WELLPOINT NUTRACEUTICALS DETOXIFICATION PROGRAM
DETOXIFICATION: QUICK CLEANSE-
FEEL BETTER IN ONE MONTH OR LESS
How long has it been since you felt truly great? Stop for a moment and take inventory of how you feel RIGHT NOW.
Are you:
TIRED
BLOATED
MOODY
FLABBY
ACHY
SPACED-OUT
Do your clothes fit a little tighter than you might like? Are you suffering from ALLERGIES or CHEMICAL SENSITIVITIES?
Are you so used to feeling “off” that it now feels normal? If so, let me tell you how you can feel better in just one month or less.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. It’s that simple. Of course diet is not the only factor- getting to the root of health issues is complicated. A fundamental piece of the puzzle is diet related.
You need to eliminate dietary “clutter” that is taxing your digestive, endocrine, and immune systems and slowing your metabolism.
You can quickly determine which foods fuel your biochemistry and which ones fuel YOUR UNIQUE biochemistry and which ones get in your way. The reward will be increased energy and focus, clearer skin, more efficient digestion, and improved muscle-to-fat ratio- you may even lose weight.
QUICK CLEANSE is based on the same eating plan we recommend to all of our patients – with resounding success.
Most of us do not recognize how big an obstacle TOXINS can be to hormonal balance.
The CLEANSING PLAN is simple and can be customized to suit your comfort level. Changing eating habits can be discouraging, difficult and confusing at first-which is why many conventional doctors don’t go there.
If you have been trying to make healthy choices but just can’t make sense of being off-balance, a DETOX DIET might just be what you need to help flush and prime your system for a fresh start.
So take it slowly-and DON’T GIVE UP-
How a QUICK DETOX DIET works:
This plan helps turn down the noise in your body and frees up your immune system to deal with other, potentially more hazardous concerns- like viruses, accelerated aging, or unchecked cell division.
You will be eating whole foods, simply prepared, and supplementing with proprietary therapeutic herbal formulations, and probiotics. This regimen allows your upper GI Tract to cleanse, rest and restore itself, which in turn boosts your liver’s ability to detox efficiently, quiets inflammation, heals the lower gut, revs up metabolic fire, cleanses the colon, and reminds your body to burn fat, not sugar, for fuel.
NO DIET IS A CURE-ALL….In fact we don’t like the word diet by itself, because it brings to mind fads and self-deprivation, and in our experience most diets of that nature just do not work. The science of weight loss is so much more complex and variable with the individual than we ever previously thought, it wouldn’t surprised us if traditional dieting becomes a thing of the past.
Everyone’s biochemistry is different, multiple factors come into play in a successful cleansing plan, including your age and genetic profile, the degree of inflammation in your body, hormonal balance, including estrogen and thyroid levels, hydration, exercise, rest- and above all, you liver’s ability to detoxify. But it’s safe to say that stress, environmental exposure, poor exercise habits, and suboptimal nutrition begin to take their toll on women (and men) universally by the time try reach their late 30’s to early 40’s. An improved diet and nutritional supplementation can undo much of the damage wrought by our modern lifestyle. To really flush your system you will need to identify which foods are optimal for your individual “blueprint” – and which are best avoided. This is what the Quick-Cleanse Diet is all about.
HORMONE BALANCE and DETOX
Healthy hormone balance is a delicate dance that requires our bodies to remain flexible in how readily they make hormones available. Compared to other hormones such as progesterone and DHEA, estrogen levels need to be tightly regulated for the ‘choreography’ to run as smoothly as Mother Nature intended – even small excesses or deficiencies of estrogen can have huge effects on your well-being. A healthy liver metabolizes estrogen rapidly into the more benign of its metabolites. When the liver is bogged down with detoxing medications, environmental chemicals, and harmful substances from food and drink, it can over-metabolize estrogen into its less desirable forms, which can pose a real threat to your health if allowed to accumulate. Our quick Detox-Cleanse regimen relieves much of the toxic burden on your liver so that it can resume its proper role in hormone regulation.
