Detoxin'

Yesterday I started a detox. And today, man, do I feel GREAT!! I have so much more energy and just feel healthier. The whole reason why I started this detox was because I was eating so much unhealthy foods and sweets the last couple of months (holiday weight). I really felt disgusting about what I was putting into my body and felt that I need a cleanse. Sometimes I can just read the signs my body is giving me and I know its time to change my diet. I did a raw detox last year and it was awesome. My skin looked amazing! However, it was much harder for me to stay on the raw detox. So this time I researched a bunch of different detoxes and pretty much put them all together and customized one that I know for sure would work for me. And I feel like I'll be able to sustain this detox longer than the raw detox.

I'm just going to outline the basis of my detox and below will be a few websites for resources.

NO:
Alcohol
Tobacco
Caffeine (if have to drink coffee, limit to 1 cup a day)
Meat
Processed Foods
Dairy/Eggs
White flour, carbs (can ONLY have brown rice)
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Sugar
Peanuts and Peanut Butter
Soy Milk
Almond Milk

-Add lots of fiber (organic fruit & veggies; blueberries & celery high in fiber)
-Add lots of water and natural juices (coconut water, Kombucha, smoothies, natural fruit juices no preservatives and additives, read the label)
-Consume at least 12-16 8oz. glasses of water a day
-Add exercise, preferably yoga, tai chi or walk 20-30 mins at a good pace
-Get rest & meditate, at least 8 hours of sleep

Can Eat:
All Fruit
All Veggies (best to eat: onions, artichokes, broccoli, beets, sprouts, cauliflower, and garlic)
Brown Rice
Rice Cakes and Rice Cracker (read ingredients on both, want only whole brown rice)
Rice Pasta
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Unsalted Nuts & Seeds
Beans - split yellow & green peas, lentils, kidney, pinto, mung, garbanzo, adzuki
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Veg. Salt, Sea Salt, Soy Sauce, Tamari, All herbs & spices
Herbal Teas, Green Tea
Lemon Water
Rice Milk
Vitamin C supplements

So here's some info on the detox. This is a pretty good site for a Beginner's Detox
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-61/Cleansing-Detox-7-Easy-Tips-To-Detoxify-Your-Body.html

Here's another site: http://www.homemadebodycleanse.com/body-detox/how-to-detox.htm

Here's a few meal/snack ideas.
-Veggie Soup w/veggie stock and choice of veggies
-Steamed Broccoli w/sesame seeds and beets sprinkled w/lemon juice on brown rice
-Hummus and Veggies
-Curried Lentils on quinoa
-Salad w/mixed greens, red peppers, artichokes w/garlic lemon olive oil dressing
-Breakfast smoothie with rice milk and fruit
-All Natural, unsweetened applesauce
-Spaghetti Squash w/steamed vegges & garlic herbs & olive oil

You want to start your morning with a glass (8oz) of warm water and half a lemon (not bottled juice) squeezed into it. Also, try and drink 2 times a day, one in morning and one at night of an 8oz glass of water and 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed.

Ginger Detox Tea w/Turmeric
2 cups Water
1/2 teaspoon of powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon of powdered turmeric
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Juice 1/2 lemon
Bring water to boil and add ginger and tumeric Simmer for 10 mins. Strain into cup, add maple syrup and lemon, stir to mix. Drink warm.

Pineapple, Ginger & Mint
1/2 pineapple, chopped coarsley
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cm piece of fresh ginger
Run ingredients through a juicer.

Lemon Detox Drink
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup spring water
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper
Mix together and drink.

______________________________________________________________

Thanksgiving

The Eye,
still thinking about you.
Go figure it's cold tonight,
feeling you in the air -
the evening frost.
Trying to remember
your Mayan scripture tattoos
on your forearm;
I understand it now,
understand it all.
See you in the stars, Eye.



I would love some criticism on this one. This poem and person really means a lot to me.