Chapter Four:
Diet Recommendations
There are some diet tips that should guide you during a cleanse. Whether you choose to do a three-, seven-, or fourteen-day detox program, you should opt for certain foods, and avoid others. Following these guidelines will ensure that you’re giving your body what it needs to recharge, and that you’re staying away from any offenders.
DIET DOS
Eat whole grains, except wheat. If they’re refined (i.e., white, and with no real nutrients nor fiber left in them), stay away.
Consume fresh fruits and vegetables freely, and remember that organic is always best.
Raw nuts and seeds are great energy boosters. Soak them overnight and peel them to make them more digestible. Avoid cashews and peanuts during a cleanse, because they’re more prone to growing mold.
Legumes are a great source of fiber, energy, and nutrients. It’s even better if they’re sprouted, to avoid bloating. If you can’t find them sprouted, make sure you soak them overnight before cooking. Avoid canned legumes if you can.
Fermented foods preserve nutrients and make some ingredients more digestible. They are also full of beneficial bacteria that will boost your immune system and improve your digestion and elimination.
Spices and herbs add variety to your meals, and variety is the spice of life! Just because you want to be healthier doesn’t mean you have to eat a bland diet. Spices and herbs are delicious and packed with healing properties that your body could benefit from.
Salt is rich in essential minerals, so don’t be so scared of it. Just avoid processed table salt because it’s devoid of minerals and has undesired additives. Himalayan and Peruvian pink salts are pure and nutritious, as are good-quality sea salts. However, don’t overdo it. Give your taste buds a rest from excessive amounts of salt, and discover what food really tastes like.
Oils are essential to your well-being, but you need to be picky about them. Favor organic cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, sesame oil, and coconut oil. Avoid margarine and, by all means, shortening (this is not food!), and heavily processed oils such as corn and canola.
Herbal teas will keep you satiated, improve digestion, and relax your mind. Make sure you get organic herbal teas, because even these can be covered in pesticides.
Our body is mostly water, and we need to keep it alive, don’t we? During a cleanse you will need it in abundance, to flush all the toxins that the juices will help you release. Avoid water that comes in toxic plastic bottles. Better to drink filtered tap water if those are your two options.
DIET DON’TS
Alcohol is an obvious no-no during a cleanse. Consuming it while you’re trying to enhance your liver function at the same time would be like trying to bake a cake in the freezer.
Avoid any foods you’re allergic to. If you want to go all the way, get an allergy test so you know what to avoid.
GMOs sound like creatures from outer space, and that’s pretty much what they are. Any food that has been genetically modified is not the way nature intended it to be, and may not nourish or help your body heal the way food is supposed to. In addition, GMOs usually come chaperoned by dangerous pesticides and other chemicals.
Soy and corn sold around the world tend to be genetically modified (read bullet point above). They also are strong allergens. Soy is not properly digested by the body unless it’s eaten in its fermented forms (miso and tempeh), so avoid it during a cleanse, and if you’re not allergic to it, eat it only if it’s organic the rest of the time.
Gluten is a substance found in wheat that gives that addictive chewy texture to all the products that contain it. Too bad that an increasingly high number of people around the globe are becoming aware that they suffer from gluten intolerance or allergies. The best way to find out if you’re one of them is to stop cold turkey for a few weeks, and see how you feel without it. Do not consume it during a detox diet.
Added sugars should be avoided at all costs during a detox diet and, if absolutely necessary, eaten only in moderation the rest of the time (I know, this is a hard one). Refined sugar is the culprit of many chronic diseases. It’s highly toxic, creates inflammation in the body, and I won’t even try to list all the other ways in which it’s bad for you, because I would never finish. Just. Say. No. If you can’t live without it, raw local honey, maple syrup, yacon syrup, lucuma powder, and some brands of stevia are good alternatives. Remember, moderation is key here.
Artificial sweeteners are toxic for your nervous system and your brain. Get all the sugar you need during a detox from your favorite fruits.
Meat and dairy should completely be avoided during a cleanse. Here’s the most obvious reason why: unless you are consuming meat or dairy from organic, grass-fed animals, you are also eating all the hormones and antibiotics these animals are attacked with in the farms. On top of this, you are indirectly eating all the GMO, toxic food they are fed. Also, meat is hard to digest, so the whole point of giving your body a rest during a juice detox would become compromised. Most people can’t digest lactose, and consuming it creates mucus and inflammation in the body. Hopefully, this is enough to convince you. You will be better off without them during a cleanse, and by decreasing their consumption the rest of the time.
Caffeine clogs up your liver, dehydrates you, and puts your nervous system in alert mode. This keeps you awake when you’re sleepy and need to go to work, but it also interferes with a good night’s sleep (needed to detox) and exacerbates stressful emotions, which create emotional toxins in your body. Avoid it during a cleanse.
Avoid anything canned as much as possible, or with a long list of additives and preservatives. As a general rule, if you can’t pronounce one of its ingredients, don’t eat it.
Many of our recipes include nut milks. At least during a cleanse (and if possible all the time), try to prepare them at home. The ones you buy at the grocery store are not fresh, and many times are swimming in unwanted additives.
Some of our recipes also contain coconut water. Try to find a fresh coconut, cut it, and use that water. Otherwise, there are some brands that sell raw coconut juice without any additives. Pasteurized coconut water is dead food. It probably won’t harm you, but it won’t nourish you the way raw coconut water does.