Stubborn weight gain, PMS, fatigue, GI issues, joint pain and muscle aches, increased food sensitivities and mood irregularities are just a handful of the many diet-related symptoms that can worsen and diversify with hormonal imbalance. The Quick-Cleanse/Detox plan can help your hormonal symptoms, and may put an end to your discomfort altogether.
Don’t be surprised if you feel fatigued in the early days as your body works to eliminate the toxins your liver, gut, and body fat have been accumulating. If you give your organs time to cleanse themselves, by the end of two weeks, you’ll be feeling more alive in your own skin, energized and focused- and experiencing less pain and improved digestion. You will be more in tune with the requirements and rhythms of your own body.
BLOOD SUGAR and DETOXING
This is not a calorie – restricted plan. You may eat as much as you want of the recommended foods at each level, UNLESS – and this is a distinction we encourage you to make for yourself before you begin – you have a tendency toward insulin resistance or hypoglycemia, in which case you would do better if you limit your carbohydrates to around 60 g per day. These two conditions fall along the same metabolic continuum, and because they impact the hormone insulin, can foil you best detox efforts if not taken into consideration.
So, if you notice you have symptoms of insulin resistance, or if you get the shakes if you haven’t eaten for a while, in our opinion – even if you haven’t been diagnosed – its quite likely you have insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. Then if you have too much rice or quinoa and not enough protein, that’s a big problem for many women. If on the other hand you stick to low-glycemic load meals, with three to four ounces of protein at most meals and about half for snacks, and mind your carbs, your blood sugars will generally remain stable.
You don’t need to get fanatic about counting carbs in general – we’re really talking more about the carbs from grains. That’s where more of the problem lies, especially if you’re trying to detox at the same time your system is struggling with hormonal imbalance- remember, insulin is a major hormone.
QUICK-CLEANSE-DETOX GUIDELINES
The basic idea of the Quick-Cleanse plan is to progressively remove certain foods and food categories from your diet for a minimum of two weeks, then phase them back in and monitor how you feel. The goal for the minimum of two weeks is to bring your biochemistry closer to baseline. As you reintroduce certain foods, you will have an undiluted reaction and be better to judge their overall effect on you.
While on Quick-Cleanse, we recommend that you eat three balanced meals and two snacks every day. We suggest eating your snacks at mid-morning and mid-afternoon. To simplify life while you’re on the plan, shop ahead to the degree you are able, and clear a special place in your refrigerator and kitchen shelves for your foods.
THESE ARE GENERAL GUIDELINES:
Eat at least 3- 4 ounces of lean protein with every meal and 1 -2 ounces with each snack
Plan for meals and snacks with a low glycemic load, and favor the complex carbohydrates found in fresh fruits over those in grains, unless you are working out regularly (more than 4 days a week). As explained above, if you are one of the many women who have symptoms of insulin resistance or hypoglycemia, aim for a carbohydrate intake of approximately 60 grams per day (about 15 grams per meal and 7 grams per snack). Otherwise, there are no set restrictions in numbers-focus instead on the principles
Use oils with a high smoke point for cooking. Grape seed oil is our favorite, but there are many other good choices. Extra virgin olive oil and flax seed oil are good choices for dressings. Store all oils in a cool, dark location.
Do not skip meals. Your body burns fuel during the day when you are busy and stressed, so that’s the best time to give it the nutrients it needs.
Do not eat after 7:00 P.M. This will allow your digestive system to rest while you sleep.
Drink 8 to ten 8 oz. glasses (at least 1.5 l.) of pure filtered water each day.
Take a good multivitamin with calcium and magnesium. We also recommend omega -3 fatty acids and a minimum of 500mg. of vitamin C daily. Eat or drink something nutritious when taking your supplements (both multivitamin and herbal formulations) to aid absorption, and be sure to drink at least one big glass of water with them. This approach will prevent the stomach upset some women experience with supplements.
