Five days. That was how long it took for Taylor Deeds, the face behind the BEAUTIFULLY STRONG Blog, to feel lighter, more energized and for her face to be completely blemish free.
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What did I do those five days?
My own, personal Bodytox! And no, I’m not talking about days filled with the three Cs (celery juice, colonics and crying). I’m talking about a detox that allows you to clear your body of toxins and bloat without feeling deprived.
Why?
After coming back from my two-week vacation in Australia, which was was filled with large quantities of candy, alcohol, and meat pies, I realized I needed a reset button. Among other things, I felt like a massive water balloon and my skin was suffering from the change in my routine and jet lag.
I had way more energy at the gym, and overall, felt more confident in my own skin.
What exactly did I eat?
I knew I wouldn’t stick to a detox if I was miserable the whole time. So instead of filling my next five days with green juices, I decided to focus on eating whole, clean foods and eliminated anything and everything that could cause inflammation like soy, dairy, sugar, gluten, etc. Each meal was focused around veggies/leafy greens, lean protein, healthy fats and good carbs such as avocado, sweet potatoes, beets, wild fish, white meat chicken and turkey, fruits, and quinoa. I also found it helpful ingesting anti-inflammatory spices and ingredients such as turmeric, ginger and milk thistle.
Breakfast: A cup of coffee (yes, you get coffee), 1 egg and 3 egg whites, ¼ cup of oatmeal with grass-fed butter and ½ cup of berries.
Snack: Piece of fruit and 1oz of almonds
Lunch: Grilled salmon with roasted veggies and ½ of a sweet potato
Snack: Either Detox Soup or a piece of fruit with ½ an avocado
Dinner: Detox Soup (recipe here) + protein
Late Snack:1 Square of 70% Dark Chocolate and Milk Thistle
Was it worth doing?
This was the easiest detox to stick to. While I definitely had my temptation (wine, cheesy tots with friends, ice cream), the way I felt after avoiding those things was 100% worth it. Not eating certain foods, like diary and gluten, made me realize how sensitive my body is to them. So, not only did I feel confident, lean and energized, but I was also able to learn a few new things about my body too.
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I hope this helps you jumpstart your new “healthy-self” lifestyle.
Remember, these first five days are just the beginning of the rest of your life. Make it a good one!