21 Day Spring Cleanse: Tips and Techniques From Chef & Wellness Consultant Amanda Skrip

I asked Real Food Rehab fan, natural foods chef and wellness consultant, Amanda Skrip to give us some practical tips and inspiration for getting through a food-based cleanse. She's also got a blog with some great resources - I particularly enjoyed her eye-opening post on soy. If you are based in Chicago, Amanda is offering a great deal on her wellness consulting services to all Real Food Rehab readers - look for more info at the bottom of this post!

Are your mid-day energy slumps, food cravings, and restless nights all symptoms you have accepted as part of a ‘normal’ life? These common complaints can all be attributed to the accumulation of toxins that build up over a lifetime. And believe it or not, it is entirely possible to reduce or eliminate any undesirable ailments by completing a simple and safe food-based cleanse.

As a natural foods chef and wellness consultant, I have cooked and coached many people through cleanses, and have years of personal experience to boot. I have heard (and had!) every excuse about why detoxing was too difficult or simply unnecessary; and I reassure you that anyone, regardless of their current diet, can follow a food-based cleanse and reap the amazing benefits of doing so. So if you have had luck with cleanses in the past, or have kicked around the idea of completing one, read on for tips, techniques, and tricks of the trade that will set you up for success, and re-introduce you to your most vibrant self.

Scheduling Smarts
Planning a detox is almost like planning a vacation; you need to look at your calendar and see when you can take ‘time off’ from food and alcohol indulgences. Chances are you will never have a few weeks free of social commitments and mealtime obligations but be strategic and choose when temptation will be at a minimum. When dining out, try to have a look at the menu before hand. Check what best supports your cleansing plan. Salads tend to be good choices at most spots, but often times they may require a few omissions: croutons, bacon, creamy dressings, sugar-laden dried cranberries, etc.

Pre-detoxing
Sugar and caffeine are the two culprits that cause the most withdrawal symptoms. If you are particularly sugar and/or caffeine dependent, I recommend working on weaning off of them fully before starting to cleanse. A sugar and caffeine-free diet helps to keep cravings in check, energy levels up, and will make the removal of other ‘favorite’ foods much easier and less tempting. To successfully break undesirable habits usually requires the addition of a more positive one. If you love the ritual of your morning cup of coffee, try getting a great tea pot and some herbal loose-leaf teas to switch up your morning routine. And if you reach for a cookie at your 3pm energy slump, try subbing in a handful or raw almonds and raisins, or a piece of fresh fruit, to get you over the hump.

Kitchen Cleanout
It helps to have some sort of a menu plan in place before embarking on a detox. To make it easier to stick to, give your refrigerator and pantry a (probably long overdue) makeover. Get rid of the foods that tempt you. Do you like to mindlessly munch on candy after dinner? Trust me, if it’s not in the house, your habit becomes much easier to break. Once cleaned out, take a trip to the market and stock up on leafy greens, citrus, berries, and cleanse friendly snacks so you can stay on track. Plan on trying a few new cleanse-friendly recipes with ingredients you haven’t tried before. This helps to keep your palette interested, and adds fun and variety to the challenge.

Extra Boosts
To get the most bang for your cleansing buck, there are a few simple tips I recommend to everyone. Upon rising, start the morning with a warm glass of lemon water. This helps to alkalize your body, and many clients have reported feeling that it decreased their appetite and cravings throughout the day. Also, try to get as many leafy greens into your diet as humanly possible. Whether raw in salads, blended into smoothies, or pureed into soups, greens are the most amazing natural cleansing agents and are also work to oxygenate the blood and boost energy levels. And lastly, while cleansing, make a point to give your body a 12-hour rest between dinner and breakfast. I picked this tip of from Alejandro Junger’s book Clean, and it has stuck with me since. Our bodies finish processing our food 8 hours after our last bite, and it takes another 4 hours for an automatic clean to occur.

Exit Strategy
How you end your cleanse is just as important as how you begin. Give yourself a few days or a week to gradually re-introduce the foods you have omitted. You have just diligently worked to clean out your body, so it would be foolish to start throwing all sorts of toxins back in. People sometimes find that they have previously unnoticed sensitivities to wheat or dairy, and they feel so much better by continuing to leave them out of their diets. Others are shocked that their once overwhelming cravings for coffee, sweets, cheese, and/or bread have vanished.

About Amanda
Amanda Skrip is a natural foods chef and wellness consultant in Chicago. She works with clients to empower them to create a relationship with food that will allow for optimal health and wellbeing. She customizes cleanses for clients and offers support, menu planning, and recipes to make for a seamless and enjoyable process.

Amanda is offering a 50% discount for a comprehensive wellness consultation for all Real Food Rehab readers. The session can be used to discuss a potential cleanse or to address other health and wellness goals. Contact her for scheduling or more information.

RECIPE

Supergreen Soup
Yield: 1-2 servings

I have made this recipe with a variety of greens: spinach, kale, zucchini, broccoli… the options are truly endless. The variety below takes advantage of seasonal spring produce, and happens to be my favorite.

Ingredients

1-2 teaspoons olive oil
½ yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ lb asparagus, chopped
1 small-medium bunch of watercress
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ lemon
Purified water
sea salt + pepper

Procedure

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Saute onion for 3-4 minutes, add garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and sauté until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add asparagus, and sauté for another 4-5 minutes, just to take the raw edge off.

Gently transfer onion and asparagus mixture to a blender. Add enough water to cover the vegetables (about 2 cups, more or less according to preference). Add watercress, lemon zest and juice. Blend. Add extra water to thin (if necessary), and season with salt and pepper to taste.