Take a fiber supplement each morning and evening. We recommend buying whole organic flax seeds and a small coffee grinder to grind them up fresh. Sprinkle ground flax seeds on breakfast porridge, soups, salads, or steamed veggies. They are a delicious source of fiber and alpha-linolenic acid
You will also need a good probiotic twice a day, 30 minutes before eating or according to directions.
Do some form of gentle exercise each day. We suggest 30-45 minutes of walking. If you find you are hungry, eat a piece of fruit (or any other recommended foods) before or after your work-out.
If you can, try to go to bed by 10:00 pm. This is not imperative, but it will help your body detoxify by reestablishing a natural circadian rhythm, which in turn will help smooth out your hormonal cycles. After two weeks you’ll notice that you sleep better and have more energy through the day, when you need it.
FOODS TO EXCLUDE
A set of three tables listing foods to exclude, ranging from less strict to very strict, follows. We encourage you to customize what you eliminate according to your own emotional and physical comfort level.
Depending on your preferences, you can approach an elimination diet form one of two ways: either beginning at LEVEL III (most restrictive) and becoming less strict over two weeks, or vise versa, beginning at LEVEL I and eliminating more foods (becoming more strict) as you progress. Trust your intuition on this, and don’t be afraid to experiment a little. The important thing is not to give up if you don’t get overnight results.
In general terms, we have found that the stricter you are, the more quickly you will see results-but you may also feel worse before you feel better, and we realize this approach isn’t right for everybody. Some of the symptoms that can arise in the first week as your body rids itself of stored-up toxins and fat include headaches, increased fatigue, depressed mood, nausea, lightheadedness, joint or muscle stiffness, and changes in GI function. This is normal, so do your best to stick with it. If you don’t make it the full 14 days or more the first time, don’t beat yourself up; just resolve to go a little longer next time. GOOD HEALTH IS AN EVOLVING PROCESS.
LEVEL I- LEAST RESTRICTIVE, ELIMINATE THE FOLLOWING………
ALCOHOL
PACKAGED AND PROCESSED FOODS ( good rule of thumb: if it has more than three ingredients on the label, don’t buy it.)
CAFFEINE
CHOCOLATE AND COCOA
CONDIMENTS: ketchup, relish, chutney, barbecue sauce, teriyaki and soy sauce
FATS: shortening, margarine, processed oils
GRAINS: wheat, spelt, barley, kamut, triticale, corn
JUICES THAT ARE NOT FRESH OR RAW
PEANUTS
PROCESSED MEATS: canned meats, cold cuts, sausage
SALT, in excess
SHELLFISH
SOY AND SOYBEAN PRODUCTS: tofu, tempeh, soy sauce
SOFT DRINKS
SWEETENERS: refined sugar/white sugar (sucrose), brown sugar, evaporated cane juice, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, barley malt
LEVEL 11
BEEF AND VEAL
DAIRY, INCLUDING BUTTER
MAYONNAISE and mayonnaise like spreads
NIGHTSHADE VEGTABLES: tomatoes, eggplant, peppers
NUTS AND SEEDS
SALAD DRESSINGS
LEVEL III
CITRUS FRUITS (except lemon, if it agrees with you)
EGG YOLKS
HIGH GLYCEMIC-INDEX FRUITS: bananas, dates, figs, grapes, pineapple, raisins, watermelon
VINEGARS
MUSTARDS
FOODS TO ENJOY
One recommendation we make to all women and their families, but especially to anyone on an elimination diet, is to buy organic and locally grown food whenever possible, and to always wash produce thoroughly. Do not eat fruit or anything else with mold on it.
The best lean protein is boneless, skinless chicken and turkey breast and egg whites (preferably free-range, organic, and antibiotic-free). Certain fish are okay, such as smaller ocean species like sardines and mackerel, and white fish such as flounder or cod. Grass-fed organic beef is acceptable in limited amounts (no more than 10 ounces per week). We also recommend buying brown rice protein powder to blend into filling smoothies.
Beans and legumes are a great choice to add bulk and lean protein, whether you are vegetarian or not. You may also eat steamed brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, wild rice and millet. These grains are whole, complex carbohydrates that can provide a steady supply of energy throughout the day- especially when combined with legumes or other protein complements.
