The day before you start, dramatically reduce your intake of caffeine, sugar, wheat, dairy, and alcohol. Eat light, focusing on raw greens, steamed vegetables, legumes, beans, and raw nuts.

Day 1

Morning

Wake up with yoga. Ease into your first day with a bedside series of cat and cow stretches, alternately arching and flexing your spine to wake up your body.

Sip lemon water. To stimulate the bowels and detox the liver, drink a cup of hot or room-temperature water spiked with the juice of half a fresh lemon. Make a pitcher of lemon juice and filtered water (use the juice of half a lemon for every 8 ounces of water), and drink a glass every hour throughout day. If you want a little sweetness, add a bit of stevia. Substitute green tea as a gentle source of caffeine to help avoid energy slumps and caffeine withdrawal headaches; studies also show it’s rich in compounds that boost liver detoxification.

Have a light breakfast of steamed vegetables. “A main goal of detoxing is to reduce inflammation,” says Mark Hyman, MD, author of The Detox Box. “That involves removing the most common triggers for inflammation, like sugar, dairy, gluten, caffeine, alcohol, trans fats, and processed foods.” Carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and kale have a sweet taste that’s surprisingly satisfying for breakfast.

Afternoon

Mix up a big dandelion salad (see the recipe for Detoxifying Dandelion and Bitter Greens Salad with Lemon-Tarragon Vinaigrette). “Dandelion and other bitter greens are rich in phytochemicals that boost the liver’s capacity to eliminate toxins,” Hyman says. Have a 2-cup serving of salad for lunch, and store the leftover salad and dressing separately in the fridge. You’ll need them later.

Go for a walk. After lunch, head outside for a brisk walk or gentle hike, to get your blood and lymphatic fluid circulating.

Sweat it out with a steam or sauna. “As you’re cleansing your body, you’re stirring up a lot of toxins,” says Schoffro Cook. “You want to get these out of your system as quickly as possible.” Saunas encourage perspiration, sending toxins out through the skin, the body’s largest detox organ, says Haas. Most gyms, community recreation centers, and YMCAs have saunas or steam rooms; or check your local spa if you’re feeling extravagant. If you don’t have access to a sauna or steam room, relax in a hot bath with Epsom salts.

Take a nap. After your sauna, take a short nap, or rest quietly and check in with your body. Do you notice any subtle changes in your digestion? “When you take a break from wheat, sugar, and dairy, you may notice differences in bloating, gas, or stomach sensation almost immediately,” says Jamieson.

Write and reflect. Make notes in a journal about what you’re thinking and feeling. Are you angry with someone? Do you feel sad? Was it surprisingly painful to give up your morning muffin? “Toxins do’t exist only in the body,” says Natalia Rose, author of The Raw Food Detox Diet. “It may be that you have some poisonous thoughts or emotions to cleanse as well.”

Evening

Eat a light supper. Start with another dandelion salad, followed by 1 to 2 cups of steamed spinach or collard greens, topped with 1/2 cup cooked lentils or 1 tablespoon of raw nuts, and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Spend a quiet evening. Choose an after-dinner activity that feels soothing: knit, paint, or read.

Prepare for sleep. Sip a cup of chamomile tea, and quietly reflect on your day. Note your observations in your journal. What emotions came up when the world was quiet around you? See if you can find a message or inspiration for the day.

Drink your fiber. Before retiring, take 1/2 to 2 teaspoons psyllium seed dissolved in 1 1/2 cups warm water to keep the bowels moving.


Day 2

Morning

Repeat Saturday’s wake-up routine. Start the day with cat and cow stretches, followed by hot lemon water, dry brushing, and a warm shower.

Try asparagus for breakfast. Include it in medley of steamed vegetables.”Asparagus is rich in folic acid, which is key in the production of glutathione, an enzyme that boosts detoxification,” Hyman says.

Meditate. Recent studies show that meditation lowers stress, decreases rumination, and promotes forgiveness. If you’re new to meditation, try it for 5 to 10 minutes; if you meditate regularly, try 20 to 30 minutes. Make notes in your journal of anything that comes up. Check out


Afternoon

Lunch on dandelion salad and a steamed artichoke. Artichokes are rich in compounds that boost liver function, Hyman says. Check out the recipe for

Perfect Steamed Artichokes.

Take a walk or gentle hike. It’ll boost blood flow and help keep the bowels moving.

