Cleanse Diet

This week I am doing a trial run of the Cleanse Diet presented in Kathy Freston's book, "Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness". Over the past few months I have not felt like my former energetic self. I used to tackle all kinds of tasks and hobbies after work, but now I often feel lethargic, especially after I sit at a desk all day. My funk could be due to my crazy work travel schedule which makes it difficult to follow a healthy diet. Or perhaps it's because I'm soon turning 30? I'm sure the pound of Halloween candy I finished over the weekend isn't helping either! So I'm looking for ways to add energy and clarity to my daily life. I found Freston's book interesting, and the Cleanse Diet intriguing. It is not as extreme as some, like the "Master Cleanse" (yikes!) but it does cut out foods I eat every day, like cheese (the second love of my life, haha). The purpose is to kick start your body into a more healthy lifestyle. I'm starting out small...my plan is to follow it for 5 days, take a day off (Friday girls' night!), then start back up for another week if I want. Since I eat a lot of vegetarian dishes already, I'm hoping it won't be a huge adjustment. Oprah did it for 21 days but she has a personal chef so it was considerably easier on her!

The basics of the diet:
No meat
No animal products - includes eggs and dairy
No caffeine
Natural sweeteners only - no syrup, honey, fake sugar
No gluten - didn't really know what this was until I tried to find bread without it. It's in everything!

Here's my sample menu so far.

Day 1
Breakfast: instant oatmeal with soy milk, chopped apples, ground flaxseed, and cinnamon
Lunch: Quinoa salad
Dinner: Portobello mushroom pita with grilled peppers, onions, and avocado. I couldn't find gluten free buns or bread, but I think I found whole wheat pitas that make the cut.

Day 2
Breakfast: fruit smoothie with soymilk
Lunch: veggie salad with avocado, chickpeas, and walnuts
Dinner: Tofu stir-fry with bell peppers, onions, snap peas, and baby corn.

Day 3
Breakfast: Gluten-free toast with natural peanut butter
Lunch: quinoa salad
Dinner: Thai Green Curry Tofu

Snacks
fruit
baby carrots
almonds
homemade protein bars (these contain whey protein powder, maybe I should switch to soy powder instead)

I'll report back after a couple days - wish me luck!