After a month (or two) of decadence it’s time to say goodbye to the booze, bon voyage to the late nights and good riddance to sugar. Oh yes, it’s detox time and today I start mine.
The biggest mistake many make when embarking on a detox is not easing into it first. Going cold turkey on sugar for instance can spike insulin levels, drag energy levels way down and make you crave it all that much more. So my first detox tip is: Preparation.
Now getting down to business. I’m choosing to detox for 7 days; only due to the fact that having a hectic work / life schedule coupled with special dietary requirements can be inconvenient. Taking 14-days to detox is ideal. The detox is simple; green juices, apple cider vinegar, a healthy shopping list and my secret weapon: Green Coffee Bean Extract.
Preparation: 7-day pre-detox cut down
Cut out alcohol – stop drinking it altogether, your body doesn’t need it. Drink at least 2 litres of water a day. Replace sugary foods with natural sugars from fruit. Boysenberries are a great choice; low in sugar and power packed with antioxidants that help to loosen all the junk in your system.
The Plan: 7-day detox guide
• Start each morning with fresh vegetable juice made from leafy greens, celery, cucumber, ginger & lemon
• Take 2 capsules of Green Coffee Bean Extract before Breakfast
• Drink glass of water with 1T of apple cider vinegar
• Drink at least 2 litres of water daily
• Stock the fridge with healthy foods you can create delicious meals from and stick to only using these ingredients.
Grocery list: Celery, cucumber, leafy greens, sprouts, tomatoes, avocado, fresh herbs, sea salt, lemons, broccoli, asparagus, red cabbage, onions, ginger & garlic (anti fungal properties), horseradish, frozen boysenberries, blueberries, yellow grapefruit, free range eggs (limit 1 per day), almond milk, coconut water, wild salmon and white fish
From your local healthfood store: Kelp noodles (alternative to rice noodles), Himalayan salt, coconut oil, organic chicken stock, apple cider vinegar ‘with the mother’, tahini, sauerkraut, cacoa nibs (for chocolate cravings)
Secret weapon: Green coffee bean extract
Available here
Green coffee bean extract contains the antioxidant chlorogenic acid, which has been shown to aid in liver detoxification, weight loss and control metablosim. Chlorogenic acid can prevent the body from absorbing fat and speed up the metabolic fat burning processes in the liver. Green coffee bean extract has also been shown to contain more antioxidants than green tea and grapeseed extract.
The first few days can be the toughest, you may feel tired and scratchy but by day 4 you would have started to feel reenergized and ‘lighter’. By doing a detox every 4-6 months you’re giving your body a chance to rebalance and releasing toxin build up that weighs on your system. Treat your body like a temple and it’ll love you forever I promise!