Spring has sprung! It’s the season to start anew. And just like you clean out your house every year, you should also clean out your body. Registered nutritionist Heather Cherry provided a list of foods you can still enjoy (and foods to avoid) while cleansing your body of toxins. This spring cleanse is a great alternative to detoxes that sap you of your energy, you con continue to do all the activities you normally do.

Suggested Foods

• Breakfast: yogurt, 1-2 oz lean protein, or oatmeal (only plain) with fruit.
• Lunch: 3-5 oz lean meats with fruit and/or vegetables.
• Dinner: 3-5 oz cooked lean meat with fruit and/or vegetables.
• Snacks encouraged: yogurt, fruit, and vegetables.
• All cooked or raw fruit or vegetables except: white potatoes, corn, peas, watermelon, and pineapple.
• All canned fruit in natural juice (except above pineapple).  Canned applesauce included.
• All lean meats including: chicken, turkey, fish (raw okay), round/loin red meats (max 2 times a week).
• Low-fat Greek yogurt may be used in place of protein. ½ cup = 2 oz protein.
• Eggs are allowed if there are no known allergies.››
• Fructose, agave, honey (1 tsp total a day).
• Lemon or lime juice encouraged but not necessary.
• Water, water, water!  Goal: 1 gallon a day
• Canola, peanut, or olive oil (3 tsp total), or avocado (3 slices total), or nuts (1 oz total).
• 1 oz of dark chocolate allotted per day.
• Take 1000 mg Calcium per day (consult with your physician).
• Take 1000 mg Vitamin D per day (consult with your physician).  Vitamin D deficiencies may cause many health related problems.
• Take a Multivitamin per day (consult with your physician).
• Take fish oils (consult with your physician).

Foods To Avoid

• No other grain except oatmeal.
• No cheese.
• No white products: white rice, white bread, and white potatoes.
• No refined sugar or sugar alcohols.  Look on food labels under Total Carbohydrate (Sorbitol, Mannitol, Maltitol).
• No high Glycemic Index carbohydrates: white potatoes, corn, peas, watermelon, pineapple, and ripe bananas.
• No High fructose corn syrup or table sugar (sucrose).
• No alcohol.
• Limit Caffeine to no more than 200 mg. This is equal to 2-8 oz cups of coffee. Milk can be used in the coffee.
• No sugar sweeteners (splenda, aspartame).