After all the holiday cheer, your system may need a reboot. The purpose of a short cleanse is to give your organs of detoxification a quick rest. By not having to process extra toxins, these organs can put energy into self-repair. Your organs of elimination are your skin, your liver, your lungs, your kidneys, your gut, and your lymphatic system (immune pipeline). It’s easy to give them all a little extra love (and rest) during this Easy Weekend Detox.
Pick your Weekend
Choose 3 days in a row that don’t require much of you. Avoid doing this while traveling or during a weekend with a big party planned. You’re going to take it easy, so try to eliminate distractions. Working on Day 1 or 2 is fine, but try to make sure that Day 3 is a day off.
Grocery Shop
The meal plan is “light” for this detox, so stock your kitchen with mostly fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and simple grains. Don’t forget to pick up all the ingredients for Detox Soup. Dairy should be limited to yogurt only. Four-legged proteins (beef, pork, elk, bison, etc) will be eliminated. Small portions of chicken, turkey or fish are allowed. No fried food, no sugar, no alcohol, no recreational drugs, and no coffee for the detox. Avoid anything made with flour. Don’t worry, it’s only for 3 days.
Sample Menu
Breakfast: chopped fruit, cooked or soaked rolled oats, plain yogurt or nut milk, flax seeds
Lunch: Detox Soup (see recipe)
Dinner: a salad or cooked veggies (like a stir fry or curry) with poultry of fish and ½ cup of white rice
Detox Smoothie (can replace any meal or use as a snack): 1 cup frozen berries, ½ green-tipped banana, handful of baby spinach, 2 TBSP flax seed, additional fruit of choice, nut milk or water, and ice, blended.
Daily Rituals
Deep belly breaths that move your belly out with each inhale and back in toward the spine with each exhale (you can practice with a book on your belly). You should try to do a set of 10 of these 5 times a day. Its ok if you end up doing them all at once. This helps the lungs eliminate waste.
A minimum of 80 ounces of water per day to support kidney health.
Detox Tea to help your liver repair. You can buy this at any grocery store, any brand is fine (Yogi Teas and Traditional Medicinals both make a detox blend). Try and drink 2-3 cups of this tea each day. Feel free to add lemon for taste.
Contrast hydrotherapy in the shower. This will certainly be the biggest challenge on the page. To stimulate your lymphatic system and invigorate skin, try the following sequence during your showers: 3 minutes warm/hot water, 30 seconds cool/cold blast, repeat 3 times, end on cold.
Magnesium Supplement (such as Natural Calm) each night to ensure a daily bowel movement. At a moderately high dose, magnesium will act as a gentle osmotic laxative. This can be helpful during a detox because the gut is the primary way the liver gets rid of toxins.
Enjoy!
A light detox should not be unpleasant. You are giving your internal organs a bit of a vacation, so take advantage of the break. Enjoy low-key activities (light hiking, easy skiing, yoga, etc) and try focusing on “detoxing” your mind-consider daily meditation or journaling.
If you have any questions about this detox or you’d like to plan out a more comprehensive detox, please schedule an appointment here:
https://emeraldintegrativehealth.com/schedule-appointments-medical
I would be honored to work with you!
In health,
Grace Charles
Detox Soup
The following recipe makes a large batch of detox soup. Feel free to substitute or add any other veggies you have around. Brussel sprouts, kale, sweet potatoes, radishes and green beans all make nice additions to this soup.
Adapted from Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, by Tom Malterre
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil or coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
8 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 small package fresh basil, chopped
½ small package fresh thyme, chopped
½ small package fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp ground pepper
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 TBSP of tomato paste
1 32oz box of low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1-2 cans of kidney beans (white or red), drained and rinsed
2 small zuchhinis, chopped
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
Salt, to taste
Directions
- Heat oil in large soup pot. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until beginning to soften.
- Add carrots, celery, garlic, basil, thyme, oregano, and ground pepper. Saute for 3-4 more minutes.
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste and broth. Bring to boil, simmer for 10 minutes or until carrots start to soften.
- Add beans, zucchini, and parsley and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Serve hot, add salt to taste
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