Vegetables are fairly limitless in possibilities. Green leafy vegetables are particularly know for their cleansing, alkalinizing properties and have been prized for centuries for flushing toxins in plant-based healing cultures. Along with their detoxing qualities, richly colored veggies are loaded with phytonutrients that can help reset healthy cell-signaling for insulin regulation, creating a more responsive endocrine system and over-all hormonal balance.
Seasoning is another way to add infinite variety and antioxidants to the foods you choose for your detox diet. There are hundreds of botanical nutrients in spices and seasonings such as garlic, ginger, cinnamon and turmeric whose antioxidant and toxin-gobbling action in the body we’re only just beginning to understand. So buy and use fresh spices whenever you can, or grow and grind your own.
Snacking is heartily encouraged on the elimination diet-but you may have to rethink your idea of what makes a good snack. Half a steamed chicken breast with snap-peas? Almond butter and rice cakes? You may need to add an extra snack, especially if you work out, or are simply famished. Listen to your body. There is no rule that says you can have only two snacks each day.
This may seem like a trivial thing, but we have also found that something as simple as varying the texture and colour of your foods, can play a huge role in how satisfied you feel.
HINTS FOR SUCCESS
The Quick-Cleanse plan is not without its challenges. Food is an emotional thing. Do your best and don’t get down on yourself. If you mange to cut out even two potential offenders in two weeks, you’ve done yourself some good.
PRE-SHOP Shop ahead for all of your detox/elimination diet foods and supplements.
LIMIT ENTERTAINING, GOING OUT TO EAT AND PARTYING
BE HONEST: Tell your friends and family about what you are trying ot do. Ask them for their active support- you may be surprised how inspiring you can be.
JOURNALING Schedule a time each evening to write and chart your progress, including any difficulties and symptoms. This will help you notice improvements.
ENLIST A FRIEND: Have a friend join you in the cleansing/detox program and pre-arrange special treats to enjoy together- a daily walk, yoga class, or weekend shopping expedition.
REWARD YOURSELF: Think of your absolutely favorite (non-food) things to do. Enjoy at least one every day.
GET ADEQUATE REST This is especially important when your system is ridding itself of toxins. If you’re inclined and have the time, go ahead and luxuriate in the occasional nap. This and other practices that quiet the nervous system such as yoga and meditation, can be very cleansing and restorative. Again, if you can try to turn in by 10:00 pm to give all your organs time to rest and replenish through the night.
BREATHE !!!!!!!
PHASING FOOD BACK IN
Once you hit the two-week mark, pat yourself on the back. Hopefully you will be feeling significantly better. If you want to continue the plan, go ahead. If not, it’s time to reintroduce foods back into your diet.
Depending on what you’ve given up, reverse the process, eating a lot of a particular food category (like dairy) for two days and see how you feel. Try to introduce last the foods you crave the most. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but sometimes our minds and bodies get addicted to abnormal states and undermine our efforts to implement healthy changes.
Most common feed sensitivities (wheat, dairy, corn, soy, yeast and sugar) become blatantly obvious after just two weeks on the Quick-Cleanse/Detox plan. You may find you suffer form a vicious “food hangover” upon reintroducing certain foods that never seemed to bother you before. This is a sign of your success. You now have some valuable information with which to go forward. Keep track of any changes in your food journal and remember food triggers-that way you can choose wisely during times of stress.
MOVING TOWARDS WELLNESS
The Quick- Cleanse/Detox plan is not intended to solve chronic or weigh issues. It is meant to be a first step in acquiring new understanding of your unique physiology. It should allow you to see your body’s ability to detox as a limited resource, one that you can foster with a bit of extra attention and self-care. Once you know what kinds of foods make you feel well and which make you feel sick, you can put yourself in the driver’s seat of your own long term health and weight loss.
So stay focused and give it a try. You have nothing to lose except symptoms and excess weight- and everything positive to gain.
GOOD LUCK……………
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