7 Tips for a Successful Detox

We are getting closer to the fun part of a detox, actually starting it!  First I wanted to give you some tips to get you in the right frame of mind.  There are many different detox programs out there.  Since everyone is different, I do not always recommend a “one-size-fits-all“ approach to detoxification.  

Some detox programs require that you buy a ton of supplements and their packaged foods or snacks.  If this works for you then great, I on the other hand prefer to go the whole and clean foods approach. You can add a couple of supplements to help support the process, which I will discuss tomorrow. In the meantime, here are 7 tips to get started thinking.  If you choose to follow these guidelines alone, you will feel the benefits of a detoxification.

1. Eat whole foods. This means taking out all processed foods.  Stick to vegetables, fruit, good quality protein (but skip the red meat), gluten-free grains*, legumes, nuts and seeds. If you can, try to eat organic whenever possible, as you want to reduce the toxins in your body.

2. Eliminate sugar, wheat, gluten, dairy, red meat, caffeine and alcohol. Why? These are the foods that most people are allergic to or have sensitivities to. They are also the foods that many individual consume the most, so you want to give your digestive system a break. With just a bit of planning, this will be easier than you may think!

3. Eat your greens. Green vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, detoxify the body naturally.  They are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, helping to alkalize the body and prevent disease.  Add dandelion greens, kale, spinach, parsley, Swiss Chard or broccoli.

4. Don’t forget the fiber. Fiber is essential especially during a detox since it is important that you are eliminating the toxins from your body.  Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit.  If you need an extra boost of fiber, add 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed in a glass of water in the morning.

5. Water! Drink at least 8 cups of water a day – this can include herbal tea.

6. Get moving.  Exercise is important because it gets the body moving.  The circulatory and lymphatic systems play significant roles in the detoxification process.  You may not want to go for a 10 km run while on a detox as your body is working hard to clear the toxins from its system and needs the rest.  Instead go for a walk, do some yoga or stretching.

7. Breathe. Be conscious of your breathing.  Breathing deeply helps the oxygen circulate throughout your system.  Take 10 minutes a day for yourself to sit still and breath in and out.  This time helps to reduce stress, which is the number one cause of inflammation in the body.
 
* Gluten Free Grains include rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat and amaranth to name a few...

I hope you are starting to get excited for a spring cleanse!  Please share any questions as I would love to hear them.

Spring Detox with CLEAN Nutrition

Do you have low energy, feel sluggish, have difficulty losing weight, have skin problems, feel bloated, have digestive problems or allergies, experience mental confusion or aches and pains? It may be time for a detox!

As we head into the spring and the weather gets warmer (and hopefully stays warm), it’s the perfect time of year to do a detox. For the next week or so, I will be blogging about what you need to know in order to prepare, start and complete a detoxification.

What is detoxification?
Detoxification has been practiced around the world for thousands of years.  It is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out.  When you remove and eliminate toxins, and feed your body with healthy foods and nutrients, detoxification helps protect one from disease and restores health by correcting imbalances in the body such as hormonal, digestive and inflammatory imbalances.

 A detox program supports the body’s detoxification process by:
- Resting the organs by removing foods and toxins that are difficult to digest and clear
- Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body
- Promoting elimination through the kidneys, intestines and skin
- Improving blood circulation
- Refueling the body with healthy foods and nutrients

Detoxification benefits include:
- Weight loss
- Reduce bloating and belly fat
- Boost metabolism
- Increase energy levels
- Improve hair and skin glow
- Enhance mental clarity
- Eliminate cravings
- Improve digestion
- Clear allergies
- Boost immunity
- Improve sleep
- Regulate bowel movement


Interested in reaping the wonderful benefits of a detox? Visit CLEANnutrition.ca/blog as I will be blogging about what you need to know in order to prepare, start and complete a detoxification. I will be providing tips to make this as easy for you as possible, so please drop by my site for different detoxification plans, recipes and tips, to help restore optimum health. Come by tomorrow for 8 Ways to Detoxify your Body.

If you are in the Toronto area, stay tuned for my FREE seminar to kick-start your spring detox.

Why Processed Foods are so Harmful

A processed food is one that has been altered from its natural state to make it cheaper, more convenient, more appealing or to extend its shelf life – or even all four. Foods you eat should be clean, and by clean I mean as close to its natural state as possible. Processed foods are typically made in a factory, stripped of its natural goodness and usually injected with manmade preservatives.

A food that is natural and has not been tampered with is better for our health, mind, looks and waistline. It’s not to say that you should never have processed food – that would be extremely difficult. However you should make informed decisions when choosing which processed foods to buy. My typical rule of thumb is to go with the packaged food that has the least amount of ingredients, all of which I can pronounce and know what they are.  For instance, organic natural yogurt has only a few ingredients and is much better for you because it has retained a lot of its natural goodness.  White bread on the other hand, has been stripped of its natural goodness and injected with additives.
 

