A Food Cleanse for Those Who Love to Eat
April 19, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Boston
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A Food Cleanse for Those Who Love to Eat
To read most cleansing diets, you would think that the authors have something against food. The Master Cleanse Diet has participants living off of a water, maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper mixture. The Beauty Detox Solution consists of little more than green smoothies and hot water. Of course, these severe restrictions are the point of such diets, but as any Boston cooking schools grad can tell you, that is no way to eat.
Their proponents say that following them for a short period of time will clear away the toxins gathered in your body as a result of improper nutrition. Afterwards, dieters are supposed to follow less strict, but still rigid guidelines on eating. Diets are typically vegetarian and raw food based. Culinary schools also teach dietary and nutrition in order to prepare future professionals for patron's styles of eating.
Keep Eating, But Eat Right And Well
If you want to change the way you eat and be kinder to your body, then you may or may not want to kick off your efforts with a strenuous cleanse. The diets themselves are controversial and the results, other than the obvious weight loss caused by severe calorie restriction, are questionable. If you wish to follow a cleanse diet, you should consult a physician before beginning.
Since the point is to eventually avoid consuming processed and devitalized foods, there is no better time than the present. Skip the fasts and go directly to proper eating. Here are some guidelines that will help you eat and feel better.
- Fermented Foods Are Your Friend
Unsweetened Greek yogurt, Kefir, Natto, sauer kraut, kimchee, miso, and even red wine have all been linked to reduced cholesterol and cancer prevention. They also support proper digestive and immune system function.
Eat your colors, especially green. Green leafy vegetables like kales, spinach, chard, and other greens are packed with vitamins and minerals, including iron, vitamin B2, magnesium, and folic acid. Substitute some for lettuce in a salad or add them to your favorite soups.
We eat too many carbohydrates, especially bad carbs from processed foods. Gluten intolerance and celiac are both on the rise and carbs are to blame. If you must eat carbs be sure they are from whole grain sources and avoid the salty snack aisle at the grocery. That also means cutting back on the amount of fruit you eat. Many fruits are high in carbohydrates in the form of sugar. Try to keep you vegetable and fruit ratio to about 60% vegetable to 40% fruits.
Despite our calorie-rich diets in this country, most of us don’t consume enough protein – a condition that may be exacerbated by going to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Ideal protein consumption is 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean muscle mass per day. Get your protein from vegetables like spinach and peas and lean meat like fish and poultry.
- Don’t Sweat the Fats (As Long As They Are Healthy)
Despite what we are lead to believe, fat is good for us. We need it in our diets. Like most other things, problems only occur when we have too much of it. You need high-quality, omega 3-rich fats in your diet ever day. Healthy fats are found in olive oil, coconut oil, macadamia oil, fish, and meaty nuts like walnuts.
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