weekend jump-start cleanse
The cleanse outlined in this section isn’t an unbendable prescription so much as a detailed suggestion for incorporating more soup into your life. A cleanse is all about rebooting your digestive tract and giving your body a chance to detox and feel good; this will occur (really!) whether you spend a weekend dedicated to the task or just opt to have soup on a more frequent basis.
If you’re going to try a two-day cleanse, my advice is to do it over a weekend or whenever you have two days off from work. You need to see how your body reacts to a cleanse, and the best place to do that is at home, without the added stress of the workplace. Don’t be surprised if a cleanse, by giving your digestion a break, leaves you feeling revitalized, rejuvenated, and energized. The only caveat I’d add is that if you feel a little light-headed on a cleanse, that’s a sign that you haven’t eaten enough. The solution? Have a little more soup. Remember, this isn’t about starvation, but rather satiation.
The schedule is a guideline to how you can mix and match soups to use for a cleanse. These are only suggestions. Once you get the hang of it, feel free to substitute any of the soups in the book that you enjoy in place of those listed on this page and this page. The idea is that, in getting ready for a cleanse, you’d prepare a certain amount of soup. Optimally, that would include one broth, two blended soups, and two traditional soups. Here’s how you utilize them (and again, these are just suggestions; do what works for you): For a snack or light meal, go with the blended soups. For dinner, or if you desire something a bit heartier, try a traditional soup. The broth? That becomes your go-to tonic throughout the day. You can put it in a thermos and sip it like a tea every few hours (feel free to add a spritz of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt). The broths are incredibly nutrient dense, so a little can go a long way. On another note, even a one-day cleanse often yields noticeable benefits, so if you have a day free, go for it!
cleanse tips
Starting your day with a glass of warm or hot water with a spritz of lemon juice will wake up your digestive system.
Eat soup every two hours.
Drink plenty of water and green or herbal tea or broth throughout the day.
Eat two to three cups of soup at mealtimes. If at any point you feel hungry, have broth or more soup.
Give your digestive system a twelve-hour break (from dinner until breakfast). You want your last meal to be three hours before you go to bed for better sleep.
Adding a dash of tamari or fish sauce or a pinch of salt to warmed broth will enhance the flavors. Adding a sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary will wake up your senses and make your cleanse more enjoyable.
Take time to relax and do some light stretching or exercise. You should be able to go through all of your normal routines without feeling at all light-headed.
SCHEDULE
|
PreBreakfast |
lemon water |
1 cup |
|
Breakfast |
blended soup |
2 to 3 cups |
|
Snack |
blended soup |
1 cup |
|
Lunch |
traditional soup |
2 to 3 cups |
|
Snack |
blended soup |
1 cup |
|
Dinner |
traditional soup |
2 to 3 cups |
Follow the same plan on day two, swapping out the blended soups for the traditional soups if you wish to mix it up.
Here are some of my suggested soups for a weekend cleanse. The broths will serve to keep you nourished and hydrated, while the soups will promote detoxification and regulate your blood sugar.
|
broths and stocks |
|
blended soups |
|
Springtime Asparagus and Leek Soup |
|
traditional soups |
|
Caramelized Onion Soup with Pastured Beef Bone Broth Latin American Chicken Soup with Greens Herby Tuscan Bean and Vegetable Soup |
PLANNING AND PREPARING FOR A REVITALIZING CLEANSE
A little planning and preparation will set you up for a smooth cleanse. You don’t want to spend the entire two days cooking, but instead relaxing and rejuvenating. This plan is flexible, so don’t feel like you need to do everything exactly when I say.
One week prior:
Choose the recipes.
Make a shopping list for the broths.
Shop for the broths.
Make the broths and store in six- and four-cup portions (see “Storage”).
Two days prior:
Shop for the soups.
Look for common ingredients across recipes and prepare them all at once—for example, chop all the onions, carrots, and garlic you need for the soups. If you won’t be making all the soups that day, store any unused vegetables in an airtight container in the fridge.
Make all of the blended soups.
Store soup in portions for your two-day cleanse and freeze any leftovers.
One day prior:
Make sure vegetables are the center of your plate in all your meals.
If you think time will be tight the day of the cleanse, make the traditional soups beforehand.
