Nooooooo not for your skin! Everyone I know is doing some kind of "cleanse" to recover from the holidays and start the new year right. I find most of the routines way too drastic for my taste and they don't look particularly healthy. I'm also a workout fiend and I think I'd die if I didn't eat for more than 5 hours. BUT, I do think the overall idea has some merit.
Alot of diet and fitness sites are recommending the 4 Day Jumpstart to the Flat Belly Diet as a perfect cleansing routine for those of us who just are not going to subject ourselves to drinking some foul potion for days on end.
It isn't practical for me to do it during Inauguration Week, but as soon as that's over and done with, I'm going to give it go. Wanna join me?
Ok, here are the Cliff Notes regarding the Jump Start.
The four bad guys of bloat: stress, lack of fluid, lack of sleet, air travel.
Four Days, What to avoid:
1. The salt shaker, salt-based seasonings, and highly processed foods.
2. Excess carbs. Decrease your intake of high-carb foods such as: pasta, bananas, bagels & pretzels.
3. Bulky Raw food (ie: eat cooked carrots, not raw)
4. Gassy foods: legumes, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onion, peppers and citrus fruits.
5. Chewing gum (you swallow air, causing bloat)
6. Sugar alcohols (Xyliyol & Maltitol)
7. Fried foods
8. Spicy foods
9. Carbonated drinks (soda!!!)
10. Alcohol, coffee, tea, hot cocoa and acidic fruit juices
Remember, these "rules" are just for the 4 Day Jump Start period to the Flat Belly Diet that we are using for our cleanse. If you want to try the diet, either buy the book or do a Google search. There are meal plans, recipes, etc. readily available.
Four Days, What to do:
1. Follow the meal plan exactly ( you'll have to modify it if you're vegetarian).
2. Eat four meals a day, for a total of 1,200 calories
3. Drink one full recipe of Sassy Water (recipe below).
4. Take a quick 5 minute after meal walk
5. Eat slowly
Sassy Water
2 Liters water (8.5 cups)
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly slices
12 small spearmint leaves
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let flavors blend overnight. Drink the entire pitcher by the end of the each day.
The Meal Plan
Day 1
Breakfast: 1c. unsweetened cornflakes, 1 c. skim milk, 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce, 1/2c. raw unsalted sunflower seeds, glass of sassy water
Lunch: 4 oz. Applegate Farms antibiotic-free honey maple turkey, rolled up; 1 light string cheese, 1 pink fresh grape tomatoes, glass of sassy water
Smoothie: Blueberry smoothie. Place 1 c. skim milk and 1 c. frozen unsweetened blueberries in blender and blend for 1 minute. Transfer to glass and stir in 1 Tbsp cold-pressed organic flaxseed oil
Dinner: 1 c. fresh or frozen cooked green beans (steamed of microwaved), 4oz. tilapia, 1/2 c. roaster red potatoes drizzled with 1 tsp. olive oil, glass of sassy water
Day 2
Breakfast: 1c. Rice Krispies, 1 c. skim milk, 1/4c. sunflower seeds, 4oz. pineapple tidbits canned in juice, glass of sassy water
Lunch: 3oz. chunk light tuna in water, 1 c. steamed or microwaved baby carrots, 1 light string cheese, glass of sassy water
Smoothie: Pineapple smoothie. Place 1 c skim milk, 4 oz. canned pineapple tidbits in blender, add a handful of ice and whip for 1 minute. Transfer to glass, and stir in 1 Tbsp cold-pressed organic flaxseed oil
Dinner: 1c. fresh crimini mushrooms sauteed with 1 tsp olive oil, 3 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1/2 c. steamed brown rice, glass of sassy water
Day 3
Breakfast: 1 c. unsweetened cornflakes, 1 c. skim milk, 1/4 c. sunflower seeks, 2 Tbsp. raisins, glass of sassy water
Lunch: same as day 1
Smoothie (peach) Place 1 c. skim milk and 1 c. frozen, unsweetened peaches in blender and blend for 1 minute. Transfer to glass and stir in 2 tsp flaxseed oil.
Dinner: 1 c. fresh or frozen cooked green beans (steamed or microwaved), 3 oz. grilled or baked turkey breast cutlet, 1/2 c. roasted red potatoes drizzled with 1 tsp. olive oil, sassy water
Day 4
Breakfast: 1 packet instant Cream of Wheat, 1c. skim milk, 1/4c. sunflower seeds, 2 Sunsweet Ones Dried Plums, sassy water
Lunch: same as day 1, but sub steamed carrots for grape tomatoes
Smoothie (strawberry); Combine 1 c. skim milk and 1 c. frozen, un-sweetened strawberries in blender. Blend, transfer to glass and stir in 2 tsp flaxseed oil
Dinner: 1c. fresh or frozen yellow squash sauteed with 1 tsp olive oil, 3 oz. chicken breast, 1/2c. steamed brown rice, sassy water
After the 4 day jump start, you can transfer to the regular Flat Belly Diet if you want to loose weight.
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