As I shared in my last post I am currently doing an in-depth and intense detox called the Ultimate Reset. I have done this detox in the past and really enjoyed it. More so then weight loss, my goal is hormone balance. I feel like detoxing has become more popular lately and yet still there is this mysterious veil over it– like it’s a magical and secret thing that some people can do and others are destined to fail at because it’s just so hard…. detoxing isn’t all bad and it isn’t about pooping everything out or starving yourself while living off liquids and funky concoctions. Real detoxing will involve some type of supplementation to get all the good stuff inside. Anything that sends you running to the toilet is too harsh for your body and will only cause it trauma– not detox. True detoxing is done through creating a supportive environment for your body to be able to release toxins naturally and safely (i.e. NOT by giving you the runs).
So to help lift this mysterious veil off detoxing I wanted to share my journey through following the 21-day Ultimate Reset.
The program is split into 3 phases, one per week. This also is how the supplement schedule is split up. The first phase is called Reclaim– in this phase you slowly phase out dairy and meat. There is no sugar, caffeine or processed foods during the detox so it’s a quick, cold-turkey removal of those items so it’s best to get mentally and physically prepared by eliminating those items the week before you start–that will also help not leave you with a gnarly headache and keep you from turning into a raging hangry monster at the close of day 2.
The food: Here I’ll break down what I actually ate in phase one! This is what I ate, I followed the meal guide as closely as possible, but I want you to know that I did some substitution for convenience or do to not having all the ingredients in hand. The guide teaches you how to do this.
Day 1:
Breakfast: Shakeology– Vegan Chocolate, I blended it with some almond butter and a banana– I later found out that bananas are not recommended during the reset due to it having a higher glycemic index, but we had just bought some, so I wasn’t going to let them go to waste. (be real, not perfect). Lunch: was a microgreen salad.
Dinner: salmon, aspargus and baby potatos– so yum! This is a meal we repeat often when the reset is over (this is my 3rd time doing this detox).
Day 2:
Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ cinnamon & yogurt
lunch: greek chicken salad
dinner: beans & rice tacos with corn and salsa, so yummy and filling
Day 3:
Breakfast: eggs, tomato (cause I’m not a fan of spinach, which was what was on the list) and toast.
Lunch: Microgreen salad & lentil salad
Dinner: Miso soup, cucumber salad and SUSHI! yup, home made sushi! Ok, my very first attempt at this dish was NOT pretty, but having done this program 2 times through already, I have to say, my sushi rolling has improved greatly! Boy was that yum!
Day 4:
Breakfast: fruit platter, after finding out that bananas were not on the “approved list of fruits” I took that list and bought a bunch of “approved” fruits… I’m not a fan of banning natural things from your intake… but I understand that this is a detox and lowing your natural sugar intake will help detox.. so I will stop rolling my eyes and follow the rules 🙂
Lunch: more sushi! and a tomato & cucumber salad
Dinner: Veggie stir fry over quinoa & salad
Snack– this day landed on a day I usually go to Starbucks and work while my kiddos are at their church group, so I opted for a fruit bar, nuts and herbal tea.
Day 5:
Breakfast: Chocolate Vegan Shakeology
Lunch: Veggies & hummus & a salad
Dinner: Stir fry again, we are huge fans of veggie stir fry since the first ultimate reset and it taught me HOW to actually make stir fry delicious! I’d say on a regular basis we have this dish about once a week all throughout the year! & miso soup, I got a “mild” miso which apparently means that its VERY bland… boo, next time I will try to find one that is bolder.
Day 6:
Breakfast: Shakeology again, but now I’m out of chocolate vegan, so I opt for tropical vegan… my sadness of being out of vegan chocolate leads me to forget to take a picture and therefore I have recycled yesterday’s picture– in case you caught that 🙂
Lunch: microgreen salad w/ avocado
Dinner: Roasted root medley and cashew zucchini soup. Ok, the first time I made this I was VERY unsure about this soup, but it is DELICIOUS!
Day 7:
Breakfast: Yogurt & berries
Lunch: cashew & zucchini soup & quinoa salad
dinner: baked tempeh, brown rice & veggies. If you have never tried tempeh, try it at least 3 times before you decide you don’t like it. Many people get it, under prepare it and decide they hate it. I’d say this time was the BEST time I’ve made it. I don’t know if Beachbody changed their recipe for this or if I just followed the recipe better, but the mixture the tempeh marinaded it and baked in was perfect!
Oh and all these dishes were prepared following the Ultimate Reset’s nutritional guide– I do NOT usually cook this much so there was MUCH more prep time needed then normal– so I just planned accordingly. The recipes are very easy to follow, some require marinating and baking– so Ryan (my husband) and I would buy everything before the phase started, but first looked at the meals to see which we wanted to replace and shopped accordingly (another words, don’t buy ingredients for a dish you don’t plan on making). We then would review the night before what we were going to eat the next day and see what we could prep and cook before we went to bed. Making this a habit helps during the off Reset time and making food prep just part of what you do.
The Ultimate Reset is not ALL just food, there is supplements to be taken at certain times of the day. The guide tells you what supplements to take and when and in which phase. If you are starting the Ultimate Reset don’t let this part confuse you– instead use the guide, set alarms to remind you and pack your supplements! don’t get caught without them.
More about phases 2 & 3 AND the supplements coming VERY soon! I hope you will consider trying the Ultimate Reset! It’s on special only through the end of the month! (May 2015)
