Clean Detox Group Experience September 2013

A Group Detox Experience Sponsored by Raw Fusion Living

Originally we were going to sponsor a group Master Cleanse experience beginning right after Labor Day (9/3).  However, I kept feeling resistance about this.  I’ve done the Master Cleanse a few times but have read some studies that question the safety of such a dramatic fast.

I am a big fan of Dr. Alejandro Junger and ordered his book,  Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself .  The timing was such that it arrived at the point I was questioning the MC and decided to switch gears to his well-reviewed Clean Detox.

This detox consists of a week long elimination period, where you would prepare your body for the cleanse by eliminating certain foods and beverages (see list below.)

The option is for either 1, 2 or 3 weeks (21 days is preferable) where your breakfast and dinners would be liquid — either juice, smoothie or soup.

The main meal of your day should be lunch and it is a solid and substantial meal, providing you follow the food recommendations.

Most importantly, you do not eat or snack at night, allowing at least 12 hours between your last food consumption and the next day’s breakfast.  This allows your organs to cleanse, gently detox and reset.

There is a clean website where they offer very expensive kits ($400 and over!) for support for the Clean Detox  http://www.cleanprogram.com/  Personally, I am going to do this cleanse without any of the kit items he offers on his website (although I do plan on continuing taking my favorite probiotics)  Essentially it is what you eat and don’t eat that will make or break this detoxification.

I am going to start the elimination week on Tuesday, September 3rd and then the first week of the actual detox on Tuesday, September 10th.  You are welcome to follow along!  I do recommend you get a hold of his book as it is a treasure trove of wisdom, information and recipes.  I will post some of them here on the website but once you get an idea of what is allowed and what isn’t you should find it easy to create the right meals.

On September 9th or before I’ll post more details about the weekly detox meal plans and recipes.  Make sure to follow along at Facebook where it will be easy to post your questions, comments and feedback.

This is my summarization of the Elimination Phase with a few additions and comments based on my Raw Fusion Living expertise:

 Acceptable Foods

All fruits and vegetables (with exceptions listed) frozen without sweeteners or additives.  Small amount of water-packed fruits/veggies (no sodium) are okay.  Vegetables can be eaten raw, steamed, sauteed, juiced or roasted.

Alternative milks made from rice, oat and nuts and seeds (almond, coconut, cashew, hazelnut, sesame)    Very important to avoid the ones that have carrageenan in them as that is an irritant to the intestine.

Grains that are naturally gluten-free like brown rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat.

Animal protein that is lean:  wild game, lean lamb, duck, chicken, turkey or cold-water fish (not farmed!)  Preferably organic on all of the above.

Vegetable protein sources are legumes (split peas, lentils, chickpeas)  If you can make from scratch and soak/sprout them, this would be a much better way to consume them.

Nuts and Seeds sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds.  Walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans almonds, cashews and walnuts.  They should be raw!  It is always better to soak seeds and nuts for at least 6 hours to remove antinutrients from the skins.  They can either be consumed then or let them dry in a dehydrator, warm room or low temp oven.

Oils cold pressed olive, flaxseed, safflower, sesame, grapeseed, coconut, sunflower or walnut.  (He even recommends taking a tablespoon of pure olive oil at night to help detox – I will cover this in my next post.)

Sweeteners:  brown rice syrup, organic agave, coconut nectar, stevia, erythritol

Condiments:  apple cider vinegar, umeboshi plum vinegar, all spices, sea salt, pepper, basil, carob, cinnamon, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, organic mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, turmeric, thyme.  Small amounts of miso (fermented soybeans) are allowed but no other soy products.

Beverages:  filtered or distilled water, green tea, herbal teas, rooibos tea, seltzer or mineral water, yerba mate.

Eliminate These Foods

Fruits and Vegetables:  Grapefruits, oranges (including orange juice), strawberries, grapes, banana, corn, creamed vegetables.  Nightshade vegetables as they could be irritants – these are eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes.

Dairy including milk, eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream, non-dairy creamers.  Dairy is often an unidentified allergen and causes inflammation.

Grains to avoid include wheat, corn, barley, spelt, kamut, rye, oats and coucous.  These are all glutinous.

Animal proteins to avoid are pork, beef, veal, sausage, cold cuts, raw fish, canned meats or fish, hot dogs or shellfish.

Vegetable proteins:  No soy products of any kind including soy sauce, soybean oil, processed foods containing texturized soy protein or isolates, tempeh, tofu, soy milk or soy yogurt.  The only exception for soy is a small amount of fermented miso as a condiment.

No to these Nuts:  peanuts or peanut butter, pistachios or macadamia nuts.

Oils:  No butter, margarine, shortening, soy-based oils or margarines, processed oils, salad dressings, mayonnaise or buttery spreads.

Sweeteners:  Avoid all refined sugar, including white or brown or evaporated cane juice, honey, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup or sugar substitutes (other than organic stevia or erythritol)

Condiments:  No chocolate!  Or ketchup, relish, chutney, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, teriyaki or any prepared (bottled) condiments.

Beverages:  Say goodbye to coffee or black tea for 2-4 weeks!  As well as alcohol, caffeinated beverages, soda or soft drinks.

So that’s what you will be eliminating for the first week.  Let me know if you have any questions.  I am not an expert on this cleanse but I do understand body chemistry, alkalinity and raw foods :- )

Finally! A smarter way to detox

Do you find it difficult to complete detoxes, like the Master Cleanse, that demand deprivation and difficult regimens? Check out my brand new program, The S Cleanse: The Simple System to Supercharge Your Life. S Cleanse is a simple, stress-free, satisfying way to detoxify your system. You enjoy wholesome Super Smoothies, Scrumptious Shakes, Soul-Soothing Soups, Satisfying Salads, and Sensational Snacks — that keep you feeling full while flushing away toxins.