10 Day Detox

I've just come off of a 10 day detox and I feel absolutely FANTASTIC!!! This detox is one that I've done before through a company called Metagenics. I try to do this detox about once every year. After the holidays, I was really feeling sluggish and this is exactly what I needed to clean out the junk and get back on track. Contrary to popular belief, this was not a "cleanse" or a "fast." Unlike a juice cleanse (like ones I've done before by Pressed Juicery) on the Metagenics detox, I am able to eat as much food as I want and part of the process includes drinking a shake (sometimes four shakes a day!). It's also not a weight-loss program, although this is a common side-effect :) For me, it helps to "re-set" my healthy diet when I start having incessant sugar cravings!

After the 10 day detox, studies have shown a 50 percent reduction in toxicity levels, which is huge! The contents of the shake, in conjunction with a supplement, actually pull the toxins from the cells. This results in a few days of feeling a bit crummy... that plus the fact that I have to give up my daily cup of coffee. I must admit, this is always the hardest part for me. I try to start weening myself off of caffeine a few days before the detox, so that by the time I cut out dairy, sugar, gluten and most meats (yes, this is for a whole ten days), I don't have to also deal with caffeine withdrawals!

So now that I've told you a little bit about the detox diet, you might be wondering what I did eat. Lucky for me, I enjoy the shakes, so drinking up to four of them a day was not only a bit of a treat, but they really filled me up. I also ate a lot of legumes (beans) and vegetables.

One of my new favorite dishes has become roasted brussel sprouts! To make, I cut the brussels length wise and sprinkle with lemon pepper, salt, garlic, and toss with olive oil. Sometimes I'll add a little amino acids. I then bake on a tray at 350 degrees for 20 mins. Yum!

If you're interested in doing a detox, I highly recommend the one from Metagenics. Click here for the full day-by-day breakdown and visit this site to order your own detox. Since I've re-incorporated some of my normal dietary foods, I have been feeling so good, my skin is glowing, and I've even lost a few pounds (buh-bye bloating!). It really puts a spring in my step! I'd love to hear your comments if you have any questions! Have you ever tried cleansing or a detox? xo