Last week I hit up another 10 days of the Master Cleanse, per my planned bi-annual "get it together Jasmine" routine. No matter how intensely I attempt to eat healthy and keep a well rounded and perfectly supplemented diet, there tends to be enough slip ups where I strongly crave a restart. Doing a cleanse is a great way to mentally and physically ground your attitude towards food and your eating habits. For example, I get into this habit where I don't like going to bed hungry, so I snack right before sleeping. Whatever I'm eating before bed is probably just being stored as fat while I sleep, and having to digest as I sleep is keeping me from enjoying a true deep REM cycle.

I pride myself on being a realistic fitness professional, so for that reason I'm not expecting the average follower to commit to the Master Cleanse and ingest only fancy lemonade for 10 days. It is just not happening for most people. So I've formatted my own little "Spring Cleanse" that is completely reasonable for everyone.

The "Spring Cleanse" is a chance to give your body a break from all the foods that slow you down. We're going gluten-free, dairy-free, and meat-free (except for the egg and fish which I think still have a place). The most important part of this cleanse: you can eat as many and as much raw fruits and vegetables as you want!! A cleanse is not a diet, therefore you should never go hungry. Here is the basic meal plan, however you will add as much raw (so baby carrots, apples, sliced cucumber, peppers, grapes, oranges, bananas, etc...) as you need to stay satisfied.

MEAL PLAN:

(Keep in mind you can have as many raw fruits and vegetables as you want throughout the day. I have included things that you can add if you choose at each meal)

BREAKFAST: 2 eggs (hard boiled, scrambled, whites, whatevs!)

SNACK: 1/2 cup nuts or a RAW bar. (nuts should be raw with no salt or lightly salted)

LUNCH: Fish and a green vegetable (TIP: Fish is hard to acquire at lunchtime in some locations, so this meal involves a little prep work. Bake a salmon or tuna fillet the night before OR make a tuna salad with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. I will also sprinkle my tuna salad with smoked paprika or cayenne for a pep. They also make premium albacore tuna in water in a pouch, that I eat straight from the bag.)

SNACK: 1/2 cup nuts and a vegetable juice.

DINNER: BIG SALAD (Not having any meat with dinner will help things move through your system overnight)

Extras: lots of herbal teas, no coffee (green tea instead), 70-80 oz of water per day AND recommended the Yogi "Get Regular" Tea at night to keep things moving along.

This can be done only for a day, or 3 or go crazy and do 7. The secret to success is strength in numbers. Convince a friend and do it together!!