DETOX
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| It is that time of year, folks. I need to lose a few pounds of holiday excess. Anyone else? I like to do fasts and detoxes a couple of times during the year, the most hardcore one being the Master Cleanse I did last spring. It was not what you would characterize as pretty. Or easy. It did work, however. As I do not wish to subsist on lemon water in the middle of winter, I asked my doctor, a detox diet specialist, for the guidelines he uses to achieve a good detox that is not as hallucinogenic (in a bad way) as the Master Cleanse. He actually thinks that the Master Cleanse can be dangerous because the liver is not supported by the nutrients it needs. What it came down to was this: you can detox easily and effectively while you continue to eat as long as you are cutting out the foods and other substances that interfere with the detoxification process. Make sure you check with your doctor before you start any detox. Drink A LOT of water. I created this menu plan for a seven-day elimination diet. The shakes and juices are meant to be liquid meals that help decrease the amount of work your digestive system has to do. I will be suffering along with you to kickstart my year a bit lighter. Good luck to us all! According to Dr. Alejandro Junger* (our detox specialist) in addition to the above, there are a few more "basic principles of detoxification" that should be kept in mind while following our detox menus. Do deep breathing or gentle yoga. Take a couple of spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil at night to help stimulate your liver to eliminate bile and keep its circulation flowing. If your bowel movements get sluggish, you can accelerate things by drinking half a cup of castor oil or using a mild herbal laxative. Bowel elimination is paramount for correct detoxification. The skin gets rid of many toxins so it is important to sweat, either by exercising or taking a sauna. Finally, make sure you eat whole organic foods, which have the best chance of having all the nutrients needed for liver and general detoxification. *This is an excerpt from Dr. Junger's upcoming book Clean, which will be published in May. Be sure to pick up a copy! MENUS (bold indicates a recipe) Adjust the time to your schedule and the meals to your taste but remember that there can be no dairy, grains with gluten, meat, shellfish, anything processed (including all soy products), fatty nuts, nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant), condiments, sugar and obviously no alcohol, caffeine or soda. DAY ONE 7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water 8am: Herbal tea 10am (breakfast): Blueberry and Almond Smoothie 11:30am: Coconut water* 1:30pm (lunch): Salad with Carrot and Ginger Dressing 4pm (snack): A handful of mixed pumpkin and sunflower seeds 6pm (dinner): Broccoli and Arugula Soup *Make sure that the coconut water has no added sugar. Fresh is ideal but the brands Zico or Vita Coco are readily available. DAY TWO 7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water 8am: Herbal tea 10am (breakfast): Raspberry and Rice Milk Smoothie (follow method for Blueberry and Almond Smoothie) 11:30am: Coconut water 1:30pm (lunch): Detox Teriyaki Chicken and Steamed Greens 4pm (snack): Miso Soup with Watercress 6pm (dinner): Pea and Basil Soup (follow method for Broccoli and Arugula Soup) DAY THREE 7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water 8am: Herbal tea 10am (breakfast): Oatmeal (make with rice or almond milk instead of water so it’s a bit more substantial) 11:30am: Coconut water 1:30pm (lunch): Blueberry and Almond Smoothie 4pm (snack): Cucumber, Lime and Basil Juice 6pm (dinner): Super Greens Juice / Miso Soup with Watercress DAY FOUR 7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water 8am: Herbal tea 10am (breakfast): Mango and Coconut Milk Smoothie (follow method for Blueberry and Almond Smoothie) 11:30am: Coconut water 1:30pm (lunch): Miso Soup with Watercress 4pm (snack): A handful of blueberries 6pm (dinner): Steamed Salmon and Greens DAY FIVE 7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water 8am: Herbal tea 10am (breakfast): Peach and Almond Smoothie (follow method for Blueberry and Almond Smoothie) 11:30am: Coconut water 1:30pm (lunch): Raw crudite (carrots, green beans, radishes, cucumbers, zucchini) with Carrot and Ginger Dressing 4pm (snack): Beet, Carrot, Apple