Holidays, birthdays, late night dinners and parties, and every kind of celebration makes life so grand. It’s the time when food is a celebration of life! We’re eating oh so delicious hors d’oeuvres, entrees and of course, desserts. We’re drinking the finest wines and signature cocktails. We’re staying up way past our bedtime and generally throwing caution to the wind during these social engagements. It all feels so good while we’re “in the moment,” until—–the morning after! Ugh. Headache, swollen fingers, bags under the eyes and upset tummies. Basically, we’re not happy now and don’t even feel like getting out of bed, right? The whole next day, or two are painful. But wait! It doesn’t have to be this way. Garden of Eydie is here to the rescue with “The Daze After” Reset. The good news is, it will take a few enjoyable days to reset. We are not suggesting you go “cold turkey,” (pun intended after Thanksgiving!) and just drink water, or just juice or some other extreme starvation plan for days after extreme eating – or your body will go into shock and your organs will rebel!
I learned this truth, first from the brilliant Doctors at True North where I reversed my super high blood pressure with their water only fasting program. Dr. Goldhamer explained that it’s very important to get the body ready to reset, by only eating whole easily digestible foods, such as fruits and steamed vegetables, for the week prior to the program, otherwise I’d have a very difficult time while fasting. If the body is not “primed” then headaches, nausea, hunger, weakness, dizziness can happen, hampering the success of the fast. I followed his advice and my eight-day water fast was a cinch and it worked!
The Medical Medium speaks about “priming” the body in his book “Liver Rescue.” He suggests a nine-day Liver Detox program where he explains that it’s important to treat the liver kindly and not to shock it by fasting or juicing or some other “detox” program idea. The first 3 days he asks you to alter your diet just a bit and add apples and dates, salads and vegetables, which the liver loves. It’s kind of knocking at your liver’s door, saying…”Hi, I’m interested in making you feel good and heal you. Then the next 3 days, the plan becomes stricter adding in lots of apples and dates, eliminating animal protein and fats, etc. Now that the liver is feeling good and easing into healing, it’s ready for only healing foods days 6-8. It’s not until the 9th day when the plan calls for an all- out liver detox day, with juices only, when the liver is “primed” and ready to heal.
Resetting and Detoxing
What it is and how to do it:
We all have toxins and heavy metals, bacteria and viruses and all sorts of other ne’er-do-well things happening in our body, always. To detox completely is impossible. What we can do is to hydrate, alkalize and infuse our bodies with tons of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and bacteria and virus fighting foods. The body responds beautifully as the blood, tissues and organs receive life enhancing foods. Pains go away, eyes brighten, lethargy is non-existent, we lose weight, blood pressure normalizes, cholesterol drops, our liver becomes revived, our mindset is positive….you name it, the body heals on all levels. All good things happen when we take care of our bodies.
The liver and its functions:
The Medical Medium explains how the liver works in his book “Liver Rescue.” He says “There’s a highway of blood called the hepatic portal vein that rushes from your gastrointestinal tract into your liver. This blood vessel brings vitamins, minerals, nutrients, hormones, oxygen, hydration and, unfortunately, troublemakers too. They’re hundreds of different toxins, pollutants, and pathogens like pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, prescription drugs, aluminum, lead, copper, mercury, viruses, bacteria and more. If the liver is too overwhelmed by toxins and poor food choices (now or in the past), and if it’s become sluggish or fatty or weak, it can’t do its job properly.
When we imbibe too much on foods that tax the liver: fatty foods, sugar, processed foods and animal products including dairy and eggs, the liver can’t do all the other very important functions it needs to do to keep our bodies healthy. It’s too busy trying to protect our bodies from the assault of these unhealthy and taxing foods.
Taking into account the above information, Garden of Eydie “The Daze After” plan was created. The goal: feel better, quickly, and minimize some of the insult we inflicted on our bodies, the night, or most likely the last few days before!
The Plan: The Daze After plan is an easy plan. We will give you recipes and green light foods to enjoy, red light foods to eliminate. Gentle exercise and meditation, reading inspiring books and watching eye opening documentaries, like The Game Changers on Netflix, will keep you motivated throughout the reset plan and beyond!
