DETOX!!

What exactly is detox week all about? Detox is a way to nourish your body with the right nutrients in order to maintain healthy eating habits. In this weeks class we looked at our food logs and discussed how we are all torturing our bodies with chemically enhanced foods, preservatives, and as my instructor puts it...'CRAP'! The idea behind detox is to rid our bodies of all these toxins that are added onto the foods we purchase and eat whole/natural foods that are primarily plant based. This meant that 90% of the foods I consume were about to be taken away from me. The general detox menu looks like this:

VEGGIES! VEGGIES!.......and more VEGGIES!

With our wonderful selection of veggies we were also able to have three servings of fruit, and one serving of protein in the morning. It was recommended that the fruit be low glycemic which eliminated all my favorites, and the protein consisted of three egg whites or 6 oz of plain Greek yogurt and that tastes like sour cream- not exactly my favorite breakfast. Among these fantastic options we were allowed natural herbs and salt that contain no sodium, and we could use olive oil for cooking. All we were allowed to drink was water with lemon and we had to drink a lot of it. 

Hopefully I have expressed my enthusiasm about detox week. The first day I was actually excited to get started, but then....the headaches came. My instructor warned us about this and I was convinced it would not happen to me but when the headaches hit they hit hard! By day two I was ready to eat my arm off because I was so hungry. I emailed my instructor and complained about my struggles. Of course he response was more than reassuring and motivated me to continue. By day four it was getting easier and I found myself feeling more energetic and I did not miss my old diet much. 

During detox week we were advised not to work out because we were not consuming enough calories to balance our bodies enough during physical activity. However, each night she said a light work out would be okay and advised us to do 20 push-ups, 20 crunches, and 25 squats. Although it was only light strength training exercises it was rewarding to see that by the end of the week I was able to complete the small work out with no struggle.  

Other than our challenge to make it through detox week, our homework was also to find our favorite detox recipe and bring it in to share with the class. My favorite recipe was spaghetti squash with crushed tomatoes and fresh basil. 

Recipe:

 

• 1 spaghetti squash                                          
• 1 can of organic/low sodium 
• Fresh or dry basil
• Sea salt and pepper 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Coat a backing pan in olive oil and brush the inside of the squash with the olive oil as well. Place squash face down on pan and cook in oven for about 30 min. In a sauce pan heat crushed tomatoes. Add basil, sea salt, and pepper for taste. When squash is done scrape the squash with a fork to loosen the meat of the squash and add crushed tomatoes. Eat and enjoy!