sandalwood, frankincense, and lavender). About 72 percent of women are deficient in magnesium (as measured in your red blood cells), which can prevent your DNA from methylating (an important and good action your body takes to support your genes) and increase the accumulation of bad estrogens. Research shows that women with higher magnesium levels are leaner and have lower waist-to-hip ratios. 10 Taking an Epsom salts bath will help with this process; you’ll methylate better and get rid of bad estrogens.
Tongue scraper. Scraping your tongue each morning is a great way to get rid of some of the toxins that accumulate there overnight. And it helps with bad breath!
Food Items
Produce
Your favorite veggies (ideally organic, locally grown, and in season). For example, stock up on lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, beets, purple cabbage, cabbage, celery, and carrots. You will need a pound per day, so go ahead and weigh them in the store. You will need three pounds for the first three-day reset and a total of seven pounds each first week. I suggest that you keep three days’ worth of vegetables in your refrigerator, make vegetable soup, and freeze the rest—just make sure your frozen vegetables don’t contain sugar or additives.
Your favorite fruits (ideally organic, locally grown, and in season). Keep lemons in stock, because you’ll be drinking lemon water daily. Buy plenty of avocados, olives (whole and puréed as a tapenade), fresh and dried coconut, and berries. Limit high-glycemic fruits if you are trying to lose weight (I define low-glycemic fruits based on their fructose content, and these include avocados, olives, coconut, lemons, and berries), and eliminate high-glycemic fruits completely when you start the Fruitless reset (chapter 5).
Fridge and Freezer Items
Organic and/or free-range chicken.
Organic and/or free-range turkey.
Organic and/or free-range eggs.
Cold-water fish that are low in mercury. Examples include wild Alaskan salmon, cod, snapper, tilapia, mackerel, trout, sardines, anchovies, orange roughy, herring, flounder, sturgeon, clams, crab, oysters, and scallops.
Hummus.
Pantry Items
Grain-free crackers, granola, etc. Limit these if you are trying to lose weight. Some of my favorite brands include flackers from Doctor in the Kitchen (made from flax seeds) and raw, dehydrated vegetable crackers, such as those from Lydia’s Organics (made from sprouted sunflower seeds, collards, carrots, celery, kale, spinach, zucchini, arugula, radicchio, and other natural ingredients).
Nuts and seeds. For example, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raw almonds, cashews (limit if you’re trying to lose weight because they are starchy), walnuts, and Brazil nuts.
Flax seeds, chia seeds, and/or hemp seeds. These are excellent sources of additional fiber and nutrients.
Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and/or organic ghee. Olive and avocado oils are best for low-temperature cooking or raw dressings. Coconut oil is suitable for high-temperature cooking and is also delicious in shakes! Ghee is clarified butter with the milk proteins removed. Avoid vegetable oils like canola, corn, and soy.
Coconut aminos. These add a lot of flavor to steamed vegetables and soups. Find them online or at your local health food store.
Apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar.
Fresh and dried herbs and spices. All herbs and spices are allowed, as long as they don’t contain sugar or additives. Examples include tarragon, basil, thyme, parsley, cilantro, ginger, shiso leaf, cayenne, cinnamon, garlic, and onion.
Extra-dark chocolate. Purchase 80 percent cacao or higher. Omit if it’s an avalanche food that you can’t stop eating.
Beverages
Filtered water. Use water for smoothies, and drink a large glass (8 to 12 ounces) with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and/or toss in pieces of fresh vegetables or fruit (lemon, lime, berries).
Sparkling water. Sparkling water with fresh lemon, mint, or