A lack of exercise, chronic stress, too much sugar and a poor diet all lead to unwanted weight gain. Overtime, this also contributes to a sluggish digestive tract, poor gut health and triggering unwanted IBS symptoms, and even the risk of bowel cancer. Poor lifestyle habits can also mess with your hormones, exasperate underlying mental health issues, as well as increase inflammation of the body, and poor immunity against common colds and flu. Long term all this can have draining and serious consequences on our overall well-being and health.
This is exactly why I have created the Yummy Mummy All Natural Detox & Weight Loss Plan!
As mothers, too many of us get lost in the chaos of motherhood with the endless domestic demands, constant chauffeuring, cooking, cleaning, counselling, policing and cheering on our families. Our needs often get shelved until later--but later never comes and before you know it, 10 months has gone by and you still haven't lost the baby weight, gotten to the gym or started that keto diet your friends were all raving about. In fact, you've gained 4kg and now feel even worse!
Fear not, this detox and weight loss plan is especially made for busy Mums. It is simple to start, highly effective and will have you taking some much needed time out to think about your own needs.
All Natural Detox & Weight Loss Plan
Ok sweet mamas, ready? Be sure to make some notes. I recommended that you stick to the following for one month (minimum). Follow the plan to a tee and become more aware of your habits and how they might be contributing to your weight gain.
While on the plan, you will be consuming a large variety of nourishing detox foods and a few supplements (optional) that naturally help the body to neutralise harmful toxins. It is important to understand that chemicals and toxins the body cannot recognise, are stored in your fat cells. Think of these cells as protective microscopic sponges that swell when holding excess fat from unused food stuff. They also store toxins from the products we use, our environment and synthetic foods including the sugar, trans fats, preservatives, fillers and additives we consume. It's our body's way of protecting the organs and healthy cells from unrecognised and harmful chemicals.
The good news is, when you release the fat, you release the toxins--its a two for one!
In the next section is the entire plan. Make notes or print this page off to have a handy reference. If you get stuck, use the online LiveChat on the lower right of my website to message me. Yes, you can chat with me anytime--and it's totally FREE!
Step #1 - Wake Up To The Goodness
Your morning routine is about to change in a few super simple ways. Read through and let's kick things off...
START HERE:
Within less than 20 minutes of waking, consume 500ml of lemon water either made with fresh lemons, learn how here, or with consumable lemon oil. You can also add psyllium husk or chia seeds to your glass making a super high-fibre superfood drink that naturally suppresses your appetite and provides your body with essential dietary fibre. Start with 1/2 - 1 tbsp if you have never used either before, and work up to 3-4 tbsp per day.
Take a well-balanced multivitamin, 2000mcg CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)* and 1g of vitamin C. Consume another glass 500ml of plain water to sip** and wash these supplements down.
*CLA is a supplement that helps reduce body fat. Always double-check with your GP before taking any supplements or natural remedies. **Sip water, never chug large amounts in one sitting as it can be dangerous and overload your organs.
Step #2 - Breakfast (eat 30 minutes after lemon water)
Choose a high-fibre breakfast or smoothie from these recipes (below). Dietary fibre is an essential nutrient, and leaves you feeling full and satiated for longer. It naturally binds to toxins as it passes through the lower digestive tract and pulls them with it as waste is eliminated from your body. Less toxins, less puffy fat cells.
The best breakfasts are made up of a good balance of clean protein and healthy high-fibre carbohydrates. Protein is an essential macronutrient, one we can only get from our diet, so daily consumption is vital. Fibre is the non-digestible parts of the plants we eat. Both help slow the impact of natural sugars found in fruit and other foods, and stabilise blood sugar levels.
Let's launch the menu with an super easy and high-fibre brekkie recipe. You can make overnight oats for the whole family and it is super easy to grab from the fridge and take with you on the school run if made in a mason jar. I love these ones from Kmart, click here.
Overnight Chia Oats Recipe
250ml coconut or almond milk
1 cup of rolled oats
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 drop of vanilla extract
1 drop of stevia sweetener
Mix all ingredients in a mason jar until blended. Cover and store overnight in the fridge. Serve with a small handful of fresh berries and sprinkle of crushed walnuts.
