Hey Guys,
Let me start off by wishing you all an amazing 2016! I hope this year will bring you good health, amazing memories and wonderful food!
I bet we’ve all put on a few extra pounds over the past month after all those Christmas mince pies or an over indulge on the brunch down at your local five star establishment and few too many fun beverages lazing about in this amazing weather we’ve been having.
But hey, it only comes around once a year so I wouldn’t beat myself up about it. Whether you’ve been thinking about doing it or not, a detox of the body is always a good idea after the holiday season or whenever you can really.
So I did a bit of research and put together a 21-day Paleo Detox Diet. So this cleanse, for me, is just to reset the body into healthy mode after an indulgent vacation. I got a lot of great info from reading the Organifi Green Juice Mix Review | EHIPrimarycare.com has a lot of good information for the curious ones out there. As we are all a bit different, you don’t need to feel obligated to follow exactly what I did. You can take whatever part of this works for you. If you do not have any health issues, maybe you decide to keep in the caffeine or the nuts. Whatever works for you! I would suggest giving up as much as you can. Have a look on how these foods negatively impact the body in ways you’re not even aware of.
What You CAN’T Eat
Follow the strictest paleo guidelines by excluding these foods from your diet:
- Grains
- Beans and legumes (including peanuts and soy) – Green beans in the pod, sugar snap peas, and snow peas are allowed.
- Sugar (refined, artificial, or natural) – No raw honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar or nectar, agave, stevia, etc. Fruit and dried fruit is allowed, but if you’re trying to lose weight, limit your fruit intake. As always, lower-sugar fruits, such as berries are preferable to high-sugar fruits like bananas.
- Dairy – Pastured butter and ghee included
- Alcohol
- Vegetable oils
To take this a step further, I am eliminating these additional highly inflammatory foods:
- Eggs
- Nightshades, including potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers (jalapeno, paprika, cayenne, etc.), and eggplant (sweet potatoes and yams are okay)
- Nuts and seeds, including oils and butters derived from nuts and seeds
- Caffeine
What You CAN Eat
Now, you may at this point be saying, “No way! What’s left?!” Well, it’s not all that bad.
- Meat – preferably pastured and free-range beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, etc.
- Seafood, including fish and shellfish – preferably wild
- Vegetables, except nightshades listed above
- Fruits – Freshly squeezed juices are okay for making sauces or to use in recipes, just don’t guzzle down a big glass of orange juice. As I mentioned above, dried fruits are okay, but don’t have too many. And make sure they are not sweetened with sugar.
- Good fats including avocados; olives and olive oil; coconut oil, coconut butter, and coconut meat
What You Might Think You Can’t Eat, But You Can
Now, there are usually some gray areas when these detoxes, cleanses, and challenges are going on, so just to clarify, you MAY eat:
- Pastured, nitrate-free bacon – This will be hard to find with no sugar so if it’s 1-2 percent sugar, it’s not enough to worry about in my book.
- Sausage that doesn’t include paprika or cayenne, or other non-paleo additives
- Vinegars including balsamic, rice, coconut, and apple cider
- Coconut aminos (soy sauce replacement)
I could go on and on about this cleanse in fact there are a few other things that need to be said about it so if you’re looking at giving it a go then I suggest you stick it out and if you need any pointers or tips along the way then drop me a line at chef@thecyclehub.com. I’m not some diet guru or fitness freak, I’m just your average Joe from down the road who loves to cook and is trying to change the world by doing so. So don’t think your questions are weird or wacky! I’m here to help! Enjoy it, embrace it and let me know how you get on.
Words By: Chef Patrick Ikinofo
