Cleansing Diet

Question
Dan,

I recently had some "cosmetic surgery" and the doctor had me follow a cleansing diet for 7 days following the diet.  The diet very closely resembled the cabbage soup diet, all the cabbage soup you wanted and then on certain days, all fruit, or all veggies, one day it was all the tomatoes you could eat, one day bananas and soy milk, etc.  Today is my 7th day of the diet (last day) and obviously I have lost weight since I'm eating a very minimal amount of calories.  I don't necessarily want to lose more weight (ok, maybe a few more), but I definitely don't want to gain back the weight I've lost while on this diet.  I'm afraid when I start to eat a normal 1300-1400 calorie-day diet I'll gain this back!  Any suggestions?????  FYI...I can not exercise until next week because of my surgery and even then, will be back to walking and not running.

Thanks!!!

Answer
Hello Kristin,

 Thank you for writing. I hope this is not too long. Not knowing specifics regarding your age, height, and weight I will just go over some eating basics. Please avoid high-protein, very low-fat, or severe calorie restriction type diets. I would also like to say that 1400 calories may be too low for you. Anything under that is definitely too low. You can eat and probably should be eating closer to the 1800-2000+ range which is very possible if you make the right choices!

 I would suggest that you concentrate on vegetables, whole grains, fish or lean meat, nuts and seeds, legumes, and some fruit. By whole grains I mean 100% whole wheat bread, there is a brand called Ezekiel bread made with sprouted grains which I highly recommend over regular floured breads. Sprouted grains are living plants and offer far more nutrition than ground flour. Pasta a couple of times each week is o.k. There are whole grain pastas that are very good. Brown or wild rice is a good choice. Avoid all white flour products including bagels, donuts, muffins... Also avoid soda,and other sugary drinks such as bottled tea, even diet varieties. Simply avoid processed sugar foods, especially baked goods.

 Cereal is o.k. Read the label and look for less than 12 grams of sugar and over 4 grams of fiber. If you like oatmeal use steel cut, Irish or Scottish oats and try to avoid instant. Kashi cereal is very good.

 Eat plenty of vegetables, at every meal if you can. Use a variety of veggies to keep things interesting and to get the best range of nutrients that you can. Aim to eat 50% raw, 50% cooked. Vegetables like celery and carrot sticks are great snacks as are sweet bell peppers. Steam or lightly boil your cooked selections. Focus on low-starch, high-water veggies like summer squash, broccoli, lettuces, cooking greens, asparagus, green beans, cauliflower... Please do not skip starchy vegetables such as potatoes, yams or sweet potatoes are great.

 Fruit should be eaten as well, two to three times a day. Fruits are cleansing and should really be used in the morning or early afternoon. Avocados are really great in a pita sandwich or over a salad plus they are considered a superfood as they are rich in heathy fats and other nutrients.

 For a snack try a handful of almonds or walnuts which are rich in omega fatty acids and can be filling in the afternoon when you need something. If you eat yogurt try sprinkling some ground flax seeds over it, this works great with cereal also. Use extra-virgin olive oil for salads and over steamed veggies. Try cooking with coconut oil instead of standard vegetable oil or use canola oil.

 Fish, especially salmon is a great choice for protein. Try albacore tuna over a salad. Other lean meats are also good.

 Drink plenty of water. Try adding fresh squeezed lemon or lime if you like flavored water. Sweeten with stevia powder rather than sugar or artificial sweeteners. Brewed tea is great.

 Lastly, 75% of your plate should be veggies, 25% the rest whether protein or grain or some combination of the two. Make sure you also include weight training in your exercise program. Muscle requires a decent amount of calories to maintain and weight training will help you stay trim. Please see a physical trainer for a good exercise program after you are healed.  

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