This diet is based on avoiding acidic, toxic and refined foods, allowing your body to flush out the toxins and alters the pH balance from acid to alkaline.
Foods to avoid
Red meat
Dairy produce
Fruit, except bananas
Wheat, gluten and yeast
Alcohol
Nuts
Potatoes
Jams and spreads
Coffee and tea, except herbal
Sugar, chocolate and sweets
Artificially produced flavorings, such as ketchup, vinegar and mustard
Foods to eat
Herbal Tea
White meat – chicken and turkey
Fish, especially oily but NOT shellfish, tuna or swordfish
Eggs, no more than 3 to 4 a week
Bananas
Brown rice or wild rice (made with chicken stock and carrots)
Buffalo mozzarella, goat’s cheese, ricotta and cottage cheese
Live yoghurt
Dark green vegetables (steam - stir fry), except avocado
Salads, except tomatoes and peppers
Pulses, lentils, chick peas
Gluten free/wheat free cereals and breads
Honey
Olive oil
Garlic, ginger, onions
Hummus, guacamole
Soy milk
Rice milk
Soya and tofu products
DO: Eat fresh food. Go for the freshest you can find -- fruits and vegetables that are in season and have been grown locally. The vitamin and mineral count in these foods will likely be higher than foods that have been shipped from another country or grown in greenhouses.
DON'T: Eat pre-packaged, prepared meals. Not only do these items lack nutrients, but Dr. Joshi also suggests considering the toxins and chemicals in the plastic packaging.
DO: Eat bananas. Preferably organic ones. Bananas offer a slow-release sugar boost to your body.
DON'T: Eat any other fruit. Most of the fruit we buy in grocery stores is picked too early so that it won't be past its prime by the time we get it home. But fruits only reach the desirable alkaline state if they're picked when ripe.
DO: Drink green tea. The high concentration of antioxidants in green tea offers numerous health benefits, from helping your liver to work more efficiently to lowering your blood-sugar and preventing diabetes.
DON'T: Drink alcohol. Most alcohol, such as wine, champagne and beer, is acidic and high in yeast, both of which are bad for your body. Rest assured, once you enter the maintenance portion of the diet after three weeks, you can have small quantities of distilled alcohol, such as gin and vodka.
DO: Start your morning with a glass of warm water and a little fresh lemon juice. Your kidneys will thank you for the flush.
DON'T: Grab a cup of coffee. As wonderful as may be to wake up to freshly brewed coffee, the caffeine will dehydrate you and increase your blood pressure. Even decaffeinated coffee is full of toxins that will interrupt your detox process.
DO: Drink soymilk. Soy provides important amino acids, which are vital for hormone production and essential to boosting your immune system. However, be sure to choose soymilk with added calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D.
DON'T: Drink cow's milk. With lactose intolerance being so widespread, causing bloating, cramps and nausea, Dr. Joshi recommends choosing an alternative.
DO: Drink only a bit of water during meals. Sipping room-temperature water during your meal will aid in digestion and absorption of the nutrients in your food.
DON'T: Consume copious amounts of water during your meal. Too much fluid can dilute the enzymes necessary for proper digestion.
DO: Have a mid-afternoon snack of herbal tea and a gluten-free/wheat-free biscuit.
DON'T: Keep reaching into a bag of biscuits just because the label promotes a "healthy" status. Calories are calories and they will add up.
DO: Host a detox dinner party. Use recipes from Dr. Joshi's book to wow your friends and prove that healthy food can be fabulous food.
DON'T: Beat yourself up if you choose not to resist the cake at your best friend's birthday party. Savor the decadent dessert, acknowledge that you need to re-focus your goals and get back on track.
Although Dr. Joshi's detox diet may take some getting used to, the payoff is a digestive system that works like a charm, glowing skin, and enough get-up-and-go to get the most out of life.
Has anyone else done this detox before? I was not a huge coffee drinker and have not had the headaches that are said to happen in the first few days. My energy is not high but I am not totally drained either. I did sleep through the night last nite (for the first time in a long time). I usually wake up a few times a night.
My weight as of yesterday morning was 188.2lbs. Has anyone else done this detox and lost weight?
I have the odd little little white head appear on my face but I pop it and it is gone immediately - no red mark left where it was. My skin has been dry lately which is odd because I am in humid weather. Could be what Rob suggested, eliminating Candida from my body...but it is not itchy - yet!