The Ultimate Rejuvenation Cleanse!

New Year Edition

Detox. Lose Weight. Rejuvenate.

By Lisa Mair & Charlotte Ott

Table of Contents WELCOME! 1

WHY CLEANSE? 2

NEW YEAR CLEANSE OVERVIEW 4

WHAT THIS CLEANSE IS NOT 4

WHAT THIS CLEANSE IS 4

COMMON BENEFITS 4

WHAT WILL I EAT? 5

WHAT WON’T I EAT? 5

THREE WEEK PLAN SUMMARY 6

WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE TO DO? 6

THE OFFICIAL PRE-CLEANSE 7

BODY PREP 7

SUGAR AND HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP 8

FAKE SUGARS 9

WHITE FLOUR AND REFINED GRAINS 10

CAFFEINE, COFFEE, AND BLACK TEA 11

TRANS FATS 13

ARTIFICIAL COLORS AND PRESERVATIVES 14

ALCOHOL 14

MAKE IT SIMPLE 16

ENVIRONMENT PREP 17

MIND PREP 18

AFFIRMATIONS 19

YOGA AND MEDITATION 19

THE OFFICIAL NEW YEAR CLEANSE 20

SEASONAL EATING 20

Table of Contents

WHAT TO ADD IN! 23

LEMON WATER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING 23

GREEN TEA & OTHER TEA 25

THE GREEN SMOOTHIE REVOLUTION 27

GREEN JUICES 29

BROTH 30

CLEAN PROTEIN 31

PLANT FOODS GALORE! 33

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS 36

WHOLE GRAINS 39

NUTS AND SEEDS 40

FERMENTED FOODS & PROBIOTICS 43

SEA VEGETABLES 45

SPICES FOR HEALTH, ENERGY AND LONGEVITY! 47

HIGH QUALITY OILS 49

WHAT TO TAKE OUT 50

SWEETENERS 50

ALLERGENIC FOODS 52

LEVELS 56

DAILY PLAN 58

PERFECT DIGESTION & ELIMINATION 61

POST CLEANSE PROTOCOL 63

OPTIONAL ENHANCEMENTS 66

SELF CARE 67

OIL PULLING 67

SKIN BRUSHING 68

OIL MASSAGE 69

CLAY BODY MASK 71

LAVENDER DETOX BATH 73

PROPER REST 74

Table of Contents

EXERCISE 76

WALKING 77

YOGA AND BREATHWORK 77

STRENGTH TRAINING 83

INTERVALS 85

INTROSPECTION 87

MEDITATION 87

JOURNALING 91

WEIGHT LOSS 93

SEASONAL EATING 93

MEAL TIMING 93

INTERMITTENT FASTING 94

BLOOD TYPE DIET 95

EMOTIONAL EATING 97

ADD A LITTLE SPICE! 97

TOXINS 98

SUPPLEMENTS & SUPER FOODS 100

JUICE PLUS 101

TRIPHALA 102

VITAMIN D 102

PROBIOTICS 103

GYMNEMA SYLVESTRE 103

WHAT ABOUT MULTIVITAMINS? 103

SPROUTING 106

MERCURY 107

Table of Contents

LIVER AND GALLBLADDER FLUSH 108

RECIPES 112

QUICK MEAL TIPS 112

GREEN SMOOTHIES 114

THE GREEN SMOOTHIE 114

GINGERY GREEN SMOOTHIE 115

GINGER BERRY ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SMOOTHIE 115

MATCHA SMOOTHIE 115

JUICES 116

HIGH POTASSIUM JUICE 116

GREEN JUICE 116

REJUVENATION LEMONADE 117

KIDNEY FLUSH 117

STOMACH CLEANSER 117

TEA 118

CHAI TEA 118

DIGESTION TEA 118

DETOX TEA 119

BREAKFAST 120

OVERNIGHT OATMEAL 120

SCRAMBLED CURRY TOFU WITH ARUGULA 120

SWEET POTATO APPLE HASH 121

HEARTY QUINOA PORRIDGE 122

COUNTRY BREAKFAST POTATOES 122

QUICK HOMEMADE RICE CEREAL 123

SALADS 124

ARUGULA AND FENNEL SALAD WITH WALNUTS 124

ROASTED CHICKPEA SALAD 124

AUTUMN QUINOA SALAD 125

RICE TABOULI 125

KALE SALAD 126

Table of Contents

LENTIL SALAD 126

RICE SALAD 127

SOUPS 128

HEALING VEGETABLE BROTH 128

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP 128

BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH SWEET POTATOES 129

CARROT SOUP WITH CILANTRO 130

LETTUCE SPINACH SOUP 130

LEEK AND WATERCRESS SOUP 132

MISO SOUP WITH SHIITAKE 132

RAW RUBY RED BORSCHT 134

MAIN COURSES 135

KITCHARI 135

THREE BEAN VEGETARIAN CHILI 135

QUINOA STEW 136

ALMOND CRUSTED CHICKEN 137

TEMPEH & BROCCOLI 138

CURRIED SWEET POTATOES WITH SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS 138

PESTO 139

FRIED RICE 140

ALMOND LEMON CRUSTED FISH WITH SPINACH 141

MISO GLAZED TOFU 142

STIR FRIED CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI WITH ALMONDS 142

SIDES 144

ROASTED ASPARAGUS 144

WHITE BEAN DIP 144

SWEET POTATO HUMMUS 145

SAUERKRAUT 146

DESSERTS 147

COOKIES! 147

UNBAKED APPLE CRISP 147

CHIA PUDDING 148

Table of Contents

SHOPPING LIST 149

QUICK START OPTION 149

VEGETABLES AND FRUIT 150

BEANS 150

NUTS AND SEEDS 150

PROTEINS 150

SUPPLEMENTS AND SUPERFOODS 151

OTHER 151

FAQS 152

RESOURCES 154

1

Welcome!

Welcome to the New Year Edition of the Ultimate Rejuvenation Cleanse! Get ready to

lighten up, brighten up, and energize!

Let’s be done with dragging through our days, stressed out, overwhelmed, and just

existing. It’s high time that you felt great all through the day with energy to live your life

fully, with passion and joy.

It’s time to thrive!

Let’s free ourselves from the struggle with weight, food, and dieting. Why not make this

the year to stride confidently through all the seasons, staying healthy, energetic, and

peaceful.

And enough of the aging already… all the toxic food, addictions, and false energy

crutches show up in our skin, taking away its luster and resilience. That is not even a

superficial concern – because it mirrors what’s happening inside. Looking old and tired

and feeling old and tired have the same root causes.

It’s time to uproot the root causes!

In these pages you will find a fabulous, comprehensive program for you to reclaim your

energy and youthfulness. You’ll learn, be inspired, and adopt lifestyle habits that will

stay with you for the rest of your life. This is not a plan for suffering. This is a plan to

enjoy and feel better!

When you finally release stored toxins and addictions, you will smile and say, “Ahhhhh,

so this is how life is supposed to be!”

Our goal is to help everyone discover that feeling. Thank you for joining us!

Lisa and Charlotte

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Why Cleanse?

If you’re new to the concept of cleansing, you might wonder, why we need to cleanse in

the first place. It’s true that our bodies have sophisticated detoxification systems,

through the colon, kidneys, lungs, skin, and liver. But these systems are getting

overwhelmed.

Toxins

We live in a toxic soup. Toxins are present in our food, water, air, and environment.

Over the past hundred years, our world very quickly became filled with unnatural

chemicals. Here are some examples:

1. The most intimate way we interact with our environment is with our food. What

we eat becomes us. Yet, our food supply is filled with nasty chemicals that are

known carcinogens, hormone disruptors, and oxidants. Food lining the shelves of

grocery stores contain preservatives, artificial dyes and flavors, flavor enhancers,

fake fats and sugars, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, preservatives, and even

plastics from packaging. Processed food has unfortunately been designed to

become addictive. Let’s take a stand against these health saboteurs. During the

cleanse, we will learn how to avoid all this.

2. Pollution – outside and in. Indoors, we have constant out-gassing of our paint,

construction materials, mattresses, and furniture. The air inside our homes is

more polluted than the air outside!

3. The lotions, shampoos, makeup, and dyes that we use on our bodies also contain

an astonishing amount of chemicals that are absorbed by our skin. These

chemicals disrupt our hormones and cause cancer.

4. Cleaning products are also known to have harmful chemicals that we breathe in

or absorb into our skin. Sounds more like “dirty-ing” than “cleaning”!

5. Of course there’s also pharmaceuticals, which overload our livers, and are

accompanied by a very long list of side effects.

These substances don’t appear in nature, and our bodies don’t yet know how to handle

them. We simply can’t keep up with the onslaught, and the body needs to resort to

stuffing them into fat cells to buffer them from your organs. Cancer and other chronic

diseases have been launched by our toxic food and environment.

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Allergies

A second reason to cleanse is that we are unwittingly consuming allergenic

foods, foods that irritate our immune systems and fan the fires of systemic

inflammation. Symptoms of food allergies can exacerbate seasonal allergies, cause brain

fog, fatigue, pain, skin rashes, etc. Overtime, these “minor” annoyances blossom into a

full-fledged chronic disease. Diseases don’t just pop out of thin air. Your body usually

sends you warning messages for decades before it succumbs to a disease process. You

may have heard stories about people like “My grandfather had a runny nose his whole

life, but when he stopped consuming dairy when he was 70 years old, his life-long runny

nose stopped.” Or someone I know who stopped consuming wheat, and her very painful,

and inflamed shoulder suddenly got better.

You can get tests at your doctor’s office to determine which foods you are allergic to, but

these tests only test for immediate immune reactions. There are also delayed food

reactions that can occur hours or even a few days after you eat them. So it’s hard to

accurately determine which foods are troubling you unless you do a cleanse or food

elimination plan.

Abstaining from allergenic foods is a great way for your body to get a rest from the

irritants. Then we can stop expending so much energy mounting a defense against them,

and instead go to work repairing and healing. This cleanse focuses on nutrient dense,

low allergy foods that decrease systemic inflammation and help the body to detoxify.

Precautions

Although healthy eating and lifestyle habits help with virtually every health challenge,

this cleanse may not be appropriate in some situations. The following groups should or

exercise caution when undergoing any dietary or lifestyle change, including cleansing. If

you are in doubt, please consult with your doctor whether this program is for you.

Anyone who uses medication for chronic health conditions

Pregnant or nursing women

Children under the age of 18

Anyone with cancer or terminal illness

Anyone with mental illness or mild anxiety or depression

Anyone with hyperthyroidism

Anyone with kidney failure or borderline kidney function

Anyone underweight or malnourished, or suffering from an eating disorder

Anyone with anemia or a low blood count

4

New Year Cleanse Overview

We have run the gamut and tried many cleanses. Some have been too extreme, some not

very effective, and some involved too many supplements. Sometimes we questioned our

sanity but moved forward in the interest of research! After all of our combined

experiences, we have put together the best of what we know in this powerful program.

What this cleanse is NOT

There will be no starvation, fasting, expensive supplements, or extreme practices. There

will be no negative thinking, self-judgement, or abusing our bodies. That’s just not how

we roll.

What this cleanse is

We will be enjoying whole, clean, non allergenic, delicious foods; foods that truly

nourish and heal. We will also explore additional options for self care, like journaling,

yoga, meditation, and other beautifying, cleansing practices from Ayurveda.

This cleanse is exceptional self care, like having a spa experience right at home (for a lot

less money – in fact, you may even save money). It’s not about deprivation; it’s about

adding in energy and nourishment. It’s also about identifying what’s sapping you of

energy and vitality. Virtually everyone learns important information about their bodies,

their relationship with food, and continues with many aspects of the cleanse indefinitely.

Common Benefits

This simple program may improve 80% of the health problems of the average person,

and will probably improve more serious conditions as well. Are you doubtful that we can

improve serious medical conditions with food? Well, we suggest you give it a try and

find out for yourself. Epigenetics and nutri-genomics are exciting fields of study that

demonstrate that it’s not really our genes we need to worry about. We all have “good”

and “bad” genes. What is more important is which genes we are activating with food

and lifestyle. There is abundant evidence that components of foods and environmental

toxins turn on and off genes. You might not know which genes you are activating

through this cleanse, but be rest assured that you’re activating all good ones!

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You will notice:

Weight loss

Increased energy

Improved immunity

Glowing skin

Reduced cellulite

Less fluid retention

Less inflammation

Reduced cravings

Better mood and clarity of mind

Enhanced sleep

Less joint pain

Improved general health and well-being (= happiness!)

What will I eat?

Our food plan offers an abundance of nutrient rich whole foods, featuring greens,

seasonal foods, juices, smoothies, soups, salads, and other delicious recipes. There is no

calorie restriction, and you definitely won’t be physically hungry. The meal plan is

carefully selected to align you with the natural processes of each season, enabling you to

flush out toxins, decrease inflammation, nourish and hydrate. This cleanse is easy to

follow and adaptable. It is nutrient dense, sustainable, and totally do-able. Sound good?

What won’t I eat?

This is the part where we face our demons! Our food addictions will be brought into the

light of day, and we will be freed from their control. Strangely, we seem to get addicted

to the foods we are sensitive to. We will be eliminating the common allergenic and

addictive substances like sugar, gluten, dairy, corn, coffee, and alcohol.

There may be a day or two of choppy waters as your body exorcises the demons, but

after that – you’ll enjoy the ultimate luxury spa cruise of your life! It will be abundantly

clear which food you were putting in your mouth made you feel tired and run down. You

will want to avoid them naturally.

WE ARE HERE to get you through the choppy waters, so fear not! People who cleanse in

a supportive environment like this usually have a more enjoyable and successful

cleansing experience than someone who goes it on their own. You’re on a cruise, not a

life boat. We are so happy to help you through your cleanse because we know how

important it is and how wonderful you are going to feel!

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Three week plan summary

This program is broken down into three, 1-week segments, which we’ll summarize here

and discuss more in depth later.

PreCleanse: This is where we ease out of addictive foods like caffeine, refined sugar,

refined grains, trans fats, alcohol, and junk foods.

Cleanse: In one week of biochemical bliss, we will abstain from the junk, addictive

substances, and also a few of the most allergenic foods. We will be focusing exclusively

on anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, and nourishing foods. To better help you meet your

current goals, we now offer three levels of cleansing. See Levels for more information.

Post-cleanse: As we ease out of the cleanse, we will add allergenic foods back in to our

diets slowly, mindfully, so that we know if these foods are a problem for us. Some people

extend this part of the cleanse indefinitely!

What else do I have to do?

That’s up to you. In addition to the basic cleanse, we are providing several optional

modules for a deeper cleansing experience. You can customize your program based on

your life situation, level of interest, and motivation.

If this is your first cleanse, we recommend sticking with the most basic cleanse, unless

you are extremely motivated. In which case – we fully support you! The key is to feel

successful, and not be so overwhelmed that you drop out. That would make us very sad.

You can always revisit the other modules at a later date or next time you cleanse.

Without further ado, let’s get to the details of each part of the cleanse!

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The Official Pre-cleanse

This is where we set the stage for a successful cleanse, and prepare our body gently for a

major house-cleaning. When you ease into a cleanse mindfully, you increase the

effectiveness of the cleanse and also minimize cleansing reactions and cravings.

Preparation is the number one thing that separates successful cleansers from less

successful cleansers. Don’t underestimate the power of the prep!

We will be prepping our:

Body

Environment

Mind

Body Prep

We’re going to give our bodies a rest from the bad and the ugly:

Extreme, toxic sweeteners: Refined sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Fake

sugars

White flour and refined grains

Strong caffeine: coffee and black tea

Trans (hydrogenated) fats

Artificial colors and preservatives

Alcohol

Giving up some of these things even for a short time might seem like a daunting task.

However, read on because we hope to show you why these things should almost never be

allowed on your plate anyway. You will see by the end of the cleanse that you never

needed these things, and they were making you feel lousy and gain weight. Now

sometimes people do go back to coffee or have foods made of white flour, but it is a

much more informed choice. If your body feels out of whack, you’ll know why! Also this

is another reason a regular cleansing schedule is so helpful – we get back on track three

times a year!

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Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup

To say that sugar is harming us is the understatement of the century! Sugar and High

Fructose Corn Syrup are public enemy #1. Excess blood sugar contributes to obesity,

metabolic syndrome, fatty liver, diabetes, cancer, decreased immunity, and rapid aging.

Yes, rapid aging. Sugar is undermining all of your anti-aging strategies, expensive

creams and supplements.

What we know about the damaging effects of sugar consumption has gone way beyond

tooth decay and cavities. Scarily, we are eating our body weight in sugar every single

year! Picture a pile of sugar as big as you sitting right next to you. That is most likely

what you ate last year.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is even more fattening than regular sugar and (if that

weren’t bad enough) most of it is contaminated with mercury. Medscape reports,

“Mercury in any form is poisonous, with mercury toxicity most commonly affecting the

neurologic, gastrointestinal (GI) and renal organ systems.” Unfortunately, our bodies

already have enough mercury to contend with from amalgam fillings, vaccines, and

contaminated seafood.

For most people, sugar is as addictive as cocaine, and quitting is no easy task. But you,

brave soul, are up for the challenge, and you will be handsomely rewarded! Cross our

hearts!

Yes, you can expect some cravings. This is where we plan ahead.

To help reduce cravings:

Stay hydrated.

Eliminate caffeine.

Reduce animal foods.

Have protein for breakfast and lunch.

Eat sweet potatoes and other sweet vegetables.

Experiment with spices like coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom.

Cinnamon has been shown to stabilize blood sugar.

Drink licorice tea or Gymnema Sylvestre herbal tea which also helps regulate blood sugar.

Slow down and find sweetness in non-food ways. Despite what we learned

growing up, a treat does not = sugar! Sugar is certainly not a treat for your body.

Take a walk.

Brush your teeth.

Wait 20 minutes for the craving to dissipate.

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Cravings either disappear altogether or reduce to manageable levels after just a few

days. You can do anything for a few days!

Fake Sugars

These are even worse than regular sugar and HFCS, and include Nutrasweet, Splenda,

aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, and others.

Despite the claims of the makers

of artificial sweeteners, artificial

sweeteners are completely

artificial and have not been

tested adequately. Ironically,

research has found that fake

sugars cause increased cravings

and risk of obesity. If that

weren’t bad enough, these

chemicals are associated with

many more frightening

conditions such as decline in

kidney function, depression,

migraines, seizures, brain

tumors, brain cell death, cancer, anemia, and even death. They even kill our good gut

bacteria, which is vitally important for overall health, brain function, and well-being.

Bottom line, they don’t work as advertised and they are downright dangerous. Don’t

ever allow them to pass your lips. Not just for the pre-cleanse, but forever!

If you are addicted to diet soda, place a 1 liter bottle of your favorite diet drink in a warm

car, and let sit for at least an hour. Slowly sip the soda, and really taste it until the whole

bottle is emptied. Pause, and notice how you feel. For most people, this experience is so

disgusting that once is enough! But repeat if necessary.

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White Flour and Refined Grains

Did you know that refined white flour and products made with it act just like sugar in

your body? As far as your body is concerned, you might as well have eaten a bowl of

sugar instead of that bowl of rice krispies. Everything we said about sugar applies to

refined grains. If you’re concerned about weight, avoiding white/refined grains should

be a way of life for you. Refined (aka destroyed) grains are inflammatory, acidifying,

Candida-feeding, allergenic, and fattening. These frenemies lurk everywhere, but

switching over is worth the effort. Once you get in the swing of eating only whole grains,

you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!

Note that whole wheat bread is not usually 100% whole wheat. Often there is also

refined flour, additives, and additional wheat gluten. We certainly do not need

additional wheat gluten in our diets! (Random quote time: “That’s not going to be good

for business. That’s not going to be good for anybody.” What show is that from?)

The best true whole grain breads are Ezekiel and Essene breads, found in the frozen

aisle of the health food section. They are made from a mix of sprouted whole grains, and

are so much more nutritious, filling, and satisfying. My favorite is Ezekiel English

muffins. Rudi’s whole spelt tortillas are also fantastic. However, during the cleanse

week, we will be avoiding even the sprouted grains as they contain gluten.

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Caffeine, Coffee, and Black Tea

Is the idea of not having your morning java fix scary? You are not alone! America runs

on Dunkin’! Many of us feel like we can’t get our day started without our rocket fuel

turbo boost, but I’m here to tell you that you will have more energy when you conquer

the coffee addiction. I experienced that personally and have heard the same thing from

countless others.

Caffeine is another strong addiction. Just like the cocaine addict who didn’t need

cocaine to be happy before he became an addict, you don’t need coffee to feel energy,

you’re just used to it at the moment. We can change that in a short period of time. Then

you can have coffee every now and then because you enjoy it, not because you actually

require it. That’s what I call freedom!

The benefits of not having large quantities of coffee every day go beyond freedom from

addiction. Caffeine gives you a false energy by raising your stress hormones. Any efforts

you’re making to relax including yoga, meditation, exercise, is being negated by that

morning cup o’ joe. We all know by now that stress wreaks havoc on our physiology. It

causes weight gain, rapid aging, and adrenal fatigue – a common condition when you

are so lethargic that it’s a struggle to get through each day.

Secondly, coffee is one of the most acid-producing drinks out there. In a nutshell, our

bodies need to be slightly alkaline to remain healthy. Much of the Standard American

Diet acidifies our bodily fluids. The body will do anything to maintain the proper

alkalinity, including releasing minerals from our bones to buffer the acids. Lightbulb!

Coffee can cause osteoporosis. Not only that, but nasty things like cancer and viruses

thrive in an acidic environment. There is a book called “Alkalize or Die!” And the title is

not an exaggeration! Convinced yet?

This is the plan…

… and I’m sticking to it. We will slowly reduce our caffeine intake to avoid the dreaded

caffeine headache and excessive fatigue. Decreasing it by half of your usual intake each

day for the first three days (for example if you usually have four cups, then have 2 cups

on Sunday, 1 cup on Monday, and ½ cup on Tuesday). For the remainder of the pre-

cleanse and cleanse, drink caffeinated (or decaffeinated) green tea in the morning. A

little ray of sunshine here - you still get a little caffeine.

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Tips for getting off coffee

Easing off slowly, as per the plan will go a long way to preventing extreme withdrawal. Here

are some more helpful considerations:

Include more bitter flavors in your diet. We should regularly have all tastes

including sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent, and pungent. As you know, the

Standard American Diet is unbalanced in many ways, including in the tastes. We are

usually limited to sweet, sour, and salty, and especially lacking in the bitter flavor.

Coffee is a bitter flavor, which may be one of the reasons we are so addicted to it. So

are beer and wine… Go figure. You can easily get your bitter flavors from leafy

greens, cruciferous vegetables, dandelion, tomatoes, lemon and grapefruit, turmeric,

cumin, and more. You can also purchase bitter spray supplements at health food

stores. The bitter flavor helps greatly with many aspects of health, including skin,

digestion, killing germs, and emotional well-being.

Alkalize. As your body purges itself from the metabolic residues of coffee, you will

get temporarily acidic. Be sure to balance with plenty of alkaline foods, including

leafy greens, celery, lemon water, and even wheat grass powder in water.

Hydrate. Staying hydrated will keep you energized, and less likely to desperately

grab a quick fix of coffee.

Try alternatives. You will probably come to love green tea! There are healthy

coffee-like replacements on the market including Dandy-Blend and Teecino. Don’t

expect them to taste exactly like coffee, but they are a warm, black drink, with a

bitter flavor!

Take a cold shower. Okay not the entire shower! Take your usual temperature

shower, and at the end, give yourself a blast of cold water! I know, it may sound

tortuous, but you will grow to love that! It is SO invigorating and great for overall

health. It boosts circulation, makes your skin glow, makes your hair shine, promotes

the development of brown fat, which is metabolically active. You will love this all

summer long. In the winter, you may want to do this only after you’ve worked out,

when your internal body temperature is raised.

Exercise. Exercise encourages the release of happy, energizing endorphins. Use

your own internal pharmacy, not the caffeine with unwanted side effects.

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Trans Fats

Actually, trans fats shares the “public enemy #1” award with sugar and HFCS. Trans fats

are unnatural chemicals created from adding hydrogen to oils at high temperatures,

causing the chemical structure to change so significantly, that they remain solid at body

temperature. You might as well be eating plastic! They disrupt your cell membranes and

are implicated in chronic diseases, especially cancer, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular

disease. I love how the food industry creates these things and sticks them into our food

without knowing whether or not they’re harmful. On a good note, as of this writing, the

FDA is moving to phase trans fats out of the food supply!

In the meantime, avoid anything with the words “hydrogenated” or

“partially hydrogenated” in the ingredients list. You can’t rely on the Nutrition

Facts label, because the FDA allows manufacturers to list zero grams of trans fats even

when there is up to a half a gram of trans fats in the food. You have to check the

ingredients list. It doesn’t seem right to me that the label declares zero grams when

millions of molecules of trans fats are present. (Sorry, ranting again.)