Indulge in a massage. Deep tissue work that improves circulation and stimulates the lymph system is ideal for transitioning out of your detox. If a professional massage doesn’t suit your budget, go to

Rest and reflect. Take a short nap, and write in your journal.

Evening

Take a light meal. For dinner,have a dandelion salad topped
with avocado and crumbled nori. “Sea vegetables are a wonderful source of minerals that help alkalinize the body,” Hyman says. “That’s important, since most people are too acid, from gluten, sugar, and toxins in food.”

Luxuriate in a warm Epsom salts bath. The body absorbs magnesium from Epsom salts, which helps relax the muscles and detoxify the lymphatic system, Schoffro Cook says.

Prepare for restorative sleep. Take your psyllium seed, meditate for 15 minutes, then curl up with a cup of chamomile tea and your journal. What did you learn over the weekend? What new habits do you want to continue? Make notes of three life lessons to take away from your weekend, and drift off to sleep.

Your First Day Back

Ease into the day. You may feel tired, and might be experiencing symptoms of withdrawal from caffeine, food additives, and other toxins, says Hyman. Take the morning off, if possible; if not, take it easy. Make time for another Epsom salts bath and take a walk if your bowels need a little help to get moving.

Meditate on new habits.

Think about where you can modify your established routine to add more healthful habits. Could you commit to adding a big green salad every day, or a 15-minute meditation session? Can you substitute green tea for coffee, and stevia for sugar? “Simple changes add up fast,” says Schoffro Cook. “And those changes are the ones that make a lifelong difference.”  

vegetariantimes

(Source: health-heaven)

Whenever you choose processed, mass produced food, you may think you have got a bargain. But remember, you have also bargained your health.

The money you saved by buying those cheap foods will end up getting spent on improving your health. Those who have had to take care of a sick person, or have been ill themselves, know all too well that it takes time, effort and money. It affects the entire physical and emotional dynamics of any family.

To avoid going down that road, realise that you do have a choice on your health. Do yourself and your family a favour by becoming aware of what you put into your bodies.

Let us do these:

CUT meat consumption to once a week.

BUY seasonal and locally grown produce, and preferably from farmers’ markets. When you buy from the farmers’ markets, you are making a statement to all other food retailers that will hopefully influence them to rethink their retail strategy and give you, the consumers, what you want so that you will keep on buying from them.

GO ORGANIC when it comes to chicken, eggs and milk. Go organic all the way if you can. Processed food contains chemicals that are foreign to our body.

These chemicals end up in our liver, and a constant deposit of toxic substances in our liver will cause it to give up on us.

REDUCE fish consumption. Our oceans are overfished.

Remember, the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere not only advances global warming, but also raises the amount of gas dissolved in ocean waters. This makes the ocean more acidic, thus threatening sea life.

Lastly, reduce or refuse plastic bags; and eat as much greens as possible.

nts

(Source: health-heaven)

1. Shellac In Your Candy

Lovers of movie-theater concessions, beware. Nearly everything behind that glass case is steeped in, well, beetlejuice. The hard, shiny shells on candies are often made from shellac, a resin secreted by the lac bug.  You may know shellac from its more famous work in varnishes and sealants, but it’s also a mainstay in pill coatings, candy, coffee beans, and even the waxy sheen on apples and other fruits and vegetables.

How to avoid it: Leave that candy in the case and grab a veggie brush for your produce—even if it’s organic.  (That’s right: shellac can even be used on organic foods.) These waxes can be difficult to remove, so you’ll need to scrub.


2. Prozac In Your Poultry

Bad news for those of you who swear by the curative powers of chicken-noodle soup: the chicken may be sicker than you are.  Researchers from Johns Hopkins University tested bird feathers and found a laundry list of feed additives, including banned antibiotics, antidepressants, allergy medications, arsenic, the active ingredient in Benadryl, caffeine, and other prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

How to avoid it: If you’re looking to plate a less-medicated piece of poultry, go organic instead. Organic regulations forbid the routine use of antibiotics (and all of those other drugs mentioned above) in chicken feed.


3. Sheep Oil In Your Gum

Not to burst your bubble, but there might be something rather unsavory in your chewing gum. It’s called lanolin, a term for the oil sheep produce in their wool. These greasy secretions are used as softeners in foods and masked with the vague food label “gum base.”  Lanolin is also used as an emollient in beauty products, from skin and hair care to cosmetics.

How to avoid it: Luckily, there are vegan versions of all of these products. If you’re concerned about eating lanolin, go for those, instead.