The plan lasts 3 to 5 days, but you can continue it for the rest of your life!
You’ll Enjoy:
- Hydrating and alkalizing your body by infusing it with foods containing tons of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
- Eating only whole food plant-based foods, no oils or fats (slows down the oxygenating blood and taxes the liver), salt or sugar, which are both inflammatory.
- Resetting your organs and your mindset, allowing you to take on each day with vim and vigor!
Foods To Eat: Green Light Foods
- Lots of your favorite fruits: lemons and limes, frozen wild blueberries, melons, berries, pineapple, mangoes, apples, dates—whichever are your favorite.
- Lots of fresh vegetables: Broccoli, green beans, sugar snap peas, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, several bunches of celery, all of the squashes (butternut, zucchini, yellow, etc.) bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, mushrooms, cabbage, beets, etc.
- Potatoes: all types
- Leafy greens: Kale, spinach, arugula, collard greens, swiss chard, dandelion, etc.
- Grains: I like to add grains after the reset period, but if you are craving them, it’s not problem. Serving size should be ¼ cup to 1/2 cup of quinoa, millet, oats or brown/wild rice are all good.
- Beans and lentils: I like to add in legumes after the reset period as well, but again they are a green light food. Serving size should be: ¼ cup to ½ cup.
Foods To Avoid: Red Light Foods
- All animal products including dairy, eggs and fish
- Fats including all oils, nuts and seeds. Avocado–just ¼ avocado a day
- Salt & Sugar
- Alcohol
- Processed and packaged foods, breads, flours, cookies, etc.
Suggested Eating Plan:
Upon Awakening: Hydrate and Alkalize:
- Drink 16 oz. of filtered or distilled water with juice of ½ lemon.
- Wait 15 minutes or more and then drink 16 oz. pure celery juice
Water All Day:
- Be sure to drink water throughout the day. It can be cold, warm or hot, plain or with a squeeze of lemon or lime. Try to get in 8 – 12 (8 oz) glasses per day.
Breakfasts:
- Smoothie: see some options below
Mid-Morning Options (if hungry):
- Bowl of fruit
- Hot herbal tea
- Hibiscus tea
- Carrots and celery, or steamed vegetables, no oil or salt
Lunch:
- Big raw salad with lots of leafy greens, shredded cabbage and carrots, sliced red onion, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower—whatever your heart desires. Dress with juice of lemon or lime, add cilantro and basil
- Soup, if you’d like
Mid-Afternoon Options (if hungry):
- Juice (see options below or come up with your own!—please share if you do)
- Apple with one or two dates
- Hot or cold herbal tea
- Vegetable broth
Dinner Options:
- Leafy Green salad with cucumbers and tomatoes, red onions
- Garden of Eydie Soups
- Steamed vegetables and roasted mushrooms: (to roast mushrooms, clean mushrooms and place on a parchment lined sheet-pan and bake in a 400° oven. Mushrooms are ready when they just start to give off their juices, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and serve)
- Potato—microwave or bake whole, or dice and steam.
Before Bed:
- Hot tea, hibiscus tea, or hot water with lemon.
Bedtime:
- Meditate just before bed when you’re just getting in the theta state (mystical sleepy state) and just before the Delta state (sleeping state). This is when the brain is most receptive to a wonderful meditation session. Now you’re ready for an amazing, restorative night of sleep!
Exercise:
- Suggested exercise plan during reset: The goal is to take it easy and move your body gently. Yoga, walking, stretching, breathing exercises are all good to treat your body kindly while ridding itself of toxins and regenerating.
Suggested Documentaries:
- The Game Changers
- Heal
- What the Health
- Forks over Knives
The Daze After Recipes:
Juices, teas and Smoothies:
- Wild Blueberry Dragon Fruit Smoothie
- Root Chakra Juice
- Turmeric Ginger Shots
- Green Juice
- Hibiscus Tea
- Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie
Soups and Broths:
Dear Readers:
Please know that I truly care about your well-being and want you to feel great!
Let me know if you try “The Daze After” reset, and how you feel! I’d love to hear from you before, during, and at the end of plan. Feel free to direct message me on Instagram.com/gardenofeydie, or leave a comment below.
Wishing you an easy reset, which I promise, it will be!