Green Lemonade

As many of you beauties know, I recently had a baby (see my little man to the left). I personally found that preparing my body prior to conception was a great support for me both emotionally and physically. If only for the placebo effect, I highly recommend enjoying a few more naturally cleansing foods (including whole, fresh veggies, fruits and salads) in the days leading up to your pregnancy. (Learn more about my experience here.) I never went crazy with endless days on vegetable juice. I also never indulged in months of eating purely raw foods. Healthy aging guru Dr. Oz Garcia agrees with the more subtle approach I took to preparing my body for pregnancy. I ate a balanced amount of fresh fruits and veggies along with some roasted veggies, salads and some quality lean meats and even some dairy. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Oz. See more of his thoughts on pre-pregnancy cleansing below.

Dr. Oz Garcia: Should You Do A Pre-Pregnancy Cleanse?

“Skip the extreme cleansing regimens. I do not advocate women go on an extreme cleansing regimen ahead of their efforts toward conception. A one month juice cleanse, for instance, is too much. I do believe that a woman might enjoy considering the following efforts to reduce her toxic load before pregnancy.” – Dr. Oz

• Make an effort to clean up your diet Incorporate more whole foods. Go meatless a few days a week. Start by celebrating Meatless Mondays. Modest calorie restriction (most of us all overeat today) is also a great, gentle way to allow your body more time to detoxify. Ultimately, some women may feel physically and emotionally ready for a few days on vegetable juices and raw foods. But again, going all raw is not right for everyone.




• Clean up your environment. The 2010 Presidential Panel on Cancer highlights that our environments are generally compromised and contribute to toxins accumulating in our bodies. Take care when heating up plastics in your microwave and try and refrain from using toxic cleaning agents at home to help minimize your body’s toxic load.

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You might also appreciate the following articles on cleansing.

1. Cleansing 101
2. The Many Ways To Detox
3. 5 Tips To Jump Start A Healthy Eating Plan
4. Detox Diet Friendly Foods