Chad and I are on the 5th day of the Clean Cleanse. It is going well. The first three days were really the hardest. Now I’m not so grouchy, but I am pretty spaced out. I don’t mind – it’s a relaxed, floaty feeling.
We are eating a liquid breakfast (smoothie)Â and dinner (pureed soup) with a hearty lunch off the clean elimination diet. It’s been easy so far, because the Clean chef Jenny Nelson provides two excellent pdf files of recipes at goop.com. There is also a “Clean Manual” available for free at goop.com. It provides enough information to do the whole cleanse without buying the book.
The Elimination Diet excludes any foods that cause mucus (dairy), inflammation (wheat, gluten), irritation (additives, beef), acidity (oranges), and or allergies (peanuts). And though it seems to exclude a lot, it does include a variety of protein sources, vegetables, and gluten-free grain. So, today for lunch we are eating turkey burgers on millet risotto with artichoke hearts and steamed broccoli. That’s a satisfying meal. We are taking a variety of supplements to make sure we are getting a full spectrum of nutrition, and also to support our body as we eliminate toxins from our body. We are using
- protein powder (Lifetime Life’s Basics Plant Protein-from Mother’s)
- fiber (psyllium husks- we already had this on hand from Trader Joe’s
- garlic (raw and chopped – we swallow a clove each night)
- liver support (Healthforce Nutritionals Liver Rescue 4+, which has a lot of milk thistle and dandelion root – from Mother’s)
- oil of oregano (anti-mocrobial-essential oil, hard to take)
- olive oil (added to smoothie – organic virgin from Costco)
- probiotics (New Chapter Organics Probiotics All-Flora – left-over from Sierra’s move)
- other exotic “super-food” powders (maca) and berries (goji) that we buy as recipes call for them
Dr Junger theorizes, and this theory speaks very strongly to me, that our digestive tracts are in crisis nation-wide; that our guts are under onslaught day-in and day-out from the allergens, toxins, and irritants we consume.
He proposes a 21-day resting period for your intestinal system. Eat gently and super-healthfully for three weeks and give your guts a chance to heal. See what your body feels like, then add in foods one at a time and see how your body responds.
Basically, Dr. Junger is offering a home study in optimal digestive health for your own body.