Now that your body has been renewed and cleansed, this shall be a great kick start for you to stay healthy and maintain what you have started. After all the hard work over the past few days, you should not put them all to waste. So don’t jump straight to heavy meals and the usual or your cleanse will just be a wasted effort. Your body has to slowly ease itself back into consuming dairy, animal protein, carbs, grains, and processed food (try to limit the intake of these if possible), just like how you have eased your body into cleansing during your pre-cleanse. Not to worry, we will be guiding you through your post cleanse. We have several recommendations on how your post cleanse meals could look like. Refer to your post cleanse meal guides below;
POST CLEANSE DAY 1
Breakfast: Keep in mind to hydrate yourself first thing in the morning. Choose 3 fruits of your choice and mix it up with a squeeze of lemon!
Lunch: Mix up a bowl of salad containing lots of greens! For dressing, use a simple olive oil, fresh lemon juice dressing or sea salt. (NO beans, nuts, seeds or meat yet for now)
Tea Break: Prepare a bowl of comforting hot vegetable soup to warm your tummy.
Dinner: Just like lunch, eat lots of greens! If you are up for another bowl of salad, try cooking your veges. There are plenty of ways to eat your greens. You can steam, roast or even stir-fry ‘em!
Key is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. You are just coming out of your cleanse, go easy on your body!
POST CLEANSE DAY 2
POST CLEANSE DAY 3
THE DAYS AFTER.....
Basic wholefood principles
• Choose organic foods where possible
• Eat foods as close to their natural state as possible
• Drink lots of water – aim for 1-2L per day
• Eat a variety of whole grains including spelt, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat, rice and quinoa
• Eat high quality protein, such as fish (excellent source of essential fatty acids)
• Eat low GI (Glycemic Index) foods to keep blood sugar levels stable and reduce cravings
• Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables – fresh fruit and vegetables contain an abundance of phytonutrients, essential for good health
• Eat anti-oxidant rich foods such as berries, dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa solids), orange and yellow vegetables, green leafy vegetables, red wine/grapes, tea, wheat and barley grass
• Eat detoxifying foods such as cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, chinese cabbage, brussel sprouts), green tea, watercress, dandelion tea, fennel tea, garlic, lemon and coriander
• Start your day with a glass of hot water and the juice of half a lemon. This helps to detoxify your liver and kick-start the body’s digestive process
• Minimize salt in cooking and use herbs such as coriander, turmeric, ginger, cumin, tarragon, cinnamon, rosemary, basil and cardamon for flavour
• Eat lots of fibre (found in vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and whole grains) for healthy bowel movements
• Use extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil as your main oils (coconut oil is fantastic as it remains stable at all temperatures and believe it or not, it is a fat that actually promotes weight loss!)
• Increase your intake of nuts and seeds, which are full of essential fatty acids and nutrients
• Mix up your dairy intake with dairy alternatives made from rice and oat milk. Soy milk and soy products are good in moderation or use our nut milk.
Foods to minimize
• Processed foods
• Packaged foods – look at the ingredients label and if the product has a long list of ingredients it’s probably best to avoid it. Look out for the words hydrogenated and high fructose corn syrup. These are bad and should be avoided
• Junk and fast foods
• Refined sugar and products containing white sugar
• Products made from refined white flour such as white bread, pasta, most cereals and most cakes, pies and pastries
• Refined white rice – choose brown or basmati rice instead
• Processed fruit juices
• Starchy high GI vegetables such as potatoes
• Canned vegetables as they tend to be high in sodium (salt), which is a big contributor to bloating and fluid retention
• Refined oils such as safflower, sunflower, peanut and canola oil
• Artificial sweeteners
• Food additives, colours and flavours
• Table salt – sea salt is good in moderation
• Red meat (Always choose quality over quantity)
• Caffeine and other stimulants
• Alcohol
Mindful eating
• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly
• Avoid overeating
• Don’t do any activity (such as watching TV or working at your computer - easier said than done!) while you are eating as the meal should be the main focus
• Concentrate on the sensations of taste and texture
• Allow yourself quiet time after eating to digest
• Go for a short walk after eating if you can as this helps to promote digestion
Other hints and tips
• Be wary of large portions – portion sizes have increased considerably over the last 20 years and many people don’t actually know what a standard portion size is. For example a portion of pasta is 1 cup, not 2-3 cups as many people would have in a normal meal. A portion of meat is approximately the size and thickness of the a person’s palm
• Avoid overeating when eating out and eating socially – studies have shown that people eat considerably more when eating out and eating with friends
• Dinner should be the smallest meal of the day and should be eaten 2-3 hours before bed to allow the body to digest the food and not interfere with sleeping. This isn't always practical, especially given that a lot of socialising revolves around eating out. If you know you're going out for a big dinner, then try to eat a lighter lunch to balance it out.
Remember, you are what you eat!
"It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, it's what we do consistently" - Anthony Robbins