I am always being asked about the best way to detox, and whether juicing or fasting is the right way to do it. There are different schools of thought on the matter but I don’t think that juicing or fasting is the right way to have your body detox. This is a personal opinion and therefore it is not necessarily agreed upon by others but the plan should still be helpful nonetheless. The way I look at it, your body is constantly trying to get rid of the toxins and foreign substances that we ingest and all of these, if not expelled, will be stored in our body fat so we have to do something about it. I don’t think that deprivation is ever the right way to try and better your body or optimize your system because it can lead to over indulging once the detox finishes. When juicing or fasting you will lose weight, but it is not weight loss that is sustainable as it is water weight. Conversly, if you don’t feel deprived while detoxing then your body won’t react by over eating and the weight loss will be sustained.
My detox is more of a lifestyle modification than temporary fad diet. It is a way to kick-start your life and a blue print on how to eat well for optimum health. The body needs constant care and a continuous plan to keep the toxins from building up which means following the fundamentals of this detox and introducing them into your every day life. Therefore making lasting changes and creating an optimal way of life for you.
The first 3 days of my detox entail: no coffee, no wine and only eating raw fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts. The beauty of raw fruits and vegetables is that they fill you up because they are full of water and fibre and in consequence you will rehydrate your body and regulate your intestines. By eating fruits and vegetables raw you will get natural enzymes and nutrients that can be lost during cooking. If you eat this way the only caloric density in your diet will be from the nuts and seeds therefore you will naturally eat a low caloric diet but the amount of fruits and vegetables are unlimited, you will come to a point where will be unable to fit anymore in your belly!!!
The next 3 days entail no refined foods. This means that you can eat nuts and seeds, cooked fruits and vegetables, as well as adding grains (whole grains!). During these 3 days be careful not to overeat as you now have grains to work with. Don’t eat with the mentality of starvation, realize that you have all of these delicious foods available to you and you can eat as much as you like but there is no need to overeat!
The raw diet is all raw fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts:
Grapes – Peaches – Figs – Pears – Celery – Cucumber – Carrots – Tomatoes – Apples – Cabbage – Lettuce – Pumpkin seeds – Sunflower seeds – Flaxseeds – Peanuts – Almonds – Cashews – Brazil Nuts
Example Day
Breakfast:
A big fruit salad with peanut or almond butter
Or
A smoothie
Lunch:
A big salad with all the vegetables you can think of, avocado and heart of palm!
Dinner:
Crudités with homemade vegan walnut pesto (walnuts, basil, garlic, olive oil), try adding parsley or rucola to change it up.
Julienned zucchini and carrot with crushed nuts (of your choice, I prefer almonds), chilli flakes and freshly squeezed lemon juice
OR
Raw Hummus
Tell me If you like this detox as much as I do!
