What I Eat in a Day: Doctor’s Edition

Ever wonder what your doctor eats? I expect patients would want their physician to be the pinnacle of health and practice what they preach, for good reason. When patients ask me what I eat in a day and how I detoxify, I tend to think more about what I do when I splurge. I find that boosting detoxification daily helps me when I decide to splurge once in a while.

My daily routine year round includes morning hydration and supplements. While I often change my supplements depending on my current needs, I always try to have my own Green Detox Smoothie for a nutrient dense start to my day. 

Recipe for Detoxing Daily

My Green Detox Smoothie typically consists of celery, cucumber, parsley, cilantro, ginger root, turmeric root, red ginseng and its juice, the flesh of one lemon, and whatever greens I have on hand. Right now, basil, mint, and various lettuces are thriving in my aero garden.

For an added boost of nutrition, I also include a heaping scoop of greens such as Green Vibrance, collagen, ashwagandha, astragalus, and arjuna. Ashwagandha is good for stress, Astragalus helps with immune resilience , and Arjuna aids in cardiovascular health. I blend all with some water, and in January, that is my first meal of the day.

If you’re unfamiliar with some of these ingredients, let me know. I can refer you to highest quality and purest ingredients I use.

Dr. Anita’s Green Detox Smoothie Recipe

This smoothie is purposefully not sweet. Its ingredients are well known for detoxification and give a spicy, lemony kick. It immediately gives me a non-caffeinated energy boost at the start of each day, without causing any insulin spikes as some fruit smoothies sometimes do.

Yields approximately 32 oz. I pour mine into my Takeya Stainless Steel Water Bottle and bring it to work.

Ingredients:

Directions: 

Blend with a high powered blender like a Vitamix and enjoy.

Why I Detoxify Daily

Though our bodies are detoxifying all the time, I follow this daily routine year round because my own lab tests reveal mutations that decrease my body’s natural ability to detoxify. One is a mutation in my Phase 1 detoxification pathway. Another is in the MTHFR gene. Finally, a SNP (pronounced “snip”, short for Single Nucleotide Polymorphism, or variation at a single position in a DNA sequence) affects my clotting pathway.

Each of these mutations increase my risk of certain diseases, but thanks to epigenetics and functional medicine research, I have significant control over my health destiny. Still, these findings make it critically important that I give my body the nutrients it needs to function as well as it can, despite the gene variants.

Deviations from my Detoxing Routine

Because I am detoxing daily and listen to my body, I celebrate Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day without fear. Those single days don’t typically throw me off — until October comes around.

Not Perfect is Perfect

Everyone has weaknesses where certain times of the year may be difficult to stick to healthier habits. What I eat in a day changes with the time of year. My philosophy is that in moderation, it’s ok! Nobody expects perfect eating 100% of the time. October marks the start of my family’s weakness. While my children enjoy candy from trick-or-treating, I myself was known as the child who safely tucked away my sweets, and anyone who raided my haul typically found crumbly, old chocolate with white spots on them. 

Holiday Sweets

I may not care much for candy, however, Halloween and my birthday give me an excuse to have brownies and cookies. Throughout the year, I will enjoy Base Culture Almond Butter Brownies to satisfy my brownie cravings, but I still love the traditional fudgy gluten free options like these Our Specialty GF Chocolate Fudge Brownies.

November also brings delicious pies: pumpkin, apple, and my dad’s and my favorite, pecan pie. Thanksgiving allows me to enjoy all of these favorites. 

Overindulgence

Like many Americans, Christmas and New Years is all about overindulgence and eating with somewhat reckless abandon. What I eat in a day this time of year varies greatly. I still listen to my body’s signals for fullness, but I also don’t deprive myself of tasting the influx of rich homemade treats.

Listen to your Body

While I don’t pay much attention to my weight during this time, I do monitor myself for signals that my body is functioning less optimally. At the first signs of inflammation, I back off the processed foods quickly and take supplements to combat the imbalance.

How to Detox from the Holidays

By the time January rolls around, I am ready to wean myself from all the sugary treats. The prior two months of indulgence usually result in excess weight, as I expect. But it’s not something I worry about, because I know what I need to do to get myself back on the healthier path.

Intermittent Fasting

In January, I typically also use intermittent fasting to lose the pounds I gain during the holidays. I typically don’t mind restricting what I eat in a day this time of year because I feel satisfied from my holiday splurges. Since I am in the office long hours, and I am fortunate that my husband makes the family meals during the week, I rely on ready made food that I take to the office.

My favorite is Daily Harvest. I love the Brussels Sprouts Pad Thai, especially knowing that these cruciferous vegetables are helping my suboptimal Phase 1 Pathway. I may have some vegetable gummies or vegan clean chocolate chips or nuts as a snack before dinner. If I really need a boost to lose weight, I’ll have a Purium Power Shake as a meal replacement. 

Bottom Line: Do what works for You

The purpose of me sharing what I eat in a day is not to recommend that everyone follow the same exact routine. I just wanted to share what tends to work for me and my own personal biochemistry.

Depending where you are on your health journey, maybe indulging for one meal a week is right for you. Maybe it’s a small treat daily. The bottom line is that everyone is different, and that is perfectly fine! The most important thing is to listen to your body and pay attention to signals that your body is or isn’t getting what it needs. The tests that I give my patients help them manage the ups and downs in our lives, and help them reach a healthy balance that is personalized for them. 

What detox program/diet is right for you?

If you need help finding what nutrition choices fit with your lifestyle, I would be honored to partner with you. You deserve to look and feel your best, and I know that together we can come up with a plan that works great for you.