Most of us go through winter in storage mode: hide out, stay warm and eat. But now that 2017 is here, it\’s time to shake off all those holiday indulgences. A fuss-free detox is the perfect way to welcome a new year.
The basics
I love this detox because it’s really simple. If you’re busy, and you don’t have a lot of time to cook or prepare food, this detox is for you.
Day 1
- 7 to 8 am: smoothie
Simple Smoothie base
Fresh or frozen fruit (½ banana or ¼ avocado for a creamy base)- 2 to 4 veggies (try spinach, cucumber, kale, chard, collard, fennel, celery, carrot, parsley, beet or mint)
- 1 handful of hemp hearts, almonds or walnuts
- 2 scoops of protein powder
- water to desired consistency (try ½ coconut water)
- green powder supplement
- 10 to 11 am: snack
- 12 to 1 pm: steamed veggies and nuts with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon and sea salt
- 3 to 4 pm: snack
- 6 to 7 pm: smoothie
Day 2
7 to 8 am: smoothie- 10 to 11 am: snack
- Snack idea: piece of fruit + nuts
- 12 to 1 pm: steamed veggies and nuts with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon and sea salt
- 3 to 4 pm: snack
- Snack idea: celery + almond butter
- 6 to 7 pm: smoothie
Day 3
- 7 to 8am: smoothie
- 10 to 11 am: snack
- 12 to 1 pm: smoothie
- 3 to 4 pm: snack
- Snack idea: rice crackers + hummus
- 6 to 7 pm: smoothie
Day 4
- 7 to 8 am: smoothie
- 10 to 11 am: snack
- 12 to 1 pm: smoothie
- 3 to 4 pm: snack
- Snack idea: avocado + sea salt
- 6 to 7 pm: smoothie
Day 5
- 7 to 8 am: smoothie
- 10 to 11 am: snack
- 12 to 1 pm: smoothie
- 3 to 4 pm: snack
- Snack idea: sweet peppers + nuts
- 6 to 7 pm: smoothie
Day 6
- 7 to 8 am: smoothie
- 10 to 11 am: snack
- 12 to 1 pm: steamed veggies and nuts with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon and sea salt
- 3 to 4 pm: snack
- 6 to 7 pm: smoothie
Day 7
- 7 to 8 am: smoothie
- 10 to 11 am: snack
- 12 to 1 pm: steamed veggies and nuts with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon and sea salt
- 3 to 4 pm: snack
- Snack idea: snap peas + nuts
- 6 to 7 pm: smoothie
Going beyond food
Ideally, practice yoga three to six times during the 7-day detox. Try to meditate for at least 10 minutes a day.
Snack attack
Feel free to mix and match your snacks. If you don’t have time to plan ahead, even just a few nuts will do.
Quick tips
- Eat fresh, organic veggies, fruit and nuts.
- Avoid alcohol, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, dairy, gluten, soy and eggs.
- Drink ≥ half your body weight (measured in pounds) in ounces of water daily (so if you weigh 160 pounds, that’s 80 oz/10 cups of water).
- Take 400 to 1,000 mg Gymnema sylvestre, once daily (to help balance your blood sugar and curb sugar cravings), and vitamin B-100 complex, once at lunchtime (for an energy boost).
If you’re not up for the full detox …
Feel free to modify as needed. Doing part of the detox is better than doing nothing at all. The most important items I recommend are drinking the smoothies, not eating after 7 pm and taking the gymnema supplement.
