My Brown Rice Cleansing Diet

Day two: It’s 7 am and I haven’t really started the day yet, but I can tell you that the brown rice cleansing diet that I am on is going well so far.

I visited my naturopath a couple of days ago about a few issues and she suggested that I go on a three week cleanse.  There are a number of reasons why this particular cleanse will be good for me but I can’t help wonder if she thought of it after she had to call me at home to remind me of my appointment.  Oops! I may have broken a few speed limits to get to her office fifteen minutes later. You see, this cleanse is also known to improve mental clarity.  Bring it!

I have done this particular cleanse before and I remember feeling energized and never hungry.  Which is really something for me, because I have a pretty…um…healthy appetite.  What?  I love food!

Dr. Nicole Shortt, BSc. N.D explains the cleanse like this:

Sometimes our digestive organs need a break from the onslaught of aggravating foods and chemicals that we put into them. (Could she mean twizzlers and wine?) Cleaning these organs allows them to function better and absorb nutrients more efficiently thus making our bodies stronger and healthier. (Woot Woot!)

This diet (I loathe that word) will give you all the nutrition that you need while your body cleanses and heals itself.  You don’t have to go hungry and you don’t have to count calories or weigh food. (Phew!!)You eat whenever you are hungry, and as often as you like.  While on this diet you may experience some weight loss. (BONUS!)

Foods I have to avoid

• Wheat and Wheat containing foods
• Dairy
• Peanuts
• Corn
• Alcohol (no wine…sniff)
• Caffeine. A small amount of green tea is permitted.
• Sugar – including honey, cane sugar and sugar substitutes. Stevia is allowed.
• Chemical additives like preservative, artificial colours and flavours (Careful. They are everywhere)

The list of foods allowed is pretty long and includes brown rice, whole vegetables, whole fruit (no bananas or dried fruit), lentils, rice cakes, seeds and nuts, ocean going fish, free range chicken and turkey, humus, tofu and tempeh (ack!), rice pasta/noodles, rice milk, wheat free bread, oats and nut butters (almond, cashew).

Day one included dinner out to a really nice restaurant.  I brought a bottle of “no preservatives” salad dressing but didn’t even need it.  I ordered a wild sockeye salmon spinach salad that came with a “home made” olive oil based dressing.  The waitress checked that there were no preservatives in it for me.  It was delicious.  Everyone around me commented on how yummy the wine and warm bread were. Bite me! I graciously smiled and sipped my water and by the end of the meal I was satisfied and felt…well…clear headed. There you go! It’s working already.

If any of you are wondering if a cleanse is something you need too, I highly recommend speaking with a Naturopathic physician first.  There are supplements that should be taken while on a cleanse and a Naturopath will work with you to decide which is best for you.  We are all different after all.

I’ll keep you posted on how I do over the next three weeks. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to prepare myself a bowl of warm oatmeal, sprinkled with Stevia and topped off with a little rice milk.  Mmm.