7-Day Personalized Detox Meal Plan for Winter

I’ve always been a little intimidated to get serious about detox diets. I tried something once—an over-the-counter powder of some sort to mix with water. The instructions were to drink only that 2-3 times a day for 2-3 days. By the end, my tummy felt really messed up. After that bad experience, I thought my body just couldn’t handle a rigorous detox. So I opted to just eat generally healthy and do my best to live a balanced life.

But recently I’ve been more aware of the foods and drinks I’m consuming. The holidays of December and January brought a lot of fun celebrations—remembering how much I have to be grateful for and relishing life by feasting with family and friends.

Yesterday I returned from a very meaningful visit in Argentina with dear friends—eating and drinking to our hearts content. Days and nights were filled with authentic conversation as we embraced one another and the gifts and struggles of being human. This naturally included partaking in Argentine asado—some of the best grilled meats in the world—and imbibing on fine Argentine wine, Malbec among my favorites.

After all that good living, I couldn’t help but feel a little out of balance. While I was filled to the full with some of the greatest pleasures, I was feeling a little depleted in centeredness and discipline which ultimately creates capacity for the fullest enjoyment of life.

The yoga tradition teaches four aims of life in the pursuit of balance and fulfillment. Called the purusharthas, they are: dharma (duty, ethics), artha (prosperity, wealth), kama (pleasure, sensual gratification) and moksha (pursuit of liberation). In Sanskrit, purushartha means “for the purpose of the soul.” the four aims help us take stock of our life in the broadest sense and ask if we’re living life in such a way as to support our inner work. Being conscious of the purusharthas and giving appropriate attention to each has helped me make better decisions for my life.

So with the purusharthas in mind, I sheepishly invited my friends to consider detoxing with me after I left. And while listening to my body during the three flights home, I decided to take a serious second look at what a detox meal plan could look like for the week.

Our bodies naturally detoxify thanks to our lymph nodes, liver, kidneys and intestines. But the rigors of life can seriously inhibit the detoxification functions of the body. Processed foods, alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, air pollution and stress combine to weigh the body down which effects our mental clarity and energy levels and at its worse cause illness.

Following some research, I was compelled to be good to myself in a counter-cultural manner, namely through restraint and disciplined eating. What developed was this personalized meal plan that’s safe for the winter. Perhaps it will inspire you to also listen to the wisdom of your body.

Foods to Avoid:
Red meat, chicken, turkey and any meat products like sausages, burgers, and pate

Milk, cheese, eggs, cream

Butter and margarine

Any food that contains wheat including bread, croissants, cereals, cakes, biscuits, pies, pastry, quiche, battered or breadcrumbed foods, etc

Crisps and savoury snacks including salted nuts

Chocolate, sweets, jam and sugar

Processed foods, ready meals, ready-made sauces and takeaways

Alcohol

Coffee and tea

Sauces, pickles, shop bought salad dressing, mayonnaise

Salt

Fizzy drinks and squashes, including diet versions

Sunday

Breakfast:: Avocado Protein Plus Smoothie http://blog.gaiam.com/blog/green-monsters-3-nutrition-powerhouse-drinks/

Lunch:: Fruit Smoothie

Dinner:: Cauliflower, Green Peas and Potatoes in Spicy Herb Sauce (add red apple) (Yoga Journal Oct 2011)

Monday

Breakfast:: Fruit Smoothie

Lunch:: Avocado Protein Plus Smoothie http://blog.gaiam.com/blog/green-monsters-3-nutrition-powerhouse-drinks/

Dinner:: Cauliflower, Green Peas and Potatoes in Spicy Herb Sauce (add red apple) (Yoga Journal Oct 2011)

Tuesday

Breakfast:: Fruit Smoothie

Lunch:: Beet Smoothie
http://life.gaiam.com/article/5-delicious-healthy-and-easy-make-dairy-free-smoothie-recipes

Dinner:: Potato and Bean Casserole http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/detox/plan.htm

Wednesday

Breakfast:: Fruit Smoothie

Lunch:: Potato and Bean Casserole http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/detox/plan.htm

Dinner:: Mixed Bean Salad with Avocado http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-bean-salad/

Thursday

Breakfast:: Fruit Smoothie

Lunch:: Mixed Bean Salad with Avocado http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-bean-salad/

Dinner:: Creamy Mango Smoothie (made with cauliflower) http://blog.gaiam.com/blog/green-monsters-3-nutrition-powerhouse-drinks/

Friday

Breakfast:: Fruit Smoothie

Lunch:: Beet Salad with Endive and Walnuts

Dinner:: Sweet Potato with Tuna & herbs/spices

Saturday

Breakfast:: Fruit Smoothie

Lunch:: Vege Smoothie

Dinner:: Lentils with Brown Rice

Mid-morning and Mid-day Snacks:
Carrots or celery with hummus
Unsalted nuts
Piece of fruit
Unsalted rice cakes with natural, unsalted peanut butter
Unsalted pop corn