Did the slower, colder winter months leave you feeling sluggish and a little pudgy…as if there’s stuff that you need to clear out of your system? If so, you’ve come to the right place because after you follow this seven-day plan for eating nothing but nourishing, unprocessed whole foods your insides will do a dance of joy. Oh, yeah!
It’s extremely beneficial to periodically feed your body nothing but food in its natural state—in other words, food that it will immediately recognize and know how to break down without any additional effort. In the process, you’ll be releasing toxins, which can cause you to feel a little blah, but you’ll come out the other end cleaner and lighter than you went in. To help sweep toxins from your system, spend some time in the sauna or take a hot Epsom salt bath before bed. You’ll feel tired after you do this—plan to sleep like a baby!
Here are the guidelines to follow for this oh-so-gentle detox, which involves staying away from several foods and sticking to a handful of healthy ones, instead. Ready?
- AVOID foods that contain, or were manufactured with anything related to a fungus, yeast, or mold, such as: cheese, vinegar, wine, beer, alcoholic drinks, MSG, mushrooms, pickled or smoked meats, malted products, bread, fruit juices, and vitamins derived from yeast.
- AVOID foods to which you have known sensitivities or allergies.
- AVOID dairy.
- AVOID sugar and other simple refined carbohydrates, such as honey, corn syrup, sucrose, maltose, lactose, maple syrup, white flour, potato chips, and corn chips. Choose your carbs wisely by choosing those lowest in sugar and highest in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Eat one serving of carbohydrate with each meal but not more.
- Add organic animal protein, beans, raw organic nuts, seeds or nut butters with every meal.
- EAT water based (non-starchy) vegetables at every meal. Consume leafy greens such as kale, collards, chard, mustard greens, field greens, and fresh spinach daily.
- EAT fruit moderately. Wash well and/or peel before eating to remove mold and pesticides. Apples, pears, and berries are best. In general fruit should be eaten 30 minutes prior to a meal or an hour after. Nuts and fruit are ideal and make a great snack food, but moderation is key.
- EAT the freshest food possible (the longer your veggies sit in the fridge, the more nutrients they lose)
Specific foods to incorporate:
- Beverage: Almond milk, chamomile tea, sesame milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, rice milk
- Cereal: Amaranth porridge, barley flakes, buckwheat groats, Cream of Rice, oat bran, oatmeal, puffed rice
- Fruit: Apple, pear, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, grapefruit, lemon, lime, papaya, strawberry
- Grains: Amaranth, barley, buckwheat, oat, rice, rye, spelt, quinoa (technically a seed)
- Legumes: Alfalfa, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, green beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, navy beans, peas, pinto beans,
- Nuts/Seeds: Almond, hazelnut, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds
- Organic Animal Protein: Beef, chicken, cornish hen, duck, eggs, turkey
- Seafood: Salmon, sardines, halibut (fish that is low in mercury)
- Vegetable: Asparagus, avocado (technically a fruit, but it’s low in sugar), broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collard greens, cucumber, garlic, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, okra, onion, parsley, peppers (bell and chili), radish, scallions, spinach, turnip, turnip greens, zucchini
- Starchy Vegetables: Artichoke, beet, jicama, parsnip, pumpkin, sweet potato, turnip, squash
Make sure you are drinking ample water throughout the day to continue flushing toxins from your system. Coconut water is a great addition to up your hydration during the day, but make sure it doesn’t have added sugar in it.
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