Between Summer, a busy fall and a crazy Holiday Season, my body is asking for a detox. I am ready to take charge and get my body back to feeling great.

One of my favorite functional medicine doctors, Alejandro Junger, most well known for the 21-Day Clean Program, has recently come out with Clean 7. This program blends the principles of Ayurveda, intermittent fasting, and functional medicine to provide a whole body detox. I am using this program as a mini-cleanse to help kick start a healthy diet. This is the first time I am using Clean 7 and will review throughout the week. In addition, this month (January) I am doing a dry January!

This Detox Eliminates the following foods:

Gluten
Dairy
Sugar, Processed Foods
Beef, Eggs
Coffee, Soda, Alcohol

Here is a Snap Shot of the week:

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE KIT:

CLEANSE SHAKE

The Clean 7 Shake provides your body with easily-digestible nutrients & helps reduce the work of the digestive system. This helps your body enter the detoxification process sooner and stay in it longer, allowing you to intensify the process compared to what would occur with a solid meal. Each smoothie packet contains organic, plant-based protein plus superfood herbs, greens, and fiber. Additional ingredients including Chlorella and Spirulina, both rich in vitamins, minerals, and cleansing compounds, are included in each packet. The Clean 7 shake includes the probiotic Ganeden BC30 to help nourish and support the digestive system, provide immune support, and enhance protein absorption and utilization.

SUPPLEMENTS

Two supplement packets per day are part of the Clean 7 protocol; one packet should be taken with your first meal and the second with your last. Each packet contains 4 proprietary formulations designed to provide comprehensive cleansing support and does not need to be taken with food. Each packet includes:

TULSI WELLNESS TEA

During Clean 7 you are encouraged to enjoy Tulsi tea. Utilized for centuries in Ayurveda, Tulsi is known for mood support, aiding in digestion, and enhancing the effectiveness of other herbs. Tulsi is know as “the most holy plant on Earth,” for good reason.

I had some questions and emailed the support desk and got an immediate response:

1. What fasting schedule should you follow each day?

Here's an idea of how your fasting windows should look during Clean 7:

On day 1, we suggest that you adhere to a 12-hour fasting window after your evening shake. This means that you should not consume any solid food after your evening shake until 12 hours the next day. You're welcome to consume herbal teas and water during your 12-hour fasting window, but, nothing else. For example, if you consume your evening shake at 8 pm, you should consume your morning shake at 8am or later the next morning.

Day 2: Adhere to a 14-hour fasting window. Today you are going to increase the window between your last shake of the day and the first shake tomorrow morning, ideally by two hours, for a total of fourteen hours between the two meals. This means that if you had your evening shake at 8:00 p.m. on the first day, have it today at 6:00 p.m today. Then, enjoy your next breakfast shake at 8 a.m. or later the following morning.

Day 3: Adhere to a 16-hour fasting window. Do this by moving your dinner shake up two hours earlier, even if this means having it in the late afternoon. If you had your dinner shake at 6 pm on day two, have it at 4 pm today. Add some yummy additions to make your shake extra filling and nutritious. Resist any impulse to have a snack after your dinner shake. As always, you can have tulsi tea and/or other herbal teas, during the day and after your evening/late afternoon shake.

Day 4: Adhere to a 24-hour fasting window. You will not be eating any food after your snack/mini-lunch meal until your shake for lunch on day 5, meaning for at least twenty-four hours, during which time you will truly enter the fasting state. You are welcome to enjoy water, tulsi tea and/or another herbal tea later in the evening after your snack/mini-lunch meal if you wish.

Day 5: Adhere to a 12-14 hour fasting window. Have your dinner meal relatively early, along with your herbal supplements, to maximize the time without eating before breakfast tomorrow.

Day 6: Adhere to a 12-14 hour fasting window. Have your dinner shake relatively early, along with your herbal supplements, to maximize the time without eating before breakfast tomorrow.

Day 7: Adhere to a 12-14 hour fasting window. Have your dinner shake relatively early, along with your herbal supplements, to maximize the time without eating before breakfast tomorrow.

Adhering to the fasting windows can be a bit challenging for some. We simply suggest that you try your best.

