Gentle Fall Food Cleanse

Either go with the set time for the cleanse or pick any time period that works for you, perhaps 40, 30, 20, 10 or even less days to commit to this cleanse.  Ending just before before Thanksgiving works really great.  If the time period you have picked looks like it will conflict with your travel plans, entertaining guests etc..., then pick a block of time that works for you.

Here are some recipe pages here, here, here to support you through this cleanse. Although many of the recipes on these pages will work for the cleanse some will not. Watch out for items in any of the recipes of the referred websites, which may be on the Excluded Food list below for this specific cleanse. Refer to the list and modify recipe if necessary. You can also google for other recipes that work with this cleanse.

Enjoy a flexible approach to this cleanse including any of the below foods, which includes seasonal, green, yogic and simple comfort foods.  All are excellent for your digestion and health. With either approach, this cleanse will help bring about a shift of awareness with food in your life, enjoy some healthier choices, renew your digestive system and help you lighten up.

The beneficial results of this cleanse will vary per individual.

Green Foods & Recipes

Seasonal Foods & Recipes

Mung Beans & Rice Cleansing Page

Other Food Choices

Pre-packaged Foods That Work

Dessert Blogs with Recipes Ideas

What to Exclude

Weaning Yourself Off Meat, Poultry, Fish & Eggs, Wheat, Sugar, Coffee, Soda /Diet Soda

Green Foods:

Although the guidelines for this cleanse are pretty open, the theme of this special Gentle Fall Cleanse is to eat whole foods, here are some ideas to get more green foods in this cleanse:

• steams
• salads
• green soups
• avocados
• pepitas & pistachios
• extra virgin olive oil
• list of some Green Foods
• check out the Green Recipe & Green Meal/Snack Idea Page
• Excellent Yogi Tea Recipes from this site

Seasonal Foods & Recipes:

 In addition to green, you can eat "Fall Seasonal Foods", including but not limited to:

• Fall squashes
• Fall vegetables
• nuts (soaking before eating helps digestion)
• apples
• figs
• persimmons
• cranberries
• pomegranates
• pomegranate juice
• fall foods list
• some fall foods recipes & more

The fall season is when eating warmer and heavier foods nurtures the body and comforts the spirit. You can choose  Green, Seasonal or opt for the other food choices listed below and use the main recipe webpage to help (just be sure you avoid the Excluded Foods list below - you can improvise using the Other Food Choices list below to replace). This cleanse is much more flexible than a Springtime de-tox cleanse, yet highly beneficial, grounding and good for your digestion due to the variety of healthy green, seasonal and comfort food choices available. In addition, it is encouraged to drink more water per day, 6-8 classes throughout the day is good and get your proper rest when cleansing. Remember to take your vitamins/herbs.  If you slip off this cleanse, there is no reason to feel guilty, just get back on the train and keep up!

Bringing awareness to your eating habits is key. Choose those whole earth foods from the ground and organic whenever possible. Organic is recommended, but not always possible, do your best.  Shop at your local Farmer's Market to find organics.  This cleanse works well if you plan ahead.  Whether it is soaking your beans, marinating tofu or prepping veggies ahead of time before that next meal. It also helps to make a list of what you will be eating one week ahead of time for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Do your best and try to maintain smaller portions. Remember this is a cleanse and not to overdue any one thing. On the other hand, you should not go hungry either. There are many choices on this cleanse and it should not be a problem to find something you like to eat, especially if you are able to plan ahead.  If you know you are leaving the house, pack a healthy snack, yogurt, banana, apple, raisins, cottage cheese and fruit, tofu squares, rice crackers, nut butter, trail mix or a fruit leather, the sky is the limit. You can be creative. 

Watch your salt intake, you need salt, but do less than you would normally do.  Don't go out of your way to salt your food or add half of what you would normally add.  Start chewing slower and taste the natural flavors already built into the food.  Let your digestive enzymes work for you doing a  better job than normal because you are chewing your food slowly and thoroughly before swallowing.Remember your stomach has no teeth. Your taste buds will change, adapt and become more sensitive to the natural flavor of food. 

Other Food Choices:

In addition to "Green and Seasonal", this Gentle Fall Food Cleanse also includes a variety of other foods, some even can be classified as comfort foods (do organic when possible):

• all wheat-free grains with the exception of Spelt and Kamut. Read here about spelt and here. Although spelt is considered an ancient wheat and contains gluten, it works for this cleanse due to it's nutritional absorption abilities and allergy/pesticide resistant qualities. Kamut also has similar qualities. Also read here about Kamut, here and here. See below where to purchase pre-packaged rice, spelt and kamut bread and cereal type products and in addition check out the recipe page.
• all nuts/seeds and nut butters (except peanut) - (check out the Tahini Sauce/Dressing recipe)
• all fruits and vegetables cooked, raw or dried (try to choose seasonal ones first and organic)
• all dry beans (any you choose)
• organic tofu, tempeh, TVP
• noodles made from rice, quinoa, kamut, spelt etc...
• rice crackers, corn tortillas, spelt tortillas, rice paper wraps (dip in warm water & wrap)
• onions, ginger, garlic (the trinity roots)
• spices, herbs, carob, raw chocolate (lightly sweetened) - check out raw chocolate's benefits & recipes here & here & here & here & here & here
• conscious desserts w/ small amounts of natural sweetener
• small amounts of extra virgin olive, ghee (clarified butter), sesame oil or your choice of heart healthy oil.
• small amounts of hormone free dairy milk, goat, almond, rice, soy, hemp milk in soups, teas, shakes, sauces etc...
• small amounts of plain yogurt (homemade if possible)
• small amounts of cottage cheese
• small amounts of soft goat, paneer, or crumbled cheese such as feta, gorgonzola, cotija, queso fresco
• small amounts of honey, maple syrup, agave, brown rice syrup, stevia, molasses or other low glycemic natural sweetener that is healthier than processed sugar.

