"Dreaded Days 5 - 7" of Metabolic Detox

DAYS 5, 6, 7

The plan:  Eat as much as you want of the following in addition to four servings of the "powdered beverage mix":

     - Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts)

     - Raw greens (red and green lettuce, romaine, spinach, endive)

     - Fresh apples and pears

     - Pear and apple juice (no sugar added)

     - All herbs & spices

     - Dijon mustard

     - Vinegars

My experience & some advice:  Pretty much every review I've read or heard about the Metagenics Metabolic Detox includes a fair bit of whining about days "five through seven."   My first advice is to think of it as simply "days five, six, and seven."  That's it.  Three days.  Otherwise it just seems like a much longer stretch of time than it really is.  Personally I didn't find it bad at all and finally noticed a huge increase in energy (plus down four lbs) by the end of this stretch.

Some other tips:

1)  Plan ahead.  Yes, I already said it.  It's worth repeating.  When you can only eat specific things, it kinda sucks not to have any of those things in your house. 

2) Don't waste your money on frozen Brussels sprouts.  They are absolutely disgusting.  You can use frozen cauliflower and broccoli in soups and stuff, but something went horribly wrong in the freezing of those little green bulbs.  Conversely, fresh Brussels sprouts are simply divine.  My favorite discovery of this entire cleanse is this one simple recipe.   Super easy and melt-in-your-mouth yummy:

     * Preheat oven to 400*

     * Cut off brown ends of the sprouts, remove any yellow leaves, cut bulbs in half lengthwise and throw them into a gallon baggie (or bowl).  It's okay, even preferable, if some of the individual leaves flake off.  Pull off some intentionally.  You'll know why later.

     * Add just a touch of olive oil (it's not technically allowed on days 5,6,7 but I'm a rebel), plus some coarse salt and pepper. 

     * Shake it all about to mix.

     * Spread out into a single layer on a foil covered sheet pan.

     * Roast for 30 minutes or so, giving it a shake every now for even cooking.  It's one of those things you have to watch.  You want the leaves to be really dark brown, almost black.  I actually pulled out the individual leaves and snacked on them while I was waiting for the fuller sprouts to cook.    Beyond good.

3) Make soup.  It turns out that when you blend cauliflower, it gets the consistency of cream.  (Note to self for future vegan recipes that call for cream).   Roasting the veggies first also gives a really delicious flavor. 

4) Use spices.  There's no need to suffer through three days of eating mounds of raw, plain veggies.  Yuck.  Open some of those jars that have been sitting on your spice rack since goodness knows when.

5) Allrecipes has a handy recipe search where you can put in specific ingredients you want or don't want.  Or, you can simply search for something like "vegan cauliflower soup".   Each recipe has a star rating and reviews with tips on how to make it even yummier.

Bon Appetite!

Charlene

 Photo Credits: Sprouts - Finecooking.com; Soup - Allrecipes.com