and Ginger Juice 6pm (dinner): Cucumber and Avocado Soup DAY SIX 7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water 8am: Herbal tea 10am (breakfast): Blueberry and Almond Smoothie 11:30am: Coconut water 1:30pm (lunch): Mixed Greens with Steamed Salmon, Olive Oil & Lemon Juice 4pm (snack): Super Greens Juice 6pm (dinner): Detox Teriyaki Chicken, brown rice, steamed zucchini DAY SEVEN 7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water 8am: Herbal tea 10am (breakfast): Raspberry and Rice Milk Smoothie (follow method for Blueberry and Almond Smoothie) 11:30am: Coconut water 1:30pm (lunch): Miso Soup with Vegetables 4pm (snack): A handful of almonds 6pm (dinner): Steamed fish, quinoa, roasted squash RECIPES SALAD WITH CARROT AND GINGER DRESSING This dressing is the jam! Great on salad and also as a dip for vegetables. This recipe makes enough dressing for two salads, so be sure to save the extra. SERVES: 1 TIME: 5 minutes For dressing: | |
| 1 large | carrot, peeled and roughly chopped |
| 1 large | shallot, peeled and roughly chopped |
| 2 tablespoons | roughly chopped fresh ginger |
| 1 tablespoon | sweet white miso |
| 2 tablespoons | rice wine vinegar |
| 1 tablespoon | roasted sesame seed oil |
| 1/4 cup | grapeseed oil |
| 2 tablespoons | water |
| For salad: | |
| 1 head | baby gem lettuce, (or any greens), roughly cut |
| 1/4 | red onion, thinly sliced |
| 1/4 | avocado, diced |
| Pulse the carrot, shallot and ginger in a blender until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides, add the miso, vinegar and sesame seed oil and whiz together. While the blender is going, slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil and the water. Combine the lettuce, onion and avocado in a bowl, drizzle with plenty of dressing and serve. BROCCOLI and ARUGULA SOUP This is a clean, basic approach to soup that showcases the vegetable. You can make this with nearly anything – including peas and basil, zucchini, carrots and ginger. In this case, broccoli is made a bit more dynamic with a handful of peppery arugula. When you’re detoxing and drinking lots of juices and smoothies, it’s a nice change to have something warm. This recipe makes enough soup for at least two portions, but it’s easier to make it once and eat it twice. SERVES: 2 TIME: 15 minutes | |
| 1 tablespoon | olive oil |
| 1 clove | garlic, thinly sliced |
| 1/2 | yellow onion, roughly diced |
| 1 head | broccoli, cut into small florets (about 2/3 pound) |
| 2 1/2 cups | water |
| 1/4 teaspoon | coarse salt |
| 1/4 teaspoon | freshly ground black pepper |
| 3/4 cup | arugula, (watercress would be good, too) |
| 1/2 | lemon |
| Heat the olive oil in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for just a minute or until fragrant. Add the broccoli and cook for four minutes or until bright green. Add the water, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Cook for eight minutes or until the broccoli is just tender. Pour the soup into a blender and puree with the arugula until quite smooth. Be very careful when blending hot liquids; start slowly and work in batches if necessary (you don’t want the steam to blow the lid off). Serve the soup with a bit of fresh lemon. download a printable version MISO SOUP WITH WATERCRESS You can make the broth early in the week and add the miso as you eat. Also, you can eat this plain, with the watercress, or bulk it up with other thinly sliced vegetables (mushrooms, zuchinni, carrots, etc.) SERVES: 4 TIME: 30 minutes | |
| 6 cups | water, (filtered is best) |
| 50 grams | dried bonito flakes |
| 3 | dried shitake mushrooms |
| 4" piece of dried wakame | |
| 6 tablespoons | miso paste, (whatever kind you like—sweet white miso makes for a nice, light soup while aged barley gives a full, robust flavor) |
| 2 cups | watercress leaves |
| Heat the water in a small soup pot and when bubbles form around the edge, add the bonito. Turn the heat down and simmer for two minutes. Turn off the heat and let the broth sit for five minutes. Strain the broth into a clean pot, discarding the bonito. Add the shitakes and wakame to the broth and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove the wakame and mushrooms. Discard the thick stems from the mushrooms, thinly slice the caps and slip them back into the soup. Chop the wakame into small pieces, discarding any thick pieces of stem, and return to the pot. In a small bowl, combine the miso paste with a bit of the broth and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture back into the pot and let the soup simmer, being careful not to let it boil. Add the watercress at the last minute, just to wilt it, and serve. download a printable version DETOX TERIYAKI CHICKEN This sauce is detox-friendly because it doesn’t use sugar or soy, but it has a great depth of flavor and is the perfect consistency. SERVES: 1 TIME: 20 minutes + time for marinating For Sauce: | |
