detox month!

{image from here}

may is detox month at our house! i've been feeling a little off since the holidays, with allergies that just don't go away, frequent sore throats, and sugar cravings that rear their ugly head every afternoon like clockwork. i knew i was in need of a detox, but it's taken until now to really commit to something big (although i did a mini sugar & yeast detox a few months ago, but didn't stick to it). so i decided may would be detox month. phoenix is due for his 12 month vaccines, and i wanted him to go into those with strong gut health and good immunity, and since we've both dealt with yeast overgrowth in the past, i thought i would include him in my avoidance of sugar & yeast. paul got on board too (although he is avoiding gluten rather than yeast) and we're excited to be on day three and still going strong! i decided rather than just focusing on food, i'd like to do a bit of a life detox because the weather has gotten beautiful and i need a bit of a kick in the pants to get outside every day rather than leaving parks & rec on in the background while phoenix & i lounge around the house all day. here's what our detox looks like:

1. avoid anything with added sugar, or with natural sugar but no fiber, including

• fruit juice (veggie juice is ok)
• foods with added sugar (fruits are ok; this is basically anything with a label where sugar (or any other term for sugar) is listed on the ingredient list, or things like baked goods at the many cafes that i enjoy frequenting)
• any refined carbs (white bread, white flour, white rice): they are converted immediately into sugar in the bloodstream, so it's basically like eating cake!

2. avoid anything with yeast (paul is avoiding gluten instead, but for both of us this basically means no bread for the month)

3. eat a serving of vegetables at every meal, including breakfast and snacks

4. drink at least 3 litres (mason jars) of water every day - try to drink it throughout the day - always have a mason jar with water sitting out as a reminder

5. get active every day (i need to be active, so getting outside while phoenix toddles around doesn't count)

• yoga self-practice
• yoga class
• run outside
• brisk walk 

6. get outside with phoenix every day (this can be a walk with phoenix in the stroller, which would also count as #5, or it can be a walk for phoenix as well, to explore the world!)

7. limit TV watching to 30 min during the day and 60 min (or one movie) in the evening

8. spend time together as a couple (we've had one date since phoenix was born - we should probably change that now that he's one!)

9. read at least one book for pleasure this month (an actual book - not a magazine or a handful of articles that i find on facebook)

10. enjoy the little things in life - an amazing partner, a fun baby, a lovely home, a gorgeous city, the flexibility to do what we want, (almost) when we want.

because i'm not really into just telling myself what i CAN'T eat (it doesn't usually work for me), i've also designed a new meal planning template so i can get all excited about the yummy and nutritious foods i CAN eat (and who doesn't love a gorgeous template to fill in?) i'll post about the template soon along with a free download, as well as this week's foods so you can see what i plan to prep each week and how i'll stay fed & happy.

would you ever consider a life detox? what in your life needs detoxing, and why?