5 minutes.

Before serving, stir in 1 tbsp of flax seed oil.

Neither of us have a blender at work so we were not able to make the smoothie recommended for lunch so instead we sipped on the following detox drinks all day. 

Kale, Pineapple and Ginger Detox Drink (DELICIOUS!!)

Ingredients (Makes 4 Servings; Drink Throughout the Day)  

1/2 cup pineapple

2 large cucumbers

1 bunch kale without stems (4 cups chopped)

1/2 lemon, squeezed

1/4 inch of ginger

1 bunch of mint (1/2 cup)

Directions

Combine all ingredients and blend in juicer.

Alternative: Pineapple, Lemon and Pomegranate Blend-Free Detox Drink (TASTY!)

Ingredients (Makes 4 Servings; Drink Throughout the Day)

3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1 lemon

1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice

3 cups water

Directions

Combine all ingredients and mix in a cup. Enjoy!

You can consume as many of these snacks as you'd like throughout the day.

I dashed home after work to make the following recommend lunch around 5pm. I was headed to CrossFit at 6:15p and was afraid if I didn’t get more in my system I would fatigue or drop a weight on my head.

Lunch: Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients (Makes 1 Serving) 

1/2 cup almond or hemp milk (plain/unsweetened)

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/4 banana

1/2 cup ice

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

I arrived home after CrossFit to a total disaster of a kitchen from the prep Brett and I put into making breakfast. We cleaned up and then made the following for “dinner.” We didn’t realize it needed to stew for an hour so we waited impatiently in the kitchen until 9pm until we could devour whatever it was we we’re making.

Dinner: Vegetable Broth Soup (Makes 5 Servings) (Ehhhhh...)

Ingredients

2 red onions, roughly chopped

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

1 fennel bulb, fronds and stalks included, roughly chopped

2 tsp caraway seeds

2 tsp sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup sliced shitake caps

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 cabbage, roughly chopped

2 quarts water

2 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

8 sprigs parsley, chopped stems and leaves

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except for the chopped parsley, in a pot. Add 2 quarts of water.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer covered for about 1 hour. Adjust seasoning.

Remove whole parsley sprigs and serve topped with some freshly chopped parsley.

Serve with a side of traditionally fermented sauerkraut and chopped apples (warm or room temperature). 

We went to bed feeling a bit tired and a little hungry but it was tolerable. I had planned a 6:30am workout for the following morning but after Day One I realized I needed the extra sleep and more prep time in the kitchen if I wanted to make it through Day Two.

To be continued...