Detox Plan

Posted by Rachel January 07, 2014

Detox Plan

With all the snow we've had recently, I was finally able to get out and get everything I needed for my semi-annual detox. I use a plan based loosely on a detox plan I found in the back of Super Duper Soups. I've tried other plans and bought premade shakes and juice programs and this just seems to work the best for me.

I say loosely based on it cause I need a higher protein diet then a lot of people. So I altered the original plan to have more protein. I consider myself really active, usually walk or hike 5-6 miles a day, even in the snow. After having my son, I ballooned up to a size 12. I lost the weight over time with weight lifting and I am now a size 4. When I relied on just cardo exercise, I seemed to be able to run till I was blue in the face and I never seemed to loose weight. I met with a personal trainer and he set me up with a weight lifting plan that helped me to loose weight and tone muscle without looking like a body builder.

Now I walk and hike mainly because it keeps my heart healthy and the time outside helps me to center myself and get me away from electrical devices that seem to keep me wound up. I also end my workouts at the gym by doing 15 minutes of yoga. It helps to stretch out tight muscles. The most important thing is it helps me to relax and center myself, keeping stress points in the body free of knots.

A lot of cleanses that I have seen, seem to be 5 to 7 days of fasting. If all your toxins were stored in your colon this would be an awesome cleanse. But the truth is most of your toxins are stored in fat and mucus. With my cleanse I use one day to rid the colon of toxins. I use two days to rid the rest of the body of toxins. Of course without exercise, it's impossible to sweat the toxins out. On my gym day I also spend 12-15 minutes in a sauna as well. Usually until my sweat comes out a cloudy white/clear color.

I might sound a little like a health nut, but I still have a cup of coffee in the morning as well. I know most cleanses tell you to stay away from caffeine, but I've got myself down to one cup of coffee a day. Which I think is awesome being that I'm from Seattle, lol. I still drink it on my cleanse because for me it's a comforting way to start a morning. So if you feel that you can't live without it, don't feel like you won't be getting the benefits from this cleanse by drinking one cup a day. Just remember a cleanse shouldn't keep you on a toilet for a week or force you to starve yourself long term as well.

Day 1

This is a great fast without the rest of the detox plan for energy. I use just day one sometimes after a full weekend with too much alcohol, junk food or both. Just make sure you use a systemic enzyme with all three days of this detox plan.

On Waking: A glass of hot water with a wedge of unwaxed lemon in it.

Breakfast: A glass of hot water with a wedge of unwaxed lemon in it. If you drink Coffee or any China Tea(White, Green, Black or Oolong) wait till after you've had the lemon water first. My breakfast smoothie from this recipe. A cup of either Detox tea or Lemon Ginger Tea with a tsp of honey in it.

Mid-Morning: A glass of hot water with a wedge of unwaxed lemon in it.

Lunch: 10oz of Tomato Juice with two celery stalks whizzed together in the blender. A half cup of Jello(I make my own with fresh apple juice and gelatin, recipe below). A cup of either Detox tea or Lemon Ginger Tea with a tsp of honey in it.

Mid-Afternoon: A glass of hot water with a wedge of unwaxed lemon in it.

Dinner: 10oz Pineapple/Orange juice blended together with 3 kiwis and 1/4 cup of aloe juice. A half cup of Jello. A cup of either Detox tea or Lemon Ginger Tea with a tsp of honey in it.

Evening: 10oz Pineapple/Orange juice blended with 1 tbsp of Almonds and 1/4 cup of aloe juice.

Bedtime: One cup of Sleepy Time tea with a tsp of honey in it.

When I go for walks on this cleanse I usually take Emergen-C and mineral water with me. Of course I take all my vitamins and suppliments. Never stop taking your vitamins/minerals or prescriptions for a cleanse. Personally I think there is something wrong with a cleanse if they advise you otherwise.

Lemon Water is amazing! It balances PH, keeps your skin clear and glowing, speeds up your metabolism, it can curb caffeine cravings, gives energy, detoxifies the body, reduce dental disease. It's antibacterial so can help rid the body of infections. It's high in potassium so it can help lower blood pressure and also depression. By being a diuretic it can help arthritis by flushing out bacteria and toxins. It helps purify the blood. Lastly because it's an excellent source for Anti-Oxidants and Vitamin C it can help prevent the formation of free-radicals. Making it a great way to speed up the recovery of a hang over!

Day 2

For me this is a gym day so right before I leave, I will drink some of my chia seed/coconut water. Drink some recovery drink when I get back.

On Waking: A glass of hot water with a wedge of unwaxed lemon in it.

Breakfast: A glass of hot water with a wedge of unwaxed lemon in it. My breakfast smoothie. A cup of Pineapple/Orange juice. An apple. A cup of chamomile tea with a tsp of honey in it.

Mid-Morning: A glass of hot water with a wedge of unwaxed lemon in it.

Lunch: A large salad(5-6 lg romaine lettuce leaves, 3 green olives, sliced, 2 tbsp tomatoes, diced, 2 tbsp shredded carrots, 1/4 of a cucumber, sliced, a hard boiled egg, chopped) with oil vinegar dressing. A cup of apple juice. Half a cup of jello. A cup of mint tea with a tsp of honey in it.

Mid-Afternoon: One cup of Homemade Cream of mushroom soup, recipe below.