BITTER IS BETTER
Do you love sweets? No reason to feel bad about it! In fact, it may mean you’re a very evolved human being. Liking this taste is a basic survival strategy, as sweetness is an indicator that what you’re eating is not poisonous. Have you ever bitten on a bad almond and thought it tasted wonderfully sweet? Neither have I. When things go bad, they usually become bitter, sometimes overwhelmingly so (in the case of almonds, they taste like actual poison). This is the truth behind most of us frowning at bitter flavors yet going crazy for milder and sweeter ones: we want to avoid toxins that could get us sick or even kill us.
But when it comes to this group of foods, things are more complex than they seem. You know how sometimes the cause of something is also its antidote? That is true in this case, as large portions of bitter foods tend to be toxic, yet in little doses, many of them can actually help our bodies get rid of toxins. Nature never stops finding ways to amaze.
Bitter foods such as watercress, arugula, radish, and dandelion are actually the most detoxifying of all. They stimulate the liver, improve kidney function, regulate blood sugar, and improve nutrient assimilation. When you find them in some of our juices, know that we’re not doing it as a cruel joke, but that there’s a powerful reason behind it.
BOOSTING UP YOUR JUICES WITH SUPERFOODS
If you walk into a health foods store or the health foods isle of the supermarket, you will find a group of strange-looking ingredients (with even stranger names) that are known as superfoods. These trendy foods owe their cool title to the fact that they have very concentrated doses of certain nutrients. Consuming them can greatly impact your health in many positive ways.
Many of these superfoods are sold as powders or seeds, and the easiest way to consume them is by adding them to juices or smoothies. This makes them a great complement to your detox juicing regime, as several of them will also boost your body’s detoxification process, while giving you lots of other fantastic benefits. Some of these food supplements will enhance the taste and texture of your juices, make them more filling, and provide you with massive amounts of energy as well.
We have included these ingredients in some of the juices in the recipe section. However, feel free to add them to as many juices as you want.
Here’s a list of our favorites:
Chia seeds absorb many times their weight in water. When they do this, they secrete a gel that binds toxins and heavy metals, and draws them out of your body. They are neutral in flavor, but will change the texture of your juices and fill you up. Add one teaspoon to your juices, stir, and let them soak for five or ten minutes, until they plump up.
Chlorella is a green algae with extremely high amounts of chlorophyll (40 times more than wheatgrass!), vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Just one look at its mind-blowing dark green color is evidence of its richness in nutrients. This sea veggie detoxifies the body from pollutants and heavy metals, purifying the blood and body tissues. The taste is strong and will overpower your juices, but if your priority is health, then you know what to do.
Cayenne pepper can be added in small quantities to any juice or to water. It is known to remove plaque from the arteries, clean the blood and rebuild its cells, improve circulation, rid the body of bad cholesterol, and eliminate waste.
Aloe vera is wonderful to have on hand during a cleanse, as it’s tasteless and can be blended into any juice. It will neutralize the toxins in the body, stimulate cellular regeneration, and cleanse the colon. To use it, cut a two-inch piece and soak it in water overnight. Separate the gel from the green skin with a knife, and put the gel in the blender with your fresh juice. You can also buy it ready as a gel or juice.
Coconut oil is one of my favorite ingredients during a cleanse, as it can be added to any juice for instant energy. This antifungal and antibacterial oil was thought to cause heart disease in the past, because it has a saturated fat called lauric acid. It’s now been proved that lauric acid is actually very beneficial for health, lowering bad cholesterol and restoring normal thyroid function. This super oil also helps lower blood sugar levels, making it a great complement for sweet fruit juices.
Flaxseeds can be added to juices both whole and ground, and either way will make them more filling. If you use them whole, they will help you flush out toxins and move your bowel. If you grind them you will absorb all their rich omega-3 oils and their great antioxidant capacity. It’s better if you grind your flaxseeds in the moment to keep all those healthy fats intact. All you need is a coffee grinder and one extra minute.
Hemp (seeds or powder) is rich in essential fatty acids, and is one of the best protein sources in the plant world. Add hemp to your morning smoothies or juices to feel full and energized throughout the day.
Maca is an Andean root that belongs to the carrot family. It is known as the Peruvian ginseng for its energizing power. It also helps regulate hormones, and boosts sexual function. Use it sparingly in juices and smoothies—a teaspoon a day is all you need— because its strong flavor can be overwhelming.
Wheatgrass juice is chock-full of chlorophyll, protein, and vitamin E. Having one shot of this juice is one of the most detoxifying and health-enhancing things you can do, and it’s said to add a day to your life. If you put a bit of time and effort, you can juice wheatgrass at home and add it to your juices (you will need a wheatgrass juicer). Otherwise, go to your favorite juice bar and get a fresh wheatgrass shot whenever you can.
Tahini is the Middle Eastern sesame seed paste added to hummus to give it that creamy texture. Made with raw sesame seeds, it has a thinner consistency than peanut butter and is more bitter. This paste contains all the goodness of sesame seeds in a concentrated form. It’s the richest source of calcium you will ever find! Store it in the fridge.
Spirulina is a mega-healing and detox agent from the ocean. The dark green microalgae is packed with protein, iron, omega-3s, and vitamins B, C, D, A, and E. You either can take it as tablets or add it as powder to your drinks.
Sacha inchi oil is made of the sacha inchi seed, native to the Peruvian Amazon jungle. This seed, which looks and tastes like a nut, has the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the plant world, making it a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, and a brain, heart, and immune booster. It’s important to avoid any kind of heat when consuming its oil, as it is extremely temperature sensitive.
