Sugar detox meal ideas

***Because I am not a registered dietician, I am legally not able to prescribe a "meal plan" for this detox. However, I can give you the recommended meals taken from Dr. Hyman's book.

Breakfast ideas:
-Detox smoothie*
* (Although Dr. Hyman's food list doesn't include fruit, he does recommend frozen blueberries and/or cranberries to be used in his breakfast detox smoothie. These berries are not only low in sugars, but have detoxifying propertIes).
-Eggs or egg whites
-Protein shake (low sugar, free from artificial ingredients) mixed with water or UNSWEETENED coconut, almond, or hemp milk.

Snacks:
-Raw nuts: almonds, cashews, macadamia, and walnuts
-Seeds
-Protein shake
-Nut butters OR nut butter protein balls
-Hummus and vegetables

Lunch and dinner:
-Salads
-Lean protein from the recommended list
-Raw or steamed vegetables
-Salad dressing

Beverages:
-Sparkling water (without sweetener, ie. LaCroix)
-Unsweetened almond, coconut, Or hemp milk
-Water with fresh lemon
-Water with apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, cayenne, and cinnamon

Grocery list for detox...

According to the book we have been mentioning, (The Blood Sugar Solution: 10-Day Detox Diet) Becky has compiled a "grocery list" of the things you will want to stock up on and are "approved" according to the detox program. 

Oils:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Extra virgin coconut butter (often called coconut oil; at room temperature it is solid, but at warm temperatures it may be liquid)
• Other healthy oils include: walnut, sesame, grape seed, flax, or avocado
• Nut butters: raw if possible; choose from almond, cashew, macadamia, or walnut

Nuts:

• Walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamia

Seeds:

• Hemp, chia, flax, pumpkin, sesame Tahini (sesame seed paste—great for salad dressings and in sauces for vegetables)

Beverages:

• Canned full fat coconut milk
• Unsweetened hemp or almond milk 

Other:

• Canned or jarred Kalamata olives
• Almond meal
• Apple cider vinegar and Balsamic vinegar
• Low-sodium, gluten-free tamari
• Low-sodium broth (vegetable or chicken)
• Dijon mustard
• Sea salt
• Black pepper (peppercorns that you can freshly grind) 

Detoxifying and anti-inflammatory herbs and spices: 

• Turmeric, cayenne pepper, thyme, rosemary, chili powder, cumin, sage, oregano, onion powder, cinnamon, coriander, cilantro, paprika, and parsley.

Greens:

• Arugula, Spinach, Mixed greens, Romaine Watercress, Kale, Beet, Dandelion, Mustard, Turnip

Vegetables:

• Peppers: red, green, yellow, jalapeño
• Sprouts: sunflower, pea shoots, clover, etc.
• Tomatoes: grape, cherry
• Carrots
• Beets (¼ to ½ cup)
• Red onions (¼ to ½ cup)
• Shallots
• White onion
• Scallions (¼ to ½ cup)
• Broccoli, lightly steamed
• Cauliflower, lightly steamed
• Cabbage: red, Napa, etc.
• Mushrooms
• Snap peas
• Snow peas
• Asparagus
• Artichoke hearts (packed in water in glass jars)
• Hearts of palm (packed in water in glass jars)
• Kalamata olives
• Zucchini
• Roasted eggplant
• Endive
• Fennel
• Radishes
• Summer squash
• Watercress
• Herbs, dried: parsley, basil, oregano, dill, cilantro, mint, etc. (1 teaspoon)
• Herbs, fresh: mint, parsley, basil (1 cup), dill, and oregano (¼ cup)

*Nonstarchy Vegetables… Eat as Much as You Like!

Where to get protein?

• Protein (4 to 6 ounces)
• Canned fish (packed in water): salmon, sardines, herring, etc. (skip tuna; it has too much mercury)
• Chicken (baked or roasted)
• Turkey (baked or roasted)
• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Hard-boiled eggs (2)
• Shrimp.

*Protein powders that do not contain artificial sweeteners or hydrogenated oils. Becky prefers energy first whey protein made from grass fed cows. There are also a variety of plant protein powders. 

Dressing (1 to 2 tablespoons per salad) 

• Here is the basic principle for making simple salad dressing.
• You can get creative with these ingredients; experiment and find out what you like.  
• Start by mixing oil with lemon (or lime) juice or vinegar, at a ratio of ¾ oil to ¼ lemon or vinegar (or 3 to 1 oil to vinegar): Oil: extra virgin olive, flax, walnut, or avocado oil Lemon or lime juice, or apple cider, balsamic, or wine vinegar Optional: Dijon mustard (mixed with lemon or vinegar) Optional: seasonings including salt, freshly ground black pepper, fresh or dried herbs such as basil, oregano, garlic, onion, and rosemary Optional (to make your dressing creamy): avocado or tahini (sesame paste)

The Sugar Detox Challenge

November 4, 2015 we will be challenging you to detox from sugar (in all its forms) for 10 days. This means eliminating processed sugars, dairy, grains, and any type of artificial sweetener for a period of 10 days. A sugar detox is designed and intended to eliminate sugar cravings, which will help you make smarter food choices since you will not be driven by cravings. If you would like a more in depth explanation about how sugar affects your bloodstream, I encourage you to watch "Fed Up", a Netflix documentary on how sugar negatively affects your health. 

Dr. Mark Hyman suggests that "by following the 10 day sugar detox, you can reset your metabolism, break free from cravings, and lose weight. You may be skeptical – most people, including doctors, don’t think it is possible to create a radical health transformation in a few days, but Dr. Hyman reports to see it every day and has seen it for the past 20 years with over 10,000 patients.

And that’s exactly why he created the 10-Day Detox Diet – his goal is to teach you how simple and how quickly it can be to create better health. In 10 days, not only can you lose weight, but you may also turn the tide on chronic health problems including type 2 diabetes, asthma, joint pain, digestive problems, autoimmune disease, headaches, brain fog, allergies, acne, eczema and even sexual dysfunction.

How is that possible? Because what makes you sick can make you fat, and what makes you fat can make you sick. It’s all connected. You know when your computer freezes up? What do you do? You reboot. Well, the 10-Day Detox can do the same thing for your metabolism – by following this sugar detox, you can reset your metabolism to factory settings. You have the potential to lose weight without going hungry, and possibly even clear up a whole list of health symptoms. And all it takes is 10 days.

Let’s get started together! November 4-14. We want to hear from you. How is your detox going? Have you experienced better health, more energy, less cravings? Comment for a chance to win a doterra essential oil. Let's help each other achieve better health and wellness.  Also starting next week, we will offer suggestions on how to go about the sugar detox.  I (Becky) have had impressive results and will be joining you!

Ya know, the holidays are coming up on us and what better time to start the detox and realize that we can have discipline and we can indulge with moderation.  Let this detox bring about awareness and optimism.  You can do this!

Any questions?  Please comment here or on our Facebook page!

Until next week,

Be well!

BHW