Dinner: Fruit Salad(recipe below), a handful of raisins and a handful of almonds. A cup of tomato juice with a stalk of celery whizzed together.

Evening: A glass of hot water with a wedge of unwaxed lemon in it.

Bedtime: A cup of Homemade Cream of mushroom soup. One cup of Sleepy Time tea with a tsp of honey in it.

Day 3

On Waking: A glass of hot water with a wedge of unwaxed lemon in it.

Breakfast: A glass of hot water with a wedge of unwaxed lemon in it. My breakfast smoothie. 6oz of yogurt with 1 tsp honey. 1 tsp each of raisins and almonds. A apple. A cup of pineapple/Orange Juice.

Mid-Morning: A cup of Homemade Roasted Pepper Soup, recipe below. Four dried apricots and four prunes.

Lunch: A glass of hot water with a wedge of unwaxed lemon in it. Chicken Stir-fry. A half cup of Jello. A cup of mint tea with a tsp of honey in it.

Mid-Afternoon: A cup of any unsweetened fruit juice.

Dinner: Braised Kale. One cup of Grape Juice. A cup of either Detox tea or Lemon Ginger Tea with a tsp of honey in it.

Evening: A cup of Homemade Roasted Pepper soup. Four dried apricots, four prunes and tsp raisins.

Bedtime: One cup of China tea and two rice crackers.

All of my recipes below are for 4 servings.

Apple Juice Jello

2 cups Apple Juice

1 package of Unflavored Gelatin

Heat 1 cup of Apple juice up on the stove. Be careful not to bring it to a boil. If you do it will have an apple sauce tastes rather then apple juice taste. Add package of gelatin and stir for two minutes until dissolved. Pour in 1 one cup of cold Apple Juice. Let set up in the fridge, usually 1-2 hours.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/4 cup of Butter(I use salted)

1 small Sweet Onion, diced

1 cup of either Red or White Potatoes, cubed(leave the skins on)

3/4 cup of Mushrooms, sliced(my favorite are fresh Crimini but use your favorite type in the soup and in a pinch one small can of mushrooms will work, just make sure to drain them)

2 tablespoons Flour or Ground Chia Seeds

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

6 cups of Chicken Stock

2/3 cup of Half and Half

In a large stock pot melt the butter. Fry the onions for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the flour and Oregano and as soon as they incorporate with the butter and vegetables add the chicken stock.

Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the lid add the milk and stir. Let the soup sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Run the soup through a food processor or blender until smooth. Serve while still hot.

Fruit Salad

1 Navel Orange(peeled, sliced up)

1 Green Apple, chopped

2 Bananas, sliced

For Dressing:

1/2 cup Yogurt

1/4 tsp Celery Seeds

1 tbsp Honey

1/2 tbsp Chia Seeds

1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium combine all of the dressing ingredients, wisp till smooth. Add fruit and mix.

Roasted Pepper Soup

2 tablespoons Olive Oil + a little more for roasting the peppers

Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper to taste

1 sweet Onion diced

3 Roasted Peppers(I prefer red peppers, but use what you like)

2 teaspoons of Paprika

1 tablespoon Flour or Ground Chia Seeds

1 Sprig of Fresh Thyme or about 1/4 teaspoon dried(fresh tastes better though)

4 cups of Chicken Stock

1/2 cup of Green Olives, not the ones in vinegar

1 cup of Mascarpone Cheese(if you can't find try 1/2 cup cream cheese and 1/2 cup whole milk)

For roasting the peppers, place the peppers on a small baking sheet, cover with aluminun foil and coat the peppers with Olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil the peppers for about 3 to 5 minutes, slightly longer with a gas oven. The skin should look slightly charred. As soon as they are done, place them in a bowl and cover it for about 5 minutes. Remove the cover and cut off and discard the tops, the skin should just fall off peppers, discard the skin as well. A lot of people that claim to not like pepper really don't like the bitter skin of the peppers. Open them up and scrape out the seeds and discard the seeds.

In a large pot add olive oil and onions and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the paprika and flour and cook for another two minutes. Add the peppers, the thyme, the chicken stock and the olives and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the lid, discard the stem from the thyme, scraping the leaves off first. Add the cheese and stir well. Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for 5 minutes. Run the soup through a food processor or blender until smooth. Serve while the soup is still warm.

Chicken Stir-Fry

2 tbsp Mushroom Sauce
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Rice Wine
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 tsp Corn Starch or Ground Chia Seeds
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 Green Onions, chopped
2 Stalks of Celery, chopped
1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup of Mung Bean Sprouts
1 cup broccoli
4 cups of Cabbage, chopped
1/2 lb Cooked Chicken(Great use for left over chicken or even turkey)
2 tbsp of Toasted Sesame Oil
1/2 tbsp Chili Sauce
1 tbsp of Sesame Seeds

Combine Mushroom Sauce, Soy Sauce, Rice Wine, Red Pepper Flakes, Corn Starch and Chicken Broth and set it aside. Add Olive oil to the wok and fry garlic, Green Onions, Celery, Mushrooms, Mung Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, pour sauce over veges and cook for 5 minutes over med-high heat. Add chicken, Sesame Oil and Chili Sauce and cook for another minute. Sprinkle Sesame Seeds over the top.

Not sure what happen but when I went to the store they were out of heads of cabbage. So I bought this: