FAB FOOD CLEANSE: BE HEALTHY, LOSE WEIGHT

I recently decided to try a three week food cleanse at the recommendation of Dr. Maggie Ney from the acclaimed Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine located in Santa Monica, CA. I am not one of those girls who tries the latest fad diet. In fact, I never deprive myself of carbs, sugar, gluten, caffeine or alcohol. I try to eat and drink all in moderation–well, maybe with the exception of bread, pasta and chocolate…LOL.

I was excited to try the cleanse as it promised to increase my energy levels, improve mental clarity, enhance digestion, diminish food allergies and help with weight management.

The cleanse in a nutshell: One fruit smoothie a day, organic fruits, veggies, fish and meat!
Sounds easy but wait–no gluten, sugar, alcohol or caffeine. Ugh!

Read on for details and some yummy recipes!

The cleanse was difficult the first week. For most, giving up caffeine and alcohol is rough. For me, it was removing the bread and pasta from my diet. The best way to tackle the cleanse is to come up with creative dishes that you enjoy so you don’t feel deprived. This does take some time and planning.

First, I met with Dr. Ney who reviewed the list of “approved” and “unapproved” foods with me.

This list scared me at first. I immediately ran over to Whole Foods and bought most of the eatables. I have never tried millet or amaranth before and was surprised at how delicious they were as cereals. I worried about eating dinner out but managed to find things on most menus that worked. I soon realized that it was pretty easy to modify restaurant menus here because everyone in California is on some sort of food cleanse.

Drink one smoothie a day as a meal…can be for breakfast or lunch.

The cleanse really taught me how to eat clean! I felt amazing after three weeks of detoxing and knew that I could incorporate some of these new eating habits into my current lifestyle. Another perk was that I lost six pounds and noticed an increase in my energy levels. I can’t say that I cut out all bread and pasta now, but I have reduced it’s consumption and gained an awareness of how different types of foods affect my body.

For more information on the cleanse:

Dr. Maggie Ney, ND
Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine, LLC.
520 Arizona Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-451-8880