Day 5: Health care professional required

I think I finally ate enough calories!

And I strongly encourage everyone who does The Cleanse do so under the supervision of a health care professional.  Preferably under the supervision of registered dietitian, like myself.  Without expert support and direction, how else will the cleanser know if they are getting enough to eat?  Some people feel awful on The Cleanse because they are mobilizing toxins within their bodies but are too constipated to eliminate them.  Others feel awful because they are only eating 50% of the calories they need.  Heck, I'm a registered dietitian and it's taken me five days to figure out how to get enough calories while eating only fruits and vegetables!

I didn't waste any of this apple

As a side note, I really wish I could eat nuts and seeds on The Cleanse.  It would make my snack of raw fruit much more balanced and satisfying.  Fact: the protein and fat in nuts and seeds help to slow digestion and lead to increased satiety.

Fact: The Cleanse does not support vigorous exercise.  While hiking for 2 hours today, I first prepared with a BIG breakfast (461 kcal, 19.5 g protein) and then ate a pear and an apple during the hike.  Unfortunately, the apple and pear digested quickly without protein and fat to slow down the acid and enzymes in my stomach and I was soon hungry again  And I didn't waste any of the fruit, either.  Most people leaving a lot of the flesh on the core when they eat fruit.  But I ate the WHOLE thing, except for the seeds, which are poisonous (see picture on right).

When I returned home from my hike, I ate a large and satisfying late lunch of 650 kcal and 42.5 g protein.  It felt so good to be full!  And I stayed full all the way until dinner.