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Welcome to Week 2 of Your Detox Plan! In case you missed Week 1, you can read it here.
The focus this week is having enough nourishing wholefood meals in your diet to effectively support the detoxification process in your body. Focusing on the right foods to eat will help boost the intensity and the effectiveness of your body's NATURAL detoxification pathways.
There are a several key nutrients your body needs to detox. Flavonoids, antioxidants and B vitamins found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Glutathione, found in avocados, watermelon, asparagus, walnuts, leafy greens and Pure Native WPI. Essential fats found in extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed coconut oil and flaxseed oil. And lasty amino acids found in nuts, seeds, green vegetables and Healthy Chef Protein.
With this in mind, I've created a delicious detox recipe that will enhance the body’s ability to detox and regenerate efficiently.
In addition to my Week 1 tips, I encourage you to enjoy a delicious plant-based meal like this Warm Broccoli Salad every day. This is one of my ultimate detox recipes as it's vegan, gluten-free and low inflammatory, allowing your body to flourish and feel amazing.
By eating more plant based nourishing food, you'll help nourish the body and aid elimination. More specifically, consuming more plant-based greens offer a beneficial impact on the liver, the circulatory system, the immune system, the digestive system and the central and nervous system. Eating greens basically gives your body an overall reset almost alike a re-boot for your body, re-energising your system and enhancing your overall health.
BOOST YOUR DETOX - THINGS TO DO EVERYDAY:
Boost your detox with the below diet and lifestyle tips to support digestion, elimination and help shift to a healthier you!
1 - Eliminate coffee, alcohol, sugar, dairy, meat and gluten
The body's ability to detox can be hindered with poor quality food choices (e.g. too much refined sugar, artificial sweeteners and frequent consumption of heavily processed foods), food sensitivities that can cause bloating and poor digestion (gluten, wheat and lactose) and consuming inadequate fresh fruits and vegetables (lack of plant fibre and nutrients).
2 - Enjoy a raw juice or green smoothie every day
The fibre in green smoothies helps to support elimination, promoting healthy gut function and peristalsis. A diet high in fibre has also has been shown to help regulate blood sugars, reduce cholesterol and promote satiety – i.e. keeps you feeling full for longer. A green smoothie is also a wonderful way of incorporating leafy greens and antioxidants into your day.
I also like to enjoy a fresh raw vegetable juice as a way of increasing my antioxidant intake in a form which is kind to the digestive system. If you find vegetable juices too strong, just dilute them with a little filtered water.
3 - Incorporate adequate protein to support detoxification
Sufficient protein intake is essential as your body requirers adequate amino acids for the construction of enzymes and other molecules integral to the detoxification pathways. Without sufficient protein the body can catabolise its own lean tissue to source the amino acids necessary for this function. If you've already made a conscious effort to make sure you're getting protein on Week 1 of your detox - that's great! Otherwise, I can't stress enough that most detox diets are generally low in protein sources, so clean + natural protein shakes are a great addition to this plan.
Good sources of plant based protein include almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, fermented tempeh, quinoa, nut butter and Organic Pea Protein. Make a protein rich breakfast smoothie by blending 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon Healthy Chef Protein, 1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries, 1 tablespoon almond butter or tahini and 1/4 avocado or banana.
4 - Include antimicrobials and anti-inflammatory foods into your diet
Some of my favourite food sources include garlic, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, manuka honey, thyme, rosemary, blueberries, green vegetables, and green tea, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed coconut oil, bone broth, almonds, pineapple, avocado, sweet potato and carrots to name a few.
These foods help combat inflammation in the body and will support your health in every way. Add generously to salads, soups, smoothies and drinks.
5 - Dry body brushing
Dry skin brushing helps stimulate the lymphatic system by aiding the flow of lymph fluid throughout the body. The lymphatic system plays a vital role in elimination, helping to move toxins through the body. It may also contribute to the strength of the body’s immune system by producing certain white blood cells and generating antibodies. There are many lymph nodes situated at different places in the body but the inner thighs and armpits hold the greatest number, so it can be helpful to pay extra attention to these areas when brushing. Brush towards the heart, which is in the same flow as the lymphatic system.
6 - Move your body
For me, exercise is about a lot more than just preventing weight gain, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or depression, your body loves to move! It will reward you by slowing down the effects of ageing, increasing energy levels, reducing fatigue, and giving you the lean, toned look many of us desire. I’m a big advocate for regular exercise you enjoy, at least four – five days times a week is the optimum, but if you can manage three that’s great too.
7 - Drink Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha Tea
Matcha is a stone-ground powdered green tea that's more potent than traditional green teas. Matcha is an excellent source of EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), with levels significantly higher than regular green tea. EGCG is a polyphenol with metabolism boosting and thermogenic effects in the body, meaning it gently supports weight loss. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, green tea may play a role in the control of body composition via sympathetic activation of thermogenesis, fat oxidation, or both. In addition, a 2005 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that participants who drank catechin-rich green tea extract daily dropped almost twice as much weight in 12-weeks as participants who didn’t.
Studies also show that the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can reduced inflammation, maintain the health of the arteries and can lead to cell regeneration.
Stay tuned next week for my ultimate detox menu that features simple and delicious recipes you can make anytime during the year when you feel you need to reset your body!