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Artificial Colors and Preservatives

Artificial colors are petrochemicals and associated with a whole host of physical

ailments, most notably, cancer, allergies and behavioral issues. In other countries, foods

that contain them require a warning label. So food

companies reformulate those products with natural

colors… in those countries only. The kids in the United

States don’t have that benefit, and are downing 15 million

pounds of artificial colors per year. Do we really need

boxed macaroni and cheese to be bright yellow? Do pickles

need to look nuclear? Do you think there’s a connection

with rampant carcinogens in food and all the cancer

hospitals for kids? It’s important to eat the rainbow, but

not the one made from Skittles and Twizzlers.

Preservatives extend the shelf life of foods, making them so toxic that even microbes,

insects, and rodents won’t eat the food. Research has linked preservatives used in foods

to cancer, hyperactivity, nervous system damage, and other problems. Foods with long

shelf lives will shorten your life. Live foods = live bodies. If it’s not good enough for mold

to grow on, it’s not good enough for you!

Alcohol

A little bit of alcohol can be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle. However, like sugar

and caffeine, it is extremely addictive. It’s too easy to fall into the habit of having a

couple beers or glasses of wine at the end of a long day. It feels like a good way to relax,

decompress, and socialize. But when you require alcohol to relax, it is the beginning

stages of addiction.

Although there have been studies that indicate some wine or alcohol is good for your

cardiovascular system, much more powerful benefits come from eating healthy, whole

foods, truly relaxing, and exercising. Not to mention yoga and meditation. This lifestyle

approach has only good side effects, whereas alcohol consumption does have its share of

negative side effects.

All forms of alcohol have a very high glycemic index, which feeds Candida, leads to

insulin resistance, belly fat, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and all of the unfortunate

consequences of diabetes. Alcohol is also toxic to the liver, brain cells, and skin. As you’ll

see, our livers are already backed up with more toxins than they can handle.

So many people have problems sleeping, and often find that their sleep improves

dramatically during a cleanse. I believe it has a lot to do with abstaining from that

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habitual glass of wine with dinner. Alcohol relaxes you temporarily, but then becomes a

stimulant after a couple hours, usually when you’ve turned in for the evening.

Lastly, drinking alcohol, even in moderation, increases your risk of breast cancer. With

breast cancer striking more women and at younger ages, this is cause for concern.

Anything more than a half a drink per day increases your risk. Weekend warriors, take

note: Drinking a lot at one time is even worse.

This is a cleanse… so let’s give our poor, overworked livers a break, get some restorative

sleep, and finally allow our bodies to heal, repair, and rejuvenate. It’s worth it. We will

be talking about alternative, healthier ways to relax later on, so don’t worry that you’re

going to have to deal with all your stress alone!

;) LOL JK

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Make it simple

Instead of spending all your time reading ingredient labels, it’s much easier just to avoid

most processed foods. Focus instead on whole foods, plants especially, grains, legumes,

and natural protein sources of your choice. You’d do well to follow Michael Pollan’s food

manifesto, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

During the cleanse, you will notice your palate becoming more and more discerning.

You will be able to enjoy the subtle and complex flavors of whole foods. By the end of a

cleanse, I am literally in heaven when eating simple sautéed carrots! They are so

naturally sweet! Hint: If you’re looking for compliments on your cooking, cook for

someone who is cleansing!

We hope we have sparked your enthusiasm for relinquishing these poisons for a bit.

Avoiding these substances is the main part of the pre-cleanse, and sets the foundation of

a very healthy, happy life.

Again, don’t underestimate the power of the pre-cleanse. Even if you only followed the

pre-cleanse for a few weeks, you would see significant health improvements and weight

loss.

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Environment Prep

Successful environment prepping includes:

Let others know. It’s incredibly helpful to let important people in your life

know that you’re going to be doing a cleanse. For a day or two, you might not be

feeling like yourself, and you would appreciate their understanding. It’s a little bit

like an exorcism – your head may spin around a few times and you might speak

jibberish as the toxins mobilize out of your cells. But after that process… everyone

can bask in your heavenly glow!

Clear the calendar. Rid your calendar of unnecessary commitments and

simplify your life as much as possible. This will give you more time for self care,

reflection, and extra rest. All of these extras will greatly enhance the effectiveness

of your detox.

Toss the junk. If at all possible, remove tantalizing junk from your home and

workspace. If it’s not there, you won’t eat it and you won’t have to struggle with

wanting to eat it. You may even want to temporarily stash your favorite wine

bottles at your friends home across town during the cleanse. Fill your fridge with

good food, and you will eat good food.

Plan for shopping and preparing food. Towards the end of the pre-cleanse,

it would be helpful to set aside some time to shop for your supplies for the cleanse

week. You don’t want to do it too early, because you want all those vegetables to

be as fresh as possible. Go to the store on a full stomach to avoid unhealthy

impulse purchases you may regret later. Also, it’s probably a good idea to stay out

of stores the first couple days of the pre-cleanse when cravings will be strongest.

Check the schedule for group Whole Foods shopping events!

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“If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.”

– Lao Tzu

Mind Prep

Your mind is amazingly powerful…

The Buddha taught, “With our thoughts, we create our world.” And Tony Horton,

creator of P90X, always says, “Get your mind right!”

Everything starts with our thoughts. We have about 60,000 thoughts per day, and most

of them are the same ones we had the day before. On top of that, most of them were just

ideas we absorbed into our consciousness from the outside world. They aren’t even part

of who we really are.

Most of us carry around beliefs and inner pictures that do not actually support us. For

example, if you see yourself as overweight, then you will always sabotage your weight

loss efforts. As Carl Jung said, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it

will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

Yeah, we might going a little crazy here on the quotes. But it’s amazing how many of our

great teachers and thinkers all said the same thing.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to shed light on these and uproot the ones you

don’t want to be a slave to anymore.

How do you do that? Simply by becoming aware. You need to slow down enough to see

the stimulus – response cycles. An example from my life: I go to the computer to start a

big project such as writing this book, and immediately realize I need a snack. So I get up,

ransack the cupboards, and settle down again in front of the computer with a crunchy

treat. Then I can begin! For me, perhaps it’s fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or

stress of starting a project, that causes me to use food as a procrastination method. Now

I feel it the second it kicks in, notice that what my habitual action will be, and then

choose to abstain or just grab a glass of water. Maybe not every single time, but certainly

more than before. My only desire is to be better than I was yesterday.

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Affirmations

Another way to reprogram your thought patterns is through repetition, as in

affirmations. “Gosh darnit, people like me!” For very little time and effort, affirmations

provide huge results.

Write 10-15 affirmations on separate index cards. Affirmations should be worded in the

present tense and use only positive language. Keep the stack by the bed, and go through

each one after waking up and before going to sleep. Really focus on each one, read the

words, visualize it, and feel it emotionally, spending about 20 seconds on each one.

Here are some suggestions for the cleanse, but please use whatever is meaningful to you:

This cleanse is a spa experience that I will thoroughly enjoy!

I can feel my body cleansing, healing, and repairing.

Toxins, excess weight, and water retention are leaving my body.

Each day, I feel thinner, lighter, and more energetic!

I prefer the taste of natural, whole foods.

When my energy is low, the perfect solution is a glass of water and a nap.

I feel so empowered and liberated!

I feel so satisfied!

The earlier you start this, the better off you’ll be!

Our perceptions affect the outcome. If we look at this cleanse as a gift we are offering

ourselves, something that will have beneficial ripple effects throughout our lives, we are

more likely to be successful.

Yoga and Meditation

Of course there is nothing like yoga and meditation to help free you from the

subconscious thoughts and beliefs that sabotage your efforts in life. Start today! It is a

life-long practice with countless benefits. Combine it with some affirmations, and you’ll

be good to go!

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The Official New Year Cleanse

Pre-cleanse… Check! Let’s move ahead with the full cleanse!

The components of the basic cleanse are below. I like to explain the “why” behind all of

our recommendations, because reasons are exciting and motivating. Armed with this

knowledge, you will be able to incorporate cleansing strategies into your daily life after

the cleanse is done. This is a valuable education in nutrition that will serve you and your

loved ones well over the years! We also provide daily, adaptable plans, a shopping list,

optional cleanse modules, and recipes. But first, let’s discuss one key guiding principle

of our cleanses and way of life; the concept of seasonal eating.

Seasonal Eating

Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, views flowing with and

adapting your lifestyle to the seasons a fundamental

cornerstone of health. Balancing the nature of your local

climate with lifestyle choices helps to offset seasonally

induced imbalances like inflammation, irritability, and

overheating in the summer or dry, cold, anxiety in the winter.

Of course we do this naturally to some extent. For example,

we crave salads and watermelon in the summer, which are

perfect antidotes to the summer heat. However in the cooler

months, we’re enjoying hearty soups and stews. These warm, moist foods naturally

balance the dry, light, and erratic nature of fall and winter.

Nowadays, everything is available in the grocery store throughout the year, which makes

it more mentally challenging to eat seasonally. You can read more about seasonal eating,

and which foods to favor each season. I would suggest starting simply. In the warm

weather, favor raw, light, hydrating fruits and vegetables. In the winter, favor cooked,

moist, heavier foods with protein and fat.

Ayurveda’s philosophy on seasonal eating easily clears up the raging debate on high

carb, low carb, high protein, and low fat diets. Did you ever notice how the different

diets directly contradict each other? There’s low fat, low carb, high carb, high protein,

etc. Which is right? Well, when discussing these things with others, it’s helpful to

remember, “The world is divided into people who think they’re right.”

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Dr John Douillard, in his book “The Three Season Diet,” explains that they are all right,

at different times of the year. Wisdom of the native American and Asian cultures is that

nature moves in cycles that flow naturally into one another. As much as human beings

try to act as if we are not part of the natural world, we are part of nature, and will benefit

by finding ways to flow with nature.

If we didn’t have our massive food distribution system and grocery stores, what would

you eat in the spring, summer/fall, and fall/winter? Below are some suggestions for each

season. Following these recommendations will align your body with nature’s cycles,

allowing you to lose weight and energize in the spring, feel light and hydrated in the

summer, and store energy and warmth in the winter. Below are the general seasonal

guidelines.

Fall & Winter

The diet for colder months is higher protein, higher fat.

Favor warm, oily foods and reduce dry, cold, light foods.

Focus on heavier foods such as banana, avocado, beets, squash, nuts, meat, deep-

sea fish, and oils.

Enjoy seasonal fruits, like apples and pears, which help the GI tract to cleanse.

Eat mostly warm, cooked foods.

Enjoy sweet, sour, and salty foods.

Use warming spices such as ginger, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, chili, and

cayenne.

Your appetite will naturally be stronger this time of year, and that’s okay.

Avoid milk and dairy products.

Spring

This is the season for detoxifying, shedding the winter insulation, and getting the

body into fat burning mode.

It’s natural to have less appetite during the spring. Go with it!

Favor raw or lightly cooked vegetables, especially bitter, astringent foods like

greens, sprouts, peas and root vegetables.

During this lower fat, lower sugar season, taper off oils, red meat, nuts, and

sweeteners (except raw honey).

Avoid dairy altogether in the spring, as it exacerbates allergies and mucous.

Consume cleansing supplements such as chlorophyll and wheat grass juice.

Enjoy all spices but use salt in moderation.

Increase physical activity.

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Summer

The summer harvest is naturally higher carb, higher sugar (not refined sugar!).

Enjoy sweet fruits like grapes, berries, melons, mangos, and reduce sour fruits

like grapefruits, plums, and papaya.

Favor foods that are cooling and hydrating, sweet, bitter and astringent.

Increase cooling vegetables like cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, okra,

leafy greens, and zucchini.

All unrefined sweeteners can be used, except for honey and molasses.

Olive oil and coconut oil are good summer oils.

Focus on mint, coriander, cardamom and fennel, but avoid heating spices like

ginger, cumin, black pepper, chili, and cayenne.

We don’t need to get obsessed with reductionist type thinking, like “How many grams of

fats should I have each day in the fall?” or “I should never have fresh fruit in the fall

because it’s cooling!”

These aren’t hard and fast rules, they are general guidelines. Remember that,

trust your intuition, listen closely to your body, and you will enjoy the process, and

greater well-being as well.

With these general guidelines in mind, below are the basic components of the cleanse.

Let’s see what we get to add into our diets!

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What to Add In!

It’s more fun to focus on what we are adding in, so let’s do that first. Check out all these

amazing treats you’re going to get:

Lemon water

Green and herbal tea

Green smoothies

Green juices

Vegetable broth

Clean proteins

Plant foods galore

Savory, satisfying vegetable feasts

Whole grains (rice, millet, quinoa, gluten-free oats)

Nuts and seeds

Fermented Foods and Probiotics

Sea vegetables

Spices and herbs

High quality oils

Who eats fermented foods, sea vegetables, and lots of spices every day – wins! Most

Americans have sunk into the bland, deficient, unsatisfying “beige diet” – meals

comprised of mostly white grains and cheese. Here’s a chance to explore,

invigorate your palate and your health at the same time! More information

about each of these components is below.

Lemon water first thing in the morning

First thing in the morning, go to the kitchen and drink a large glass of water with a

quarter to half of a lemon squeezed in. You can use up to a full lemon if you enjoy it. The

water can be warm or room temperature, according to your preference. Please do not

drink ice cold water though, because this is never good for digestion.

Tip! If you like to put your lemon wedges in the water, be sure they are clean and

organic. Since even organic lemons are waxed, it’s important to clean them well.

Norwex’s Veggie & Fruit Scrub Cloth works extremely well for removing wax and

chemicals.

Brush or rinse your teeth after you drink the lemon water to protect your teeth from the

organic lemon acids. You can also neutralize the acid, and whiten your teeth, by

scrubbing a little baking soda on your teeth and swishing it around.

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Drinking fresh lemon juice in the morning is one aspect of cleansing that most people

enjoy and stick with for the rest of their lives. Benefits of lemon water in the morning

include:

Gentle liver detoxification

Cleanses the lymphatic system

Alkalizes your body

Oxygenates your body

Improves your body’s ability to absorb nutrients

Reduces oxidative stress

Dissolves calcium stones from arteries, kidneys, and pancreas

Rich source of vitamin C and electrolytes like potassium and magnesium

Rich source of hesperetin and naringenin, which enhance the effect of vitamin C

Beautifies and clears the skin, providing a natural glow

Energizes, without the dirty energy of caffeine

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Green Tea & Other Tea

Tea has been used as medicine and prevention for centuries. Recently, the benefits of tea

have been scientifically validated. Tea contains flavonoids, compounds from plants that

function as powerful antioxidants. Green tea is the best food source of a special type of

flavonoid called EGCG. EGCG is a stronger antioxidant than vitamin C an E. It reduces

the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, including breast, skin, lung, colon,

esophageal, oral, and bladder, reduces risk of glaucoma, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. It

also aids in weight loss through a slight increase in metabolism and fat burning. What’s

not to love?

Well… if you don’t particularly love the flavor of green tea, remember that it can be an

acquired taste. I didn’t honestly enjoy it at first, but enjoyed thinking about all the

benefits as I drank it, and voila! I now love green tea!

To add more flavor and nutrient power, you can add

lemon, fresh ginger, goji berries, cinnamon, or purchase

a flavored tea like Jasmine Green Tea. (David Wolfe

says that eating flowers makes you beautiful, so why

not?)

Green tea should be made with water not quite at

boiling temperature. Allow the leaves to steep for three

to five minutes. You will get more of the nutrients when you soak the leaves directly in

the hot water, without a tea bag. However, if this seems too complicated, start where it

feels manageable. Diet and nutrition provide endless exciting opportunities for

upgrading! Enjoy the journey.

The ultimate and most advanced green tea option is Matcha, which is a fine powder

made from the whole leaf. Matcha is vibrant green, and less processed and oxidized than

most other teas. Rather than being steeped, you add the powder right to the water with a

bamboo whisk. Our favorite source for Matcha green tea is www.uptontea.com.

All teas should be organic and preferably from Japan, not China.

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If you just don’t want to go with green tea, that’s okay. There is a fantastic array of

antioxidant-rich, medicinal teas to explore. Check out the selections at your health food

store. Some of our favorites are below.

Tea: Benefit:

Tulsi Adaptogenic, balancing

Rooibos Rich in antioxidants, no caffeine, delicious

Oolong Delicious, boosts metabolism

Kuchika Very alkalizing, amazing earthy flavor

White Tea Rich in antioxidants

Licorice Balances blood sugar, wonderful flavor

Chamomile Calming, beautifying

Chai Invigorating, delicious, rich in antioxidants, several medicinal benefits from spices

Gymnema Sylvestre Reduces sugar cravings, anti-inflammatory, helps with regularity

Important note: Invest in high quality, organic teas. If it’s not too overwhelming, try

using loose tea in a stainless steel infuser. You can get everything you need for a

reasonable price from www.mountainroseherbs.com. If loose tea and infusers is too

much effort at this time, be sure to get tea bags that aren’t treated with epichlorophydrin

or that are made with plastic. Typically, the luxurious silky ones are actually made of

plastic that leaches into your hot tea. The brands Traditional Medicinals and Numi are

free of these chemicals, although there are surely others.

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The Green Smoothie Revolution

It’s time to join the Green Smoothie Revolution! This is our favorite breakfast, but also

functions well as a healthful snack, lunch or even dinner.

Why are they so good? The most optimal food for humans is actually raw leafy greens.

The bottom of the old food pyramid should have been a beautiful array of greens instead

of all the refined grain products depicted. (Well, at least we are learning as we go!)

Greens grow most

prominently in the spring,

but some have a second

growth spurt in the fall,

when the temperatures

drop. In Asian medicine,

green is related to the

liver, emotional stability

and creativity.

Nutritionally, greens are

very high in calcium,

magnesium, iron,

potassium, phosphorous,

zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K. They are jam packed with fiber, folate, chlorophyll and

many other micronutrients and phyto-chemicals. They also contain clean protein. Have

you heard… Kale is the new beef!

Whenever possible, choose organic greens, because they are among the high pesticide

crops (please see Dirty Dozen). But eating non-organic greens is much better than not

eating any greens at all.

The benefits from eating dark leafy greens include:

Alkalizing

Blood purification

Cancer prevention

Improved circulation

Strengthened immune system

Promotion of healthy intestinal flora

Promotion of subtle, light and flexible energy

Lifted spirit and elimination of depression

Improved liver, gall bladder and kidney function

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Cleared congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus

Builds and repairs healthy skin

Each of these benefits ripple throughout your body.

Despite all of these amazing benefits, greens are still the most glaring omission in the

Standard American Diet (SAD). Until now…

A green smoothie is simply a regular smoothie with a big handful of greens blended in.

You don’t taste them. If you use dark berries, you don’t even see them (which makes it a

great way to sneak greens into young, picky kids).

We are providing a few green smoothie options in the Recipe section. There are many

variations, and you can make up your own favorites. Green smoothies usually include a

banana, some fresh or frozen fruit, a leafy green like organic baby spinach or kale, an

additional protein source like protein powder or hemp seeds, water or unsweetened nut

milk, and any other nutritional boosts you enjoy.

It is beneficial to rotate which leafy greens you use because variety is king!

The smoothies are much smoother if you have a really good

blender. We use the Vitamix (www.vitamix.com). They are the

most durable, high quality blender on the market. They are a little

pricey, but so worth it. If you are not ready to make the

investment just yet, you might try the Magic Bullet

(www.buythebullet.com), a small, powerful blender for a quarter

of the price.

Green smoothies are the ultimate fast food – quick, easy, minimal

cleanup, and you can take it on the go! Liquid nutrition keeps your digestion fast, your

energy high, your weight balanced and your spirits through the roof.

In this cleanse, we will be enjoying them for breakfast, snack, or even dinner, if you so

desire.

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Green Juices

Everything we just said for greens and green smoothies is ditto for green juices. Green

smoothies contain the fiber, while juicing removes the fiber so you can consume much

more concentrated greens and other plant foods in one glass.

If you would like to make green juices yourself, you will

need a juicer. The Breville (www.brevilleusa.com) and

Omega (www.omegajuicers.com) are the best. Check with

your friends… you might be able to borrow a juicer from

a friend who isn’t currently using it. However, if you’re

not ready to make that commitment, you can purchase

fresh green juices at Whole Foods for the cleanse (the

Blue Print brand) for about $10 a bottle. Starbucks now

has an unpasteurized juice line as well! So you can still go

there, but get something better! The other brands found

in grocery stores, like Naked Bear and Odwalla, have

some yummy looking green smoothies/juices, but they

are pasteurized, so the enzymes and most of the nutrients have been destroyed.

This cleanse includes one green juice per day during the cleanse week, either as a snack

or as dinner. If you can’t get your hands on any fresh juice, it is fine to replace the juice

with another green smoothie made without the banana.

You may also want to consider Juice Plus, a whole food supplement made with 17 fruits

and vegetables that have been juiced and then dehydrated. It’s actually less expensive

than making or buying fresh juice, easier, and just as good for you.

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Broth

Vegetable broths are very nourishing, detoxifying, and healing. They are rich in

minerals, and therefore, vey alkalizing. They also help to heal a leaky, irritated gut. You

attain concentrated nutrition without doing the digestive work (similar to juicing).

We will be enjoying 2 or more (there’s no limit!) cups of broth a day either as a snack, or

even for a light dinner.

We recommend that you make your own broth. It is super easy and much better quality

than what you can buy in a store. Check the Recipe section for our recipe. If you prefer

not to make broth, you can use a store bought broth, just make sure that it is low

sodium, organic, and in a carton (not a toxic BPA-laden can).

Here’s a picture of my own broth. Check out that beautiful purple hue. Colorful plant

pigments make you beautiful and healthy!

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Clean protein

This is not necessarily a vegetarian plan, but it is a lot easier for your body

to detoxify when you don’t consume a lot of animal protein. Although protein

from animals is considered “complete” because it contains all of the amino acids, it has

downsides. It is acidifying, usually contaminated, hard to digest, and doesn’t offer the

vast array of healing nutrients that plants do.

In general, and especially during a cleanse, it’s best to emphasize foods that

are alkaline, clean, and gentle on the digestive system.

Everyone is individual though, and if you need a little meat in your diet, try to limit it to

2 servings of free range, organic chicken, and 2 servings of fish, and four organic, free

range eggs during the cleanse week. As you know, some types of fish are contaminated

with mercury and heavy metals. Please avoid tuna and swordfish for this reason. The

fish that you can enjoy on the cleanse, in order of preference, are: haddock, salmon (wild

not farm raised), cod, scrod, grouper, skate, mahi-mahi, and hake.

Whenever possible, focus on these clean sources of protein:

Clean Protein: Common Examples:

Legumes Kidney beans, black beans, white beans, chick peas, edamame, tofu, tempeh

Nuts Almonds and walnuts (NO peanuts)

Seeds Flax, chia, hemp, pumpkin and sesame (or tahini)

Organic, unprocessed soy Tofu, edamame, and tempeh

Greens All sorts of leafy greens including seaweed

Protein powders

These optional components of the cleanse can be added to smoothies to boost their protein content. We like the following brands: Sun Warrior (www.sunwarrior.com) and Vega (www.myvega.com).

Animal protein (Optional)

During cleanse week: Please limit to a total of 2 servings of free range, organic chicken, 2 servings of fish (haddock, wild salmon, cod, scrod, grouper, skate, mahi-mahi, and hake), and four organic, free range eggs.

* Many towns have farmer's markets that carry local free range meats and fish. Check

www.farmfresh.org for a farmer's market near you.

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* If you suspect you might be allergic or sensitive to any of these proteins, please avoid

them during the cleanse. Eggs and soy may be allergenic for some people. See more in

the “Blood Type Diet” section.

A note about soy

Soy has been highly controversial in the nutrition world, some depicting it as a

protective superfood and others portraying it as a nutritional villain. What is the truth?

First point, as with any other food, quality matters. Soy needs to be organic, GMO-free,

and unprocessed to be healthy. Soy is best when it’s fermented, as in miso or tempeh.

Secondly, Okinawans, who eat soy regularly, enjoy not only what may be the world's

longest life expectancy but the world's longest health expectancy. Thirdly, a meta

analysis of the best studies on soy and health published in the Journal of the National

Cancer Institute in 2006 concluded that, “There are no data to suggest that

consumption of soy foods in amounts consistent with an Asian diet is detrimental to

breast health, and such a diet is likely to confer benefits to other aspects of health.”

Certainly there are numerous studies that have concluded that soy is beneficial for your

overall health. So we say, go ahead and enjoy soy, unless you suspect you might have an

allergy or sensitivity to it. In that case, eliminate soy products during the cleanse week

as well, and add it back in mindfully to test yourself for allergies/sensitivies.

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Plant Foods Galore!

As you can tell by what you’ve read already and by perusing the Recipe section, this

cleanse is all about plant foods, as they are cleansing, nourishing, healing, beautifying,

and weight balancing.

Check it out… The USDA MyPlate clearly shows

that 75% of our plates be filled with plant foods

– half from fruits and vegetables, and a quarter

grains. That’s three times a day, 7 days a week.

Hundreds of studies show that when fruits and

vegetables are the foundation of the diet – the

risk of virtually every disease goes down

dramatically. Unfortunately, only 10% of the

American Diet comes from plants. This is one of

the core reasons Americans are so sick; eating so

much junk with no real nutrients to

counterbalance it.

Dr T Colin Campbell said, “The only reason we use medicine is because we don’t

understand nutrition.” Obviously, most Americans don’t understand the vast power of

plant foods.

Plant foods alkalize us, provide antioxidants, and are anti-inflammatory. They are

literally a natural medicine chest. All plant foods contain 10s of 1000s of healing

phytonutrients that keep us healthy in countless ways. More research comes out about

this every single day. So please eat a variety of colorful plant foods each and every day.

See how good you can feel (and look!).

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Below are some interesting factoids about the power of whole plant foods:

Plant Food: Known Benefits:

Greens Rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, chlorophyll, and fiber. Also a

good source of glutathione, which is essential for liver detoxification

and nitric oxide, essential for cardiovascular health. Various studies

have noted that green vegetables prevent aberrant DNA methylation,

and therefore reduce risk of cancer.

Cruciferous

Vegetables

Kale, collards, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips,

cabbage, watercress, etc. Contain over 100 types of sulfur containing

compounds called isothiocyanates with combined synergistic effects

to detoxify, remove carcinogens, and even kill cancer cells. A 20%

increase in cruciferous vegetables results in a 40% decrease in cancer

incidence.

Mushrooms Improve our immune system by enhancing the activity of natural

killer T cells, prevent DNA damage, and slow cancer cell tumor

growth. Regular consumption associated with a 60-70% decrease in

risk of breast cancer!

Onions and

garlic

Contain flavanoids that stimulate the liver to produce glutathione, its

most potent antioxidant. Consumption of these allium vegetables

decreases risk of cancer at all common sites. Highest consumers of

onions had less than half as many cancers than people who rarely

consumed onions.

Berries Loaded with antioxidants and pigments that slow the aging process,

boost collagen synthesis, and strengthen capillary walls. They inhibit

formation of tumors. Excellent for the cardiovascular system and

brain health.

Herbs and

Spices

Herbs and spices are the most concentrated sources of antioxidants

and phytonutrients. They are delicious and also potent anti-cancer

agents. Check out the Spices and Herb section for more info!

Sprouts Nutritionally dense and filled with enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and

phytonutrients. Check out our sprouting instructions in the

Sprouting section.

Superfoods Nutrient dense, detoxify the body, energizing, rich in antioxidants,

pigments, and protein. Examples are goji berries, maca, chia seeds,

hemp seeds, flax seeds, spirulina, chlorella, and blue green algae.

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Are you excited yet? Plant foods really are powerful medicine. You will be receiving all of

those benefits this week! Our recipes are chock full of these healing foods.

Multivitamins

Many people try to make up for lack of plant foods in

their diet with a multivitamin. Unfortunately, you can’t

receive the many benefits of plan foods with a

multivitamin. A multi is just a handful of known

nutrients in unnatural forms and doses. Though

scientists try, we can’t improve on fruits and vegetables!

Might as well get your nutrients from the real thing.

Whole food supplements like Juice Plus are the only

things that contain the array of micronutrients found in

foods, in their natural forms, and ratios. This is because

they are made from the vegetables themselves, and have

the amazing synergy of nutrients found in real plant foods. More on this later.

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Special Considerations

Don’t OD on fruit on any Level

Some people are more sensitive to the high fructose content of fruits, and unfortunately,

grow belly fat when they eat too much fruit. I think we can all agree we’d like less belly

fat and muffin tops!

Therefore, try to limit fruit to:

The banana you put in your smoothies (totaling one full banana a day).

The berries you include in your smoothies (totaling about 1 cup a day). Berries

are a lower sugar fruit, and are especially rich health promoting phytonutrients.

One grapefruit and/or one apple a day.

Raw foods in moderation for the fall/winter

Since we are in the cold, dry season, we will be leaning more towards cooked vegetables

than raw foods. However, raw fruits and vegetables are perfectly okay in moderation,

especially in the green smoothie, juices, and salads.

Raw plant foods have significantly higher nutrient levels and enzymes

than cooked foods, so incorporating them increase your diet’s nutrient

density.

The best time to go mostly raw is in the spring and summer. Please check back with us

for raw rejuvenation in the spring cleanse! Raw foods can bring about a dramatic

increase in energy, well-being, clarity of mind, and even reversal of disease and nagging

ailments.

That said, Ayurveda teaches us that eating too much raw food in the cooler weather can

lead to a “vata” (or “air”) imbalance, which can make you feel cold, jittery, spacey,

nervous, and dried out. So we will be enjoying some of these crisp apples and pears,

greens, and grapefruits, but we will be mindful to balance them with heavier foods like

nuts and oils, as well as nice warm soup, broth, and meals. Remember, no hard and fast

rules, just general guidelines!

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Organics

Ideally we would be eating all organic produce every single day, because as we know,

pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and

obesogens. You can wash some of the chemicals off conventionally grown produce, but

not all of it, as it gets in the skin and the flesh.

It is a little more expensive, but not as much as you might fear. This definitely falls

under the category of “Pay now, or pay later.” I’d much prefer to pay a little extra now

and avoid pain, suffering, and a toxic planet. However, there is an economical approach,

which is buying the “Dirty Dozen” organic ALWAYS, and the “Clean Fifteen” when it

makes sense.

The Environmental Working Group tests produce every year to identify the produce

most laden with toxic chemicals. They dub them “The Dirty Dozen.” Check their website

www.ewg.org/foodnews/ for updates each year. They change a little year to year, but

even looking at it once can give you a good idea which fruits and vegetables to look out

for. Here is the 2013 list:

Dirty Dozen Plus™

Buy these organic:

1 Apples 7 Grapes

2 Celery 8 Spinach

3 Sweet bell peppers 9 Lettuce

4 Peaches 10 Cucumber

5 Strawberries 11 Blueberries

6 Nectarines - imported 12 Potatoes

Plus + Green Beans and Kale

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It’s safe to say that you should always buy your greens organic. Also, the most common

fruits we feed kids, apples and grapes, should always be organic. I heard there are over

30 pesticides applied to conventional apples. Do we want our kids ingesting these every

day? Also, the skin of cucumbers contain beneficial minerals for your skin, and if you eat

the skin, the cucumber should always be organic.

Clean 15™

Lowest in Pesticide:

1 Onions 9 Eggplant

2 Sweet Corn* 10 Kiwi

3 Pineapples 11 Cantaloupe

4 Avocado 12 Sweet Potato

5 Cabbage 13 Grapefruit

6 Peas 14 Watermelon

7 Asparagus 15 Mushrooms

8 Mangoes

* Always buy corn organic despite low pesticide residue, because most of the corn

grown in America is genetically modified. The research on the safety of GMO

foods is not adequate. Independent studies (not funded by Monsanto), implicate

GMOs in a wide range of chronic disease including cancer and autoimmune

diseases.

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Whole Grains

Although this is not a grain-rich plan, we are including some delicious, nutritious,

versatile whole grains, which we are sure you’ll love for the rest of your life!

Brown rice

Quinoa

Millet

If you’ve never really used these, don’t be scared! These grains are seriously good, filling,

and will help you with your weight loss goals. They are super easy to prepare too. Millet

and quinoa are quick cooking, making it easy for you to put together a tasty, healthy,

whole-food meal in minutes. Check out our recipes in the Recipe section! Once you are

off of the cleanse, try these grains for breakfast with maple syrup, nuts, hemp seeds and

almond milk. While on the cleanse, you could have these grains in the morning with

some berries and almond milk. Quinoa instead of oats! Diversity is king! Note: you can

have some gluten-free steel cut oats during the cleanse. But we highly encourage you to

try these options instead. You will probably notice more energy and better digtestion.

Portion control alert!

It is very easy to over-consume grains. Huge restaurant portions have distorted our

concept of how much food is enough. If you are unsure about what a serving is or

working on your portion control, it may be helpful to measure out your rice, quinoa, or

millet at first to get the feel for how much is a serving size. I needed to do this myself.

Generally, a ½ cup is considered a standard serving.

Tips for preparing whole grains:

Before cooking, soak rice over night (or at least for a few hours) and rinse. This

deactivates enzyme inhibitors, washes away anti-nutrients, and makes the

nutrients much more bioavailable.

Cook the grains with a bit of seaweed, such as kelp, to impart phytonutrients and

iodine. This also adds a slight saltiness that satisfies salt cravings.

Cook a big bowl of grains to keep in your refrigerator. Then you will always have

a good, gluten-free, whole-food base for recipes. Cooked rice, quinoa, and millet

make a great breakfast. Just warm with a bit of soy/nut milk, and some sliced

almonds, currants, apple, and a touch of maple syrup. Delicious, just as quick as

boxed cereal!

Brown rice has been found to contain arsenic. You will lower your intake of the

dangerous type of arsenic by consuming organic rice since pesticides contain

arsenic. Brown rice from California had the lowest levels.

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Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are the perfect cold weather foods, as we need extra fat to insulate and

moisturize our skin. Aim for a small handful per day. Please note that we will eliminate

peanuts during the cleanse week because they are problematic and a weight gain

food for many.

Below are some of the fantastic effects nuts and seeds have on your physiology:

Decreases blood sugar

Decreases cholesterol

Decreases triglycerides

High in antioxidants

Enhance absorption of phytonutrients from vegetables

Control blood sugar

Decrease weight

More effective for reversal of heart disease

Prevent cardiac arrhythmias

Protect against cancer

Better muscle and bone mass with aging

Increase nutritional diversity

Increase satiety with lower calories

Are associated with a longer life

But aren’t nuts too high in fat and calories?

Nuts contain healthy, anti-inflammatory fats, and we do need some fats in our diets. Not

all the calories in nuts and seeds are absorbed due to the fiber. On the other hand, if you

eat a pure fat, like oil, all of the fat is absorbed in minutes. The fiber in nuts and seeds

pull the cholesterol and toxins into the stool, so they are released by the body. Nuts and

seeds in moderation do not cause weight gain. In fact, they increase lipolysis – the

burning of body fat for fuel! So please enjoy with no guilt!

Signs of fat deficiency

We need good fats in our diets. When you’re not getting enough, you may suffer from:

Dry skin

Fatigue

Poor sleep

Thin hair and nails

Muscle cramps, poor recovery from exercise

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High triglycerides

Impaired absorption of fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)

Inability to lose weight

Nuts and seeds to incorporate into your diet

Hemp seeds – contain over 20 trace minerals, complete protein, good source of

omega 3s, and boost metabolism. Contain more protein than any other plant

food, except for soy, and is easier to digest than soy. Hemp is a great source of

sulfur containing amino acids methionine and cysteine, which are necessary for

cellular detoxification and the production of vital enzymes. Additionally, hemp

seed is rich in branched chain amino acids that are needed for muscle growth and

repair.

Flax seeds – complete protein source, rich in minerals, good source of omega

3s, cleanses the digestive tract, rich in lignans (prevents cancer). Be sure they are

either soaked or ground before consuming. Otherwise, they won’t digest.

Pumpkin seeds – rich in protein, b vitamins, zinc, calcium, omega 3s, and anti-

inflammatory compounds.

Chia seeds – rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants, contain a higher

proportion of omega-3 fatty acids than omega-6 fatty acids, high in fiber and

minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium. Chia seeds can help

ease digestion, reduce inflammation, and improve joint health and skin tone. I

find them to be very energizing!

Walnuts – considered a longevity food and a brain food. They even look like

little brains! They are rich in vitamin E, calcium, potassium, zinc, and omega 3s.

Almonds – the most alkaline of all the nuts, rich in vitamin E.

Brazil nuts – rich in selenium and zinc, which are fantastic for your immune

system and skin.

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Tips for consuming nuts

Try to eat raw nuts and seeds, as the fats and nutrients are intact.

Except for hemp seeds, soak nuts and seeds before consuming to deactivate

enzyme inhibitors. Keep in a small bowl in the

refrigerator, changing the water daily.

Mix nuts, seeds, and nut butters into smoothies.

Stir a tablespoon of chia seeds into water, and let them

soak for a few minutes. They will puff up. You can add

lemon or lime juice for flavor. Then drink up! Chew a

little before you swallow. Check out our Chia Pudding dessert!

Add nuts to your salads for a protein, mineral, and healthy fat boost!

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Fermented Foods & Probiotics

Bacteria outnumber our own human cells 10 to 1, so in a sense, we are more bacteria

than we are human! Kind of crazy, right? Beneficial bacterial colonies are so vast, that

they are often referred to as the “forgotten organ.” Several pounds of probiotics live in

our intestines, and help with digestion, produce vitamins, eliminate toxins, keep the bad

bacteria and yeast under control, and support your immune and nervous systems. In

fact, 80 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive system.

Probiotics also help prevent allergies. The good bacteria in your gut help your immune

system distinguish which potential allergens are safe and which are a threat. This helps

avoid overreactions to non-harmful substances. The dramatic rise in food allergies may

be due in part to poor probiotic status. Our beneficial gut flora have been damaged by

overuse of antibiotics, medications, sugar-laden diet, and lack of true probiotic-rich

(fermented) foods. Almost everyone in the US has damaged gut flora.

In order to repair the flora, our digestion, immune system, and overall health, we need

to inoculate the gut with beneficial bacteria. There are two options for this 1) taking

probiotic supplements, and 2) eating fermented foods. We recommend both

approaches.

Fermented foods have been revered for their powerful health benefits throughout

history and are part of most traditional diets. When foods are fermented (or cultured),

they become a fantastic source of beneficial bacteria that are vital for overall human

health. Fermented foods are a glaring omission in the Standard American Diet (and it’s

SAD!).

In this country, most people think of yogurt when they want more probiotics. Some

yogurts do have beneficial bacteria, but being a dairy product, it is highly allergenic,

acidifying, and contains naturally occurring growth factors that are implicated in cancer

and autoimmune diseases. There are better sources for these beneficial bacteria,

including:

Sauerkraut (raw) – see our recipe

Kimchi (raw) - available in most grocery stores

Other fermented raw vegetables like carrots, red cabbage, etc.

Kombucha – delicious and comes in many flavors

Kefir

Tempeh – very versatile, protein-rich soy food

Miso – a delicious paste made from fermented soy

Raw apple cider vinegar – revered to be a health elixir all on its own

Real yogurt with live cultures (without excess sugar and additives)

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Be wary of imposters!

Be careful though, the usual room-temperature sauerkraut on the grocery shelves

contains no probiotics, because it’s been pasteurized. To get real fermented foods with

live probiotics, you need to journey to

the refrigerated section. We are happy

to see the brand Real Pickles popping

up in more and more stores. You can

also easily make fermented vegetables

at home. See our easy sauerkraut recipe

in the recipe section! The cookbook

“Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon

contains a plethora of recipes for

home-made fermented foods.

Aim for eating about a quarter to half a cup of fermented vegetables or other cultured

food, with one or two meals per day.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

For centuries, raw apple cider vinegar has been known as being a health elixir that

stimulates circulation, detoxification, weight loss, and digestion. It is also known to

alkalize the body, which sets the stage for great health. Many people like to take a

tablespoon in a glass of water first thing in the morning and/or before meals. We

encourage you to use this little gem in place of other vinegars in recipes, and also

experiment with it as a supplement! (Level 1 will avoid even apple cider vinegar during

the cleanse week.) Be sure that the vinegar you buy is in fact raw, and is somewhat

cloudy. The brand we use is Bragg’s. One side benefit most people love is that it

suppresses appetite, and may enhance fat burning. Try having a glass of water with a

tablespoon of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar during your usual “snack” (aka “binge”) time,

and see what happens! It usually kicks cravings to the curb.

Probiotic supplement

Taking a probiotic supplement is also a good way to re-seed your digestive tract. We use

either Ultimate Flora or Garden of Life Primal Defense.

Note: If you are doing Level 1 of the cleanse, you will want to avoid fermented foods

as a potential allergen. A few people are allergic/sensitive to some yeasts found in

fermented foods.

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Sea Vegetables

Plants from the sea are an extremely healthful

addition to your diet. They are all wild – meaning

that they have not been hybridized or manipulated

genetically by humans. They extremely nutrient

dense. Seaweeds are rich in trace minerals, iodine,

and chlorophyll.

Minerals are a key part of many enzymes. They assist

the body in detoxifying heavy metals and synthetic

chemicals. Chlorophyll closely resembles human

hemoglobin (red blood cells) and is effective against

pathogenic bacteria.

Here are some inspiring nutrition facts about seaweed:

Sea vegetables are 10 to 20 times higher in vitamins, minerals and amino acids than

plants that grow on land.

Hijiki, arame, and wakame contain 10 times more calcium than milk.

Sea lettuce has 25 times more, hijiki 8 times more, and wakame and other kelps, 4

times more iron than beef.

Nori, the dark sheet used to wrap sushi, is 25-50% protein!

The natural iodine in seaweeds is an easy, nontoxic way to meet the iodine

requirement in your diet. The symptoms of iodine deficiency include chronic fatigue,

apathy, dry skin, intolerance to cold, weight gain, enlargement of the thyroid

(goiter), and possibly cancer.

You would have to eat about 40 lbs of land vegetables and/or fruits to get as much

iodine as you would from 1 gram of kelp.

Ocean vegetables improve fat metabolism.

The fiber in seaweed cleans our digestive system and maintains a healthy balance of

beneficial bacteria in the intestines.

Regular intake of ocean vegetables not only makes our inner organs healthier, but

also gives us glossier hair and luminous skin.

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Try these!

Dulse

Dulse is a red seaweed usually found in flakes that you can easily add to salads, soups, or

anything you want to boost nutritionally. This alkaline vegetable is an excellent source

iodine, zinc, manganese, potassium, calcium, and iron. This seaweed is dry and keeps

for many months.

Wakame

Like many sea vegetables, wakame is extremely high in iodine. Wakame also has an

excellent ratio of potassium to sodium of 2 to 1. Even better, wakame is a source of

alginates that help block the uptake of heavy metals and radioactive elements from our

environment. Like all raw sea vegetables, wakame contains live enzymes and

chlorophyll. Some people snack on dried wakame. I prefer to add it to my miso soup.

Use just a little because it expands as it rehydrates.

Kelp

Like all varieties of Kelp, Kombu may prove helpful for strengthening connective tissue

and activating glands in the body, especially the thyroid. Natural glutamates in Kombu

Kelp enhance flavors in any dish, and they work to pre-digest protein-rich foods.

Rich in minerals and trace elements, Kombu Kelp is high in iron, calcium, potassium,

magnesium, iodine and B Vitamins. In a promising discovery, phytochemicals in Kombu

Kelp have been closely linked to the elimination of radioactive elements and toxic heavy

metals from our bodies. As kelp has a very strong flavor, some take kelp capsules. We

add pieces of kombu kelp to beans as they cook, and to vegetable broth.

A great snack!

Seasnax are curiously addicting. Try them!

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Spices for Health, Energy and Longevity!

Not only do spices “spice up” your meals, they also spice up your health! Your spice

drawer is literally a medicine cabinet. Spices have been used in natural medicine for

centuries to heal the mind and body. The Western world turned its attention to

pharmaceutical drugs, only to realize that drugs don’t cure, they just mask symptoms.

Natural foods, essential oils, herbs, and spices actually get to the root of the problem.

Spices are anti-inflammatory, neutralize free radicals, balance blood sugars, reduce risk

of cancer, actually reverse tumor growth, strengthen muscles, and improve circulation,

cardiovascular, and brain health. And of course you get to enjoy the wonderful flavors!

Use spices liberally!

Spice: Benefit:

Garlic Has been shown to improve cholesterol and lower blood pressure.

May reduce cholesterol by nearly ten percent.

Is often used to treat minor infections due to its antimicrobial properties.

Destroys cancer cells and may disrupt the metabolism of tumor cells.

Cinnamon Lowers blood sugar.

Improves insulin sensitivity.

Improves total and LDL cholesterol.

Detoxifies the system.

Stimulates brain function.

Fights bladder infection.

Curry Turmeric, the yellow spice that gives curry its distinctive color has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-amyloid properties.

Reducing amyloid plaques prevents Alzheimer’s and rheumatoid arthritis.

Turmeric has been shown to reduce tumors by 80%!

Prevents acne when made into a paste and spread on the skin as a beauty masque.

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Spice: Benefit:

Cardamom Increases circulation.

Improves energy.

Improves digestion, asthma, bronchitis, halitosis, and mood.

Cloves Improves digestive function.

Alleviates toothaches, sore throats, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.

Rids the body of parasites.

One of the highest antioxidant spices.

Cumin Boosts the immune system.

Improves liver function

Aids in digestion.

Ginger Reduces inflammation.

Improves digestion.

Relieves nausea.

Improves metabolism.

Reduces arthritis pain and muscle soreness.

Oregano

The highest antioxidant spice tested!

Antimicrobial properties.

Reduces risk of viral and bacterial infections.

Helps the immune system function more efficiently.

Oregano oil drops in water shortens duration and severity of colds.

Rosemary

Prevents gene mutations that could lead to cancer.

Protects the cardiovascular system. Improves mental clarity of mind and alertness.

Helps clear mucous out of the lungs.

In the fall/winter, we especially benefit from warming spices like ginger, curries, cumin,

turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, saffron, cayenne, black pepper and salt. Favor

these in your recipes! Try some home-made Chai tea… you’ll never go back to chai tea

bags again!

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High Quality Oils

A little oil in the cooler weather is helpful. Oil provides us with a little more energy to

insulate us from the cold weather, and also helps to lubricate the skin and sinuses,

keeping our skin supple and mucous membranes intact, which reduces susceptibility to

colds and the flu.

Any oils that you use should be of the highest quality, not only during the cleanse, but

for the rest of your life. Most oils in the supermarkets are inflammatory, filled with

pesticides and toxins, and contaminated from the plastic bottles they come in.

Oils should always be organic, cold (expeller) pressed, and in a glass container. The oils we recommend are:

Extra virgin olive oil

Coconut oil

Grapeseed oil Coconut oil is antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. It is

excellent for your skin, and boosts your metabolism. It also

functions as a natural sunscreen! It is showing great promise in

the treatment of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s. It’s also a

great teeth-whitener when used as a mouthwash each morning

(See Oil Pulling in Self Care).

Sautéing with Water

When you cook or sauté, the gold standard is to use only water, and then add the oil for

flavoring after you remove the pan from the heat. We try to avoid excessively heating

oils, because they form free radicals when exposed to heat. Free radicals (oxidants) are

highly reactive molecules that contribute to inflammation, aging, and chronic disease. It

is best to reduce them wherever possible. On that note, anything fried in a restaurant is

loaded with free radicals, because they use poor quality oils, and keep reusing the oil.

Admittedly, we are still playing with this and changing over our own recipes. See how it

works for you!

That about sums up our section for all the delicious foods we will be adding in to our

diet on during cleanse, and hopefully thereafter! Doesn’t look like you’ll be hungry, does

it? So let’s look at what we’ll be avoiding during the cleanse week.

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What to Take Out

Let’s keep avoiding all the toxic junk we kicked to the curb during the pre-cleanse, which

includes:

Extreme sweeteners: refined sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and fake sugars

White flour and refined grains

Coffee and black tea

Trans (hydrogenated) fats

Artificial colors and preservatives

Alcohol

We’ll take a break from a few other things that could be sapping our energy or making

us sick.

Sweeteners

Let’s really go for it and eliminate all sweeteners, even the “healthy” ones like maple

syrup, agave, and honey. Finally, we can be liberated from the sweet seduction. The so-

called healthy sweeteners are much better than refined sugar, fake sugars, and HFCS

because they are not refined, and have additional nutrients. Raw honey even has some

healing properties, as it is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and provides enzymes.

The problem is that many health conscious people are addicted to these sweeteners

because, after they are metabolized, they act just like sugar in your body. Your body gets

just as addicted to these as they do to refined sugar, and their metabolic by-products

wreak just as much havoc on your tissues. We are not saying you can never have these

again, we’re just avoiding them for this one week with the noble goal of freeing ourselves

from addiction.

In general, some natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup are actually good

during the winter months, but for the purposes of this cleanse, we are refraining from

sweets totally to overcome sugar addiction.

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Suggestions for dealing with cravings for sweets

Now that you have avoided refined sugars during the pre-cleanse, avoiding these

sweeteners should be relatively easy. Below are some suggestions for avoiding sugar

cravings, a few of which you are already doing!

Stay hydrated.

Eliminate caffeine.

Reduce animal foods.

Have protein for breakfast and lunch.

Eat sweet potatoes and other sweet vegetables.

Experiment with spices like coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom.

Cinnamon has been shown to stabilize blood sugar.

Drink licorice tea or Gymnema Sylvestre herbal tea which also helps regulate blood sugar.

Slow down and find sweetness in non-food ways. Despite what we learned

growing up, a treat does not = sugar! Sugar is certainly not a treat for your body.

Take a walk.

Brush your teeth.

Wait 20 minutes for the craving to dissipate.

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Allergenic Foods

This week we’re also going to take a break from the foods that you are probably sensitive

and/or allergic to; the foods with subtle effects that fly under the radar. Those common,

comfort foods that we have been led to believe were healthy, but probably are not. The

ones most likely responsible for your runny nose, allergies, weight gain, digestive woes,

skin issues, foggy thinking, joint pain, and bad mood.

The Big Kahunas

The biggest allergens are wheat, dairy, corn, and peanuts. Read on to learn more about

why you might want to reduce and avoid these foods.

No Wheat? But I’m addicted to bread!

Gluten is a problem for up to 20 million Americans, even though 99 percent of those

affected don’t realize it. Odds are, most of us are sensitive to gluten, with disastrous

effects.

The most obvious and extreme gluten sensitivity is celiac disease, which is an

autoimmune disease that triggers systemic inflammation and debilitating digestive

woes.

Gluten sensitivity can be the single cause behind many

other different diseases. A review paper in The New

England Journal of Medicine listed fifty-five diseases

that can be caused by eating gluten, including

osteoporosis, irritable bowel disease, inflammatory

bowel disease, anemia, cancer, fatigue, canker sores,

and rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune diseases

including multiple sclerosis and lupus, anxiety,

depression, schizophrenia, dementia, migraines,

epilepsy, neuropathy, and autism. It is mind boggling

that you could literally cure many cases of these

diseases by simply eliminating gluten. No drugs, no surgery, just a simple dietary

adjustment.

What to eat instead

Gluten free grains are wonderful, versatile, and nutrient dense. Try quinoa, millet, and

brown rice. We have lots of great recipes for you to try in the Recipe section! We

recommend you steer clear of the gluten-free flours and products made with the various

vegetable starches. They are very high glycemic index and lead to the same problems as

excess sugar.

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Your Own Accurate Gluten Sensitivity Test

Testing can help identify gluten sensitivity, but medical tests may not always be

accurate. The most accurate test is to eliminate all gluten for two to four weeks and see

how you feel. This cleanse is the perfect time to do it!

To do your own, free, highly accurate assessment of your gluten sensitivity status,

abstain from:

Gluten grains including barley, rye, oats, spelt, kamut, wheat, triticale.

Hidden sources of gluten, which often includes soup mixes, salad dressings,

sauces, as well as lipstick, certain vitamins, medications, stamps and envelopes

you have to lick, and even Play-Doh.

For this test to work you need to eliminate ALL gluten from your diet. Then eat it again

and see what happens. If you feel bad at all, you need to stay off gluten permanently.

No Dairy? But I’m addicted to cheese!

Of course you are – there are caso-morphins in cheese! Caso-morphins are addictive like

morphine.

Dairy is ideal for baby calves, not adult human beings. There are naturally occurring

growth factors in milk that are designed by nature to cause the calf to grow rapidly. The

effect on adult humans is rapid expansion, usually around the waist. These growth

factors have also been implicated in Type I diabetes and breast cancer.

Dairy foods are acidifying. We already talked about why alkalizing our bodily fluids is so

important, but to recap, an alkaline environment is not hospitable to viruses, bad

bacteria, yeast, or cancer.

The acidifying effect of dairy also causes our

bodies to release calcium and other minerals

from the bones to buffer the acidity. That

causes osteoporosis! Yes, you read that right,

dairy foods, despite being high in calcium,

cause osteoporosis. The countries with the

highest intake of dairy foods have the highest

rates of osteoporosis. A group of women from

Africa who have the lowest intake of calcium

known have the strongest bones known. They

eat lots of leafy greens and no dairy. You won’t

see that on a Dairy Counsel ad.

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“Studies show that individuals with the highest consumption of vegetables have the

strongest bones.” – Dr Joel Fuhrman

See these two sources:

Tucker KL, Hannan MT, Chen H, et al. Potassium, magnesium, and fruit and vegetable intakes

are associated with greater mineral density in elderly men and women. Am J Clin Nutr

1999;69(4):727-736.

New SA, Robins SP, Campbell MK, et al. Dietary influences on bone mass and bone metabolism:

further evidence of a positive link between fruit and vegetable consumption and bone health?

Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71(1):142-151.

Bottom line – you don’t need dairy for strong bones. Leafy greens and weight bearing

exercise are much more effective for keeping your bones strong well into old age.

Dairy is also highly allergenic. Some estimates reveal that a mild but chronic dairy

allergy may affect up to 80% of the population. Such an allergy might not send you to

the hospital, but its effects can include a slowed metabolism, poor complexion, eczema,

sluggishness, and increased mucous production.

Approximately 75% of adults in the world have trouble digesting lactose. People with

lactose intolerance eat dairy, they enjoy fun things like stomach cramps, bloating, gas

and diarrhea.

You can also feel really great about reducing animal cruelty in the world when you

abstain from dairy. The dairy industry is one of the cruelest. You can learn more about

what happens behind the scenes in the dairy industry at www.peta.org.

What to eat instead

There are plenty of great milk alternatives, including non-GMO soy milk, almond milk,

hemp milk, and coconut milk. They are all delicious and healthy.

If you enjoy the taste of cheese, there are many cheeses made from nuts. You can also

add nutritional yeast to your recipes for a wonderful cheesy flavor with a nutritional

boost!

And remember this isn’t forever…

“Every time you eat or drink, you are either feeding disease or fighting it.”

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If the prospect of not having cheese or dairy is overwhelming, just remember it’s only

for one week. Give your body a rest. You may even find at the end of the cleanse that you

don’t really need all the cheese you thought you did!

What’s up with Corn?

Despite being a staple in some cultures, corn is allergenic and a weight gain food for

most blood types. Many people report trouble digesting corn as well. Corn also is often

contaminated with a mold called aspergillus flavus that creates a carcinogenic toxin

known as aflatoxin.

We recommend you abstain from corn and corn products during the cleanse. Corn

products include tortillas, tortilla chips, pop corn, corn oil, and breads, snacks and

cereals made with corn. Sometimes it’s not obvious that corn is hiding in a processed

food, and you really need to read all of the ingredients. Even then, some additives are

made from corn. You would never know unless you are a food scientist. Avoiding

processed foods during the cleanse week makes it much easier to stick to the cleanse.

Unless corn is organic, it is probably genetically modified.

Until we know more about the safety of genetically

modified organisms (GMOs), it is best to avoid them

whenever possible. The independent research on GMOs

raises concern that they are damaging to human health and

have resulted in huge tumors and infertility in rats. GMOs

are banned in some countries, and most other countries

require that foods that contain GMOs be labeled. Currently the US does not have a

labeling requirement for genetically modified foods. Your best bet is to eat organic and

minimize processed foods.

Why no Peanuts?

As you know, peanuts are highly allergenic, even to the point of anaphylaxis. Fortunately

most of us don’t have an extreme allergic reaction to peanuts. However there may be a

more subtle allergy that is difficult to pin point.

Peanuts also contain aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin. This toxin is present in all peanut

butter, no matter if it’s organic, sugar- free, raw, or very expensive. Because of this

alone, it is wise to minimize peanuts in general. Certainly during the cleanse, we will

want to avoid them altogether to give our bodies a rest from the allergens and toxins.

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The Minor Players

Less common are allergies/sensitivies to:

Fermented foods that contain yeast

Nightshade vegetables (white potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant)

Eggs

Since these “minor player” allergies/sensitivities are not an issue for most of the

population, not everyone needs to avoid them while cleansing. We therefore included

three levels to this cleanse, which allows you to customize your cleanse according to

your health goals and desire for simplicity. Most people should go with Level 2. See

below to choose your level!

Levels

All levels eliminate:

Toxins: refined sugars, processed foods, white flours, trans fats, alcohol, and

coffee

Big Kahuna allergens: gluten, dairy, corn, and peanuts

Level 1 also eliminates the Minor Player Allergens - fermented foods, eggs, and

nightshade vegetables (white potato, tomato, bell pepper, eggplant). This is the most

stringent, being the lowest allergy and lowest sugar level.

Level 1 is recommended for anyone suffering from a chronic disease (autoimmune in

particular), suppressed thyroid, chronic digestive issues, annoying allergies, skin

problems, yeast overgrowth like Candida, or sinus issues.

We would not recommend this level for anyone pregnant or nursing, elite athletes, or

anyone who has struggled with any eating disorder, including emotional eating. Also, if

this is your first time cleansing, you might want to select Level 2 or 3 this time around,

and possibly try Level 1 next time.

Level 2 is the middle road, eliminating only the Big Kahuna Allergens; gluten, dairy,

peanuts, and corn. The Minor Player Allergens are allowed; eggs, nightshade vegetables

(potato, tomato, eggplant, bell pepper), and some healthy fermented products that

contain yeast (including miso, raw apple cider vinegar, and nutritional yeast).

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Level 2 is recommended for most people, especially anyone who is cleansing for the first

time. It’s a great introduction to cleansing, and you can always do the more stringent

option next time around. We want you to have a positive, successful experience!

Level 3 includes the largest variety of foods that still fit into a cleansing lifestyle. You

could eat this way for the rest of your life to maintain phenomenal health and not feel

deprived. We include a small amount of natural sweeteners like maple syrup and raw

honey, which have nutrients and are not as addictive and harmful as refined sugar.

There is also more fruit on this level, including dried fruits. All vinegars are included in

this level.

Level 3 is recommended for long term maintenance, elite athletes, pregnant/nursing

women, anyone with an eating disorder or emotional eating, and for anyone who is

accustomed to a junk food diet.

Our recipes are all classified and organized according to the Level.

You can be flexible!

Let’s say you really want a Level 3 recipe, but you’ve committed to Level 2. There

might be something in the recipe that you can substitute or leave out, usually

maple syrup or honey, or substitute Bragg’s Liquid Aminos for tamari.

Or perhaps you are cleansing at Level 2, and it’s the middle of the cleanse week,

and you are on the verge of cheating… badly. Well, a great option would be to

jump up to Level 3, and have a healthy, sweet treat. That way you can “cheat” but

still stay with the program.

Level Allergens included / not included

1 Eliminates gluten, dairy, corn, peanuts, natural sweeteners, eggs, anything fermented or with yeast (including all vinegars), and nightshade vegetables (potato, tomato, eggplant, bell pepper).

2 Eliminates gluten, dairy, corn, peanuts, natural sweeteners, all vinegar except raw apple cider vinegar and ume plum vinegar. Fermented/yeast products like miso, nutritional yeast, tamari, and tempeh are allowed on this level.

3 Eliminates only gluten, dairy, corn, peanuts. Allows for small amounts of maple syrup and honey, more fresh and dried fruit, whole-grain gluten-free baked goods, brown rice pasta, millet bread, and any fermented foods like vinegar.

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Daily Plan

We promised that this is a versatile plan, and you’ll see below how flexible it is!

First and most important - all day long between meals, sip water, even if you don’t

really feel thirsty. Even if you’re annoyed by frequent bathroom visits. Staying hydrated

is vital for efficient detoxing and weight loss.

Be sure to check out our Quick Meal Tips if you are very limited on time.

Early AM

Lemon water (warm or room temperature, not cold!)

Green tea

If you are taking probiotics, take them now, before breakfast.

Breakfast

Options:

Green smoothie (Power your day!)

Free-range eggs

Whole grain quinoa, brown rice, millet cereal (see Recipes)

Leftovers from the night before

AM Snack

Have a snack only if you are truly physically hungry, otherwise skip. Allowing your

blood sugar to stabilize brings your body into fat burning, detoxing mode. Choose from

the below snacks. The best choices are at the top of the list.

Big glass of water

Broth

Green juice

A fresh, crisp, organic apple

Green smoothie

Small handful nuts

Celery – plain or with almond butter

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Lunch (Preferably between 10 AM and 2 PM)

30 minutes before meal - Drink a large glass of filtered water at least a half hour before

lunch. Avoid drinking excessive liquids with meals, as this dilutes your digestive juices.

Sipping ginger tea during your meal can enhance digestion.

Lunch should be your largest meal of the day, when your digestive fire is the strongest.

Please make time for a relaxed, full meal. Include:

Approximately 6 oz protein

½ cup whole grain

2 cups leafy greens and other vegetables

¼ cup of a fermented food (on Levels 2 and 3)

Check out our Recipes and sample meal plans for great options. A large salad with all of

these things in a big “Buddha bowl” makes it very easy.

Take a gentle walk after lunch, and if at all possible, lie down on your left side for 10

minutes after the walk. This will help your digestion immensely, and help you feel

refreshed all through the afternoon and into the evening.

PM Snack

If you ate a large enough lunch, and stayed hydrated, you should not be hungry.

Remember that allowing your blood sugar to stabilize brings your body into fat burning,

detoxing mode (See the Weight Loss section for more information). But if you are

physically hungry, please feel free to enjoy some of the suggestions below. The best

options are at the top of the list.

Big glass of water

For weight loss: A big glass of water with 1 Tbsp RAW apple cider vinegar

Broth

Green juice

Fresh grapefruit – this is especially energizing, getting you through the afternoon

doldrums

A fresh, crisp, organic apple

Green smoothie

Small handful nuts

Celery with almond butter

Hummus with celery sticks

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Dinner (Preferably early; between 4 PM – 6 PM)

30 minutes before meal- Drink a large glass of filtered water at least a half hour before

lunch. Avoid drinking excessive liquids with meals, as this dilutes your digestive juices.

Sipping ginger tea during your meal can enhance digestion.

This should be your lightest meal of the day. This is really thinking out of the box here,

but if you’re not truly hungry, you can go ahead and skip dinner (See the Weight Loss

section for information on intermittent fasting). Adults really don’t have to eat every

night! Most of the time we eat out of habit or for social reasons. You’ll be amazed at

what this does for your weight loss success, digestion, and how energetic you feel in the

morning! You won’t even miss your morning java.

Of course, if you are truly hungry, by all means enjoy dinner. It can be similar to lunch.

Check out the lighter recipes from the Recipe section.

Below are fat blasting, power detox suggestions that will fill your belly but empty your

fat cells:

Big glass of water

Light soup or salad

Broth

Green juice

Green smoothie

A fresh, crisp, organic apple

If those options seem too light, you can also have a meal similar to lunch, perhaps

slightly less in volume.

Notes

Check out our Optional Enhancements for you to design your cleanse according

to your goals, schedule, and current level of motivation.

Improve your digestion and nutrient absorption with thorough chewing. It may

be helpful to review the section on Conscious Eating.

See our Quick Meal Tips.

Be sure that you are having a bowel movement each and every day. If you are

prone to constipation, please read Perfect Digestion & Elimination next.

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Perfect Digestion & Elimination

During the cleanse, we are removing common intestinal stimulants like caffeine, sugar,

and gluten. Since our colons get dependent upon these to get things moving, there might

be an adjustment period while your digestion (and entire body) learns to function

without these irritants. Digestion might slow down for a few days. We suggest

familiarizing yourself with the recommendations below to prevent constipation in the

first place and address it if it becomes a problem. The key is staying on top of the

situation!

Constipation undermines your attempts at weight loss and detoxification, and it just

doesn’t feel good! It is very important that your bowels are clear throughout the entire

21-day program. The goal is to have a healthy bowel movement between 1 and 3 times a

day.

Precautions for Everybody

Even if you don’t think you are normally constipated, consider following these steps to

ensure regular bowel movements throughout the cleanse.

1) Take an herbal laxative at 10 AM the day before the cleanse begins.

2) Take two tablets of Triphala each night before bed for the full 21 days.

3) Drink at least 8 glasses of filtered water a day.

4) Ensure that your body is moving on a daily basis. A simple walk, gentle jog, or a

few minutes on a rebounder can be very effective for stimulating the intestines.

Certain yoga postures and breath exercises are very helpful for stimulating

elimination. Garland pose, Wind Relieving Pose, twists, and deep abdominal

breathing are especially helpful.

5) Practice gentle abdominal massage for a few minutes each morning.

6) Eat two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds a day, sprinkled on salads, vegetables, or

in your Green Smoothie. They absorb a lot of water, and provide omega-3 fats

and loads of fiber.

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Additional Help for Sluggish Digestion

1) If you are struggling with constipation, or do not have a bowel movement every

day by 10 AM, take the herbal laxative daily during the cleanse. Take 2-3 capsules

before bed. Common herbal preparations are cascara, senna, and rhubarb. These

should not be taken in the long term as they are habit forming. However using

them for 7 days while on the program is safe and will not make you dependent.

2) Drink prune, aloe vera, or pear juice.

3) Take two to four 100-150 mg capsules of magnesium citrate per day. Reduce to

one dose or stop completely if your bowels become too loose.

4) Rest with a warm castor oil pack on your abdomen for one hour, three days in a

row. A castor oil pack is basically a wool flannel, soaked in castor oil and warmed.

Place it on your abdomen with a heating pad on top. Take precautions not to get

oil on your bed or clothing, using a garbage bag and towel.

Heavy Artillery for Constipation

1) If you have not had a bowel movement the day after taking the herbal laxative,

take one bottle of magnesium citrate liquid (available at drug stores). You should

have a bowel movement within 6 hours. This should not be done more than twice

during the program.

2) If you still have not had a bowel movement, do an enema, get a colonic, or use a

Dulcolax or Bisacodyl Suppository (follow the directions on the package).

3) If you still have not had a bowel movement, see your physician for a full

evaluation.

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Post Cleanse Protocol

The biggest gift you can give yourself at the end of the program is

identifying which foods you are allergic or sensitive to.

The plan is to reintroduce foods slowly, keeping track of any reactions in a log.

Symptoms may appear anywhere from a few minutes to 72 hours after ingestion, and

can include fatigue, brain fog, mood changes, headaches, digestive upset, sleep

problems, rashes, joint pain, fluid retention, rashes, and more.

When you reintroduce a food, eat it 2-3 times a day for 3 days. If you notice a reaction,

avoid that food for 90 days, and try to reintroduce again, eating it no more than once

every 4 or 5 days.

Ideally, permanently avoid:

HFCS (high fructose corn syrup)

Trans fats

Processed, junk foods

Fast foods

Artificial sweeteners

Foods with additives, preservatives, colors

Add back foods in the following order:

Other fresh fruit

Organic meats (small portions)

Corn

Peanuts

Alcohol

Gluten

Dairy

Notice that the most allergenic and toxic are at the bottom of the list. This provides you

the benefit of extending your body’s vacation from these allergens for just a little bit

longer.

Following the post cleanse period, you’ll notice yourself getting better about reading

labels and making the best restaurant choices. Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up, this

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is an evolution. Even after all these years, we’re still learning. There is always new

information coming out about pros and cons of food ingredients. Occasionally, toxic

substances will find their way into your body, but you really will feel the effects, and

then will naturally be better able to avoid it after that.

You will probably have alcohol and caffeine from time to time, but keep it in

moderation. It is so easy for caffeine to get out of control. You’ll have more energy in the

long run if you keep that addiction at bay.

Coffee

If and when you go back to coffee, make it as “healthy” as possible.

Never ever drink it from a Styrofoam cup, as these cups leach toxic chemicals

(styrene) into the hot beverages inside them.

Be sure your coffee is organic. Coffee is sprayed with more pesticides than any

other crop.

Drink decaf - no need to get all addicted again! Whenever possible, be sure your

decaf is decaffeinated with water, not chemicals.

Skip the ultra-sugary coffee drinks that are really full-fledged desserts.

Alcohol

As for alcohol, when your body is in a cleansed state, functioning optimally, you will also

really notice the negative effects of alcohol consumption, and I don’t mean late night

texting. I’m referring to disrupted sleep, digestive woes, and a slight emotional

depression the day after. You’ll have to make the decision case by case whether it’s

worth it.

Gluten

If and when you go back to wheat and gluten grains, why not make them the highest

quality possible? For example, sprouted grain breads are light years ahead of the usual

refined (aka destroyed), processed, empty calorie stuff lining the shelves. When the

grains are sprouted, they are much more nutritious, and have less “anti-nutrients” that

interfere with digestion and absorption of the nutrients. Sprouted grain breads are also

usually baked at low temperatures, so less of the nutrients are destroyed due to high

heat. We like Ezekiel breads and Rudi’s 100% spelt breads. They both make mouth

watering English muffins!

Even if you didn’t have a strong gluten reaction, it makes sense to diversify your grains

and minimize the gluten grains, especially wheat. Wheat has been so over-hybridized to

maximize crop yield, that it has excessive amounts of gluten and starch. It’s certainly not

the wheat from Biblical times. Many researchers, nutritionists, and doctors are

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concerned about the effect of the new glutens in wheat on human physiology. It was

never adequately tested for human safety, and we essentially have been unwitting “lab

rats” in a massive food science experiment. The book “Wheat Belly” by William Davis,

MD discusses this issue in detail.

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Optional Enhancements

This cleanse includes several optional modules that will greatly enhance your cleansing

experience. As we said earlier, please keep it super simple if this is your first cleanse. It’s

better to be a bit “underwhelmed” than overwhelmed. Success breeds success! You can

always explore the enhancements later, or during your next cleanse.

These practices all support overall health, longevity, vitality, and beauty. Many of them

come from Ayurveda, the oldest continuously practiced system of natural health and

medicine in the world. Some come from more recent scientific revelations.

The optional modules include:

Self care – including oil pulling, skin brushing, oil massage, clay body mask for

detox and weight loss, lavender detox bath, and proper rest

Exercise – walking, yoga, strength training, intervals

Introspection – meditation, journaling

Weight loss – Ayurvedic philosophy with seasonal eating, meal timing,

intermittent fasting, weight gain foods for blood types, emotional eating,

metabolism boosting spices, and also clay mask for detox and weight loss,

exercise, and all self care

Toxins - in personal care products, cleaning supplies, food containers, and pots

and pans

Supplements – Juice Plus, Triphala, Vitamin D, Probiotics, and Gymnema

Sylvestre

Sprouting

Mercury

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Self Care

The techniques described below are detoxifying personal care practices that you can do

regularly, some even every day. They will enhance the effectiveness of your cleanse, and

will continue to help you detox whenever you do them post cleanse. If the food

component of the cleanse already feels like a lot of work, then feel free to consider trying

these at a later date. The self care practices covered in this section are:

Oil pulling

Skin brushing

Oil massage (Abhyanga)

Clay mask for detox and weight loss

Lavendar detox bath

Proper rest

I personally do one or more of these daily, especially the oil pulling, skin brushing, oil

massage, and getting proper rest (most days!).

Oil Pulling

Oil pulling therapy is a method of daily detoxification that you can easily add to your

morning routine. It originated in Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, known as the “Science

of Life”. It has been credited with curing a variety of illnesses including heart disease,

digestive troubles, inflammatory problems like arthritis and periodontal disease, as well

as hormonal disorders. Teeth become whiter, breath becomes fresher, and the tongue

and gums take on a healthy pink color. Even problems such as bleeding gums, tooth

decay, and gum disease are greatly diminished or completely healed. This is probably

why my dentist so highly recommends it!

Every morning, before eating anything, put 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed sesame,

coconut, or olive oil in your mouth. Slowly swish the oil in your mouth, sipping and

sucking it through your teeth for 5 - 15 minutes. DO NOT actually swallow the oil

because it is loaded with bacteria, toxins, pus and mucous! When done, spit the oil into

the trash (NOT your sink or toilet), rinse out your mouth thoroughly, scrape your

tongue, and brush your teeth.

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If you are using coconut oil, it will most likely be solid when you put it in your mouth.

That’s perfectly okay, as it melts in less than a minute. If you don’t enjoy the solid

coconut oil for that minute, you can melt it in a pan before you use it.

Fifteen minutes of oil swishing goes by really fast when you do your morning chores. I

make the bed, scoop the cat litter, fold laundry, clean up the kitchen, etc. In a pinch you

can even do it while you’re showering.

Skin Brushing

First, a little quiz...

● What is the largest organ in the body?

● What organ is responsible for ¼ of the body's detoxification

each day?

● Which organ eliminates two pounds of waste acids daily?

● What is one of the most important elimination organs in the

body?

● What organ receives one third of all the blood that is circulated

in the body?

● When the blood is full of toxic materials, which organ will

reflect this with problems?

● Which organ is the last to receive nutrients in the body, and the

first to shows signs of imbalance or deficiency?

Answer to all questions: The skin!

Skin brushing helps the skin release toxins, and also improves circulation to the skin,

thus improving tone and texture. It also helps reduce cellulite, cleanses the lymphatic

system, and rejuvenates the nervous system. This is another quick practice that you can

incorporate into your daily routine. Why not do it while you're oil pulling?

Here's how it's done:

1) Skin brushing should be performed once a day, preferably first thing in the morning.

2) With a natural bristle brush, brush your skin in long sweeping strokes starting from

the bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands towards the shoulders, and on the

torso in an upward direction. Always brush towards the heart. Try and brush

several times in each area, over-lapping as you go.

3) Avoid sensitive areas and anywhere the skin is broken.

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4) After brushing your skin, rinse off in the shower. Ayurveda recommends alternating

temperatures in the shower from hot to cold. This will further invigorate the skin and

stimulate blood circulation, bring more blood to the outer layers of the skin. It's better

than a cup of coffee! Try it and see!

Oil Massage

Oil massage, known as abhyanga, is an Ayurvedic practice with many health-promoting

effects on physiology. In addition to feeling good, daily self massage detoxifies the

body’s tissues, increases circulation, calms the mind, and enhances immune function. It

also reverses the aging process and is fantastic for keeping your skin young, supple, and

glowing. As we age, our skin becomes dry and malnourished. Feed and moisturize it

from the outside with high quality oil regularly, and you will be astonished at how

wonderful your skin can look.

Why not just use lotion? Check out the ingredients list on the bottle. Most likely you will

find some form of alcohol. The lotion may feel nice going on, and look good temporarily,

but over time, the regular application of alcohol is very drying to the skin. In this way,

lotions ensure you are a life-long customer! What your skin really needs is oil, so why

not skip all the alcohol and additives, and use only what’s necessary and actually helpful

– oil.

Oiling is best done in the morning, either before or

after your shower. If you oil before, the warm

water of the shower will help the oil penetrate into

the skin. Just don’t try to wash it off. Only use soap

where necessary (i.e. not on the arms and legs). If

you oil after the shower, be sure to use minimal oil

so it doesn’t rub off on your clothing. Either way,

your skin will feel luxurious all day long! In the

winter, oiling in the morning makes you feel like

you’re wearing long silk underwear. It keeps you nice and warm.

The quality of the oil you use is important. We recommend cold-pressed (or expeller-

pressed), organic, oil in a glass bottle. Sesame is a nice oil for all body types, just be sure

it is not toasted. Coconut oil is wonderful for the skin and is preferable if you run “hot”

and in the summer months. Olive oil is also a good option. See which one works best for

you at different times of year.

For the face, we recommend jojoba oil. Its chemical structure is closest to your skin’s

natural sebum out of all of the oils. It tends to be very well received by the skin on the

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face and neck. The other oils can be too heavy for facial skin. But again, experiment to

find out the best options for your unique constitution.

How to perform oil massage

Pour a little oil into your hand, and rub it between your hands to warm it up.

Using an open hand to create friction, massage both the front and back of the

neck, and gently massage the ears and shoulders.

Vigorously massage your arms, using a circular motion at the shoulders and

elbows, and back-and-forth motions on the upper arms and forearms.

When massaging your chest and stomach, use a gentle circular motion and a

straight up-and-down motion over the breastbone.

After applying a bit of oil to both hands, gently reach around to the back and

spine and massage them as well as you can without straining.

Vigorously massage your legs as you did your arms, using circular motions at the

ankles and knees, back-and-forth motions on the long parts.

After massaging your legs, spend extra time on your feet. Massage vigorously

back and forth over the soles of the feet, rubbing the oil into all of the joints

(using a circular motion), ankles, heels, between the toes, and tips of the toes. Be

careful when walking with your feet all oiled! It can be a special treat to oil your

feet, being extra generous with the oil, and then put on some dark socks, and let

the oil soak in.

You could always treat yourself to a therapeutic massage!

You deserve it!

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Clay Body Mask

A French clay body wrap is fantastic way to intensely detox through your skin, reduce

cellulite, and actually lose inches. You don’t need an expensive spa treatment as you can

easily do this at home.

French green clay has been used for centuries, both internally and externally, as a

detoxification method. The natural negative charge pulls positively charged toxins from

your blood and tissues. Many people drink the clay dissolved in water to pull toxins out

of the intestines. Others use it on their skin to cleanse and clear up the skin, and remove

fluid, cellulite, and toxins.

For external detoxification with a body wrap, just purchase a few simple ingredients and

try it at home! Mountain Rose Herbs has the highest quality French green clay and kelp

powder.

For the face: You can make a paste and smooth it over your face to clear and tone the

skin. Avoid the sensitive eye areas, as we don’t want to dry that skin.

For the body: To do a body wrap, you will need French green clay, kelp powder, sea salt,

olive oil, grapefruit essential oil (optional), plastic wrap, old sweats, blankets, and a big

glass of water.

1) Drink lots of water before, during and after your body wrap. Remember you will

be flushing out toxins, excess water, and even fat.

2) Create a clay paste. Boil 2 cups of water. Add ¼ cup of natural sea salt and stir

until it dissolves. Add 1 cup of green clay or bentonite clay, two tablespoons olive

oil, and ¼ cup kelp. Stir and make into a paste. You may also add grapefruit

essential oil if you like. Allow to cool slightly, but not harden.

3) Open the pores of your skin by going over it lightly with a skin brush (See Skin

Brushing) and then taking a warm shower. Dry thoroughly, and do not apply do

not apply any products to the skin.

4) With a measuring tape, measure the areas you would like to treat, perhaps upper

arm, waist, or and/or thighs. Record your measurements.

5) Apply paste to every area of your body that you intend to wrap. Add a warm water

if the paste gets too thick to spread.

6) Double wrap the body tightly with plastic wrap. The compaction forces the

detoxifying minerals into your skin. Work on sections of your body by wrapping

your legs first, then arms, belly and hips.

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7) Put on some old sweats, and sit comfortably on a towel in your bed. Cover

yourself with blankets so you start to sweat. Relax and detox for 45-60 minutes.

Sip water with lemon.

8) Unwrap by carefully cutting through sections of plastic wrap. Gently shower the clay off. Pat dry your skin. Re-measure body parts so you know how many inches you lost.

9) Rub a little cold-pressed sesame oil into the skin (See Oil Massage).

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Lavender Detox Bath

This is such a treat! If you do nothing else from the self care enhancements, do a couple

detox baths during the cleanse week. A detox bath will not only be luxurious and

relaxing, but will assist your body in releasing toxins. Enjoy this cleanse as an at-home

spa experience.

1) Light a candle.

2) Fill your tub with very warm or hot water. (Hotter water is more tolerable when

you get in the tub when it’s lukewarm, and then let hot water flow into the tub

until it’s just perfect).

3) Before getting in, add 2 cups Epsom salts, ½ cup baking soda, and a few drops of

lavender essential oil*. Swirl around until they dissolve. Optional – add a few

sheets of nori seaweed to infuse your bath with iodine and other minerals.

4) Relax for 20 minutes.

5) If possible, take a bath every night of the cleanse.

* We like Young Living Essential Oils for their purity. We order regularly and can help

you get the right oil.

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Proper Rest

Shall we list some of the benefits of getting good rest?

More energy

Beautiful skin

Repair

Improved mood

Stronger metabolism

Less cravings

Clarity of mind

Better memory

Enhanced detoxification

Slowing/reversing the aging process

Improved immunity

Less inflammation

Lower risk of chronic disease

Longer life

Just like diet and exercise, sleep deserves respect.

Ideally adults get between 7-9 hours of good quality sleep each night. Your body thrives

in a predictable schedule. This is especially important during the cooler

months. Aim to go to sleep and wake up around the same time every day (including

weekends). Turning in early and waking up with the sun is far superior to going to bed

late and sleeping late, even if you sleep the same number of hours. Aligning with nature

and the Earth will always be more beneficial.

For better sleep:

Keep the bedroom very dark. Avoid ambient light from clocks, the TV, alarm

panels, and nightlights. Any light shining on your skin increases stress hormones,

and reduces melatonin, a powerful antioxidant released during sleep.

Avoid caffeine after noon.

Alcohol disrupts sleep, and should only be enjoyed occasionally. That nightly

glass of wine is seriously undermining your restorative sleep!

Eat lightly at dinner. The largest meal of the day should be lunch, when the

digestive system is working at its peak.

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Before bed, take a Detox Bath, do some gentle yoga, breathwork, or rub some oil

into your feet. Avoid any stimulating books, movies, or situations right before

bed.

Many times, people power though afternoon slumps with caffeine, sugar, or other

stimulant. Taking a nap is a much healthier and more rejuvenating option! Plus there’s

no guilt, no calories, and true energy. When you’re tired or wired from stimulants, you

become less efficient. So, you actually come out ahead and get more done when you take

a 20-30 minute nap. Bottom line: We always recommend listening to the body. If you

are exhausted, you should sleep.

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Exercise

We recommend that you keep exercise gentle during the cleanse week. That said,

working up a light sweat each day will assist your body in removing toxins more rapidly,

and the physical movement will encourage bowel movements. (Remember how

important it is to keep those bowels clear!)

If you are an avid exerciser, do yourself a

favor and step it back a bit. The idea is that

your body will be able to devote more

energy to removing toxins and healing than

keeping up with strenuous exercise. Stay in

tune with your body’s needs, and respect

any signals to dial it down during the

cleanse. It’s only one week, and you will not

lose any of your fitness gains, strength, or stamina. In fact, you will come out ahead,

once your body is refreshed and no longer contending with toxins, excess fluid and

weight.

A 30 minute walk, a gentle jog, gentle yoga, gentle weight training, and breathing

exercises are all recommended during the cleanse week. (Note the “gentle” theme.)

However, if you haven’t jogged or done weights before, don’t start that this week. Start

including them in your exercise plan after the cleanse. Walking, gentle yoga, and

breathwork are always a good idea, and you can safely start them during the cleanse,

even if you have never practiced them before.

Benefits of Exercise

Most Americans suffer from an “exercise deficiency,” which contributes to two-thirds of

the U.S. population being overweight, and tens of millions of others with high blood

pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Exercise is far more powerful for controlling

these symptoms than any drug yet developed. If they could put exercise in a pill, it

would be the most widely prescribed drug on the planet! Either you grow, or you decay.

As you age, physical exercise becomes more and more important for health and

longevity.

Exercise reduces insulin levels, triggers apoptosis (death of cancer cells), and reduces

belly fat. In one study, volunteers who did not exercise had an 8.6 percent increase in

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visceral fat after eight months, while those who exercised the most lost over 8 percent

of their visceral fat during the same amount of time. Which group will you be in?

We would like to recommend the following exercises. Some you may want to incorporate

after the cleanse is finished.

Walking

Yoga and breathwork

Weights

Intervals

Walking

Walking or gentle hiking in nature are one of the most beneficial and safe exercises you

can do. It is invigorating, stress relieving, detoxifying, and quite refreshing when done

outdoors. If you don’t currently walk, try to walk each day on the cleanse. Start small

and listen to your body. Perhaps just walk for 10 minutes the first day. Slowly increase

your time, distance, and speed. Walking is also a wonderful way to connect with friends,

instead of the usual acidifying, fattening coffee and muffin.

Yoga and Breathwork

Perhaps the biggest benefit of yoga is that it reduces stress when practiced properly. We

slow our pace, including thoughts, breath, and gaze. There is a sense of unfolding, of

letting go of struggle. When you know everything is already okay, you have no stress.

When you have no stress, you have a happier life and a much healthier, younger body.

Rest and digest. We are in a constant “fight or flight” response, due to stress and

shallow breathing (which reinforce each other). When we

are in this mode, our sympathetic nervous system directs

the blood where it’s needed to quickly escape or fight –

our muscles, brain, and eyes. Blood flow is directed away

from digestion, immunity, skin, and repair. Stress also

increases our body’s oxidative stress, a chemical process

that overtime destroys our cells (like rusting from within).

Being in a fight or flight mode most of your waking hours

is extremely destructive and accelerates aging. Yoga and

deep breathing stimulate the parasympathetic response,

which is rest, digest, and repair mode. In this way alone, yoga has fabulous youthening

potential.

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“Men are born soft and supple; dead they are stiff and hard. Plants are

born tender and pliant; dead, they are brittle and dry. Thus whoever is

stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death. Whoever is soft and yielding is

a disciple of life. The hard and stiff will be broken. The soft and supple

will prevail.” ― Lao Tzu

Mindset. Yoga needs to be practiced with the proper mindset. If you are very

competitive, and stress out when you perceive someone else is doing anything better,

and you push and strain, you will not receive these benefits, you’ll only add to your

stress and aging process.

You’ll maximize your yoga benefits if you check your competitive side/ego at the door,

and if you practice with the intention of letting your body lead the way. Take breaks, do

less, avoid straining or forcing, and be loving and patient with yourself.

You’ll get some major transformational benefits as well. When the chatter of the mind

slows down, you really notice when an emotion arises or when you have recurring

thought patterns. Swami Kripalu said that, “Self observation without judgement is the

highest spiritual practice.” Yoga is a perfect activity to practice self observation without

judgement.

Flexibility. A more well known benefit of yoga is that it increases flexibility.

Babies and most children are so flexible. The elderly, not so much. As they say, “You are only as young as you are flexible.” This is not about folding into a pretzel or putting your leg behind your head. This is simply removing tightness in the body that causes tightness in the mind. It’s about feeling supple, young, and free in your body.

Strength. Some forms of yoga are also very strengthening, especially vinyasa or power

yoga. If you are new to the practice, again (recurring theme here), start slow. Don’t

expect to do all the postures in the first class. Build up slowly. If you practice yoga with

force and strain, it will result in injury and depletion.

Detoxification. Due to its “squeezing and soaking” action, yoga enhances the flow of

bodily fluids like blood and lymph. It also improves circulation to all of your organs and

glands. This is important. Ayurveda equates stagnation with disease.

Below are a few safe postures and movements we recommend you practice during the cleanse, and after!

Empty coat sleeves

Mountain pose

Garland Pose

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Supine twist Wind relieving pose

Legs up the wall

Forward fold

Three-part breath

Empty coat sleeves

Stand with your feet a little wider apart than hip width, and begin to twist from side to

side, allowing the arms to swing side to side, hands slapping the opposite shoulders.

Start every gently, and increase intensity as appropriate. This twisting movement

loosens up the spine and shoulders, oxygenates the cells, clears the mind, gives a

“squish” to the internal organs, and helps you become more present in the moment. To

up the intensity, practice hara breath—in through the nose, out through the mouth—as

you twist.

Mountain Pose. This posture is deceptively simple. It strengthens your entire body,

imbues a sense of personal power, and is invigorating.

Stand with your feet directly under your hips. Lift and spread your toes and the balls of

your feet, then lay them softly down on the floor. Rock back

and forth and side to side. Gradually reduce this swaying to a

standstill, with your weight balanced evenly on the feet.

Press the feet isometrically away from each other. Firm your

thigh muscles and lift the knee caps. Gently pull the navel

center in and up, without hardening your lower belly. As you

press down with the feet, lengthen up through the torso and

out through the crown of your head.

Balance the crown of your head directly over the center of your pelvis, with the

underside of your chin parallel to the floor, throat soft, and the tongue relaxed on the

floor of your mouth. Soften your eyes.

Press your shoulder blades into your back and broaden your collarbones. On an

inhalation, slowly sweep the arms up over your head, into a wide V shape, without the

shoulders hiking up around the ears.

Stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute, breathing easily. Slowly lower the arms by

your sides, and scan the body for subtle energetic benefits.

Garland Pose. This posture is especially helpful for stimulating bowel

movements, as it optimally aligns the exit canal. Stand with feet mat width

apart (a little wider than shoulder width). Let the feet turn out about 45

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degrees. Lower your hips down until you are in a squat. Keep your feet flat on the

ground, or let the heels rest on folded blankets. Widen them if necessary. Bring your

elbows to your inner knees, and hands in Namaste at your heart center. Straighten up

the back, and roll the shoulders back and down. Be sure you are not excessively

hunching forward. Breathe deeply for 10 breaths. To release, come to standing or simply

transition to the floor.

Supine Twist. This pose removes tension in the abdominal region and, like all twists,

creates a "squeeze and soak" action that yogis believe can improve the functioning of

many internal organs. It also stimulates digestion and relieves gas and constipation.

Lie on your back. Draw your both knees into your chest and

drop both knees to the floor on the left side of your body. Open

your right arm into a T position in line with your shoulder.

Rest your left hand on the outside of your top knee. Turn your head to the right,

bringing your gaze over the right shoulder. With each inhalation, lengthen up through

the sides of your body, and with each exhalation, deepen the twist. Close your eyes and

allow the power of the breath to release your right knee and your right shoulder toward

the floor. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths. Release the pose and pause for a minute to take in the

sensations. Repeat the pose on the opposite side.

Wind Relieving Pose. Lie down on your back, with legs stretched out straight. Pull

your right leg into your chest. Hold onto the shin or back of

thigh with both hands. As you inhale, feel the belly rise up

towards the thigh, as you exhale pull the leg in a little closer.

Keep the tailbone elongated and down on the mat. After 5-10

breaths, release and do the left leg. Be sure to start with the

right, and then do the left leg since this will encourage the bowels to move things in the

right direction!

Legs up the wall. This would be a perfect posture for any

day you're energy is running low. It has many physical and

emotional benefits. It's known to be anti-aging, cleansing,

balancing, and mood enhancing.

Place two stacked, folded blankets or bolster about 5 to 6

inches away from the wall.

Sit sideways on right end of the support, with your right

side against the wall.

Swing your legs up onto the wall and your shoulders and

head lightly down onto the floor.

Your sitting bones don't need to be right against the wall, but they can relax down

into the space between the support and the wall.

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Release your hands and arms out to your sides, palms up.

Keep your legs relatively firm, just enough to hold them vertically in place.

Enjoy the posture anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.

Forward fold. From standing position, inhale arms up

overhead, exhale arms out to the sides and fold forward from

the hip creases. Keep the spine long and core strong as you

lower down. Bend your knees slightly, or enough to keep your

lower back feeling relaxed. Place your hands on the floor,

your feet, on blocks, or a chair. Release any holding in your

neck. Relax your face and jaw. Close your eyes, breathe, and

relax. Stay in the posture for about one minute. Come to

standing with your core engaged. Again, close your eyes and

notice the after effect of the forward fold.

Three part breath. Deep breathing, where you fill your belly and expand your

diaphragm downwards, is one of the most powerful exercises you can do to activate your

lymph system which helps to detoxify your body. According to the 'Tao of Breathing' up

to 70% of our body's waste products are eliminated via our lungs and the rest through

the urine, skin and feces. Not only that, but it relaxes us, which is a major step forward

to fabulous health!

Sit up very tall on the edge of a chair or cushion. As you inhale, first fill the belly, then

the ribcage, and last the collarbones with a smooth, wave-like breath. As you exhale,

release the breath from the collarbones down deep into your belly, squeezing in the belly

at the bottom of the exhalation. Repeat for three to five minutes, establishing a smooth,

steady rhythm. Although you are breathing more deeply than usual, do not strain or

struggle. Don’t force the breath. Just encourage the depth and pace. This simple breath

oxygenates the bloodstream, removes stagnation, energizes, detoxifies, and anchors the

attention in the present. Pause and feel the harmonizing effects of the three part breath.

Scan the body for new sensations.

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Strength Training

Each year after the age of forty, a pound of fat replaces a pound of muscle. This means

that by the time you are fifty, ten pounds of your muscle have been replaced with ten

pounds of fat.

Muscle is metabolically active, while fat doesn’t require much energy to maintain. So if

you have more muscle, the higher your metabolic rate will be, the more calories you will

burn every day.

As you age your muscle mass diminishes, and strength training is one of the best ways to

replace the lean muscle mass that you’ve lost. If you don’t challenge your muscles, the

percentage of fat in your body will keep increasing while your muscle mass will keep

decreasing.

So strength training is of utmost importance as you get older, but should ideally be done

regularly throughout your life to both preserve and enhance your muscle mass.

Strength training offers these additional benefits:

Increases metabolism

Increases your bone density while lowering your risk of osteoporosis

Lose weight (the more muscle you have, the more efficiently your body burns calories)

Protects your joints from injury

Helps maintain flexibility and balance

Improves your stamina and lessens fatigue

Improves circulation

May be protective against cancer

A couple motivating studies:

When older adults participated in three weight training sessions per week over 20

weeks, their blood flow in the extremities rejuvenated to the point that they were

identical to those in the younger group!

The men who regularly worked out with weights and had the highest muscle

strength were between 30 percent and 40 percent less likely to lose their life to a

deadly tumor.

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You can strengthen most of your major muscles in about 20 minutes. Never mind trying

to do three sets of each exercise. A single set of repetitions was found to be almost as

effective in maintaining fitness as three sets. The American College of Sports Medicine

and the US Surgeon General have been recommending a 1-set exercise program for

some time.

You need enough repetitions to exhaust your muscles. The weight should be heavy

enough that this can be done in fewer than 12 repetitions, yet light enough to do a

minimum of four repetitions. Do a few exercises for your arms, legs, and core. Simple

programs can be found online or in health magazines on the newsstand. It is important

not to exercise the same muscle groups every day. They need at least two days of rest to

recover, repair and rebuild.

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Intervals

If you aren’t currently doing intervals, this would be something to add after the

cleanse week.

Interval training is short segments of aerobic exercise that alternate high intensity with

a rest period in-between. The Journal of Physiology reported that 20 minutes of high-

interval training provided the same benefits of longer exercise sessions that focused on

endurance training. This is exciting for those of us who have limited time. You can

improve your cardiovascular fitness and fat-burning capabilities in a fraction of the

time.

Several studies have confirmed that interval training burns more fat than exercising

continuously for an entire session. This has been shown to hold true even when the

session is not done at an extremely high intensity.

The two primary anti-aging effects of interval training are:

1. Reduced age-related telomere shortening, and 2. Increased production of human growth hormone (HGH)

These important benefits hold great promise to not only slow the aging process but

actually reverse it!

Telomeres are the tips of your DNA which shorten each time cell divides. When the

telomeres are gone, the cell dies. So our lifespan is determined by our telomere length.

Scientists view telomere length as a marker of biological aging, as well as an indicator of

overall health. Telomere length is probably the best single measure of our genetics,

previous lifestyle and environmental exposures.

There is a certain rate of telomere shortening that occurs just to keep you alive. That is

why even with a perfect diet and exercise program no one lives past 120 years old.

However exposure to environmental insults like free radicals, trans fats, obesity,

smoking and other toxins can actually accelerate the rate of telomere shortening

considerably so you can die of "old age" at 70.

Researchers have discovered that both diet and specific training may be able to slow the

telomere shortening and aging. Not only that, but it has recently become apparent that

telomeres may lengthen as well as shorten!

Interval training not only slows telomere shortening, but also boosts human growth hormone (HGH) production.

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HGH is a hormone that:

Promotes building and repair of muscle, skin, collagen, and lean body mass

Improves metabolism

Is associated with overall health and longevity

Enhances collagen production and repair

When we reach our 30s, our hormones begin declining (both men and women). This is

known as somatopause. HGH is one of the hormones that decline. You can keep your

HGH levels are more youthful levels with interval training.

The nice thing about interval exercises is that you can perform them with any type of exercise; with or without equipment. You can perform intervals simply by walking or running outdoors.

Only do interval training two or three times a week.

Here's a summary of what a typical interval fitness routine might look like using an exercise bike:

1) Warm up for three minutes. 2) Exercise as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds. You should be gasping for

breath and feel like you couldn't possibly go on another few seconds. 3) Recover for 90 seconds, still pedaling, but at slower pace and decreased

resistance. 4) Repeat the high intensity exercise and recovery 7 more times.

Note – Eating a high sugar meal or drink within 2 hours after working out will blunt

your HGH production and fat burning. Instead, have a more protein rich snack or meal

within 2 hours of working out.

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Introspection

In this module, we’d like to discuss the benefits of meditation and journaling. These

simple practices are powerful and transformative. They are especially wonderful for the

fall and winter months, when slowing down and turning inward is what our mind-body

craves.

Meditation

What else can you do in just minutes a day that would make you happier, more peaceful,

compassionate, smarter, healthier, and even help with your weight loss goals? It’s too

bad they can’t bottle meditation or put it in a pill. It takes a little bit of discipline to stick

with the practice, but other than that, it’s pretty sweet. You don’t have to do an hour of

aerobics, run a marathon, or drink slimy green liquids. All you have to do is sit quietly

and practice being aware.

I have always viewed meditation as the foundation of

self help, because it builds awareness and insight into

the way your brain functions. Through meditation, you

begin to understand that you are not your thoughts, and

you can observe your turbulent thoughts without

getting drawn into the drama, and without believing

that they are all actually true. This is very liberating!

In the “Untethered Soul,” Michael Singer suggested we

imagine our thoughts as a whole separate person for

one day, as if they were standing, sitting next to you, saying all the things out loud that

your mind rambles on about. By the end of the day, you would be screaming, “Get me

away from this person, he’s absolutely insane!”

Our brains generate all kinds of crazy thoughts all day long, some repetitive, some

conflicting. Most of them didn’t originate with you, they are not of you. They were

placed in your mind by the outside world - other people, events, misinterpretations –

and your brain repeated them over and over until they shaped your world view. Whether

or not you are aware of it, these thought patterns are literally running your life.

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The Buddha taught, “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts.

With our thoughts we make the world. Speak or act with a pure mind, and happiness

will follow you as your shadow, unshakeable. How can a troubled mind understand the

way? Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded. But

once mastered, no one can help you as much, not even your father or your mother.”

Doesn’t it make sense that we need to get a handle on your thoughts? Ideally we want to

keep the ones that are helping you move forward in life, and discard the ones that are

holding you back.

Meditation helps us do just that. It’s the ultimate self help. It’s free, and has so many

benefits that are even being proven by science. Studies have shown that meditating can

reduce stress, alleviate anxiety and depression, increase your attention span, and

deepen your compassion for others.

Regular meditation can even change the physical structure of the brain, increasing gray-

matter density in parts of the brain associated with memory, empathy, learning,

memory, stress and anxiety. The more years you regularly meditate, the greater the

potential benefits. So start today!

How to meditate

I know you are raring to go, so without further ado, here are a couple different options:

First, find a quiet area with no distractions. Always meditate sitting upright. If your hips

and back are tight, you can sit on the edge of a chair, with your back straight. If your

back fatigues, place a bolster or small pillow at the base of your back for support. You

can also place a pillow under your feet if your feet don’t comfortably reach the ground.

Be sure that you are comfortable (though there may be minor physical discomfort in the

beginning which fades over time). Gently close your eyes.

Pick an object of focus: your breath, sensation in the body, sounds in the environment,

or a mantra. When your mind wanders, which it will, non-judgementally bring your

awareness back to your object of focus. Again and again. That’s it! Simple (but not

necessarily easy).

Start out with 5 minute sessions, and over the course of a week, build up to 20 minute

sessions.

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There are many meditation recordings and resources available.

Check our very own Charlotte Ott’s stellar recordings on www.charlotteott.com.

I also highly recommend the works of Sudhir Jonathan Foust.

“Meditation for Dummies” is also a surprisingly helpful resource, despite the

name!

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Conscious Eating

Incorporating conscious eating into your cleanse will yield amazing results that stay

with you for the rest of your life, as you will enjoy your food more, digest better, and feel

when you’ve had the perfect amount of food.

Learning how to awaken a deeper appreciation of the food

you consume can completely transform the eating

experience, and every meal is an opportunity to explore.

Conscious eating provides all the benefits of meditation and

mindfulness, and also directly helps overcome issues with

food such as overeating, cravings, food addiction, and poor

digestion. The key is to be totally aware while you’re eating.

Don’t watch TV or read. It’s best to eat alone when

practicing conscious eating.

Below are a few more tips from the Kripalu. Read through

the list to get the feel for the overall approach. If there are

too many items to remember, pick one or two to work with

for a meal:

1) Before eating, take some time to center with mindfulness of breathing.

2) When timely, contemplate each of the senses.

3) Visually explore the food with special attention to color and shapes.

4) Explore or contemplate touch, feeling of the food object or container.

5) Explore smell and associated memories or associations.

6) When ready, take a very small taste and observe the sensations in the mouth,

particularly the taste receptors in the tongue.

7) Observe the process of digestion, particularly the salivary response and any

perception of sensation in the belly.

8) Continue to chew mindfully.

9) Make it a practice to mindfully put down the utensil when you chew.

10) From time to time, pause and stop, being mindful of what is present. Then

continue.

11) Reflect on the care and attention given to this food from its very beginning to the

present moment (growing, harvesting, transporting, cooking, serving, etc).

12) Reflect on the experience of the body digesting and the conversion of this food to

energy.

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Journaling

Simply writing down your thoughts for a few minutes a day can serve as a powerful life

tool. When you journal you’ll enjoy the following benefits:

Better physical health Clarify thoughts and feelings Know yourself better Less stress Solve problems more effectively Resolve disagreements with others

For the best results, aim for devoting about 20 minutes a day to journaling. Begin

anywhere, and don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, or whether it sounds good.

Write quickly without editing. Keep your journal in a safe, private place so you are able

to write without censoring. Or feel free to shred, burn, or toss your journal entries,

which may give you more freedom to express yourself fully.

Here are some suggested journal topics for the cleanse week:

Day 1 The importance of mindfulness

The breath is one of the most useful tools for transporting you to the present moment. When we are mindful we make more informed choices and are less likely to fall into habitual tendencies.

List 2 to 4 habitual tendencies that you noticed in yourself.

Close your eyes for a moment and enjoy three deep breaths. Gentle breaths that travel all the way to your belly. Allow the exhale to be as long or longer than the inhale. Notice and describe how you feel after enjoying these simple breaths.

Is there a moment of your day that this simple breathing exercise would be beneficial?

Day 2 Identifying our cravings

What are some foods your body often craves?

Are they in line with your goals for a healthy lifestyle?

How does your body communicate with you when you have indulged in a food that is not beneficial to your well being?

How does your body feel when you have indulged in fresh nourishing foods?

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Day 3 For the love of exercise

List at least two types of movement and exercise that make you feel happy.

How does your body and mind feel when you are engaged in those activities? What is the biggest obstacle preventing you from enjoying it more?

What is one thing that you can do to overcome this obstacle? Day 4 Your desires

What do you desire for your life and overall health?

What intentions can you set to begin your journey to a more fulfilling life and better health?

Day 5 Beyond the cleanse - What will you take with you?

What do you envision incorporating from this cleansing process into your daily life?

List positive experiences you have experienced so far during the cleanse? Day 6 Discovering your passion

Frequently we use food to satisfy areas of our life that are unfulfilling. Taking time to reflect on your passions and carving out time for them can be one of the best gifts you can offer to yourself and those around you.

List at least two things that you are passionate about.

How do you feel when you engage in those activities? Day 7 Supporting yourself on the journey to better health

List 2 - 4 messages that you can tell yourself each day to support your journey to better health.

How do you know when you are living in or out of alignment with what is best for your wellbeing?

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Weight Loss

If you would like to lose weight, we have compiled the best holistic advice we have ever

found about maintaining a healthy weight, including:

Seasonal eating

Intermittent fasting and The 8 Hour Diet

Weight gain foods for different blood types

Emotional eating

Weight loss spices

Please note that all of the information provided in the Self Care, Exercise, and Toxin

sections will also help a lot. Focus on exercise, sleep, stress management, and the

beloved clay detox body wrap.

Seasonal Eating

Seasonal eating, which we discussed in “What to Add in”, naturally results in weight loss

because your body aligns with Nature’s rhythms, cycling over the year through the

various “fad diets” – low fat, low calorie in spring, higher carb in summer, and higher fat

and protein in the winter. Eat the food that is currently provided by nature, at any given

time, and you will not go wrong. Your health improves, you eat a wider variety of foods,

and you reach your optimal weight.

Meal Timing

The timing of your meals can make a big difference in how you digest your food and how

often your body burns fat for fuel.

Ayurveda teaches that our digestive fire is strongest at lunch time (between 10 and 2), so

this is when the largest meal of the day should be eaten. Contrary to the popular theory

“breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” lunch is the actually the most

important meal of the day. Our system may not be sufficiently stoked in the morning to

properly utilize the traditional breakfast. But your digestion and metabolism are raring

to go by lunch, so this is not the meal to skip, or the time to eat lightly. Investing in an

adequate, leisurely lunch, helps to avoid that irksome afternoon slump and sugar

cravings. Dinner should be light and easily digestible, like vegetable soup. When you

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sleep, you want to devote your energy to repairing, rebuilding, and healing, not to

digesting a big steak dinner with a dessert.

Contrary to popular dietary theory of “grazing” to keep the blood sugar stable, Ayurveda

recommends that we do not constantly snack. The body burns sugar preferentially

because it is the most efficient process. When you’re eating frequently, there is a

constant stream of sugar available to the cells to burn for energy. This means that the

body never has to go into its fat reserves for energy production.

Most people would prefer to burn a little fat on a daily basis, am I right? When you allow

several hours between “feedings,” your blood sugar drops and your body goes into fat

burn mode. Doesn’t this make perfect sense? It’s time to return to the older, wiser

advice to eat three meals and avoid snacking, especially for those of us who would like to

deflate the spare tire.

Intermittent Fasting

A newer book called the “8 Hour Diet” takes this a step further in recommending

“intermittent fasting.” Stay with me – it’s not as bad as it sounds. Back in the days of

yore, humans didn’t have access to food 24/7, and so we adapted genetically to periods

of no food. Short periods of fasting are cleansing and benefit our health.

Dr Mercola says, “Besides turning you into an efficient fat burner, intermittent fasting

can also boost your level of human growth hormone (aka the ‘fitness hormone’)

production by as much as 1,200 percent for women and 2,000 percent for men.”

The 8 Hour Diet recommends eating only during an 8 hour period out of the 24 hour

day. This can show up as skipping breakfast or skipping dinner.

It’s flexible so you can find the 8 hour period that best works for you. I personally prefer

to eat breakfast and skip dinner, because most nights I’m not actually hungry and just

eat out of habit and because everyone else is doing it. The cool thing is that you don’t

have to do it every single day, but the more you do it, the more benefit you’ll experience.

Intermittent fasting not only helps you lose weight, cleanse, and be more energetic, but

it’s the only thing scientifically proven to enhance longevity. Long life isn’t the only goal

though. Ideally, health span equals life span. So you’re healthy, healthy, healthy,

healthy, and then… leave the body. Eating a clean diet with lots of fruits and vegetables

has been proven time and time again to increase health span. For all we know, this is

our only life. Let’s feel good and enjoy the experience!

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Blood Type Diet

One philosophy that has helped many people is the blood type diet, where you consume

only foods that have been shown to be beneficial for your blood type. Antigens on foods

are similar to antigens on our blood cells. As you know, your body will mount a huge

immune defense against blood transfused into your body that is not the same type as

your own. If you’re a B blood type and need a transfusion, you must get type B blood.

Since the antigens on foods are so close chemically to the antigens on blood cells, our

bodies react to the antigens on the foods as well. The Drs D’Adamo spent years

researching this phenomenon, and compiled an impressive list of foods that are

compatible and incompatible with each blood type.

Additionally the D’Adamos kindly created lists of “Weight Gain” foods for each blood

type. Perhaps at some point, you may want to try to avoid the foods that cause weight

gain for your blood type, and see what happens! It’s a nice little experiment. Not every

theory works for every person, but this could be the key for you. If you do notice weight

loss, you will notice other benefits too, like more energy and reduction in inflammatory

conditions.

We recommend you purchase the book “Eat Right for your Type” by Dr Peter D’Adamo.

For now, you can start with the weight gain/loss foods. Looking at the tables, your first

reaction might be, “But that’s a healthy food!” And yes, there are healthy foods not

recommended for our blood types. I had to get over that myself. Just remember that no

matter what vitamins, minerals, or how much fiber there are in the food, they still have

certain antigens that your body may react negatively to. Here are the lists:

Type O

Weight Gain Foods Weight Loss Foods

Wheat gluten Corn Kidney beans Navy Beans Lentils Cabbage Brussels sprouts Cauliflower Mustard greens

Kelp Seafood Liver Red meat Kale Spinach Broccoli

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Type A

Weight Gain Foods Weight Loss Foods

Meat Dairy Kidney beans Lima beans Wheat

Vegetable oils Soy foods Vegetables Pineapple

Type B

Weight Gain Foods Weight Loss Foods

Corn Lentils Peanuts Sesame seeds Buckwheat Wheat

Green vegetables Meat Liver Eggs Licorice tea

Type AB

Weight Gain Foods Weight Loss Foods

Red Meat Kidney beans Lima veans Seeds Corn Buckwheat Wheat

Tofu Seafood Dairy Green vegetables Kelp Pineapple

Things that make you go hmmmmmmm… Did you happen to notice that Wheat is a

weight gain food for all blood types?

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Emotional Eating

Most often, weight problems are not so much about what we are eating, but what’s

eating us. How often do you eat when you’re not hungry? Or stuff yourself way past the

point of discomfort? Maybe you notice that you forage for snack foods when you are

stressed, or crave sweets to make up for lack of sweetness in your life. Perhaps you have

simply developed a habit of eating based on where you are or what you are doing. The

point is, that we are eating oftentimes for reasons other than hunger. Getting a handle

on this is the real key to long term weight management. We’d like to recommend two

excellent books:

Recommended Reading for Emotional Eating

“Women, Food, and God” by Ganeen Roth

“The Yoga of Eating” by Charles Eisenstein

“Transformational Weight Loss” by Charles Eisenstein

“A Course in Weight Loss” by Marianne Williamson

They go into this topic in great detail and offer countless excellent insights and

inspiration.

Whenever possible, perform the Conscious Eating meditation.

Add a little spice!

Some spices have been shown to assist with weight loss in a variety of ways. They reduce

appetite, control blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, act as a diuretic, and are

thermogenic, meaning they actually increase your metabolism and fat burning! To

encourage weight loss, be sure to use the following spices regularly.

Cinnamon

Cayenne

Black Pepper

Mustard Seed

Ginger

Note that these are warming spices, so use liberally in the cooler months, and reduce in

the warmer months.

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Toxins

Pesticides, plastics, flame retardants, mercury, lead, and arsenic have been found in the

cord blood of babies and human breast milk. Teflon has been found in seals in the North

Pole. The five most toxic chemicals known to man have been found in 100% of the

human fat cells tested. Yep, we’ve pretty much poisoned our world and our bodies along

with it.

These chemicals, known affectionately as xenobiotics, endocrine disrupters,

carcinogens, and obesagens, all interfere with our cell’s normal function in countless

ways.

Endocrine disruptors wreak havoc in the hormonal systems, including sex traits,

metabolism, energy, and growth. Many of these chemicals have also been shown to

cause cancer.

You don’t have to work in a chemical processing plant to worry about exposure. In fact,

you DO work in a chemical processing plant – your home! Dangerous chemicals are

found in:

Skin care products

Cleaning supplies

Cookware

Food packaging and containers

Furniture, paint, finishes, etc

Processed food (of course)

Even many of the “premium” products are riddled with toxins. It may seem like an

overwhelming task to rid your home and food of all of the chemicals. Luckily, there are

“For the first time in history of the world, every human being is now subjected to

contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death. In

less than two decades of their use, the synthetic pesticides have been so thoroughly

distributed throughout the animate and inanimate world that they occur virtually

everywhere.”

– Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962

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companies dedicated to clean products, so it becomes a matter of just buying something

else from someone else (who is committed to a toxin-free environment). I feel really

good supporting these environmentally conscious companies and keeping our home free

of toxic chemicals.

The companies that we trust are:

Norwex

Ava Anderson Nontoxic

NYR

Young Living

Juice Plus

Banyan Botanicals

Sarada

The Environmental Working Group is a wonderful organization that tests the purity of

thousands of products and keeps a database that you can search. Check out

www.ewg.org to check your cleaning supplies and cosmetics.

A few tips to avoid every day toxins:

Avoid microwaving prepared, frozen food in the plastic and coated cardboard

containers.

Avoid drinking out of plastic bottles. We love reusable, environmentally friendly

Lifefactory bottles!

Never, ever drink hot coffee or tea from a Styrofoam cup.

Avoid synthetic fragrances. It may take a while to weed those out of your home –

synthetic fragrance is in everything!

Use non-toxic skin care products. Ava Anderson, NYR, Norwex, and Young

Living all offer fantastic products.

To freshen the air in your home, don’t use chemical laden Plug-ins or Renuzits.

Instead use a diffuser with high quality essential oils.

Purge your home of cleaning products made from harsh chemicals. Use simple

natural cleaning products such as vinegar, baking soda, and Norwex products.

Buy organic produce whenever possible.

Be sure any canned goods are BPA-free.

Cook in stainless steel or glass cookware. Throw away your Teflon cookware.

Replace with a non-toxic type made from titanium, diamond, or ceramic.

Go through your pantry, and discard any “food” with artificial colors, flavors,

hydrogenated oils, and preservatives.

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Supplements & Super Foods

Supplements are not required for the Ultimate Rejuvenation Cleanse. However, there

are some supplements that can enhance your detoxification, fortify your body with

nutrients, improve digestion, and help you deal with sugar cravings.

In light of this, we find it very helpful to supplement our diets with nutrient dense whole

food supplements, herbs, and super foods. Whenever possible, we steer clear of

unnatural isolated/synthesized vitamins and multivitamins. (See “What about

multivitamins?” below for more explanation.)

We also highly recommend being selective of where you get your supplements. Thirty-

seven out of forty supplements tested contain heavy metals and other contaminants not

declared on the label. Unfortunately, at this time, products from China are notorious for

being heavily contaminated. It’s important to look for companies that prioritize testing

for quality and purity. NSF is known internationally for certifying the purity of

supplements (and safety of other products).

“Because of the denaturation of foods by refining and processing, we are

overeating the fattening and energy-producing components in foods and

literally starving for the vital vitamin and mineral factors, which have

become far scarcer and more difficult to obtain than at any time in the

history of the human race.”

– Dr Royal Lee

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The supplements we recommend include:

Juice Plus (nutrients from juicing without the work, expense, or mess)

Triphala (helps keep the digestive system running smoothly)

Vitamin D (mainly in the North in the cooler months)

Probiotics (healthy gut flora impacts every aspect of your health)

Gymnema Sylvestre (herb that can help with sugar cravings)

Juice Plus

Juice Plus is whole food based nutrition made from the juice powders of 25 fruits,

vegetables, and berries. The powders are the pure micronutrients; vitamins, minerals,

enzymes, and thousands of phytonutrients which you will not find in any multivitamin.

Research has shown again and again that the people who consume the most plant foods

have the lowest risk of virtually every single chronic disease.

The standard American diet (SAD) is all but totally lacking in plant foods and vital plant

nutrients. Even if you take a megadose vitamin (more on that later), you are still lacking

the thousands of phytonutrients not available in vitamin supplements. Because plant

nutrients work together synergistically, it’s important to get all of the nutrients plants

provide, not unbalanced, megadoses of a few known vitamins (as in a multivitamin).

These fantastic nutrients reduce oxidative stress and systemic inflammation, the two

root causes for most chronic diseases. They also, not surprisingly, have been shown time

and time again to stop cancer via multiple mechanisms.

The fields of nutrigenomics and epigenetics have determined that food is information,

and actually turns on and off genes. We all have good and bad genes. The nutrients in

plant foods turn off bad genes and turn on good genes. Juice Plus contains thousands

upon thousands of phytonutrients that activate good genes.

Juice Plus makes it easy to get most of the healing nutrients plants offer in a convenient

capsule or chewie, every single day. It is light years ahead of the multivitamin, the most

cost effective insurance you can buy, and totally affordable. You can even get free Juice

Plus for a child with each adult order through participation in the Children’s Health

Study. Please see www.lisamairjuiceplus.com for more information, or contact me with

questions.

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Triphala

Triphala is used for rejuvenation, detoxification, healthy elimination, digestion, weight

management, and clear skin. As the most recommended and Ayurvedic herbal

formulation, Triphala is totally safe and can greatly enhance your cleanse. Since we are

removing artificial stimulants from the diet, constipation and incomplete evacuation can

be an unwanted side effect for a few days. Triphala will help counter act any slow down

in bowel function and keep the intestines cleansed, which is vitally important for a

thorough and enjoyable cleanse. Triphala is composed of the dried fruits of amalaki,

bibhitaki and haritaki. Containing five of the six tastes (all but salty), Triphala readily

removes excess vata, pitta and kapha from the body, bringing balance and proper

functioning to the system. We recommend taking two tablets of Triphala from Banyan

Botanicals each night before bed throughout the entire 21-day cleanse.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D (which is a pre-hormone) is produced by the skin when it is exposed to

sunlight. Not that long ago, vitamin D was known primarily for its role in bone health.

In recent years, it has emerged as the miracle vitamin capable of preventing cancer,

autoimmune disease, Alzheimer’s, depression, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gum

disease, and more! Research has identified thirty-six organ tissues whose cells respond

biologically to vitamin D and up to 2,000 genes are under vitamin D regulation.

Basically, any chronic disease you can think of would benefit from a healthy vitamin D

status.

The problem is that there is widespread deficiency in this “sunshine vitamin” for

everyone living north of Georgia. Some experts estimate that 85% of us are deficient.

Especially since everyone became paranoid of skin cancer and shuns the sun with high

SPF sunscreen 24/7.

Despite widespread sun paranoia, it is actually beneficial to get some sun directly on

your skin each day. For every case of skin cancer that may be avoided through sun

screen use, there are thousands of cases of breast and prostate cancer. Obviously if we

are spending the day at the beach or pool, you would want to use sun screen to avoid

getting burned. However, it is detrimental to your overall health to avoid all sunshine on

your skin, unless of course you are a vampire.

During the cold weather months, it is advisable to take a vitamin D supplement. Since

the pills don’t dissolve well, drops or under the tongue spray are absorbed best. It is wise

to have your vitamin D levels checked by your physician once a year to be sure that you

have enough, and not too much. However 1,000 IU/day is considered very safe.

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Probiotics

As we talked about in the fermented food section, proper gut flora is vital for overall

health. Many of us have damaged our gut microbiome through antibiotics, medications,

excessive sugar, wheat, etc. We highly recommend incorporating fermented foods into

your daily diet. Taking a probiotic supplement is also a good way to re-seed your

digestive tract. We use either Ultimate Flora or Garden of Life Primal Defense.

Gymnema Sylvestre

This sweet little herb has been employed in traditional medicine for ages. If you’re

suffering from cravings for sweets, this is the herb for you. It also has naturally diuretic,

anti-inflammatory, and laxative properties. It is available in capsules and tea. Banyan

Botanicals is a trusted source.

What about Multivitamins?

Multivitamins represent a tiny fraction of the nutrients available in foods. In

multivitamins, there are (unnatural) megadoses of individual nutrients. Furthermore,

vitamins are totally missing the thousands and thousands of phytonutrients that work

synergistically with the known vitamins in the body.

The following is excerpted from the Dynamic Chiropractic website:

“As vitamins are only a small part of the nutritional healing picture, I have over several

years converted my nutritional practice from using isolated and synthetic supplements

to using whole-food supplements.

A whole-food supplement, is one comprised of foods (not extracts, but entire foods) that

have been concentrated into supplemental form. Isolated supplements are singular (or

groups of individual) vitamins, minerals and/or amino acids. Whole foods contain

vitamins, but vitamins never contain the rest of the whole-food "complex."

“A vitamin as it appears in nature is never a single chemical, but rather it is a group of interdependent compounds that form a ‘nutrient complex’ so intricate that only a living cell can create it. And just as no single component of a watch keeps time, no single compound in a vitamin complex accounts for the vitamin's nutritive effect in the body. Only through whole, unprocessed foods can the synergistic effect of a true vitamin be delivered.” - Mark R. Anderson

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According to Vic Shayne,PhD, author of Whole Food Nutrition: The Missing Link in

Vitamin Therapy, "Vitamins never exist in isolation, but rather within an interwoven

complex of food nutrients and substances along with myriad cofactors and synergists."

For instance, a vitamin A supplement is usually vitamin A palmitate, a synthetic form of

vitamin A. Or, the supplement may consist of beta carotene, an isolated precursor to

vitamin A. Conversely, a whole-food supplement contains the food(s) which not only

consists of vitamin A, but particularly vitamin A1; vitamin A2; retino; retinal; retinoic

acid; carotenes (there are more than 500 carotenoids in nature); essential fatty acids;

fiber; grass factors; pigments; natural sugars; minerals (such as zinc and copper); lipids;

bioflavonoids; and nutrients that fall under the broad spectrum of "phytochemicals,"

ranging from terpenes to isoflavones. Doctors using whole-food supplements in their

nutritional practices look not only for vitamins, but, more importantly, rely on these

cofactors to bring the body back into biochemical balance. Ultimately, whole-food

supplements provide the "chemical" part of the equation needed to meet the needs of

the subluxation complex (chemical, physical, mental) taught as a fundamental of

chiropractic.

Many biochemical researchers, nutritionists and herbalists have noted that

without the whole-food complex, the body will never achieve whole

nutrition, as vitamin supplements lack the rest of the complex. Richard

Murray,DC, an avid biochemical researcher and lecturer for the past 30 years, taught

that isolated vitamins eventually lead to biochemical imbalances and consequential

nutritional deficiencies, as the body is forced to surrender its stores of nutrients in order

to make any isolated vitamin work. Dr. Murray went so far as to state that the use of

isolated/synthetic vitamins amounts to the practice of "chemistry," wherein the use of

whole-food supplements translates into the practice of biochemistry. Whole foods are

alive with enzyme activity, while isolated vitamins are not living substances in the least.

Vitamins do not resemble foods, but they resemble parts of foods. It is the rest of the

food complex - the other parts - in which proponents of whole foods are interested.

Retired USDA botanist, James Duke,PhD, author of The Green Pharmacy, agrees:

"Vitamins and phytochemicals are better taken in their evolutionary context - as they

occur in plants - not isolated and out of context." Although it is true that isolated

vitamin supplementation "works," we must define the word "work."

Certainly, experiments have shown the efficacy of vitamins against symptomatology, but

some experts claim that this is a matter of practicing pharmacology, not nutrition.

Nutrition relates to nourishment by foods, not isolated chemicals. Whole

foods work biochemically and harmoniously, while isolated vitamins

always run the risk of creating biochemical imbalances. When speaking of

minerals, there is the added risk of toxicity, as minerals must enjoy a biochemical

balance to promote health. Zinc; copper; iron; calcium; magnesium; phosphorus; and

other minerals are easily upset and offset by an improper ratio of minerals in the body.

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Taking isolated minerals and mineral toddies, even in a multivitamin/mineral

supplement, is a biochemical risk. Too much magnesium or phosphorus may imbalance

calcium; too much copper may imbalance vitamin C; zinc; manganese; molybdenum;

vitamin B6; and iron; too much zinc can lead to copper deficiency, and so on. Because

nutrients in foods are balanced within the food complex, the risk of toxicity is very low.

Conversely, trying to balance the body's biochemistry with mineral and vitamin

supplements is very difficult because of the dynamic complexity of the human organism;

the daily diet; exposure to environmental poisons; stress factors; genetics, etc… I have

found that nature's design is a safer choice due its inherent intelligence in providing a

variety of nutrients, synergists and low dosages.”

The National Institutes of Health and the US Preventative Task Force Services both

reviewed all of the high quality research on multivitamins and isolated vitamins. They

each concluded that they see no reason to recommend vitamin supplements to the

American public and caution against using vitamin E and beta carotene in isolated form.

In summary, it just makes sense that whole food supplements would be a much

healthier option than isolated, synthesized nutrients. They contain the thousands of

micronutrients in whole foods that together keep us healthy in the long run.

“It is as unsound to eat isolated vitamins as it is to consume refined sugar.”

- Dr Royal Lee

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Sprouting

Sprouts are an extremely nutrient dense, living food. They are a phenomenal source of

thousands of nutrients, protein, minerals, and live enzymes.

During the germination process, the nutrients can increase one thousand-fold. For

example, the B vitamins in a grain of wheat increase around 1400% during germination.

In addition, minerals bind to the protein during the germination process, making them

more bioavailable.

Sprouts are an excellent, easy way to feed your family for very little money. A pound of

alfalfa greens for example starts with only 5 tablespoons of seeds costing about 25 cents.

Where else can you get organic, locally grown produce that is so fresh that it is still living

when you eat it?

To grow sprouts, all you have to do is keep them warm and moist in a sprouting jar.

Investing only a few seconds each day, you can grow bushels of fresh young sprouts!

We recommend starting with alfalfa seeds. You can purchase seeds and the sprouting jar

at your local health food store.

Instructions are on the jar packaging, but here’s the general idea:

1) Put one tablespoon of alfalfa seeds in the bottom of the sprouting jar. 2) Put a square of cheesecloth or nylon stocking over the mouth of the jar and

secure it by putting an elastic band around the opening of the jar. 3) Pour water on the seeds to cover them plus a couple of inches and let the seeds

soak overnight. (Adding liquid kelp to the soak and/or rinse water increases mineral content significantly).

4) After soaking, drain the water through the screening. 5) Twice a day, pour water onto the seeds, swish it around and drain the water off. 6) Keep the bottle of seeds in a dark place or keep it on the counter with a cloth

covering it. 7) Tilt the bottle on its side and let the seeds spread around on the sides of the jar to

give them lots of room to expand. 8) The sprouting process takes about 4-5 days. On the last day, when the sprouts are

about 1 inch, put the jar in a sunny window for about 4 hours. The sunlight will cause the sprouts to turn green as chlorophyll forms. Then your sprouts will be ready to enjoy! Store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

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Mercury

The “silver” fillings placed in our teeth are actually an amalgam that is 50% metallic

mercury (Hg) by weight. The mercury in the filling has been scientifically shown to be

more toxic that lead, cadmium, and arsenic, and is the most toxic, non-radioactive

substance known to man.

If it were inert in the filling it wouldn’t be of too much concern. However, as we brush

our teeth, chew food, or drink hot liquids, the mercury gets rubbed off and released into

the mouth, which then gets absorbed, inhaled, or swallowed. Studies have shown that

more dental amalgam in the mouth is associated with more mercury in the brain. Since

mercury is a known neurotoxin, this is problematic. Mercury also suppresses the

immune system.

Knowing how toxic and detrimental to our health mercury fillings are, many people are

opting to have their fillings removed. It is common to experience health improvements

when the source of mercury is no longer present.

It is important to go to a holistic dentist that specializes in mercury filling removal,

because they know the proper procedure to reduce the risk of accidental ingestion of

more mercury while the filling is being removed. We have gone to Groton Wellness in

Groton, Massachusetts, but there are others around. Having mercury fillings removed is

an important step to keeping your body and brain healthy for years to come.

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Liver and Gallbladder Flush

The liver and gallbladder cleanse described below is based on Andreas Moritz “Amazing

Liver and Gallbladder Flush.” If you are interested in doing the liver and gallbladder

flush, we highly recommend you purchase a copy of the book. There is invaluable

information about your liver, gallbladder, and overall health. Andreas Moritz’ website

offers a wealth of information as well: www.ener-chi.com/blog/liver-flush-q-a/

We also recommend that you do the liver and gallbladder flush at the end of the post

cleanse.

This cleanse doesn’t require a lot of work or time, and may appear deceptively simple.

However it is a powerful technique that can benefit virtually all areas of your health. If

you are currently suffering from any chronic disease, or have known issues with your

liver and gallbladder, please consult with your doctor whether this protocol is

appropriate for you at this time. Whether or not you do the cleanse, reading “The

Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush” would provide you with very helpful information

on keeping these vital organs healthy.

Why Cleanse the Liver and Gallbladder What, I can get stones in my liver? Yup. Most gallstones are actually formed in the liver.

Think of the liver as a town of intricate networks of roads and piping to deliver water, oil

and gas along with systems in place to remove sewage and garbage. If these networks or

systems get jammed it would bring the city to a sudden halt.

The liver is similar to the city in that it has hundreds of different functions and is

connected to every part of the body. Every day the liver is involved in the

manufacturing, processing and supplying of vast amounts of nutrients. These nutrients

feed the 100 trillion cells in your body. The liver is the main organ responsible for

distributing and maintaining the bodyʼs fuel supply. The liver also acts as a cleansing

device. A healthy liver receives and filters between 1 and 3 pints of blood per minute and

produces 1½ quarts of bile every day.

Gallstones in the liver greatly interfere with the liverʼs duties. Cleansing the liver of these

stones helps the body to return to homeostasis, balances weight, and sets the stage for

the body to heal itself.

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Without sufficient bile, most commonly eaten foods remain undigested or partially

digested. This means that you are not getting the nutrients from your food and you

could be creating a backup. A clogged up liver can lead to disorders of the digestive,

circulatory, respiratory, urinary, and nervous systems. The list goes on and on, but you

get the picture.

People with chronic illness typically have thousands of stones congesting the bile ducts

of the liver. The size of the stones can range from that of a pinhead to a small walnut.

By removing these stones and maintaining a healthy life style, radiant health can be yours. I personally noticed a surge of energy after my first flush. What causes gallstones Dietary mistakes probably play the biggest role in the production of imbalanced bile

composition and consequently, gallstones. Overeating is the biggest culprit in dietary

blunders. Pharmacological drugs can increase bile cholesterol and decrease gallbladder

contraction. Women are four times more likely to develop gallstones than men. It is

especially true of women who have used birth control pills and hormone replacement

therapy. Cholesterol-lowering drugs actually increase cholesterol concentrations in the

bile and therefore lead to an increased risk of gallstones. Stress can alter the natural

bacteria population of the bile, resulting in the formation of gallstones in the liver. One

of the leading causes of stress is not having enough time for oneself. Taking the time to

enjoy a long walk, massage, yoga class or a good book can have an empowering impact

on your health.

The liver and gallbladder cleanse The cleanse includes 6 days of preparation, followed by 16 to 20 hours of actual

cleansing. We recommend that you schedule this during the post cleanse.

You will need the following:

Organic apple juice - six 32 oz containers

Epsom salts - 4 Tbsp dissolved in 24 oz of water (makes 4, 6 oz servings)

Extra virgin olive oil - 4 oz

Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice - 6 oz Prep week:

Drink one 32 oz container of apple juice per day, spread out over the course of the

day. You can reduce the sugar content by mixing apple juice with unsweetened

pure cranberry juice. The malic acid in the apple juice softens the stones.

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Avoid foods or beverages that are cold or chilled. Avoid foods from animal

sources and fried food.

Avoid medications, supplements, or vitamins that are not absolutely necessary

Plan to do the main part of the cleanse on the weekend. You may need to visit the

bathroom several times the morning after you do the actual cleanse with the

Epsom salts and grapefruit juice. You may feel a bit tired that morning as well,

since this is a little like surgery.

Cleansing your colon: Very important that you make sure your colon is cleansed before and after the flush.

On the six day of the cleanse, it is advisable to do a water enema. This helps to avoid or

minimize any discomfort or nausea that may arise during the actual cleanse. If the

pathway is not clear for the stones to exit you could experience toxicity in your body. If

you have a tendency towards constipation you should have a colonic or colon

hydrotherapy 2 to 3 days before the actual flush. You should definitely do a colonic after

the flush to insure that no stones are left.

The sixth day:

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY.

Drink all 32 ounces of apple juice in the morning. If you feel hungry in the morning you may eat something light.

For lunch eat plain cooked vegetables with basmati rice.

DO NOT EAT ANY PROTEIN FOODS, BUTTER, OR OIL, as these may cause you to feel sick during the actual flush.

DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING (except water) AFTER 1:30 P.M.

FOLLOW THE BELOW TIMING EXACTLY:

6:00 PM, add 4 Tbsp of Epsom salts to 24 oz of water. Stir it well. This makes the four, 6 oz drinks.

Drink the first glass now.

8:00 PM, drink your second glass of Epsom salt water.

9:30 PM, if you have not had a bowel movement and have not done the water enema now is the time. This will trigger a series of bowel movements.

9:45 PM, add the freshly squeezed grapefruit juice to the oil. Shake it up about 20 times.

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10:00 PM, stand next to your bed and drink the grapefruit mixture. Try to drink it without interruption. Take one sip, swallow, take the next sip, etc. Donʼt stop to think about it. Just do it. Some people love this drink, others not so much.

LIE DOWN IMMEDIATELY.

Lie perfectly still for 20 minutes, ideally on your back with you head propped up slightly. If this is not possible, you may lie on your right side. It may be helpful to put your attention and hands on the abdomen near liver (right side). You may feel a little gurgling in the liver area. These are the stones traveling down the bile ducts. You could also add a heating pad or castor oil pack over the liver for a soothing effect. If at any point in the night you feel the need to relieve yourself, please do.

Between 6:00 - 6:30 AM (or when you wake up), drink the third glass of salt water. Rest, read, or meditate.

8:00 - 8:30 AM, drink the fourth glass of salt water.

10:00 - 10:30 AM, you may drink freshly pressed juice. Thirty minutes later you may have fresh fruit. One hour later you may have a light meal. Continue to eat light meals during the next 2 to 3 days.

What you can expect: During the morning, you will have a number of watery bowel movements. These initially

will consist of gallstones mixed with food residue, and then just stones mixed with

water. Most of the stones are pea green and float in the toilet because they contain bile

compounds. The stones will be different shades of green.

Two to three days later: It is very important that you get a colonic. It is likely that on the way out, stones will get

caught in the colon. They can quickly be removed through a colonic. If the gallstones

remain in the colon they can cause irritation, infection, headaches, abdominal

discomfort and thyroid problems. If colonics are not available you can take a coffee

enema followed by a water enema.

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Recipes

The two basic recipes you will need are the Green Smoothie (below) and Healing

Vegetable Broth (found under the Soup section). But we encourage you to experiment

with all of our delicious recipes! Check out our companion cookbook too! These recipes

are sure to become favorites well after the cleanse is over.

Quick Meal Tips

We know you’re busy, and probably have other mouths to feed that may not be

interested in cleansing, wholesome meals (for now). Below are our top tips for having

the healthy food you need at your fingertips in minutes:

Plan Ahead

This is the biggest factor in the success of any cleanse, diet, or goal.

1) Over the weekend, peruse the recipes, and select a few that look pleasing to your

palate. Write down your grocery list, and get what you need.

2) It’s always a great idea to make extra brown rice, millet, or quinoa and store the

extra in the refrigerator. It is so versatile and goes with almost any meal.

3) When you make a meal you like, make extra and save the leftovers. Leftovers are

a godsend for busy people!

4) Over the weekend, take 15 minutes to chop up some salad vegetables, like shaved

carrots, thinly sliced red cabbage, chopped red peppers, sliced scallions, sliced

cucumbers, etc, and put it in an airtight bowl in the refrigerator. Then in seconds

flat, you can whip up a healthy satisfying salad with some freshly chopped lettuce,

beans, tofu slices, egg slices, dulse, sesame seeds, and dressing.

5) Make a big pot of soup and plan to have it for a few meals.

6) Or add some chopped vegetables and fresh herbs to your broth for a quick and

easy soup. Simmer until the veggies soften.

7) Bake a few sweet potatoes to keep in the refrigerator. They are great additions to

many recipes and make a nice meal or snack on their own.

8) Use romaine lettuce, collard greens, or nori for awesome gluten-free wraps!

9) Consider frozen chopped veggies for very quick and easy dinners. Just steam and

season them, and serve with the whole grain you already made.

10) Scout out your local Whole Foods for healthy prepared food. Read the ingredients

so you can avoid the allergens on your cleanse level.

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Quick Meals

Leftovers (my favorite!)

Soup and salad

Guacamole with sliced veggies

Green smoothies (yes they’re a meal!)

Scrambled Curry Tofu with Arugula

Quick Homemade Rice Cereal - mix cooked rice with some almond milk, sprinkle

with cinnamon, add a drizzle of maple syrup (level 3 only), and walnuts

Lentil Salad (if the lentils soaked the night before)

Butternut Squash Soup

Miso Soup with Shiitake

Pesto (pre-make it, and all you have to do is bake the spaghetti squash or cook

the rice pasta)

Tempeh & Broccoli

Simple Vegetable Stir Fry with carrots, broccoli, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and

zucchini, over rice

Fried Rice (using premade rice)

Curried Sweet Potatoes with Spinach and Chickpeas

Rice, marinated tofu or tempeh, steamed carrots and broccoli

Easy Handroll (nori with miso, romaine, carrots, avocado, sliced egg, scallion)

White Bean Dip

And without further ado, here’s the Ultimate Rejuvenation recipe collection!

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Green Smoothies

The smoothies sold in supermarkets and restaurants are usually sugary, chemical

concoctions that end up making you inflamed, gain weight, and sap your energy.

Instead, whip up your own healthy versions for less money in minutes. They make great

breakfasts, snacks, and desserts. Join the green smoothie revolution and watch your

energy and health return!

Tips:

Don’t be too concerned about the amounts. You can just eyeball them, and adjust to

your liking.

When making the smoothie, add the frozen fruit LAST, for better blending.

All of these smoothies are much smoother, and more nutritionally bioavailable, with

the Vitamix blender (www.vitamix.com). It’s a great investment. Ask for it for your

birthday – that’s what I did!

The Green Smoothie

Level 1

There are endless varieties of the green smoothie. Here is one:

8 ounces filtered water

Clean protein – Choose one: 1 scoop high quality protein powder (like Sun Warrior), ¼

cup silken tofu, or ¼ cup hemp or chia seeds

1 Tbsp nut butter (like raw almond) or ¼ cup of almonds soaked overnight

1 Tbsp borage oil, optional

2 Tbsp ground flaxseeds

1 big handful fresh, organic greens like baby spinach, kale, or romaine lettuce

½ banana

½ cup fresh or frozen berries or cherries

Add to blender in order listed. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Optional nutritional boosts (from least to most advanced): goji berries, aloe vera, wheat

grass powder, maca powder, spirulina powder, etc. The last three in this list have a

strong flavor. I like to pour my regular smoothie into a glass first, saving a little bit at the

bottom of the blender. I add these last three ingredients to the leftover, blend it, and

drink it down in a quick healthy shot!

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Gingery Green Smoothie

Level 1

This is perfect for the cooler weather with the warming ginger and seasonal apple! 1 head of romaine lettuce 5 celery stalks 1 cucumber 4 kale leaves 1 lemon 1 green apple 1 piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped (if you don’t have a high powered blender it would be best to grate it) Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Ginger Berry Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie

Level 1

3 Tbsp hemp protein powder or hemp seeds

2-inch piece ginger, peeled (grate the ginger if you don’t have a high powered blender)

2 cups leafy greens (kale, romaine, baby spinach)

1 cup celery, sliced

1 cup mixed frozen berries of your choice (strawberries, blueberries, cranberries,

cherries)

1 cup water

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Matcha Smoothie

Level 3

Harness the power of Matcha! If you’d like this on Level 1, just omit the sweetener. ½ cup canned coconut milk ¾ cup water 1 tsp Matcha green tea Small sprinkle of stevia (it’s very sweet, so don’t go overboard!) or raw honey

Handful ice cubes Blend until smooth.

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Juices

You will need a juicer for these recipes. We recommend the Omega masticating juicer

and the Breville. If you don’t have a juicer, simply skip this section, and revisit it when

you feel ready to start juicing regularly. If you want some fresh juices but don’t want to

go through the trouble, Whole Foods has a brand of unpasteurized fresh juices called

Blue Print. Even Starbucks is carrying an unpasteurized juice! Don’t waste your money

on pasteurized juices and smoothies like Odwalla and Naked Bear because most of the

nutrients have been destroyed by the high heat. Also remember Juice Plus is a fantastic

way to get the nutrients from freshly prepared juice in a capsule or chewie. Check the

Supplement section for more information.

High Potassium Juice

Level 1

3 carrots

3 stalks celery

½ bunch spinach

½ bunch parsley

Juice all ingredients.

Green Juice

Level 1

1 grapefruit, peeled

¼ inch piece of ginger

¼ head Baby Bok Choy

1 handful fresh parsley

4 leaves kale

4 leaves Swiss chard

1 lemon

1 lime

Juice all ingredients.

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Rejuvenation Lemonade

Level 1

1 head romaine lettuce

5-6 stalks kale

1-2 apples

1 lemon, peeled

1-2 Tbsp fresh ginger

Juice all ingredients.

Kidney Flush

Level 2

2 carrots

2 beets with tops

2 celery stalks with leaves

1 cucumber with skin

8 spinach leaves

Juice all ingredients.

Stomach Cleanser

Level 3

1 bunch grapes

2 apples

1 cup strawberries or blueberries

2 sprigs fresh mint

1 carrot

Juice all ingredients.

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Tea

Chai Tea

Level 1

This is SO much yummier than the chai tea you can buy in the store. The amounts are

approximate, so don’t worry about counting out the herbs. It makes your house smell

wonderful!

8 cups filtered water

1 inch ginger, peeled and sliced

1 stick cinnamon

20 cardamom pods, crushed with a mortar and pestle

½ tsp fennel seed

20 cloves

2 bags oolong or rooibos tea

1 Tbsp raw organic honey (omit for Level 1)

¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (optional)

Add water and spices to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add

in teabags (with paper tags removed). Allow to steep 5 minutes. Strain out the spices

and tea. Pour in to a mug. You can add almond milk and raw organic honey if you like.

Digestion Tea

Level 1

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

3 cups water

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a pot. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5 to 10

minutes. You can turn off the heat when the seeds start to sink. Strain out the seeds and

enjoy!

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Detox Tea

Level 1

4 Tbsp loose green tea

2 Tbsp lemon balm leaf

2 Tbsp dried hawthorne

2 Tbsp dried elder berries

1 tsp fresh ground turmeric

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp ground milk thistle

Simmer the herbs and tea in two quarts of filtered water for 10-15 minutes. Strain to

discard the solids. Store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

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Breakfast

“Conventional breakfast foods like waffles, cereal, toast, muffins, bagels and other

breakfast sandwiches are among the absolute worst foods you can eat. They make you

hungry soon after eating, and fuel excess body fat and obesity-related diseases.” – Dr

Joseph Mercola

Smoothies make AMAZING breakfast – please also check out our smoothie section!

Overnight Oatmeal

Level 1

Busy in the morning? The night before, bring your oatmeal to a boil, cover the pot, and

turn off the heat. When you wake up in the morning, all of the water will be absorbed!

You can add cinnamon, walnuts, a drizzle of maple syrup (omit in Level 1), sliced

banana… YUM!

Scrambled Curry Tofu with Arugula

Level 1

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium sized red onion, peeled and finely diced

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 block firm, organic tofu, rinsed

2 tsp curry powder

½ tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ tsp sea salt

⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups arugula

Preheat a large pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onion in the oil for about 4

minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds. Crumble the

tofu into the pan, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the curry powder, cumin,

salt, pepper and lemon juice. Mix in the arugula. Remove from heat and cover until the

arugula is wilted.

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Sweet Potato Apple Hash

Level 1

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 apple, peeled, cored and cubed

¼ onion, peeled and chopped

1 tsp thyme

¼ tsp paprika

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pan to medium low heat. Add the sweet potato, thyme, and

paprika and cover. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Once the sweet potato is almost

fork tender, add the apple and the onion. When the apple and the sweet potato are both

soft, remove from heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

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Hearty Quinoa Porridge

Level 2

1 cup almond milk

1 cup water

½ tsp pumpkin spice or cinnamon

1 cup organic quinoa

Seeds from half a pomegranate

2 Tbsp raisins

⅓ cup chopped pecans

Drizzle of maple syrup (omit in Level 1)

Bring almond milk, water, pumpkin spice and quinoa to a boil. Reduce to low-medium

heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. When

quinoa has finished cooking, combine with raisins, pecans and pomegranate seeds, and

top with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Country Breakfast Potatoes

Level 2

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

4 cups red or purple potatoes diced

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 Tbsp rosemary, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat pan as well. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add

baking soda, salt and potatoes. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain water from potatoes and

return to heat for 2 to 3 minutes until all water is dried up. Remove pan from oven and

add oil. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and toss. Bake for 15

minutes. Reduce heat to 350, and bake another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Quick Homemade Rice Cereal

Level 3

Compare this to your standard nutrient-deficient, sugar-laden boxed cereal! Adjust the

amounts to your liking.

½ cup leftover brown rice

¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

½ apple, chopped

1 Tbsp chopped walnuts

½ banana, sliced

¼ tsp cinnamon

A sprinkle of raisins

Add the rice to your bowl. Top with remaining ingredients. Stir and enjoy!

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Salads

Salads are such a tasty, nutrient dense, low calorie meal. You can upgrade any of your

own salads with a little dulse, ground flaxseeds, or walnuts sprinkled on. Be wary of

most bottled dressings. If you do use a bottled dressing, make sure it is a glass bottle and

uses only high quality oil like cold pressed olive oil.

Arugula and Fennel Salad with Walnuts

Level 1

8 cups arugula, trimmed and torn

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and sliced thinly crosswise

1 head Belguim endive, sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp sea salt

1½ cups walnuts, coarsely chopped

Place all vegetables in a large salad bowl. Mix oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

Pour dressing over vegetables and toss (with your hands). Sprinkle walnuts on top.

Roasted Chickpea Salad

Level 1

2 cups chickpeas (canned or freshly cooked)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp rosemary, finely chopped

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chickpeas, oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper

in a baking pan. Roast for 30 - 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Plate the lettuce, and

sprinkle with chickpeas.

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Autumn Quinoa Salad

Level 2

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions, slightly cooled

½ cup mint, finely chopped

½ cup red onion, finely chopped

1 apple, diced (add a dash of lemon juice to keep from browning)

½ cup dried cranberries (soaked for 15 minutes, then drained)

1 lemon, juiced

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Blend together the lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Toss quinoa in large bowl with

remaining ingredients. Mix well, and serve warm or cold.

Rice Tabouli

Level 2

Salad ingredients:

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 tomatoes, finely diced

1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Dressing ingredients:

¼ cup lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp oregano (crumbled or ground leaves)

¼ tsp ground cumin

Dash allspice (optional)

Dash coriander (optional)

Add the tomatoes, scallions, parsley to the cooked rice. Combine the ingredients well.

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Kale Salad

Level 2

1 head kale

2½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

1 cup avocado, diced

Tear up the kale and place in a large bowl. Add oil, lemon juice, and sea salt. Massage

into the leaves. Sprinkle on the nutritional yeast for a savory cheesy flavor. Gently toss

in the cubed avocado.

Lentil Salad

Level 2

This fiber and nutrient rich salad is so easy to prepare, and totally addictive!

1 cup red lentils, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed

1 onion, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

⅛ cup raw apple cider vinegar (such as Bragg’s, found in health food section)

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Sea salt, to taste

1 head romaine lettuce

Mix the lentils, onion, tomato, cucumber in a medium bowl. Pour the oils and vinegar

over the salad and mix well. Season with sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. Toss again. Let

marinate in refrigerator for a few hours. Chop the romaine, and arrange on a plate. Top

with the marinated lentil mixture.

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Rice Salad

Level 3 Many different flavors makes this delicious rice salad very satisfying. Salad ingredients:

4 cups cooked brown rice, cooled

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 medium red onion, diced

6 scallions, cleaned, sliced

1 cup dried currants

2 shallots, finely diced

1 pkg 10-oz frozen sweet peas, thawed

½ cup pitted black olives, chopped

½ cup chopped Italian parsley

½ cup chopped fresh dill

Salt and pepper to taste

Vinaigrette ingredients: 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

8 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

2 tsp raw honey

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Minced parsley or chives

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix together vinaigrette ingredients, whisk slowly, dribbling in olive oil until mixture

thickens. Cover until ready for use. Best if made right before it is going to be used. Mix

all other ingredients together, toss with vinaigrette and refrigerate.

Note: When preparing rice, please be sure to soak the rice for at least an hour, or even overnight.

