Join me for a 28-day detox challenge starting Tuesday October 1st!

I’m starting a detox because I indulged a bit too much on my recent vacation and I just periodically love the feeling of ridding myself of toxins in my body, mind and spirit. During this detox I will eliminate foods that are considered inflammatory or “toxic” from my diet, practice daily yoga and meditation, turn off electronics by 9pm (7pm is an even better goal but, realistically, with my blogging, I’m shooting for 9pm), get 7 hours of sleep nightly with a goal of turning lights out by 11pm, and, drink eight 8 oz. glasses of fluid a day, preferably water.

On this blog I will post reminders about the detox with links to online yoga podcasts. Before weeks 2 and 3, I will post some menu suggestions for smoothies and meals. To share about your progress or to post comments or questions, please go to my facebook page.

In general, here’s how the detox will work:

Daily:

• Yoga, minimum of 20 minutes; home practice or take a class.
• 5 minutes minimum of meditation – just breathing.
• Change your thoughts from negative to positive; transforming critical or judging to nurturing and compassionate words.
• Stop eating 3 hours before bedtime.
• Drink 64 oz. of fluid/water per day.
• Journal daily.
• Sleep ~ 7 hrs/night (lights out by 11pm or earlier).

WEEK 1: By day 7, eliminate these foods from your diet:

• caffeine, alcohol, dairy, meat, gluten, and sugar

WEEK 2:

• continue with complete elimination of the above toxic foods,
• eat a pound of vegetables a day,
• two liquid meals a day (eg. smoothie or soup)

WEEK 3:

• continue with complete elimination of the above toxic foods,
• eat a pound of vegetables a day,
• one meal with a lean protein (eg. plant-based, fish, or eggs)  
• one liquid meal a day (eg. smoothie or soup)

WEEK 4:

• slowly introduce foods you eliminated, one at a time

JOURNALING

Daily track the following and use a scale from 1 to 5 to indicate

1 = low/poor and 5 = high/great:

1. Each meal (optional: list ingredients of each meal)
2. Your mood (1-5)
3. Your energy level (1-5)
4. Your sleep (1-5)
5. Your stress/anxiety level (1-5)
6. Did you practice yoga? How long? Rate how you felt while practicing yoga(1-5)
7. Did you meditate? How long? Rate your ability to quiet your mind (1-5)
8. Your bowel regularity (1-5)
9. On days 1, 14, and 28: Your weight, and measurement of your hips, waist and chest size.
10. Notes (indicate any additional comments about your day such as breakthroughs and ‘aha’ moments)

FINAL COMMENTS

At the end of this detox, you will most likely discover something new about how your body, mind and spirit responds to changes in your diet, a regular yoga and meditation practice, and getting better sleep.  Maybe you’ll even lose a few pounds or discover that by eliminating, then re-introducing, these inflammatory foods, you may identify an allergy or sensitivity.  This detox and yoga challenge is really about eliminating toxins and feeling lighter in your body, finding clarity in your mind, and feeling centered in your soul.  Although this detox does not an involve an extreme reduction in calories or any type of fasting, if you have any health issues, please consult your doctor before participating in this program, or any program, involving dietary changes.

Lastly, as we are transforming any self-critical thoughts into nurturing and compassionate words, also be gentle with yourself during this 28-day challenge.  If you skip a day or a meal or a yoga practice, let it just be what it is.  Don’t beat yourself up about it.  You don’t need to start all over.  Just do what you can during these 28 days and observe and learn from YOUR journey.  There’s no doing this challenge perfectly. It is what it is.  It will be what it will be.

Thank you for joining me in this journey and I wish BOTH of us 28 enlightening days of self-discovery during this detox and yoga challenge!

Namaste,

Amelia