After our super fun New Years Eve party it was time to clean out all the champagne, sweets and pizza from our systems. I have done multiple juice cleanses and love the results of Whole 30 and decided to jump into Tone it Up's 5 day Detox on January 1st. I can't tell you how over the idea I was when we woke up after our fun party and I had to make a clean meal and some batch meals for the week. It ended up being the perfect day to start. We didn't have any plans that day other than puttering around the house and cleaning up.
The whole purpose of the detox was to flush out the toxins and sugars from the last couple months and restart our systems, minds and energy levels. Not to forget our metabolisms. I think mine has been on a break for a bit.
I consider myself to be fairly knowledgable about healthy eating and what our body thrives yet was surprised by two new things I learned. One, is getting plenty of water ( 90 oz. helps not only your body flush itself clean but also helps your muscles recover effectively. Secondly, I learned about the major benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar. APC is essential to keeping lean. I helps control your appetite by maintaining your blood sugar levels. It also is rich in potassium which helps muscle growth. It also is a great anti viral , anti-bacterial and anti-fungal due to its extremely high levels of malic acid. It helps break down fat and not store it. I'm in! So here is what a day of detox looked like:
Breakfast: Morning Mocktail : 8 oz. water, 1 T of apple cider vinegar, juice of half a lemon and pinch of cayenne pepper) I can't at all lie. This is rough to get down but the benefits are beyond important to cleansing your body.
Coffee ( always add a splash of unsweetened almond milk )
Coconut protein pancakes: 1/2 half banana smashed, 1 scoop coconut Tone it Up protein powder ( you could use vanilla too), 1/4 cup egg whites. Wisk together to make batter. If consistency is to thick you can add a little almond milk to thin. I like my batter fairly thick for fluffier pancakes. Spray pan with coconut spray and pour two dollops of batter into pan. Cook on each side until brown. Top with 1/2 cup fresh berries and sprinkle of unsweetened coconut flakes.
Midmorning snack: Sliced apples with sprinkle of cinnamon
Lunch: Lettuce wraps were my favorite easy go to. I would top two lettuce stalks with sliced turkey ( nitrate free and low sodium) chopped veggies ( I love mushrooms, red bell pepper cucumbers and red onion) I would drizzle each wrap with regular or dijon mustard and roll up to eat. So filling and yummy.
Afternoon Snack: Slimming soup ( disclaimer: make this one mid morning so it's ready for the week. One batch can last you for four days.) You will need 2 T olive oil, 4 carrots, 1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and sliced, 1 onion, 2 cups veggie broth, 1 cup red lentils, 1 T cumin, 1 T chili powder, 1 T Corriander and pinch of cayenne pepper. Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add chopped carrots and onion. Cook until onion is translucent or about 3 min. Dump in lentils, spices and broth. Bring to a boil then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Carefully add half of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Repeat with the remainder of the soup. I stored our soup in mason jars so they were easy to transport and eat while on the go.
Dinner:
Spicy Mexican Shrimp bowl- I make this meal often and just tweaked a couple things to fit the detox plan. Add 2 T of olive oil to a pan on high. Toss in 1 1/2 cup cauliflower rice and sauce with my favorite taco seasoning ( 1 T cumin, 1 T chili powder, 1 t garlic powder, 1 t coriander and little pinch of cayenne) Add in chopped bell peppers and half of an onion. Once veggies are cooked through, add about 1 1/2 jump uncooked shrimp. Cook until shrimp is cooked through and pink. I add in a can of organic black beans and stir to warm. Serve warm and top with a little avocado. So yummy you won't miss anything else! This would also be super yummy with ground turkey.