Illumination Diet
Guidelines
What is an Illumination Diet, you ask? It's one that doesn't eliminate, but rather illuminates your options - the options you may have never considered otherwise! It also illuminates the issues surrounding the Standard American Diet (which really is SAD), and YOU illuminate, inside and out! So let's get started!
Here, I will offer two lists; a list of foods to avoid, and a list of foods to enjoy for the next 10 days. But I want you to focus on the latter, because, psychologically, this will foster success and yield the greatest results.
You don't want to wake up every morning for the next 10 days thinking about what you CAN'T have, do you? Of course not! Instead, think of all the things you CAN have - and it's really quite a bit!
This cleanse is not about deprivation or restrictions; it's about creating a "new normal" for yourself and enjoying it. This should be a fun and exciting learning experience that is easy to follow and stick to! Eat the foods you love. Try new foods. Introduce them to your friends and family. Make time to experiment.
We will NOT be counting calories - First, it's futile with the amount of food you'll be consuming. Second, it's obsolete, when you are following a plant-based diet. You see, because fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains are all naturally low-calorie foods, you will end up filling up on fiber, protein, complex carbohydrates, unsaturated (good) fats, and all the vitamins and minerals you need, LONG before you exceed your recommended calorie limit. Vegans don't count calories; we don't have to. Get used to it. :)
We will NOT be counting fat grams. Fat is essential for the absorption of most vitamins (A, D, E, and K), among other benefits (like brain development and energy). Where Americans tend to go awry is with the kinds of fats they choose. Good fats are unsaturated and are found in plant food. Bad fats are saturated and trans, and are found in animal-based foods and prepared foods. Good fat is burned as energy. Bad fat is stored as...well, fat.
If you are concerned about specific constituents (like iron or calcium), I will post a link to a guide that specifies which plant-based foods are highest in some of the key nutrients. But over all, if you are enjoying a varied and colorful plant-based diet, you needn't worry.
TASTE THE RAINBOW
Foods to Avoid:
- Refined Sugars and Starches (Bleached Grains/Flours)
- Artificial Sweeteners and HFCS
- Artificial Colors
- Artificial Flavors
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Animal Protein (Red Meat, Pork, Poultry, Fish, Seafood, Eggs, Dairy)
More specifically, you'll want to steer clear of Fast Food, Prepackaged Foods, Frozen Prepared Foods, Acidic Foods and Beverages (like commercial fruit juices, soda, milk, black tea, and coffee). Remember! It's just 10 days!
Foods to Enjoy
- Everything Else! Really!
- All Vegetables (Raw, Steamed, Stir-fried, Fresh-Frozen)
- All Fruits (Dried, Fresh, Raw, Unprocessed, Fruit-Juice Sweetened Jam/Jellies)
- All Whole Grains (if you're Gluten-Free, avoid Wheat, Barley, Spelt, Rye)
- All Nuts, Seeds, and Beans
- Sea Vegetables
- Unprocessed Soy Products (incl. Tempeh, Edamame, certain brands of Tofu)
- All Sprouted Grains
- Lots of Water
- Herbal Tea (hot or cold)
- Use herbs and spices freely, EXCEPT salt. Experiment with new flavors!
More specifically, stock up on your dark leafy greens - these should be the foundation of nearly every meal, juice, or smoothie (this is the "meat" of the dish, now). Make sure to incorporate ample oranges, too (sweet potatoes, carrots, squash). A great salt substitution is Kelp Flakes or Dulse, both of which contain iodine. And use generous amounts of aliums (onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, etc)!
More important than your greens is your water. Drink LOTS of it! Your body can't eliminate the toxins you're leeching out without water to flush out your system! How much is "lots?" Easy!
Divide your weight in half. This is the number of ounces of water you need each day, if you are sedentary.
For example: I weigh 110 lbs. I need 55 oz. of water daily. I currently drink around 60, because my job requires physical activity and I do yoga twice a week. This is not strenuous, and I rarely break a sweat. If I did, I would need more.
Use your best judgement. If you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. A good friend of mine (a trail guide in the desert) once told me that, if you are properly hydrated, you should always be able to pee. Not that you should always have to go to the bathroom, but if your mother asked you to "sit down and count to ten" (as mine used to), something would come out. If it doesn't, drink more water.
Tea is not water. It's a "fun" supplement to the detox that in part serves as an antioxidant, and also to keep things interesting for your taste buds. Feel free to use lemon and modest amounts of local, organic honey.
But I can use salt if I want to, right? I don't see it on your list. (It's going to kill me not to eat eggs. I'm going to spend 10 days yawning.)
ReplyDeleteWhat about vitamin supplements - you know, Centrum-type vitamins?
That is, some salt.
ReplyDeleteSome salt, yes, is fine. But try other things first. Like garlic, onions, kelp, dulse, tamari, soy sauce, or even Bragg's Liquid Aminos.
ReplyDeleteBecause you are an O blood type, you'll need to really tune into your protein. Make sure you are eating plenty of nuts, nut butters, beans, and lentils every day. I know you don't care for tofu, but try tempeh - you won't have any pre-conceived expectations for texture or flavor. It has a nice grainy texture and absorbs the flavors of whatever it's cooked with. Smoked Tempeh (an existing flavor) makes for an excellent BLT and is great on a salad, in lieu of bacon bits. I will also send you my TuNo Salad recipe, made with almonds and nori (seaweed). If you smear some fake tuna on some sprouted grain bread, with lettuce and tomato, you should feel pretty full and energized.
If, by the end of the 3rd day, you feel like you're fading and lacking something essential, bring the eggs back. As long as they are organic and free-range (legitimately - like from a local farmer), they are harmless.