Other High-Fibre Breakfast Ideas
1 cup high-fibre all bran cereal, plant-based milk, fresh berries & sliced apple
1/2 cup almond milk porridge with mixed berries, drizzle of raw honey & almond flakes
1/2 cup raw cacao chia pudding with fresh raspberries & almond flakes
2 scrambled eggs with wilted spinach and cherry tomatoes on 1 slice high-fibre toast
1/2 avocado on 2 quinoa/brown rice cakes with sautéed cherry tomato & mushrooms
1/2 cup vanilla chia pudding with minced pear, crushed walnuts & dash of cinnamon
3 tbsp homemade nut butter with smashed blueberries on a low carb rice/corn cake
Rotate these suggestions or mix and match your own with a focus on a high-fibre choices such as porridge, chia pudding or low carb, high fibre bread/rice cake, and a clean protein.
Step #3 - Mid-Morning Snack
Your new morning routine and breakfast should keep you satisfied most of the morning (depending on your activities). If you do get peckish, have 500ml of detoxifying dandelion tea or warm lemon water and wait 15 minutes before giving into a healthy snack. Often times we mistake thirst for hunger, and don't need a snack. Water is your new BBF!
If you find you are truly hungry, pick one of these options:
Healthy Snacking
1/2 green apple with 2 tbsp nut butter such as almond, cashew or peanut
handful of blueberries and 10 almonds (skin on)
2 small stalks of celery with homemade nut butter or hummus
1/2 pear with a small handful of walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup kale-slaw with crumbled feta, walnuts and olives
1 rice/corn cake with chia seed nut butter and blueberries (photo)
1/2 small cucumber (cut into wheels) with spicy cayenne or turmeric hummus
handful of strawberries and 10 cashew nuts
Mix and match these snack suggestions with a focus on fibre-rich vegetables or fruit paired with a protein-based spread or nuts. If you are only mildly snackish, try upping your water intake and omitting a snack altogether.
Step #4 - Lunchtime Goodness
Before you have lunch, take another 1000mcg of CLA and 5g of psyllium with 1-2 glasses of your lemon water. Wait 20-30 minutes before eating and blend together one of these delicious detox recipes, choosing either the juices OR the salad bowls.
Detox Green Juice - 1 green apple, 1/2 whole lemon, 1 chunk ginger root, 1 pear, handful of parsley, 1/2 cucumber, 2 stalks de stemmed kale, 2 stalks bok choy.
Colon Cleanse - 1/2 beetroot, 1/2 pineapple, 1 chunk ginger, 2 stalks celery, handful of parsley, 3 romaine leaves, 1/2 whole lemon.
Live Detox - 1 cup watermelon, 2 green apples, handful of wheat grass, handful mint leaves.
Or pick one of these:
Spicy Me Up Bowl - shredded spinach, thinly sliced radish, grated beetroot, bean sprouts, red capsicum, olive oil and sprinkle of cayenne spice. Top with palm-sized serving of protein such as salmon, chicken, or chickpeas, kidney beans or tofu.
Belly Blaster Salad - shredded purple cabbage, spiralised cucumber, finely chopped celery, watercress, cherry tomato, flaxseed oil, avocado and pinch of coriander. Top with palm-sized serving of protein such as white fish, chicken, or tempeh or tofu.
Green Goddess - romaine lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, grated pear, pumpkin seeds, yellow capsicum, olive oil, and sprinkle of Italian spice. Top with palm-sized serving of protein such as turkey, chicken, or chickpeas, or tempeh.
Tex Mex Fat Burn - shredded iceberg lettuce, chopped tomato, sliced olives, black beans, green capsicum, red onion, with homemade guacamole and sprinkle of cayenne chilli.
Play with the salad ingredients to mix and match your own creations with a focus on high-fibre leafy veggies. Use an extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed (slightly bitter) and blend with fresh healing herbs like rosemary, thyme, mint, lemon, garlic, chive and coriander.
Sip on 500ml of lemon or plain water, or choose a green tea if you are unaffected by caffeine, while you enjoy lunch.
