Three days in: For those who don’t know, I’m sharing my experiences during a 21-day food detox. If you’d like to start reading from Day 1 to get the full scoop, click here.
First off, I apologize for the corny pun in the title. I couldn’t resist. As I’ve mentioned in past posts, the detox diet I’m going through includes some “don’t eat” foods. It’s not a long list but it sure hits hard when I think about my favorite things to eat and 90% of them aren’t “legal”! These foods are discouraged because they are foods that commonly cause allergies, food sensitivities and digestive issues. Makes total sense. Here’s the list of “don’t eat” foods in my particular detox program:
- gluten
- dairy
- beef
- pork
- eggs
- corn
- soy
- coffee
- soda
- alcohol
- processed sugar
The diet encourages these foods instead:
- whole vegetables, leafy greens
- whole fruits and berries
- wild fish, organic chicken and turkey, venison
- brown rice, quinoa
- beans, lentils, legumes
- nuts, seeds and nut butters (with no sugar added)
- avocado and coconut oil
- herbal teas
- stevia (if desired)
It may seem difficult at first glance to prepare a meal without gluten and dairy—I know it did to me. But, there are lots of great meal options available with a little searching, planning and creativity. Tonight I made an easy chicken curry and the recipe is below if you want to give it a try. One key when meal planning, especially during detox, is to try and use as many organic ingredients as possible. During a detox we are giving our body a “break” to help it rid itself of toxins so we don’t want to be adding any more to the equation if possible.
On to today’s report…
DAY 3:
For the first half of the day, I felt very “spacey”—like my head was floating above my body. I’m not sure if it was due to the detox, eating fewer calories, lack of caffeine or maybe all of the above?! Anyway, I broke down and had a cup of black coffee around noon. It really helped me focus, but I’m hoping to ditch the caffeine soon!
Wins: Made dinner for my family and even had some help from Max, which was delightful. It was a very hectic work day—no shower, I’m still in my pajamas (I work from home for those who don’t know), so I’m happy I was able to rally and cook a healthy, detox-friendly meal and not resort to fast food.
Flubs: The cup of coffee I mentioned above…yeah, that. And, I didn’t get any exercise today, darn it. Will try again tomorrow!
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. (Commenting is easy—just enter your comment, your first name, and email for verification. Don’t worry, your email address is only used to verify you as a real person and we won’t add you to a list or send you spam.) Thanks for reading, I’ll see you on Day 4!
Easy Chicken Curry (dairy- and gluten-free)
I love curry dishes, and usually, when I make chicken curry I cut up the chicken into bite-size pieces, use soy sauce, and take the time to add more spices. This one has the traditional flavor (the coconut oil and curry powder bring a lot of depth) without much time and without using gluten or dairy. It’s heavy on vegetables and protein (a traditional curry wouldn’t have beans), and we’re leaving the chicken pieces whole so they stay juicy and brown beautifully. My boys LOVED the way the chicken tasted in this recipe. Since the curry powder is added to the chicken itself, it toasts in the pan and helps to create a golden exterior.
TIP: Try cooking a big batch of brown rice and then portion it out into Ziploc bags and freeze. It’s a quick way to have rice ready on busy weeknights.
NOTE: Use all organic ingredients when possible, especially if you’re detoxing.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 pds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts excess fat trimmed away
- 2 Tbl coconut oil
- 2 tsp yellow curry powder make sure it’s fresh
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1⁄2 c chicken stock or broth
- 1 15 oz can cannellini (white) beans drained
- 1⁄2 can coconut milk full-fat or light – you need about 7 oz.
- 1 10 oz bag frozen peas and carrots use 2-3 big handfuls from the bag
- brown rice for serving
- 1 lime (optional) cut into wedges
Directions
- Preheat a skillet with the coconut oil over medium-high heat.
- Generously salt and pepper both sides of chicken (sea salt if you have it), then sprinkle with the curry powder.
- Add chicken to skillet and brown 5-6 minutes on both sides.
- Once browned, scoot chicken to sides of skillet, add garlic and saute for one minute.
- Add chicken stock, beans and coconut milk.
- Stir chicken into the sauce, bring to a boil, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through.
- Add 2-3 handfuls of frozen peas and carrots (or the whole bag if you want), heat through.
- Check seasonings—usually needs extra salt at the end.
- Serve, in bowls, over rice, with a squeeze of lime if desired.
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Amy, you’re inspiring me to try a 21 day detox – my one vice is coffee with 1/2&1/2…sometimes it’s the one thing that gets me out of bed in the morning!:/
I’m exactly the same way, Jonna! I figured out I really have to work hard to shift my mindset and focus on something else when I wake up in the morning. I hope you’ll try the detox…and just do the best you can. It’s all good for you no matter if you do it perfectly or not.