Doing a detox can sound thrilling and totally exhausting at the same time.
Thoughts of radiant skin and more energy quickly give way to images of eating birdseed and hunger pains.
And if you’re like me, you don’t do deprivation well.
My first attempt at a juice cleanse was an epic fail.
I was light-headed and even my kids’ blinking irritated me.
Rigid programs aren’t realistic for those of us who have kids, jobs and other humans we have to play nice with.
But more important, they don’t teach us how to eat for our normal, daily lives.
The good news is you can still detox while nourishing yourself with a variety of delicious food!
Here, I’ve laid out a free 3-Day Real Food Detox with lots of food options.
The best part, you can tailor it to any way you eat, whether it be grain-free, paleo, vegan or for a food intolerance.
It’s even safe enough for nursing moms!
This is great if you’re feeling stuck, looking to have more energy or just want to feel better.
By eating real, unprocessed food, along with making better lifestyle choices, you'll improve your digestive system, hormone balance and stress level.
It's three days but safe enough to follow for as long as you feel awesome!
The 3-Day Real Food Detox primer:
Water
Drink lots of filtered water throughout the day, primarily before meals. Shoot for eight cups a day.
This will give you a sense of fullness and make you less likely to overeat. Overeating makes it harder to have a bowel movement and going to the bathroom regularly (At least once a day) is key to detoxing. If you’re constipated, you’re holding on to toxins.
Exercise
For at least 30 minutes a day. A run, brisk walk, swimming or yoga all work great.
Dandelion Tea
The ultimate natural detox drink. It supports your organs to get the toxins out, helps stabilize blood sugar and is used for the natural treatments of acne, weight loss, cancer and anemia. And it will make you pee, so get ready!
Foods to avoid
Gluten (wheat, barley, rye, bran), dairy, fried food, processed food, alcohol, soda, fruit juices and added sugars (small amounts of maple syrup, raw honey and agave are ok). A note on caffeine: No caffeine. If you really need it, try caffeinated tea or limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day.
What You’ll Eat
Think, what comes from nature and needs no or very little processing. You’ll be eating fruits, vegetables, gluten free grains(rice, quinoa, buckwheat), beans, seeds, nuts, organic eggs and moderate amounts of wild caught fish and organic grass-fed meat. Choose organic produce whenever possible.
Sleep 7-8 hours
This is the body’s time to heal. A detox is really a reboot of your digestive health. Without enough sleep it makes that reboot tough. Going to bed too late throws your hormones and metabolism off. So know your triggers for staying up too late (Facebook, Email, TV) and avoid them at night. Try not to get to bed any later than 10 pm.
Chill
Before you go to bed, get in a warm bath and de-stress. If you hate taking baths, set a timer for 15 minutes and sit with your feet up the wall with closed eyes and breath slow, long breaths. Limit screen time and turn off all gadgets one hour before bed.
The 3-Day Real Food Detox
Sample Day:
Wake up
On an empty stomach, take a good quality probiotic. Drink with tall glass of water with juice of ½ a lemon.
Breakfast
Option 1: Oatmeal (gluten-free) with cinnamon, sunflower/pumpkin seeds, nuts, berries of choice or blueberry sauce.
Option 2: Green smoothie with kale, spinach, celery, pear, apple, chia seeds/ground flax seed, and coconut water
Option 3: Egg omelet with spinach or vegetable of choice, cooked in extra virgin olive or coconut oil
After-Breakfast
Optional Snack
Apple, orange, grapes, strawberries, unsulfured dried apricots, melon, baby carrots, celery.
Before Lunch
Tall glass of water
Lunch
Option 1: A BIG green salad(Romaine, avocados, tomatoes, hardboiled eggs, seeds, cucumbers, peppers) with a olive oil and balsamic or other homemade dressing. You can also add a scoop of brown rice or quinoa.
Option 2: 2-egg spinach omelet with side of kimchi or other fermented vegetable.
Option 3: Hummus platter with bell peppers, broccoli, cucumbers and carrots.
Optional Snack
Unsalted toasted pumpkin seeds, hardboiled egg, avocado, bone broth, fruits or veggies
Before Dinner
Tall glass of water
Dinner
Option 1: Stir-fry vegetables and tempeh, season with Tamari. Stir in handful of spinach when heat is off so it only slightly wilts. Optional: Serve with quinoa or brown rice.
Option 2: A vegetable based soup, lentil or homemade chicken soup with kale salad
Option 3: Salad or roasted vegetables with wild salmon.
After Dinner
Dandelion root tea
Dessert
Dates, cherries, pineapple, mango, melon or chia seed pudding.