Confused about what to eat while you cleanse?
Can a cleanse support healthy weight?
Maybe.
Of course, you still need to eat healthy foods – part of a cleanse regimen anyway – and you still have to exercise, but by adjusting your diet, ditching overly refined and processed foods, and following suggestions in a cleanse, you may be able to kick-start a new path that will help you maintain a healthy weight.
Foods and a cleanse
Help, I’m hungry!
During a cleanse—especially your first cleanse, what to eat becomes an ever-present and literally gnawing question.
Believe it or not, the dietary suggestions during a cleanse are not designed to leave you feeling empty—quite the opposite, in fact. Whole, unprocessed foods go so much further in satisfying your nutritional needs—and your psychological needs—allowing you to feel full on less.
First, let’s start with the foods you can eat
Eat: For breakfast, whole grain toast with cream cheese or almond butter, a banana, an occasional egg, and a glass of milk or soy milk to wash it down. A cup of black coffee for the true coffee addicts out there is okay.
Avoid: Sweetened fruit juice drinks and cocktails, or coffee doctored up with sweeteners and flavored creamers.
Whole grain cereals aren’t always bad, but check the sugar and fiber content on the label, because the words “whole grain” doesn’t always mean “sugar free” or even “mildly healthy.”
Bring on the Meats
Eat: Real, whole, lean meats. Chicken doesn’t have to be boring—or complicated. Lean beef, turkey, and fish (not deep fried) are excellent additions, too.
Avoid: Cured meats, like sausages, bacon, and hot dogs. The reason you won’t usually see any beef listed on a cleanse is because it typically has a longer transit time in the intestines than other meats, and most Americans already eat much more beef than they probably require. However, in small amounts, beef is fine.
Fruit and veggies--delicious, not a duty
Eat: Plenty of fresh produce. Baby spinach, for example, has a milder taste than full-grown spinach, and works great as an addition in salads, or slightly heated in a saucepan—“wilted”—and sprinkled with fresh ground pepper, sea salt, and a little freshly grated cheese. Apples and bananas are great, but why not experiment with something new, such as kiwi or starfruit?
Avoid: High-calorie fruit dips and cheese sauces. Even the labeled “fat-free” dressings are loaded with extra salt or sugar. Stick with olive oil and small amounts of freshly grated cheese. For sliced fruit, consider a light dusting of cinnamon.
Stop feeling guilty about carbs
Eat: Whole grain breads, brown rice, popcorn (minus the butter and salt), and nuts, including almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pecans.
Avoid: Refined processed baked goods, potato and corn chips, and any other carb-based, low-nutrient foods.
Be your own top chef
Remember, cooking at home doesn’t have to win awards from glossy magazines, or from the hippest critic in town. Home-cooked meals should be fulfilling. They should nourish. They can be easy to make. And the ingredients don’t have to cost a fortune. The best part is, once you start eating more healthy whole foods, you’re less likely to crave over-processed, sugary items that can pack on the pounds. A cleanse helps rid your body of the “heaviness” that comes with the burden of toxins, and helps you fill up on fresh food that helps get you to—and keeps you at—a more healthy weight.