Here are the worst processed foods:
- Frozen meals
- Packaged cakes, cookies and muffins
- Chocolate, candy and chips
- White bread, pasta and rice
- Processed meats (chicken nuggets, hot dogs, lunch meats)
- Soda
- Breakfast cereal (there are healthy options such as the Nature’s Path)
- Diet foods

Food additives and weight gain
Processed foods became big in the 1970s when food manufacturers realised that mass-produced foods that could last a long time would lead to more profits. It’s much cheaper for them to take poor quality food, add sugar (or sweeteners) for flavour and add additives for colour and to extend the shelve life, as opposed to using fresh, high-quality ingredients that spoil after a few days.  But here’s the thing, during this process these packaged foods lose almost all of its nutrients – vitamins and minerals.  The more nutrients a food contains, the more it nourishes your body and the less likely you are to feel hungry and crave sugar. The more processed foods you eat, the more toxic your body becomes. It becomes difficult to feel satisfied with what you eat; you’ll feel hungry and your body will cling to fat.  Studies also show that preservatives slow down the metabolism and interfere with fat-burning hormones.

In addition to reducing the nutritional value of food, processed foods have other health implications.  Colouring, flavouring and texture-enhancing agents are added to foods to make them more appealing. But some of these additives can be harmful.  Trans fats, which is added to store-bought goods, such as cookies and muffins to extend their shelf life, is one of the more harmful. Trans fats have been linked to some cancers, infertility and heart disease.  Although food manufacturers have started to remove trans fats from some packaged foods, it’s important to know which foods contain trans fats (there are still many of them out there!) Please avoid them at all costs.

Tips for avoiding trans fats
Always check food labels. Although trans fats are less widely used, they can still be found in the following:
- Anything that includes the words “hydrogenated" or “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredients list
- Margarines
- Fried foods
- Doughnuts, cookies, muffins, crackers
- Processed meats
- Salad dressing
- Prepared meals
- Ice cream

What type of packaged foods do you turn to that are healthier than other packaged foods? In this day and age where life is hectic and we're often on the go, it's great to have a go to list of healthier packaged foods that we can pick up when we need to. Are there any processed foods that you know aren't healthy for you but you just can't seem to give them up? 

Clean Nutrition - Toronto Nutrition & Weight Loss - www.CLEANnutrition.ca

Quinoa Crackers - Gluten free

I was so excited when I tried this gluten-free cracker recipe and it turned out so well.  The crackers are crispy and full of nutrients unlike many of the store bought crackers that contain fillers.  These crackers are easy to make and are a real crowd pleaser for kids and adults alike.  You can serve with hummus or other dips.  They are also versatile so you can tailor them based on your own personal preferences.  You can top with cayenne pepper if you like spicy or cracked black pepper and sea salt or even dried rosemary and flaxseeds.

In order to get these crackers thin, you want to roll out the dough as thin as you possibly can.  I suggest you divide the dough in two to make it easier to work with.  You’ll want to use two cookie sheets if you have, as mine did not all fit in one. Roll out each dough ball  on two separate pieces of parchment paper. Once complete, place each parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in oven.

Crackers:
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
6 to 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup water

Topping:
1 to 2 tbsp flax seeds
1 to 2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 to 2 tsp poppy seeds
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a food processor, place the sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, arrowroot powder, baking soda, and salt. Let it whirl once or twice then add the cooked quinoa and olive oil. Process until combined. While processing, slowly add the water. As soon as the dough forms a ball stop the food processor and do not add any more water.

Place the dough ball on a sheet of parchment paper. Place another piece on top and flatten the dough with your hands. Roll into a large and thin circle with a rolling pin. You can separate the dough in two and role each batch separately. You’ll want to keep rolling until the dough is very thin.

Once done rolling, remove the top parchment paper.  Add the seeds, place the sheet back on top and very gently roll the seeds into the dough with the rolling pin. Remove the top sheet of the parchment paper and place the sheet (bottom one) with the dough onto a cookie sheet. Cut the dough into small squares. You may want to use a pizza cutter.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.  Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the crackers so watch the baking time. Once done, remove from oven. Once cooled, they will become crispy.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

 Recipe is courtesy of www.nourishingmeals.com

Carrot and Coriander Soup

The other day I was at the restaurant Fresh, a vegan restaurant in Toronto, for lunch.  I had a delicious carrot soup.  I've had carrot soup many times however what made this soup stand out is the coriander. Coriander is used  to lift other ingredients - it enhances and promotes the other flavours in the dish. Coriander and cilantro (the seeds of the plant are usually referred to as coriander and cilantro are the leaves) have various health benefits including cholesterol-lowering effects, antimicrobial properties and antianxiety action.

Carrot soup is easy to make. A bag of organic carrots are inexpensive. You can make a big batch for the family or freeze a batch if you are only cooking for one, unless you don't mind eating carrot soup twice a day for 3 days.

Here is the recipe adapted from Fresh:
Serves 6

2 tbsp olive oil (or grapeseed oil)
2 onions, peeled and chopped
3 tbsp coriander, ground (I use my coffee grinder)
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp marjoram
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped (if using organic carrots, I don’t peel them)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
8 cups vegetable stock
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ tsp sea salt
Cayenne pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes until browned.
2. Add the coriander, garlic and marjoram to the onions and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the carrots and sweet potato to the pot. Sauté for 1 minute.
4. Pour the vegetable stock into the pot of ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer until carrots and sweet potato are soft. Add the fresh cilantro, sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
5. Purée, using hand blender or food processor. Garnish with some fresh cilantro.

I hope you enjoy the soup!