Let’s get aggressive. You want quick gains, right? Follow this one-week intense plan to experience the benefits of green foods in all their glory. Your mission is to consume one green food serving for every 10 pounds (4.5 kg) your weight each day. The focus of this plan is on green foods that will enhance your body’s natural detoxification mechanisms and give your digestion a chance to recover from the beat down you’ve been giving it for the last few months, or more. Hey guys, if your poop stinks, so does you diet. Time to giddy up.
If you’re intrigued by the thought of a juice cleanse, but don’t want to be hungry, this plan is for you.
Before any new diet plan you need to start by cleaning up house. Toxins can be a huge barrier to any health changes. With this cleanse, not only are you trying to eat foods that will literally bind to toxins, but also you want to support your body’s natural detoxification pathways, so toxins can get the heck out.
YOUR MISSION Consume 1 green food serving for every 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of body weight per day for 1 week.
Your main detoxification organs are your skin, kidneys, liver, and gall bladder. You excrete toxins through your urine and bowel movements, your skin, and even your hair! When any of these pathways are sluggish, toxins accumulate and create a whole host of problems such as low energy, weight gain, decreased sex drive, and more.
1. Consume 1 green food serving for every 10 pounds (4.5 kg) body weight for 7 days. This can be with meals, snacks, smoothies, or juices.
2. Eat as much of the approved foods as you’d like. There is no limit on quantity of approved food eaten during the 7 days.
3. Do not eat anything on the “Foods to Avoid” list (p. 147) for the entire duration of the plan.
Tip: Green smoothies and juices are the easiest ways to consume many green food servings in one sitting. We suggest adding a smoothie and a juice every day during the 7 days. For more advice on making smoothies and juices, see page 150.
Simply put, green foods are perfect for detoxification. They contain all the vitamins and minerals that are crucial to support your body’s natural detoxification pathway. As a bonus, they work to heal your digestive tract and strengthen your immune system. The focus of this green food cleanse is to add these potent detoxifyers to your diet, especially cruciferous vegetables and herbs. But you’ll also need to avoid the anti-green foods that are stressful on the body when consumed in excess (listed on p. 147). These foods, especially alcohol and refined sugar, may weaken your detoxification system, and wreak havoc on your digestion and immunity.
• Because there is no limit on the quantity of food, it includes an adequate amount of energy (calories) and nutrients to support the body’s natural detoxification pathways. There is no starving needed.
• This is a plan that you could realistically continue to implement after the 7 days—for life. That is the true test of any diet or cleanse you try.
• The quality of the food is the main focus, with an emphasis on green foods that support detoxification, digestion, immunity, and energy. The more, the better!
• You take a break from foods that add or can potentially add a burden to the detoxification pathways in the short-term. Your body can use this time to heal and repair itself. Don’t be afraid to delay reintroducing these “avoid” foods for as long as you can, and make sure they aren’t consistently a part your diet going forward.
The best time to do a cleanse is when you don’t have a lot of big social events or distractions that would tempt you into making poor food choices. You want to set yourself up for as much success as possible during the cleanse. Granted, there may never be a “perfect” time to start the cleanse, but think about when you can really ramp up your devotion to a wellness challenge like this and give it your best possible effort. Consider taking two to three days to prepare, plan meals, and shop for groceries, so you don’t start off behind.
This plan suggests one fresh juice and one smoothie every day. Because of this, you will need access to a juicer and a blender. If you don’t have a juicer, you can buy juices at the store (look for the ones that are made fresh at the juice bar or Suja brand), plan to get them delivered (you’ll want to make sure they’re organic and unpasturized), or swap in an extra smoothie instead.
Breville
Hurom
NutriBullet
Vitamix
Blendtec
Ninja
For more juicing tips, turn to page 150.
One week. That’s all the time you need to commit to this adventure. Before you know it, you will be well on your way to a cleaner, healthier new you. Use this sample meal plan as your launching pad. Follow it exactly or customize it to your heart’s desire. Take the lessons you learn during the week and apply them to the following week and beyond.
DAY ONE
DAY FIVE
DAY SIX
