Clean Program Information

I am now on Day 11 of the Clean Program Cleanse. I am at half way point! I am feeling pretty good during the day and love how my body is operating without all the added sugar, gluten, and dairy that I was consuming way too much of. Plus all the other ick from processed foods, fast foods, etc. 

You can see how I am doing with my video from today:

Inflammation is such a key to health right now. So many diseases are being linked to it. The best way to remove inflammation from the body is to stop eating inflammatory foods and bring in those that have have an alkalizing effect. 

I just picked up the Clean Gut book by Dr. Alejandro Junger and I am really looking forward to reading it. There are some differences between it and the Clean Program cleanse. The cleanse is meant as a detox to remove toxins and allergens from the body, while the Clean Gut is focused on healing an irritated and injured gut to help with chronic disease and illness. 

I know just from preliminary research that it can be difficult to do this 21 day plan as a vegetarian, as beans are on the exclude list. You can have lentils, quinoa, and eggs however. Which I have seen some really great recipes for eggs lately that sound amazing. Can you tell I am missing them?

This morning for breakfast I had a pineapple and blueberry smoothie. It was a good combination of fruit. Also good with pineapple is unsweetened coconut with coconut milk. I always start with a base of water (a cup), almond or coconut milk (half a cup), a handful of spinach, a tablespoon of almond butter, a tablespoon or two of ground flax seeds or chia seeds, and a scoop of protein powder. You can also add in coconut oil, an avocado, and other greens such as kale or chard. 

For lunch today I am going to make my favorite Chickpea Salad Wraps. If you are making them clean remember to use stoneground mustard and a brown rice wrap. It is also good without the wrap if you don’t have one or you could put wrap it in a piece of lettuce. 

Dinner last night was some pureed veggie, brown rice, and lentil soup. I have some leftover, so that will be dinner tonight. It is a cold and windy day here, so it is all about warmth. Hot tea is an absolute must. I am also planning on doing some baking this afternoon. I’ll let you know tomorrow what I made and what recipe I used.

Looking for Clean Recipes? I’ve created a Clean Pinterest board that you can follow.

Thank you again for following along. I welcome your questions and comments down below!

Day 10 of doing the Clean Program cleanse is here and I am so happy to be in double digits. I have definitely settled into a routine. One big bummer of choosing now to do the cleanse is my daughter has the next week off from school and that will make planning meals if we do any day trips a bit tricky. 

I am also very much in need of a grocery shopping trip to pick up some greens. Salad greens, kale, cucumbers (okay technically not a green but really great for juicing) are all lacking here. Today for lunch I did a repeat of the Beans and Greens pasta from yesterday. I often find that I will do the same lunch two days in the row because of leftovers or having the right ingredients. It is definitely a time saver for sure. 

I was also craving some non-clean things like pizza. It is hard to give up ooey and gooey things that have a certain chewiness factor. Which means I will probably be in my kitchen making some kind of clean friendly muffins tomorrow. Always good to have around for when those cravings hit. I’m thinking pumpkin based sounds really good. Plus you can freeze them and just pull one out in the morning to thaw or pop it in the toaster oven. Some kind of savory one could be good too.

Just a short update today. I’ll see you tomorrow for day 11!

Being in the second week of the Clean Program cleanse I think is pretty easy. You have gotten over the feeling of being deprived of all your favorite things, you have settled into a rhythm of what works in your smoothies, what to eat for lunch, and just how to say no to all the tempting things. Here is how I am doing on Day 9:

Sleep is a big issue for me. As I said in the video, I am a huge night owl. There is always one more email to read, show to watch, row of knitting to do, etc. Before I know it, it is much later than I expected it to be. I work from home, but I don’t have the luxury of being able to sleep in. I have to get my daughter to school, so that means an early wake up call.

I have been getting some really great nights of sleep though. Other than the one night last week, I have been sleeping very soundly and feeling rested when I wake up. That is definitely a nice benefit of cleansing and detoxing. It also helps to pass the time of the twelve hour window of fasting.  My advice is to try and get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. It is so important!

Today I made a Beans and Greens pasta for lunch. It is one of my favorite meals to make at home and Clean friendly. I used a rice and quinoa pasta, lacinato kale, cannellini beans, garlic, and fresh lemon juice.  So easy and delicious!

Dinner was on the run tonight, so I made a smoothie early and brought it with me. Luckily the weather is pretty cold here, so leaving it in the car was fine. I have been known to bring a smoothie with me in a cooler when the weather is warmer though. 