Step #5 - Mid-Afternoon Snack
If you get peckish by mid-afternoon, once again have 500ml of detoxifying dandelion tea or warm lemon water and wait 15 minutes before giving into a healthy snack. Remember, we often mistake thirst for hunger, so hydrate then rate your hunger a short while later. If your hunger has diminished, keep up the water and skip the snack.
Healthy Snacking
1/2 pear with 2 thin slices of Greek or goat feta
6 cucumber wheels with 1/2 smashed avocado and sprinkle of rock salt
handful of red grapes and 10 activated almonds (skin on)
nut butter on rice/corn cake with fresh blueberries (pictured above)
2 small stalks of cucumber with homemade 2 tbsp turmeric hummus
small handful of cherry tomatoes and 2 cheddar cheese slices
1/2 red apple with a smear of raw cacao or plain nut butter
1/2 red or yellow capsicum with 2 tbsp spicy hummus
2 celery stalks with a low fat yoghurt dip
Mix and match these snack suggestions with a focus on fibre-rich vegetables or fruit paired with a protein. If you find you are only mildly snackish, try upping your water intake and omit the snack altogether. .
Step #6 - Detoxifying Dinner
Before your main meal, have your last dose of 1000mcg CLA with warm lemon water or a dandelion tea. Wait 20-30 minutes then have your dinner. You can choose one of the lunchtime salads or one of the following warm stir fry meals.
Asparagus Medley - steamed asparagus with lemon garlic paired with salmon on brown rice.
Broccoli Bowl - steamed broccoli, green beans and cauliflower with garlic prawns served on on salted zucchini noodles.
Bikini Belly Buddha Bowl - spinach, cherry tomato, cucumber, radish, red onion, shredded beets, shredded carrot, sunflower sprouts, and roasted sweet potato.
Raw Summer Plate - raw broccoli, red capsicums, shredded kale, red cabbage, grated carrot, chopped strawberries, avocado and goat feta.
Zucchini Noodle Bowl - stir fry red capsicum, onion, bean sprouts, broccoli, sun dried tomato and serve on seasoned zucchini noodles.
To mix things up, try the above ingredients in different combinations. Switch broccolini for asparagus in the Asparagus Medley. Swap out the prawns for chicken breast in the Broccoli Bowl; try sweet potato spirals instead of zucchini in the Noodle Bowl. Be creative!
Step # 7 - Before Bedtime
I'll share a little secret with you...sleep is just as important as diet and exercise when to comes to balancing your body weight. This is by far the most challenging health habit to practice as a mother and primary carer. We are often the ones up all night feeding cranky babies, settling young toddlers or fussy sleepers. Getting sleep is in short supply and desperately needed. But a good night's sleep helps to regulate your hunger hormones and balance weight, food cravings and dispersion o body fat. When you miss out, you will be more likely to experience food cravings, eat out from stress, and use food to combat chronic fatigue.
So what can we do if it's so hard to come by? First, make the most of the nights you do get sleep, and give yourself the best opportunity to settle at bedtime. This means putting away to mobile, Facebook and laptop at least 1-2 hours before bed. Instead have a warm bath to help drop your body temperature and induce a deeper sleep. Lay in the dark and breathe--probably for the first time since you woke up!
Going to bed in dark, cool room helps drift the body into a deep, refreshing sleep. Plan ahead for this. As you ease into your family's evening routine of settling the kids, now is the time to finish the last of your lemon water. If you tend to get peckish in the evening or stress eat, resist the urge with a warm cup of chamomile, licorice or peppermint tea. These are all very calming on the body and will support a good night's sleep. Distract yourself by making tomorrow's pot of lemon water ready for the morning.
As you drift off to sleep, try not to stress. You ARE making positive changes and doing the best you can right now. Focus on the good strides you ARE making right now, and get excited to repeat this plan again tomorrow. Repeat this weight loss plan for the next 4 weeks focusing on your water intake, highly nutritious food choices and being extra kind to yourself. You got this!
If you need a hand with all this, hit the LiveChat (bottom right) and let's chat about your situation. I'm super friendly!
Healthy + happiness,
Emma Lisa xx
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