| 1/3 cup | balsamic vinegar |
| 1/3 cup | agave syrup |
| 1 teaspoon | freshly grated ginger |
| 1/4 teaspoon | freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 teaspoon | barley miso |
| 1 teaspoon | mirin |
| 1 tablespoon | water |
| Combine the balsamic, agave, ginger and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for ten minutes. Cool and then add the miso, mirin and water. For Chicken: | |
| 1 | chicken breast |
| Detox Teriyaki Sauce | |
| 1 | finely chopped scallion |
| 4 sprigs | cilantro, roughly chopped |
| Marinate the chicken in the sauce (reserve a spoonful or two) for at least one hour–up to overnight. Heat your grill to medium heat. Wipe off any excess marinade and grill the chicken for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Serve with the reserved, hasn’t-touched-raw-chicken sauce, cilantro and scallions. download a printable version BLUEBERRY and ALMOND SMOOTHIE This could easily be made with any fruit—raspberries, peaches, mango, etc. Also, feel free to substitute rice or coconut milk for almond milk. SERVES: 1 TIME: 5 minutes 1 scoop of a complete nutritional, whey protein fortified powder (not soy protein) | |
| 1/2 cup | blueberries |
| 1 scoop of a ProGreens type of powder (preferably with probiotics) | |
| 1 1/2 cups | almond milk |
| Blend everything together. download a printable version | |
| BEET, CARROT, APPLE and GINGER JUICE | |
| This juice is the most incredible color and is wonderfully sweet. Beets are said to lower blood pressure, carrots pack a super beta-carotene punch, apples are cancer-fighters and ginger just loves your heart. SERVES: 1 TIME: 5 minutes | |
| 1 large or 2 medium | beets, cut into wedges |
| 1/2 | lemon, zest and pith removed |
| 2 large | carrots |
| 1 large | apple, cut into wedges |
| 1" piece of ginger Juice everything into a glass, give it a stir and enjoy. download a printable version SUPER GREENS JUICE Health in a glass! SERVES: 1 TIME: 5 minutes | |
| 1 cup | tightly packed kale |
| 4 stalks | celery |
| 1 1/2 | pears, cut into large pieces |
| 1" piece of fresh ginger | |
| 1/2 | lemon, zest and pith removed |
| Juice everything into a glass, being sure to alternate the kale with the other ingredients to help it get through the juicer easily (I follow each small bit of kale with a celery stalk). Give the juice a stir before drinking. download a printable version | |
| CUCUMBER | |
| BASIL | |
| LIME JUICE | |
| This juice is especially refreshing when you blend it with a handful of ice cubes (use a whole lime if you do, as the acid is muted when it’s cold). Think of it as a detox-friendly mojito. SERVES: 1 TIME: 5 minutes | |
| 1/2 cup | fresh basil |
| 1 | English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise |
| 1/2 | lime, zest and pith removed |
| 1 | apple, cut into wedges |
| Starting with the basil, juice everything into a glass, give it a stir and enjoy. STEAMED SALMON and GREENS You could steam the fish on a bed of anything—thinly sliced fennel, lemon, even scallions or leeks. SERVES: 1 TIME: 20 minutes small handful (roughly 1/4 cup) of your favorite leafy herbs (parsley, basil, chervil, tarragon, etc.) 1 6 oz. organic salmon filet | |
| a cup | your favorite fresh greens, (kale, spinach, dandelion, chard, etc.) |
| 1 wedge | lemon |
| Line your steamer with the herbs and rest the salmon filet on top. Steam for 11 minutes. Put the greens alongside the fish and steam for an additional 7 minutes. Squeeze the lemon over the fish and greens and serve. CUCUMBER and AVOCADO SOUP Really light and refreshing, this soup is also incredibly satisfying because the avocado makes it so creamy. SERVES: 1 TIME: 2 minutes | |
| zest of 1/2 | lime |
| juice of an entire lime | |
| 1/2 teaspoon | salt |
| 1 | cucumber, peeled and seeded, roughly chopped |
| 1/2 | avocado, peeled and roughly chopped |
Blend everything together until totally creamy and smooth.
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