Top Five Tips for a Successful Detox

Planning a cleanse, detox or Whole 30 regime? These are my Top Five Tips for a Successful Detox that can help you stick to your plan and achieve those healthy eating goals.

I thought maybe it might be good time to share some of my most useful tips when it comes to a successful cleanse and sticking with those habits post-detox.

Do I have a medical or nutrition degree?

No I don’t.

I have a minor accounting diploma which I don’t use. I hate numbers. What was I thinking?

Regardless, I am passionate about eating healthy. I am trying to give my body the best shot it can at staying strong, fit and disease free on it’s own. Using food and exercise as my ‘medicine’ it’s my goal in life to stay out of the doctor’s office, pharmacy, hospital and the rest of those most unappealing places.

What this amounts to is a lifelong journey of self education.

I’ve learned that certain foods are “super”, that there are lot of chemicals parading as food in the grocery stores, and that maintaining a healthy weight is beneficial in so many ways.

Participating in regular detox-type regimes can help you stay at your ideal weight, rid your body of any crap from those processed foods and teach you so much about what foods really nourish and energize you.

So here we go. Here are my five best pieces of advice when cleansing/detoxing:

HOW TO PLAN A SUCCESSFUL DETOX

1. Start your day with warm lemon and water. Everyday. Besides the fact that lemon is a powerful detoxifier, it just sets your intention for the day and jump starts that water intake. Oh yeah, drink lots and lots of water. Herbal tea works, too. I drink a LOT of peppermint tea.

2. Write it down! This may sound like an unnecessary step but I think it’s crucial. Keep track of how much water/tea you are drinking, what times you eat, and obviously all of your meals and snacks. This documents what works for you. It highlights times when you feel ‘snacky’ allowing you to plan for those times by having something like almonds or Sugar Free Granola on hand. I’ll stash a little notebook in my purse to keep handy. I’ve kept them over the years and they are actually a great resource as I often refer back to them. Plus you can treat yourself to a cute notebook or bullet journal! <— my new obsession!

KEEP READING!

3. Remind yourself that you will eat the things you love again. For me, it’s cheese and coffee that I miss most. So when I smell the aroma of coffee brewing in the AM, I gently tell myself that in just a few days, I can enjoy a nice cup of coffee again. There will be cheese. And trust. The cheese and coffee will have never tasted so good. 🙂 Just remember moderation.

4. Be prepared to make all of your own meals. Well, unless you have the means to hire a wonderful personal chef to tailor make your Detox Veggie Soup, then good on you! But, if you’re like most of us, it’s going to mean a lot of veggie chopping and dish doing. That’s the straight up truth. It does take work. You have to plan out your meals and organize shopping lists. It truly equals success.

AND FINALLY

5. Don’t plan a huge binge fest when you wrap up. The main idea behind a detox is to reset, to get back on track after something like the holidays or an indulgent vacation. Stuffing your face full of souvlaki and cheesecake (yes, it’s happened and I’m not proud) when you finish is not the way to maintain the positive habits formed during the cleanse. Remember my tag line: Treat yourself, but don’t cheat yourself. For instance, when I end a cleanse I usually start my day with lemon water, then it’s coffee time! I also shred cheese all over my eggs. Other than that, it’s business as usual.

Looking for clean eating recipe inspiration?

This post contains THIRTY WHOLE 30 RECIPES that I love.

There you have it! I’d love to hear about your experiences with detoxing/cleansing and any other great tips out there. Share away!

*Originally posted January 8, 2015. Updated December 31, 2018*

Be sure to follow me on social media! I love pinning to Pinterest, sharing on Facebook and posting pics to Instagram. See you there.  🙂