Whether it is weight loss, exercising, clean eating, or just making healthier lifestyle choices, self-care always seem to steal the spotlight on our to-do lists just before summer season! So let’s start with a light detox and get you back into good habits.
We recommend you start by avoiding red meat, wheat, alcohol, dairy, sugar, and processed foods. Instead, ingest as many organic fruits, vegetables, and water as possible!
Here’s a sample of a meal plan designed by the wonderful nutritionists at Right Bite, it is best you mix things up by having a variety of fruits & vegetables and following the program for no longer than 3-5 days.
Day breakers to start with:
- Hot water, lemon, and cayenne
- Lemongrass ginger tea
- Celery juice
Breakfast
Fresh vegetable juice (carrots, beetroot, celery, mint, coriander, parsley, wheatgrass, spinach, kale)
♥ Add a tablespoon of seeds. (such as chia or sunflower seeds) to your juice, for that extra fiber boost
Lunch
A balanced meal consisting of vegetables, hearty grains, and a lean protein (no meat, no chicken)
- Lightly steamed vegetables (Mushrooms, Spinach, Beetroot, Broccoli, Capsicums, Pumpkins, Carrots)
- Hearty gluten-free grains (buckwheat, quinoa, brown rice)
- Lean protein (grilled fish or salmon)
Dinner
A warming bowl of vegetable soup (no cream, no corn)
Snacks
- A handful of raw, unsalted nuts (10-15 pieces)
- Fresh fruits (1-2 servings)
Just keep in mind that a detox diet isn’t about depriving yourself; it’s about taking better care of your body and mind, resetting your system and kick-starting new habits. During your detox
plan, use this time to improve your sleep routine, get into the habit of drinking more water, try out new stress-management techniques like meditation, listening to music or reading a book.
Keep in mind, detox diets are not long-term sustainable weight loss solutions and are not suitable for everyone.
And if you are looking for a bit of inspiration, we love this broccoli and fennel soup inspired by Sherrie Castellano of With Food and Love.
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups fennel, chopped into wedges
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups kale, ribs removed
- 2 cups mushroom broth water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 large handfuls arugula
- sea salt, to taste
- chili flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread broccoli and fennel evenly on a prepared baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast for 20 minutes, flipping broccoli and fennel after 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a large saucepot over medium-low heat, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and minced garlic and sweat for 3 minutes. Add onion and sweat for 5 minutes more. When broccoli and fennel are done roasting, add them to the saucepan and stir.
- Then add in the kale, arugula, broth and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer mixture for 5 minutes, remove from heat and blend until smooth.
Instead of blending in the cashews as per the original recipe, we saved them to make a crunchy topping for our soup! We also mixed in some arugula for peppery goodness.
For the cashews, heat a skillet over low heat and add a handful of cashews with 1/4 a tablespoon of olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with some chili powder and smoked paprika and a dash of salt and mix to thoroughly combine.
Cook for about 2 minutes just until warm. Allow to cool and dry for about 5 minutes before topping up your soup!
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