Have you done the Clean Program cleanse? What have you done when your evening meal was during hours that you were out of the house? Please share in the comments below. I would love to hear your ideas!

I’m happy to say that I am now on Day 8 of the Clean Program Cleanse. I missed posting for three days, but really they were pretty uneventful. Which is a good thing. Here is how I am feeling today:

Saturday my daughter had ballet rehearsal and I usually spend the morning at the dance studio. I brought along my smoothie and some hot green tea. It is pretty cold in Michigan right now, so I’ve been really cognizant of making sure that I am drinking plenty of water along with my tea. 

I mentioned in my video that it can be difficult to eat out while doing the Clean Program Cleanse, but it is certainly not impossible. Find a vegetarian restaurant in your area at the Happy Cow directory. Many will either have something on their menu or be able to accommodate you. There is a great vegan and raw restaurant near me that has a wonderful salad with “creamy” dressings made from cashews instead of dairy. I’m looking forward to enjoying one for lunch during the cleanse. Otherwise get a green salad from a restaurant with clean approved veggies, chickpeas or beans, and ask for some lemon wedges and olive oil to make your own dressing. If you are not eating vegan for the clean you could also add salmon or chicken.

Sunday my daughter and I went to the movies. It was so sad to pass on the popcorn and candy, but I did bring in my own snack and went with a bottled water. I know it is not likely to happen but I would love to see a movie theater allow you to bring an empty reusable water bottle in and provide a bottle filler. 

For dinner on Sunday I made a very basic vegetable, brown rice, and lentil soup for dinner. I sautéed an onion, a clove of garlic, stalk of celery, a carrot, broccoli in a pan then added vegetable broth, brown rice, and red lentils. I cooked for about 30-35 minutes until the rice and lentils were done and then pureed with my submersible blender. It was delicious and hearty. 

Monday I started off the day with a smoothie and by lunch I was wanting something different. I have a favorite locally made hummus that is Clean friendly and I spread some on a brown rice wrap, then added spinach and shredded carrots for a quick lunch. I was hoping to add an avocado but I didn’t have any ripe ones.

Today is now Tuesday and I am so glad that the first week flew by with just a few minor days of adjustment. As I mentioned in my video above, I am feeling so much better after saying goodbye to sugar, dairy, and gluten. My energy level feels pretty good, my intestinal system is working much better (ahem), I’ve shed a few pounds, and my skin is clearing of some acne that I still deal with in my late 30s along with some eczema. 

Today for lunch I think I am going to do a repeat of yesterday and I am also planning on raiding my fridge to make a great green juice for a mid afternoon snack. I’ll let you know what I come up with.

As I mentioned on my video I would love to know if you are doing Clean or if you have done it. Let me know any stumbling blocks that you may be having. Or any tips that you would love to share. Comment down below. Thanks!

Today I woke up feeling so much better than yesterday. Those first few days of detox can be really rough. I think if you can get through the first three days of the Clean Program Cleanse, then it is much smoother sailing. Here is how I am feeling today:

Today I made myself the Creamy Avocado Pasta from yesterday with my leftover avocado half. I always leave the pit in, place it in a container, and put it in the fridge. Usually the second half of an avocado will keep nicely for at least one night.

Then I was off to do some volunteer work. This was a tricky day to manage. The timing of of my volunteer shift meant that I had to pack some clean friendly snacks and that I might be getting home for dinner a bit late. I brought along some fresh raspberries, brown rice cakes, and some almond butter cookies (that I had made yesterday). You can find both recipes in my post from Day 3. 

It was also Valentine’s Day! Oh all the chocolate and yummy goodness that I had to pass up. It was tricky and I wish that I had planned ahead and ordered some chocolate from Gnosis Chocolate. Most of their chocolate bars and truffles are clean friendly (and delicious!). Temptation is tricky while doing the cleanse and it can be hard to feel left out. Planning ahead is definitely the key though. There are so many recipes and treats out there that you can have during the Clean Program, that it makes it easier. 

For dinner tonight I had another smoothie because I simply did not have time to make soup. Being winter I am definitely leaning toward finishing the day with some warm soup. I’ve also found a nice cup of warm herbal tea while curled up on the couch is great. 

Normally I spend the evening either reading a book, watching a little bit of tv, or doing some knitting with a glass of wine. That can be a tough habit to give up, but I have not really missed the wine. Right now I am really enjoying watching the Olympics. All that cold makes the wine unappealing! 🙂 

This weekend is shaping up to be a busy one, so I am unsure if I will be updating on things are going. If not look for me early next week. As always I welcome your questions and comments!