The Art of Detoxing

A couple of weeks ago I spent almost everyday of the week eating out and working a lot. I was also stressed out and blotted that I decided it was time for me to do a cleanse and detoxify my body.

I Googled online for a couple of good cleansing diets that I could implement for 2-4 days without any major side effects and the one that stood out was Dr. Oz 48-Hour cleanse.

It is said that the practice of detoxifying the body to rid it of unhealthy toxins has been around for centuries.  And if you are not careful, you might end up choosing a detox diet that gets to rob the body of important nutrients and place the body in starvation mode, which actually slows your metabolism.  And as you know, other downsides of many detox diets include: dehydration, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and even colon damage so make sure you are careful when detoxing and choose diets that will help your body.

The thing I liked and still like about Dr. Oz’s 48-Hour Weekend Cleanse is because it is based upon eating certain “detoxifying” foods that will keep my body systems running smoothly.  It is a simple plan and now I use it monthly just to cleanse my body of all the bad toxins.

Dr. Oz recommends 48-hours and for me, I do 96-Hour cleanse as opposed to the 48 he recommends. I also do it from Sunday night to Thursday night which makes it much more fun and easy.

Below, please find all you need for the Dr. Oz 48-Hour Cleanse.

Breakfast: Fruit Smoothie 

Kale, Pineapple and Ginger Detox Drink(Juicer required)
This purifying beverage contains kale to cleanse the kidneys; pineapple, which has bromelain to aid digestion; and ginger to help stimulate bile flow in your gall bladder.

Ingredients
 

1/2 cup pineapple


2 large cucumbers

1 bunch kale without stems (4 cups chopped)

1/2 lemon, squeezed


1/4 inch of ginger


1 bunch of mint (1/2 cup)

1 cup water

Lunch: Fruit Smoothie(my favorite)


In a blender, whip up a nourishing smoothie that contains blueberries, loaded with quercetin, a flavonoid that boosts immunity and is good for your liver; bananas, full of vitamin B6, an essential vitamin for liver detoxification; and ground flaxseed, packed with brain-nourishing omega-3s and fiber for healthy elimination.

Ingredients
 

1/2 cup almond or hemp milk (plain/unsweetened)
(I used almond milk)

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia


1/4 cup frozen blueberries


1/4 banana


1/2 cup ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.  

Dinner: Vegetable Broth Soup 


This purifying broth contains fennel to help bile flow in your gallbladder; garlic to help with liver and gall bladder function; cabbage, excellent for detoxification in both the liver and kidneys; and shitake mushrooms to boost liver enzymes. Use water and all the good stuff – ingredients from India – Chili, curry or royco.

Vegetable Broth Ingredients
 

2 red onions, roughly chopped


2 stalks celery, roughly chopped


1 fennel bulb, fronds and stalks included, roughly chopped


2 tsp caraway seeds
(I replaced this with green beans)

2 tsp sea salt


Freshly ground pepper


1 cup sliced shitake caps
(any mushroom would do)

4 large cloves garlic, chopped


1 cabbage, roughly chopped


2 quarts water


2 tbsp paprika


2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped


8 springs parsley, chopped stems and leaves


1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Don’t forget to have snacks in between known as Veggie Snack.
Slice and mix together celery, radishes and cucumber, or any assortment of fresh vegetables. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Put this crunchy cleansing treat in plastic baggies or a portable container so you can take it with you on the run. You can have as much of this snack as you want throughout the day.

Enjoy and share with us how it feels when you cleanse. And trust me, you will feel transformed and amazing at the end of it.