5-Day New Year Detox Rules:

I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family and friends.  It went so fast!

Personally, I'm feeling a bit bloated from the Christmas cookies, holidays foods, having to eat out a little more than normal with the painting! So I am starting my 5-day detox now, since I am finally back in the swing of things. 

Why go on a 5-day detox?  It's simple!   To cleanse my body of the extra sugars, salts and toxins that have built up over the past few days and get my body back on track. I am not talking about taking any program to detox the body; it is all good stuff!

Getting back on track after a cheat day is one of the MOST important things you can do for yourself. 

After a cheat day (or two) your body will be feeling tired and lethargic, and sometimes the last thing you want to do is get up and move around and detox, especially since your body will be craving the salts and sugars from the past couple of days.

I'd love for you to join in on the fun for this 5-day detox! I'll be doing this until the 21st:-)

Make sure to leave me a comment below if your up for the challenge.

1.  Green Smoothie for breakfast: One of my new favorite recipes, called Green Trekker, is inspired by a Whole Foods smoothie. In a blender, place 4 ice cubes, 6-8 oz. water, 1 huge handful fresh baby spinach, 1 heaping tsp. cacao powder, 1 handful frozen blueberries, 1/2 frozen banana, and 3 pitted dates.  Blend and enjoy!

Try other variations and be creative with it - but just make sure you add your greens in there - you won't even taste them!  The main goal with the green smoothies is to load your body with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, to alkalize your body and begin the detoxification process. 

2.  Drink at LEAST 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day.  Water consumed during your workouts does not count towards your daily total. (That's a general rule of thumb anyway)

Keep it interesting.  Find a really nice glass that you like and switch it up by adding sliced cucumber, strawberries, lemon, orange slices or other fun things to your water.

Also, make sure to keep water with you at ALL times so you can stay hydrated throughout the day to make your detox more effective.

3. Have a large salad for lunch.  Load it up with veggies- as much as you want.  Add about 4 ounces of protein (chicken, turkey, etc.)  Stay away from the iceberg, as it contains fewer nutrients and more water than spinach or a baby greens mix.  

For dressing, fresh squeeze a lemon over your salad.  If that won't cut it for you, you can make a light vinaigrette. 

Here's a great dressing: 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, ⅓ cup good quality aged balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbs. dried parsley, ½ tsp. sea salt, freshly ground pepper to taste, 1 Tbs. honey mustard  (organic if possible), 1 garlic clove, passed through a garlic press or minced (optional).  Add all ingredients into a bowl & whisk until thick and creamy.

4.  Dinner:  A palm-sized portion of a grilled/baked/steamed protein (like chicken or fish) and 2 servings of vegetables. 

5.  Get 6-8 hours of sleep every night.  Make an effort to go to bed earlier if you're not getting enough sleep.  Rest and recovery is critical for your body to get the most out of your 5-day detox.

6.  Exercise at least 20 minutes for 3 or more of the next 5 days.

7.  Other Basics:

• Caffeine: limit to 1 cup (and have green tea if you do). 
• Just say NO to left-over cookies, cakes and eggnog. Whatever is still hanging around, just get rid of it! 
• Need a snack? Have an apple with 1 Tbs. Almond Butter (NOT peanut butter), ahandful of raw nuts, or fresh-cut veggies with 2 Tbs. homemade guacamole.
• No dairy
• No Wheat products of any kind - breads, etc.  
• Focus on the OUTCOME of what you want.  Focus on feeling good, healthy, and energetic.  Don't focus on the foods or anything that will distract you from your end goal :-) 

That's it!  Not so bad, right!?

Ready to join me?  Make sure to leave a comment with your commitment by commenting below.