Detox Diet

Some of you know that I've been having really bad headaches and migraines recently. So I decided to do a few things to see if I could get rid of them:
1. Get a massage to relieve tension
2. Go on a detox diet for 2 weeks to get rid of unhealthy toxins

My sister, Chelsea and her husband, Mike are also on this detox diet. We decided that we wanted to do a natural detox diet, not one where you have to take any pills etc. This is great for me because it will help me to figure out what foods, if any, are causing my migrains. As I take most foods I eat out of my diet for 2 weeks--then reintroduce them slowly back into my diet--I will most likely be able to see how my body reacts to each.

Detox you might ask, what kind of diet is that?

Detox, short for detoxification, is the removal of potentially toxic substances from the body. Although detox is primarily thought of as a treatment for alcohol or drug dependence, the term is also used to refer to diets, herbs, and other methods of removing environmental and dietary toxins from the body for general health.Some of you may be unfamiliar with detox diets. Detox diets are free of chemicals, pollutants, and food allergens. After a detox diet, which usually lasts one to three weeks, many people feel mentally and physically rejuvenated and notice improvements in digestion, mental clarity, allergies, frequency of infection, energy, and severity of symptoms.

Foods I can eat

1) Fresh Fruit:
All fresh fruit.

2) Fresh Vegetables:
All fresh vegetables. Great detox foods include broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, onions, garlic, artichokes, beets, red and green vegetables.

3) Rice:
Brown or basmati rice, rice cakes, rice crackers and rice pasta.

4) Other Grains:
Quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat can be used instead of rice. They can be purchased at a health food store.

5) Beans:
Split yellow and green peas and lentils are easiest to digest and require the least soaking time. Other acceptable legumes include kidney beans, pinto beans, mung beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and adzuki beans.

6) Nuts and Seeds:
Unsalted nuts, seeds and nut butters can be sprinkled over any meal. Includes flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews and walnuts. Avoid peanuts.

7) Oil:
Extra-virgin olive oil

8) Condiments:
Vegetable salt, sea salt, vinegar, naturally fermented soy sauce or tamari, any culinary herbs or spices, limited amounts of honey.

9) Herbal Tea:
Herbal non-caffeinated teas, green tea.

10) Other Beverages:
Water, lemon water, 100% natural fruit and vegetable juices, rice milk

Foods I can't eat

1) Sugar:
Refined sugar and mixtures containing refined sugar, including sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, brown sugar, turbinado. Avoid artificial sweeteners.

2) Dairy Products:
Milk, butter and other dairy products.

3) Wheat:
Wheat and products containing wheat.

4) Gluten:
All gluten-containing grains, including barley, rye, spelt and kamut. Some people are sensitive to gluten, a protein fragment in these grains.

5) Caffeine
Coffee, both regular and decaffeinated, black tea, and other drinks containing caffeine should be reduced. Green tea is a great substitute to regular coffee.

6) Other Foods to Avoid

• Yeast
  
• Alcohol
  
• Food additives and preservatives
  
• Chocolate
  
• High-Fat Foods

And so it begins...I'll let you know how it goes