How many calories should you aim for per day?

In regards to calories, we specifically don't recommend aiming for a certain number of calories each day while on the cleanse, because each person has very individual needs regarding nutrition. We're big fans of intuitive eating, listening to your body for cues.

We all need different amounts of protein, fats, and our overall serving sizes will always be unique to us, even one person will have different needs on different days, depending on many factors.

So it's intentional that the recipes do not have calories or the protein and fat amounts included. It's much more important to listen to your body and eat the right amount for your particular day based on your hunger and activity levels. We want to see people consume lots of healthy fats, proteins and nutrient-dense vegetables which may mean actually eating less food but will mean more satiation, more nutrition for the body and enhanced digestion and cleansing when a person isn't constantly snacking or grazing because they've cut back on fats and protein which has led to blood sugar crashes and feeling hungry all the time.

We recommend eating/sipping slowly and mindfully, and stopping when you are about 80% full. It's part of the program to practice mindful eating while trying not to over-eat or under-eat.

Here are some general guidelines for shake and meal prep during Clean 7: Portion sizes for the Cleanse Shakes will vary drastically from person to person. In general, shake servings can range between 12 - 32 ounces, depending on the needs of the individual. We recommend making your shake large enough that you consume the entire shake packet and feel full enough to sustain you until your next meal.

Shake recipes will differ greatly in size, as some people prefer to enjoy much thicker, nutrient-dense smoothies, while others may prefer a lighter, more liquid-like shake at times. You'll want to keep this in mind when preparing your shakes and assessing your individual needs.

The basic formula can be: 1 to 1.5 cups liquid, 1 cleanse packet, 1/2 to 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, 1-3 cups of leafy greens, 2 tbsp of healthy fat, and 1 tbsp of any superfood you prefer (chia, flax, hemp, cacao, spirulina, bee pollen, etc.).

If you desire to make your shake more filling, we suggest adding in more healthy fats such as almond butter, avocado or coconut oil.

Lunch We don't specifically outline lunchtime portions since everyone's needs are so different. You can use generally recommended portion guides on items, such as a handful of grains, a tablespoon or so of fat and unlimited veg! Check out our Blog for more guidance around portions, intuitive eating, and great recipes to help give you some inspiration. Please keep in mind that men, athletes, and very active individuals generally require a bit more food than most.

We like to offer up the example of a 'Buddha bowl" as a representation of an ideal and simple lunchtime meal. This typically includes about one cup of the following:

1/2 cup whole grain such as quinoa, healthy fat such 1/2 avocado or 2 tbsp tahini, 1-2 cups of fresh or sauteed greens, 1 cup of raw or roasted veggies, 4-6oz lean protein such as chicken, turkey, salmon, lentils or beans (vegetarian options)1-2 tbsp of a clean, simple dressing optional clean toppings such as seaweed flakes, slivered almonds or chopped walnuts, coconut flakes, etc. We also have lots of shake and meal recipes on the Clean Blog.

How many calories should the lunch vs snack be?

Think of your mid-day snack on day three and day four as mini-lunch meals. The snack/mini lunch meal is basically half of the amount of your lunch meals on day one through three. Or, simply a lighter meal such as a soup and a salad.

I am doing this cleanse and working towards also giving my gut a detox by reducing the work it has to do. I have ordered fresh Bone Broth from Owl Venice (I talk more about them here) and another local shop, Nit Noi. I will be avoiding whole foods (other than what I add to the shake) this week.

If you decide you want to follow the protocol with correct snacks and meals you do a cool quiz to find your Dosha. By finding your Dosha you are able to identify foods to have. By focusing on removing foods that aggravate your current dosha will help to intensify the detoxification process.

To determine your current dosha, and to identify the foods to avoid, take a quiz at cleanprogram.com/dosha There is no “best” body type to be, each has its own strengths & weaknesses. You can further modify the Cleanse Diet by removing any dosha-specific trigger foods. This is optional, but allows the cleansing process to work a bit deeper. You may also keep these recommendations in mind for post-cleanse maintenance.

Find your Dosha Here

My Dosha is VATA.