Pre-Packaged Foods That Work:

Rely on these only when you have no time to cook from scratch for yourself using whole earth foods and buy the less fat/sodium varieties when possible:

• Pacific Bakery has spelt/kamut bread products at your health food store
• Rudi's Bakery has organic spelt bread, burger and hot dog buns and tortillas - you can usually find at the health food store.

• Food for Life Rice Bread, found at your health food store
• For online orders try Grindstone Bakery for spelt/kamut bread
• Baked Rice Crackers
• Eggless Egg Salad (at Trader Joes. Also lots of recipes on the web here's an easy fat-free one, feel free to google for more)
• Amy's Foods - Amy's now has a special-diets web page displaying gluten & dairy free symbols with links to their products so you can read the ingredients on-line - here's what I can see they have: Bistro Burger, Shepard's Pie, Rice Crust Spinach Pizza, Tofu Scramble, Black Bean Enchilada, reg., lo-sodium, family & whole-meal, Brown Rice & Veggie Bowl, Black-Eyed Pea & Veggie Bowl/reg. & lo-sodium, most of Amy's soups/chile/refries/salsa/pasta sauce with some lo-sodium choices, Asian & Thai Stir Frys, Indian Veggie Korma and the Mexican Tamale Pie. Wow that's alot of choices!!
• Brown Rice Tortillas by Food for Life - (Also found at Trader Joes) - They have spelt tortillas too or make your own spelt tortillas
• Chipotle Pepper Hummus, plain and other flavors - Found at Trader Joes, health food stores, regular grocery markets (watch for the sodium content)
• Pastas made with quinoa, rice & spelt (found at most health food stores, TJ's, Rice noodles at Asian stores - read about them at the Whole Foods website

Dessert Blogs With Recipe Ideas

Maple Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

Pina Colada Cream Pie

http://sweetandnatural.wordpress.com/recipes/

 
http://www.whole-body-detox-diet.com/sugar-free-recipes.html

http://www.elder-one-stop.com/healthy-dessert.html
 

Excluded Foods:

• meat
• poultry
• fish
• eggs
• cheese, cream, butter (see exceptions for dairy above)
• peanuts
• wheat (all about and websites for recipes & tips - spelt & kamut are ok for this cleanse)
• refined sugar, hi-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners etc..
• deep-fried foods, hydrogenated oils
• junk foods, processed candy, high sugar cookies, cakes, sweets, pre-packaged hi-sugar/salt products, etc...
• unhealthy processed foods, all deep-fried chips, all food dyes, all hydrogenated oils, etc...
• diet/non-diet sodas, coffee, no alcohol
• chocolate (with raw chocolate being an exception) - check out raw chocolate's benefits & recipes here & here & here & here & here & here & here

Weaning Yourself Off:

To wean yourself off meat, poultry, fish & eggs: Click here for tips how and some reasons why

Concerned about your Vitamin B12, check this out:  http://www.bestnaturalfoods.com/nutritional_yeast.html

To wean yourself off sugar:

If it's sugar cravings you are having trouble with, eat more protein and hopefully your sugar cravings will taper off. You are trying to break an addiction so lessening the quantity and improving the quality of the type of sweetener you are using will help you. Replace refined sugar with non-refined type sugars honey, maple syrup, agave, brown rice syrup, fructose, stevia, molasses

To wean yourself off coffee:

If you are coming off of coffee, then gently break your addiction by using black tea to transition off. A few days before the cleanse or when you start the cleanse brew two black tea bags in the morning for three minutes and drink. Do this for two days and then just brew one black tea bag the third and fourth day. Then switch to an Oolong or Green Tea and then eventually to a decaf tea and then herbal when ready.

To wean yourself off sodas diet/non diet:

If you are hooked on sugar/caffeine and/or diet soda, especially diet soda (read about the dangerous, unhealthy and highly addictive qualities of Nutra-Sweet/Aspartame, here's even more info about problems with Aspartame and see all the links.  So cut down slowly and give yourself lots of love while doing so. If you are drinking three or more per day, cut it down to two and drink extra water in between to help your cleansing process. Eventually cutting it down to one. Tell yourself if you are able to eliminate it completely in two to three weeks, you can treat yourself to a massage and do it because you deserve it! Hopefully as you build awareness with healthier eating, it will naturally lessen your consumption of soft drinks.

See about making an appointment for more support and discussion on food options for this cleanse below.

The suggestions within this Gentle Fall Cleanse are not medical advice. Consulting with your health practitioner is advisable before starting any food cleanse or diet modification. If you choose to participate in this cleanse, it is at your own risk.