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Soups

Healing Vegetable Broth

Level 1

Vegetable broth is rich in minerals, soothing, warming, and healing. Enjoy liberally!

Roughly chop the veggies – it should only take about 10-15 minutes active time.

3 quarts filtered water

1 large chopped onion

2 sliced carrots

1 cup daikon, chopped

1 cup winter squash cut into large cubes

1 cup root vegetables, turnips, parsnips, and rutabagas

2 cups chopped greens like kale, parsley, beet greens, collard greens, chard, dandelion,

cilantro

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 cup seaweed like nori, dulse, wakame, kelp, or kombu

½ cup cabbage, chopped

4 ½ inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

2 cloves of whole garlic (not crushed or chopped)

Sea salt

Optional: 1 cup fresh or dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms (for immune benefits)

Add all of the ingredients at once, and place on a low boil for approximately 60 minutes.

Cool, strain (throw out the cooked vegetables), and store in a tightly sealed glass

container in the fridge. Simply heat gently and drink at least 3-4 cups a day.

Butternut Squash Soup

Level 1

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

½ cup onion, chopped

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp Braggs liquid aminos

4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp garam masala

5 cups vegetable broth

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Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add onion, pepper, and liquid aminos. Sauté over high heat

3 to 4 minutes.

Add squash, curry powder, and garam masala. Stirring frequently, allow the squash to

brown. Add vegetable stock to just cover the squash. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to

medium. Simmer until the squash becomes soft. Blend with immersion blender or food

processor.

Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes

Level 1

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

2 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight (or 2 1/2-3 cups canned black beans)

3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

1 tsp sea salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

6 cups vegetable broth

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 cups greens, torn (spinach or kale)

Lime wedge, for serving

Heat oil in large stock pot. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft.

Add balance of ingredients except the sweet potatoes. Simmer until beans are soft, about

1 hour. Add potatoes and continue to simmer until potatoes are tender (do not overcook

sweet potatoes, they'll turn to mush). Add greens simmer 5 more minutes.

Serve hot with a lime wedge squeezed over the top.

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Carrot Soup with Cilantro

Level 1

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ tsp fennel seeds

1 apple, peeled, cored and diced

1½ lbs carrots, sliced

½ lb sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cubed

2 Tbsp brown basmati rice or regular long-grain rice

¼ tsp turmeric or curry powder

5 ½ cups vegetable stock or water

1 bay leaf

Sea salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice to taste

2 Tbsp minced cilantro

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add fennel seeds and toast until darkened,

about 2 to 3 minutes. Add apple, carrots and sweet potatoes and cook 5 minutes, stirring

occasionally. Add rice, turmeric, stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover

and simmer until rice and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Discard bay leaf. Puree in food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth.

Gently simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and

lemon juice.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro.

Lettuce Spinach Soup

Level 1

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 head romaine lettuce, cut roughly

1 loosely-packed cup fresh cilantro, cut roughly

Approximately 4 cups fresh spinach, torn roughly

3 cups cold water

Sea Salt & black pepper, to taste

1 cup cooked kohlrabi or other root vegetable, chopped (optional)

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In a medium sized pot, sauté onion for a couple minutes until softened. Add garlic and

sauté a few minutes just until garlic slightly browns. Add spinach, cilantro and lettuce to

pot, and stir. Pour in water. Sprinkle in salt & black pepper to taste. Stir well.

Bring to boil and simmer for 10-12 minutes. If adding kohlrabi or other root veggie, do

so now. Blend soup to creamy consistency, using immersion blender.

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Leek and Watercress Soup

Level 2

1½ Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

5 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1 large bunch watercress, trimmed and chopped

5 cups vegetable stock or water

2 Tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Chopped chives for garnish

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add leeks and onion and cook until tender,

stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add potato and watercress. Cook until wilted,

stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer

until potato is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and season with

salt and pepper.

Puree the soup in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Serve warm garnished

with chopped chives if desired.

Miso Soup with Shiitake

Level 2

Did you know that mushroom eaters have a 60-70% reduced risk of breast cancer?

2 Tbsp organic sesame oil

¼ cup shallots, finely chopped

1 heaping Tbsp chopped ginger

1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 medium carrots, thinly sliced

6 cups vegetable broth

2 cups purified water

1 bok choy, chopped

8 oz tofu, diced

16 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

6 Tbsp miso, light yellow or white

¼ cup green onion, finely chopped

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In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots, ginger, garlic, celery and carrots

and sauté for 5 minutes. Add broth, water, and bok choy. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce

heat to simmer. Add tofu and mushrooms and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring

occasionally. In a small bowl, add a little water to the miso, and stir until smooth. Stir

into soup and remove from heat. Sprinkle with green onions.

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Raw Ruby Red Borscht

Level 3

If you have a juicer, you must try this soup. It is delectable!

1 cup beet juice (2-3 beets)

1 cup carrot juice (4-6 carrots)

1 cup celery juice (5-6 stalks)

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic

1½ tsp sea salt

½ bunch fresh dill

Using a juicer, separately juice the beets, carrots, and celery. In a high speed blender,

combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth.

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Main Courses

Kitchari

Level 1

This is powerful cleansing meal from Ayurveda that balances your doshas! Feel free to

adjust the seasonings to your taste. Spices are anti-inflammatory and chock full of

antioxidants. Some people eat this for a few days as a very simple cleanse.

1 cup Split yellow moong beans (also spelled mung, and dahl)

¼ - ½ cup brown basmati rice

1 Tbsp ginger root, peeled and grated

1 tsp each black mustard Seeds, and cumin and turmeric powder

½ tsp each coriander powder, fennel, and fenugreek seeds

1 pinch hing - also called asafetida (optional)

3 cloves

3 bay leaves

7-10 cups filtered water

½ tsp salt

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Wash split yellow mung beans and rice together until water runs clear. Heat a large pot

on medium heat and then add all the spices (except the bay leaves) and dry roast for a

few minutes.

Add beans and rice and stir again. Add water and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Boil for

10 minutes. Turn heat to low, cover pot and continue to cook until beans and rice

become soft (about 30-40 minutes).

Add salt to taste. Sprinkle on the cilantro leaves just before serving.

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

Level 1

This is a surprisingly delicious chili. It doesn’t contain any nightshade vegetables, so it is

suitable for Level 1. You can substitute your favorite beans for what is listed.

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

2 stalks celery, chopped

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1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cups organic vegetable broth

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp thyme

Pinch cayenne

1 tsp sea salt

In a stock pot, sauté the onions, garlic, and celery for about 5 minutes. Add broth, sweet

potatoes, beans, and spices. Cover and simmer for approximately one hour, or until the

sweet potatoes are tender.

Quinoa Stew

Level 1

This is quick, nutritious and totally customizable.

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup mushrooms – white button or baby bello, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

¼ tsp sage

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp ginger

½ tsp sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dried quinoa, rinsed until no longer bubbly

2 cups water

2 handfuls baby spinach, chopped

Heat olive oil in large skillet or soup pot. Add onion, and cook until translucent. Add

mushrooms, carrots, and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in spices, salt, pepper, and

quinoa. Add water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to lowest setting and

cook covered for about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, cover, and cook for 1-2 minutes so

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spinach softens but stays brighter green. Let sit uncovered for a few minutes, and fluff

with fork.

Almond Crusted Chicken

Level 1

4, 5-oz chicken breasts

½ cup almond meal

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp almond butter

1 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp fresh onion, finely chopped

1 tsp sea salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 tsp fresh parsley

¼ tsp paprika

1 tsp fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 350. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Take the chicken

pieces and pound them evenly flat across the breast using a kitchen mallet or other

heavy kitchen utensil.

Pour almond meal into a small bowl and stir to mix evenly.

In another small bowl combine the olive oil, almond butter, lemon juice, onion, and all

spices and herbs. Mix in small food processor or by hand. Once combined, add the

chicken breasts to this mixture.

Remove chicken breasts from marinade bowl and place on baking tray. Sprinkle half of

the almond mixture evenly across one side of all 4 chicken breasts. Pat each chicken

piece with hand to better adhere the “crust” to the chicken. Carefully turn over each

chicken piece and repeat process using the remaining half of the almond mixture on the

other side of the 4 chicken breasts.

Place tray with crusted chicken in center of the oven and bake for 20–30 minutes or

until an instant read thermometer reaches 168 degrees on the thickest part of the

chicken.

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Tempeh & Broccoli

Level 2

A quick, delicious meal high in protein and calcium.

1 package (10 ounces) tempeh

¼ cup vegetable broth

2 bunches broccoli, chopped

1 small onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 Tbsp minced or pressed garlic

1 Tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger, or 1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 Tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or Nama Shoyu)

2 cups cooked brown rice, kept hot

Cut the tempeh into ½ inch cubes and steam for 10 minutes.

Heat the broth in a wok or large skillet and add the tempeh, broccoli, onion, bell pepper,

garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until the tempeh is lightly

browned and the vegetables are tender-crisp.

Add the Bragg’s just before serving. Serve over the hot brown rice.

Curried Sweet Potatoes with Spinach and Chickpeas

Level 2

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

16 to 20 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1 to 2 tsp curry powder

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt

10 – 12 oz fresh spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped

¼ cup fresh cilantro

2 green onions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

In a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket, bring two inches of water to a boil over

high heat. Add diced sweet potatoes, cover and cook until just tender, about 10-15

minutes. Meanwhile, in another large saucepan, combine chickpeas, tomatoes, curry,

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cumin, cinnamon, salt, and ½ cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in

sweet potatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered until flavors are blended,

about five minutes. Remove from heat. Add spinach and cilantro. Cover and allow

greens to wilt. Sprinkle with green onions.

Pesto

Level 2

¼ cup walnut halves

¼ cup pine nuts (optional)

2 cloves garlic

2 ½ cups fresh basil

½ cup fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp fresh thyme

1 tsp salt

¼ cup water

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Fresh black pepper

Cooked rice pasta (Level 3), baked spaghetti squash (Level 2), or spiralized zucchini

(Level 2)

Transfer nuts to a food processor. Add the garlic and pulse everything into fine crumbs.

Add the basil, cilantro, thyme, salt, nutritional yeast and water and puree until relatively

smooth, scraping down the sides at least once to make sure you get everything. Stream

in the olive oil and blend until well combined. Last but not least, blend in the lemon

juice. Serve over rice pasta or baked spaghetti squash. Variation: Add some raw spinach

to up the green quotient!

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Fried Rice

Level 2

Too much leftover rice? No problem! Use it in this delicious quick meal.

¾ cup finely chopped onion

2½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 drops tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

3 drops sesame oil

8 ounces firm tofu, cubed

½ cup finely chopped carrot

½ cup frozen peas, thawed

4 cups cold cooked brown rice

4 scallions, chopped

2 cups bean sprouts

2 Tbsp tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in sauté pan; add chopped onions and stir-fry until onions turn a nice

brown color, about 8 minutes; remove from pan.

Mix egg with 3 drops of tamari and 3 drops of sesame oil; set aside. Add ½ Tbsp oil to

pan, swirling to coat surfaces; add egg mixture; working quickly, swirl egg until egg sets

against pan; when egg puffs, flip egg and cook other side briefly; remove from pan, and

chop into small pieces.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in pan; add tofu to pan, along with carrots, peas, and cooked onion; stir-

fry for 2 minutes. Add rice, green onions, and bean sprouts, tossing to mix well; stir-fry

for 3 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp of tamari and chopped egg to rice mixture and fold in; stir-fry

for 1 minute more.

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Almond Lemon Crusted Fish with Spinach

Level 2

Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided (you can also use lime)

½ cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill or cilantro

1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 tsp sea salt, divided

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1¼ lbs cod or haddock, cut into 4 portions

4 tsp Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, slivered

1 lb baby spinach

Lemon wedges for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil.

Combine lemon zest, almonds, dill, 1 Tbsp oil, ½ tsp salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Place fish on the prepared baking sheet and spread each portion with 1 tsp mustard.

Divide the almond mixture among the portions, pressing it onto the mustard.

Bake until opaque in the center, about 7 to 9 minutes, depending on thickness.

Heat ¼ cup of water or broth in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook,

stirring, until fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in spinach, lemon juice and

the remaining ½ tsp salt; season with pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the spinach is

just wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Add oil. Cover to keep warm. Serve fish with the spinach and

lemon wedges, if desired.

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Miso Glazed Tofu

Level 3

1 Tbsp miso paste

1 Tbsp rice-wine vinegar

2 Tbsp honey (omit honey during cleanse week)

1 Tbsp tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

1 (14-ounce) block extra-firm tofu

4 baby bok choy, halved

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp low-sodium tamari

1 Tbsp rice-wine vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

⅛ tsp crushed red pepper

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350°. In bowl, whisk together miso paste, 1 tablespoon rice-wine

vinegar, honey, and 1 tablespoon tamari until smooth. Slice tofu into 4 pieces and dry

with paper towels. Add to marinade; toss. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes, turning once.

Discard marinade; transfer tofu to baking dish. Bake until browned (30-35 minutes).

Steam halved baby bok choy in saucepan of shallow simmering water, covered, until

tender. In bowl, combine ginger, 1 teaspoon tamari, 1 tablespoon rice-wine vinegar,

sesame oil, and crushed red pepper. Slice tofu; serve with bok choy. Drizzle with

vinaigrette and sesame seeds.

Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli with Almonds

Level 3

1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ¼ inch strips

6 Tbsp tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp Thai Kitchen red chili paste

1 medium head broccoli, cut into florets

½ cup slivered almonds

2 tsp arrow root

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 tsp minced ginger

1 Tbsp sesame oil

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½ cup scallions, chopped

Place chicken in a large bowl and cover with tamari, vinegar, oil, and chili paste. Cover

and refrigerate 30 minutes or more.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli and cook 1 minute. Drain and pour cold

water over to stop cooking process.

Toast almonds in the oven or in a small skillet. Pour excess marinade from chicken into

a bowl and add arrow root. Heat oil and add chicken. Cook 2 minutes and remove from

pan. Add garlic and ginger to pan and stir frequently for 30 seconds. Add broccoli and

chicken and cook, stirring frequently until chicken is cooked through. Add scallions and

marinade. Cook 1 minute until thickened. Add almonds and sesame oil. Serve with

steamed brown rice.

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Sides

Roasted Asparagus

Level 1

2 pounds fresh asparagus

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling

Garlic powder, optional

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they're thick, peel them. Place the

asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus

completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt,

pepper, and optional garlic powder. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but

still crisp.

White Bean Dip

Level 1

1, 15½-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 medium cloves garlic, peeled

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place beans, garlic, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel

blade. Pulse until beans are roughly chopped. With motor running, slowly pour ¼ cup

of oil through feed tube. Process until mixture is smooth. Transfer bean mixture to a

small bowl. Stir in rosemary, and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and

pepper to taste.

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Sweet Potato Hummus

Level 1

3 sweet potatoes roasted and peeled (450 degrees for 30 -40 minutes) The skins come

off easily after roasting.

1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cumin

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup tahini (optional)

Sea salt to taste

1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)

Fresh rosemary to garnish

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the hummus has a creamy

and smooth texture, and enjoy with carrots, celery, cucumber slices, or flax crackers!

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Sauerkraut

Level 2

1 head of cabbage

1 tsp sea salt

Filtered water

Slice cabbage thinly. Place cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with sea salt. Cover with

water and use a plate to make sure that cabbage stays under water (very important).

Allow to ferment for 7 days.

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Desserts

These are perfect for pre and post cleanse, and Level 3! Just be sure not to overdo it.

Remember we are trying to cleanse our palates of extreme sugar. The sweeteners used in

these recipes are gentle and natural, but it is still best not to overdo any sweetener.

Cookies!

Level 3

How's the no sugar thing working for you? Every time I cleanse, I am so grateful to be

free of the "sugar seduction" once again. But if everyone is eating cookies, and you feel

left out, try these easy little treats. Notice that sugar and flour are NOT added

ingredients!

3 mashed bananas (ripe)

⅓ cup apple sauce

2 cups oats (gluten free)

¼ cup almond milk (unsweetened)

½ cup raisins (optional)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

Mash all together well. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls on the greased cookie sheet. Bake

at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Unbaked Apple Crisp

Level 3

4 large apples, unpeeled and chopped

Juice from half a lemon

3 Tbsp pure maple syrup, divided

2½ tsp cinnamon, divided

½ tsp nutmeg

½ cup almonds

½ cup pecans

½ cup walnuts

In a large bowl, mix the chopped apples with the lemon. Stir in the maple syrup, 2 tsp

cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into serving dish. Briefly chop the nuts in a food processor

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with ½ tsp cinnamon and 1 Tbsp maple syrup. Spread nut mixture over the apples.

Refrigerate for an hour to soften. Tastes even better the next day!

Chia pudding

Level 3

3 Tbsp chia seeds

⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk

1 – 1 ½ Tbsp maple syrup

⅛ tsp vanilla extract (preferably the non-alcohol version)

1 Tbsp raw cacao powder

1 small handful fresh raspberries (optional)

Mix chia seeds, almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla in a small bowl. Let sit for about

15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the raw cacao powder until smoothly

incorporated. Top with optional fresh raspberries and enjoy!

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Shopping List

Quick Start Option

If you’re mainly purchasing ingredients for the basic cleanse (green smoothie, broth, bath, tea, and lemon water), here is what you’ll need. Broth: onion, carrots, daikon, winter squash, root vegetables like turnips, parsnips, and rutabagas, greens like kale, parsley, beet greens, collard greens, chard, dandelion, cilantro, celery, seaweed like nori, dulse, wakame, kelp, or kombu, cabbage, fresh ginger, garlic, fresh or dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms. Green Smoothie: spinach, banana, fresh or frozen berries, ground flax seed, Sun Warrior protein powder (or brown rice or soy protein powder), raw almond butter. Tea: Organic Green Tea (decaffeinated is optional), and any other herbal teas you enjoy (Chai, Chamomile, Rooibos, Tulsi, Kuchika, Licorice, Oolong, White Tea, etc.) Lemon Water: Lemons and source of filtered water Lavender Detox Bath: Epsom salts, baking soda, lavender essential oil. Seaweed is optional. Any type will do, but nori is easy. Meals: For simple, clean meals, it would be very helpful to have the following foods available:

Food Best options

Vegetables Greens, carrots, celery

Whole grain Quinoa, brown rice, and/or millet

Clean protein Organic tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, organic free range eggs, organic free range chicken, and fish like haddock, wild salmon, or cod

Nuts Brazil nuts, walnuts, and almonds

Fermented food (Not Level 1)

Real Pickles brand fermented vegetables in the cold section of health food store, white miso, tempeh

Seaweed Nori or Dulse

Oil Extra virgin olive oil

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Vegetables and Fruit

Below are especially healthful vegetables that would be good to have on hand. Please

refer to our amazing recipe section and try out a few! As much as possible, purchase

organic vegetables. Refer to the dirty dozen and clean fifteen lists to see which must be

purchased organic.

Allium vegetables: Garlic, onions, leeks, shallots Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, cabbage, kale, collard greens, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, Chinese broccoli Dark blue, purple, or red fruits and vegetables: Cherries, blueberries, blackberries, beets, red onions, purple grapes, red cabbage, and raddichio Dark green leafy vegetables: Spinach, watercress, arugula, collard greens, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, loose leaf lettuce (not iceberg) Red and yellow vegetables: Chili peppers, sweet potatoes, winter squash, carrots Special detoxifying vegetables (optional): Artichokes, or artichoke hearts, asparagus, beets, celery, dandelion greens, and cilantro Sea vegetables: Nori, kelp, dulse, kombu, hijiki, arame, and wakame Root vegetables: Sweet potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, and carrots

Beans

Kidney beans, white beans, black beans, pinto beans, chick peas, red lentils, split moong

dahl, edamame. If canned, be sure the cans are BPA-free. The following brands are

currently BPA-free: Eden foods, vital choice, oregon choice, wild planet, eco-fish, native

forest and native factor.

Nuts and Seeds

Walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, ground flax seed, hemp seeds. Raw is always best!

Proteins

Organic tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, organic free range eggs, organic free range chicken,

and fish like haddock, wild salmon, or cod. Remember nuts and greens are a good

protein source too! If you are vegetarian, you don’t need to have any fish, chicken, or

eggs.

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Supplements and Superfoods

These are optional. If you’d like to try one, I would choose one or two to start, not all at

once! Juice Plus (contact us for that), vitamin D, Triphala, Gymnema Sylvestre. If you

tend towards constipation, please have an herbal laxative and/or some magnesium

citrate on hand.

Other

Detox bath and relaxation: Lavender essential oil for bath and relaxation (we can

order for you).

Detox wrap: French green clay, kelp powder, sea salt, olive oil, grapefruit

essential oil (optional), and plastic wrap.

Journaling: Journal, pen

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FAQs

If I have a physical job will I need to take time off during the cleanse? Not if you do the pre-cleanse. The pre-cleanse allows your body to slowing adjust to

being without sugars, caffeine and processed food. This is not a starvation cleanse and

there is not calorie counting. Day three is typically the day that most people feel the

crash if they are going to feel it. We start on a Sunday but you could start a couple of

days ahead of us if you want to arrange your potential crash day to be on a Sunday.

What will a sample day look like? You’ll be eating three meals and two snacks a day, depending on your hunger level.

You’ll be enjoying lots of freshly prepared vegetables and clean protein sources. Things

that you may not be familiar with yet are green smoothies, green tea, vegetable broth,

and the lavender detox bath. Ideally, you will employ an optional enhancement such as

gentle exercise, meditation, journaling, etc.

Do I have to juice? No. Juicing has many detoxifying benefits but we recognize that most people do not

have a juicer. You can purchase juice from Whole Foods or skip it altogether. We like the

Blue Print brand at Whole foods, as it is unpasteurized and contains live enzymes and

nutrients. Fresh juice is also available at Starbucks. Juice Plus is also a great option.

Do I have to eat greens? No, but it would be better if you do! We recognize that for different reasons people may

not be able to consume greens. If the reason behind eating greens is strictly taste, we

encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try some of the recipes. Sneaking

spinach or kale into a smoothie is an easy place to start. You may even begin to crave

them!

What if I am on medications? Continue to take any medications your doctor has prescribed for you. If you are on any

blood thinners, please check with your doctor before adding loads of leafy greens to your

diet. Leafy greens are very good for you, but your medication dose may need to be

monitored. If you routinely take over the counter medications, you may be able to cut

back or eliminate those entirely as root causes of your symptoms are removed through

the cleanse. If you are a diabetic, one or two weeks may allow you to reduce your

medication.

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Do I have to use a protein powder? No. We offer several options for the protein shake that do not include powders. Almond

butter, hemp or chia seeds, and tofu are examples of whole food proteins sources for the

shakes.

I have never heard of some of the ingredients on the shopping list. How am I going to find them? For your first trip to the store we recommend visiting whole foods, if possible. There are

typically several workers in the produce isle that are happy to help you with your

shopping. You could also go shopping with a knowledgeable friend.

What if I don’t like the broth? Either don’t drink the broth or modify the recipe. There are only a few things that are

non-negotiable in this cleanse. The broth, although very helpful in the detox process, is

not a deal breaker. We are so proud of you for taking this step to better health. Do what

you can. People usually do the cleanse better and better each time!

What if I don’t want to give up coffee? This, my friend, is non-negotiable. Know that you are not alone. Cleansers who had

severe coffee addictions have overcome this obstacle. You can too. We have great tips to

gently ease you off the java. You will feel more energetic without the caffeine!

Can I do this if I have a family with small children or picky eaters? Definitely. A lot of kids really enjoy the shakes, and what a wonderful thing to

incorporate into their diets at such an early age! It may be helpful to add dates to give it

extra sweetness. It’s so easy to customize smoothies – just pour out a glass for yourself

before adding the dates to theirs! Lots of kids enjoy the broth and butternut squash

soup. Your family does not have to stick to the plan but there is nothing on the plan that

they would not benefit from having. When I cleanse, I keep the family meals very simple

and incorporate some of the cleansing dishes into their meal. If your family doesn’t

enjoy the cleansing dish you prepared, there are more leftovers for you!

What if I mess up and accidentally eat something not on the cleanse?

It will not negate all the fantastic healthy things you’re doing. No need to obsess over it.

If it is a big allergen, like gluten, it may affect your allergy test results in the post cleanse.

Or maybe you noticed a negative reaction in your body… take note!

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Resources

Books:

Women, Food, and God - Geneen Roth

Eat to Live – Dr Joel Fuhrman

Superimmunity – Dr Joel Fuhrman

Wheat Belly – Dr William Davis

Food Rules – Michael Pollan

In Defense of Food – Michael Pollan

The Yoga of Eating – Charles Eisenstein

Transformational Weight Loss – Charles Eisenstein

A Course in Weight Loss – by Marianne Williamson

The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush – Andreas Moritz

Diet for a New America – John Robbins

The Body Ecology Diet – Donna Gates

Websites:

www.mercola.com

www.greenmedinfo.com

www.jonathanfoust.com

www.charlotteott.com

www.lisamair.com