Five-Day Crash Cleanse: Day 1

Need a refreshing restart after a particularly fattening holiday or food binge?

This one is definitely not that easy, but since it's only 5 days of light eating/cleansing, results are fantastic at the end of the detox. It's not a diet, but rather a hardcore flushing of build up from not-so-good foods.

You feel slow and sluggish, irregular and with an expanded stomach. Jeans are a little too tight. Love handles just starting to appear. Not to fear! Understand there will be some hunger pangs, but if you have good self-control, this will be easy and fly by quickly. And you'll feel better, look greater, and you'll start yourself anew diet-wise.

Your week will consist of these: lemon water, fruits, vegetables, soup.

Absolutely nothing else! This is a cleanse, not a diet.

Today's breakfast can consist of fruit, eat as much as you'd like! Except for bananas -- they are the most caloric fruit!

Throughout the short five days, drink a quart of lemon water (either half of a freshly squeezed lemon or lemon juice mixed with water) three times a day, preferably before every meal so you don't feel as hungry. This is also the main action for flushing yourself clean.

For lunch, I enjoyed a juicy Fiji apple sprinkled with cinnamon sugar on every savory bite!

For dinner, a simple water-based soup of simmered cabbage, carrots, and celery. Minimal salt. I seasoned with pepper, dried parsley, and garlic powder.

As a snack for later into the night, two "Cuties" or small oranges.

Along with replenishing yourself with those quarts of lemon water, you're off to a really great start. The first day is always the hardest -- we're actually shrinking our stomachs a bit.

1/5th over! ;)