Beauty Detox, Day 1!

I'm sure lots of us have made "get healthy" one of our new year's resolutions, so I thought I'd share a little detox that I'm doing, as I often get asked what I eat!

The answer is, plenty; I don't calorie-count, but in case you like to know that kind of stuff, about 2000-2500 calories per day. The trick is to get the calories from fresh fibre-rich food that works with you rather than against you ;) I like Kimberly Snyder's healthy mostly-vegan approach and use it as a template, personalised for me by my London nutritionist, Juliette Scarfe.

I aim to detox very strictly for the whole of January. I won't be doing anything terribly different from what I usually do, just being a little stricter than usual ;) After all, I think it's better to do a little "detoxing" every day, with good food, natural skincare and exercise, rather than yoyo-ing between treating your body terribly and doing one of those extreme juice fasts, or something. Nothing against juice, I just think that 99% of people (myself included!) aren't healthy enough to suddenly start "eating" that way for a week or more without feeling really ill. Besides, I like solid food!

I'm not going to report back with what I eat every day or anything terminally dull like that, just provide an example of what I might eat on a typical "good" day.

Hopefully I will make every day in January a "good" day, but even if I slip a few times, I'll get right back on the horse :)

My goals are to:

• increase my energy levels after a rather lethargic December
• maintain healthy skin and hair
• support my exercise regime

On waking

1. 1 cup warm/ hot (not boiling) water with Himalayan pink salts and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
2. 1 pint of lemon water with probiotic, vitamin and mineral supplements
3. Workout DVD: alternating cardio with Pilates each morning, and yoga on Sunday mornings :)
4. Bareskin Beauty Clarifying Serum, toner spray and day cream.

Breakfast
The most important meal of the day! :) 1.5 pints of Glowing Green Smoothie. I also add raw ginger and coconut oil to the mix for extra skin-boosting and energy :)

If I'm still hungry or have a day or shooting in cold temperatures ahead of me, I follow this 20 minutes later with a bowl of homemade almond milk porridge, sweetened with cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins.

Mid-morning
Homemade organic almond milk cappuccino or chai latte dusted with cinnamon, with an organic banana


Lunch

1. Starter: nettle and peppermint tea, digestive enzyme capsule, big mixed salad with a homemade vegan dressing or just extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar, with some fresh or dried herbs and spices
2. Entrée: fresh veg, lightly steamed, stir-fried in coconut oil or lightly softened in a homemade soup, with sweet potato, jacket potato drizzled in olive oil and black pepper, quinoa, gluten-free spaghetti, sushi rice or soba noodles
3. Dessert: 74% dark chocolate, as much as I like!

Mid-afternoon
Dandelion or roobis tea with a whole avocado, sliced in half and sprinkled with Himalayan pink salt or naturally dried sea salt. This is one of my favourite snacks!


Dinner

1. Starter: nettle and peppermint tea, digestive enzyme capsule, big mixed salad with a homemade oil-free dressing or just fresh lemon juice, lime juice or apple cider vinegar, with some fresh or dried herbs and spices
2. Entrée: fresh veg, lightly steamed, stir-fried in tamari soy sauce water or lightly softened in a homemade soup, with a homemade nut pâté, three bean salad or some soaked seeds sprinkled in.
3. Dessert: 74% dark chocolate, a Nakd bar, or if I fancy something savoury/ cheesy, some avocado slice sprinkled with nutritional yeast and Himalayan pink salt or homemade courgette houmous on organic brown rice cakes

Late evening (no later than 8pm)
Organic carrot sticks or raw kale chips with a cup of dandelion or roobis tea. I add a heaped teaspoon of xylitol to my tea if I fancy a sweet taste. If I'm feeling really cosy, I make almond milk cocoa sweetened with xylitol, yum yum!


Bedtime

• Bareskin Beauty Clay Cleansing Mask, toner spray and night cream
• Immunity Detox Tea, which is pieces of raw ginger brewed in a cup of hot water for a couple of minutes, followed by adding freshly squeezed lemon juice and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. It's wonderfully tasty and warming, like hot ginger beer, and amazing for your skin as well as your immune system!

As you can see, I don't put any restrictions on myself when it comes to portion sizes- I'm happy to eat healthy food until I feel satisfied- after all, hunger is a sign that you're missing out on some nutrients. Plus, it sucks :)

I know this was a rather long blog, but I thought it would be nice to help motivate anyone who is planning on doing something similar this month, as well as myself, when I re-read it!

Happy, healthy new year, friends :)

Anita xx