4. Wood Pulp In Your Cereal

Wood pulp brings “plant-based diet” to a whole new level. Cellulose is usually made from nontoxic wood pulp or cotton, and the cheap filler is stuffed into shredded cheese, salad dressing, and ice cream to thicken it without adding calories or fat. Cellulose is fibrous, which is why it appears in so many high-fiber “healthy” snacks and breakfast cereals—and it’s even in organic products, according to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal.

How to avoid it: Checking your food labels is crucial and steer clear of terms like microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), cellulose gel, and cellulose gum, and carboxymethyl cellulose.


5. Cow Enzymes In Your Cheese

Cheese is often the last holdout for vegetarians: a decadent way to indulge without eating meat and a primary source of protein. Unfortunately, some cheese is anything but suitable for a meat-free diet. That’s because a lot of cheese is made with rennet , which contains an enzyme extracted from the fourth stomach of newborn calves. Rennet is used as a cheese curdler, sometimes in tandem with another enzyme called pepsin, which is extracted from stomach glands of hogs.

How to avoid it: Fortunately, some companies are using alternatives that result in truly vegetarian cheese. Check food labels, and be wary of ingredients listed merely as “enzymes.”


6. Duck Feathers In Your Dough

We were as shocked as you will be to learn that duck feathers are often packed into our favorite processed breads in the form of L-cysteine, an agent used as a dough softener.  It’s in bagels, cookie dough, bread, pies and more. While there are other sources of this filler available, a 2007 investigation by the nonprofit Vegetarian Resource Group found that about 80% of L-cysteine was derived from our feathered friend.

How to avoid it: It might not be on ingredient labels, so you’ll have to check with the manufacturer to find out if they use L-cysteine. You can also avoid L-cysteine by eating products that are Kosher or gluten-free, or by baking your own bread.


7. Fish Bladders In Your Beer

Here’s some news that will drain the “happy” out of your happy hour: Widely used in the beer-brewing process is a form of collagen called isinglass, which is made from the swim bladders of fish. Isinglass clumps with the beer’s yeast and sinks to the bottom, allowing for a much clearer brew.

How to avoid it: Because isinglass combines with the dregs of the barrel, it usually can’t be detected in the final product. But if you’re still queasy at the thought, grab a case of vegan beer instead. 

(Source: health-heaven)

1. Kale

2. Spinach

3. Brussels sprouts

4. Alfalfa sprouts

5. Broccoli

6. Beets

7. Red bell peppers

8. Onions

9. Corn

10. Eggplant 

(Source: health-heaven)

1 egg
6 egg whites
3 Tbs crumbled or shredded cheese
1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped sweet peppers
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp dried basil (or a few fresh leaves, roughly chopped)
salt and pepper
Cooking spray


1. Crack egg and egg whites into a bowl and whisk vigorously.

2. Pre-heat oven to 400*, and place 8” non-stick, oven safe pan on stove top on medium-high heat to begin warming. Spray pan with non-stick spray.

3. Add pepper, zucchini, onions, garlic, basil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to eggs and stir.

4. Pour eggs and vegetables into your hot pan and let it sit without stirring for 1-2 minutes. Check the edges with a spatula to see if they have firmed. When the edge of your frittata can cleanly be pulled back from the side of the pan, move pan to oven.

5. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until the center has solidified.

Serving Size: Makes 4 slices

Calories Per Serving: 86.2 

(Source: health-heaven)

Serves 4

3 large portobello mushroom caps, chopped
2 tbsp tamari
2 tsps liquid smoke
1 tbsp agave
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tsp rosemary or thyme

1) Mix the tamari, liquid smoke, agave, and ACV in a bowl. Add mushrooms and try to mix them well into this marinade. Let sit for about 2 hours.

2) In a food processor fitted with the S blade, grind pumpkin seeds till smooth.

3) Remove mushrooms from the marinade (reserving it) and add to the processor. Process till the mixture has very little texture, but isn’t as smooth or uniform as a nut pate. If it’s overly pasty, add a few tablespoons of water or your leftover marinade.

3) Add the carrot, celery, and thyme, and pulse to incorporate it all, still leaving some texture.

4) Shape into four patties and dehydrate at 115 for about 2 hours, flip, and keep dehydrating for another 3-4, or until they’re the texture you like. Alternately, you can bake these at 325 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, flipping once. Serve over greens, on some raw bread, or in a wrap sandwich!

(Source: health-heaven)