Day 19-
Today's diet:
On waking: Hot water with a slice of lemon.
Breakfast: A slice of gluten and yeast-free bread with feta and a poached free-range egg. Green tea.
Morning snack: A banana. Detox tea.
Lunch: (Homemade) pumpkin soup with a slice of gluten and yeast-free toast.
Afternoon snack: Carrot and celery sticks. About 20 almonds & 10 pecan halves.
Dinner: Gluten free pasta with a smoked salmon sauce (salmon, asparagus, grated parsnip, about 2 tablespoons of light cream cheese, garlic, salt, pepper).
After dinner snack: Lemon and Ginger tea with honey.
At least 2 litres of filtered water throughout the day.
Exercise: Vacuuming and other exciting housework type things....
Sleep: About 7 hours- woke up once.

I can't believe I have been doing this detox for nearly 3 weeks and it hasn't even really been that hard. I mean, I am still tempted by certain things, I cooked spaghetti bolognaise for my husband and daughter tonight (who were thrilled to be eating tomato, red meat and cheese for a change) and I almost had a spoonful of the sauce, but I resisted. I have to say that my cravings for sweet things and coffee have really reduced too, I barely think about it anymore, even if I am out at a cafe, so that's progress.

The other funny thing about this whole process is that it feels very much like when I quit smoking 6 and a half years ago. I read a book, something resonated with me and it was enough to make me change my daily habits dramatically. I felt terrible for the first couple of weeks (just like the detox) and wasn't sure I would make it, but I did and felt much better and continue to be happy to this day that I made that decision for my health. Perhaps many of the eating habits of this detox will stay with me after all and I'll be happy in another 5 years that I made the decision to eat better quality food and tried to reduce or avoid foods that were generally likely to cause my body trouble. Joshi even uses much of the same language as the book I read to quit smoking, as if bad food is actually a drug:

"Feeding your craving will only make it worse. Finding alternatives will not only take away the need to cheat but possibly put your body into shock if you do cheat. If you have not eaten refined sugars only for a week and then succumb to a biscuit or slice of cake, you may suffer a headache or feel bloated. You just got your body back onto a healthy, even keel, and used to having a low blood sugar level, and then you suddenly gave it a major hit, sending that level sky-high. Even so, it isn't the end of the world if this happens. Just resume your intention to establish -for yourself- the discipline of eating nutritional foods, and keep reminding yourself that foods with low nutritional value are only feeding the old cravings and not the new, Detoxed you."

These are the foods you are supposed to AVOID or REDUCE:
- Acidic drinks, ie orange juice, apple juice etc
- Alcohol, especially beer & wine
- All fruit/ fruit juices except bananas
- Baked beans, pizza, processed food, fried and spicy foods.
- Low-fat or Reduced fat yoghurts and foods (usually loaded with sugar and chemicals)
- Bread/wheat and gluten products, pasta
- Dairy foods
- Fizzy drinks, tonic water, and carbonated flavoured water.
- Nuts (except pine nuts and seeds) - (missed this completely!!!! Ooops, must stop eating almonds etc.)
- Potatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, capsicums, peppers and avocados.
- Red meat
- Shellfish, prawns, mussels, crab, lobster, shrimp.
- Sugar and chocolates, cakes, biscuits, croissants, muffins.
- Tea/Coffee (except green tea and herbal teas)
- Tomato ketchup, vinegar, mustard, sauces, chutneys.
- Yeast and yeast products (soy sauce, pickles, Vegemite)

These are the foods you are supposed to INCREASE:
- Brown rice
- Buffalo mozzarella (occasionally as a cheese alternative)
- Dark green vegetables (except avocados which are acidic and should be eaten in moderation)
- Eggs (but no more than 3-4 times per week)
- Fish (especially oily fish but not shellfish, tuna or swordfish)
- Freshly made vegetable juices
- Freshly made vegetable soups
- Gluten free oatmeal made with rice milk or water
- Gluten free/ wheat free breads
- Gluten free/ wheat free cereals
- Goat's cheese, ricotta, cottage cheese.
- Honey
- Live yoghurt
- Olive oil
- Pulses/lentils/chick peas
- Salads (excluding tomatoes and peppers) and steamed vegetables
- Soya and Tofu products
- Soya milk, rice milk, goats milk.
- White meat- chicken, turkey.
- NOTE- seasonings like salt and pepper are allowed in moderation.

So, yeah. It's not as though there's nothing you CAN eat....