A liver detox should be done yearly to give our livers a good ‘spring clean’ and is best done in the warmer months when lots of fresh fruit and veggies are in season. Follow the guidelines below and remember to have lots of variety so you don’t get bored and to ensure that you are covering all the food groups and are getting all the maximum nutrients necessary from your diet.
Follow for at least one month as this is how long it takes to purify the bloodstream so that all the cells in the body will receive fresh, clean blood for optimal function.
Remember, If you do a detox in the winter months there is a chance that you may get sick as your immune system will be challenged so spring or summer are the best months.
AVOID:
* Alcohol.
* Coffee.
* Dairy products (cow’s, sheep or goat’s).
* Eggs.
* Meat (red, white, seafood).
* Sugars (white, raw, brown, honey, maple syrup, aspartame).
* Wheat products (bread, pasta, crackers, cereals, biscuits, cakes, muffins, pastries, pies).
* Food additives (MSG, artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners, preservatives).
* Chocolate-obviously!
ENJOY:
* 2 litres pure water daily (spring, mineral, filtered, distilled).
* Raw vegetable juices (carrot, beetroot, celery, ginger, apple, etc).
* Herbal teas (green and dandelion great), 98% caffeine free black tea (Virgin Garden), roibos.
* Soy products (soymilk-organic & malt free, soy cheese, soy yoghurt, tofu, tempeh, tamari, miso).
* Oatmilk, ricemilk, almond milk, coconut milk.
* Oats, rye, corn, polenta, barley, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, spelt, quinoa, brown/basmati rice, wheat free pasta, rice noodles.
* Rice cakes/crackers, corn thins/cruskits, ryvitas, Kavli, wheat free wraps, wheat free breads (Country Life, Sol’s, Moore’s, Naturya), wheat free cereals (muesli, rice flakes, quinoa/buckwheat porridge, Crunchola).
* Fish (optional)-2/3 times weekly, preferably fresh and especially salmon, sardines, herring, trout, tuna).
* All fruit (especially berries, paw paw, lemons), dried fruit (sulphur free), goji berries.
* All veggies (especially green leafy ones, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, garlic-fresh is best).
* Legumes, lentils, chickpeas, kidney/lima/butter/cannelloni beans, split peas, mung beans, alfalfa, sprouts.
* Mushrooms, avocados, baked beans, seaweed, herbs, spices, sea salt, pepper.
* Hummus, eggplant dip, pesto (no cheese), guacamole, olive tapenade.
* All raw unsalted nuts and seeds, nut butters/pastes, tahini, LSA (Linseed, Sunflower, Almond meal).
* Lemon water, liquid chlorophyll, barley/wheat grass, spirulina.
SNACKS: You can eat 2 snacks daily.
* Fresh fruit
* Raw nuts/seeds
* Vegetable sticks with hummus, tahini, nut butter, pesto, salsa, quacamole.
* Wheat free crackers/cakes with avocado, tomato, or any of the above.
* Veggie juices
* Smoothies (rice/oat/soy/almond milk/ with berries, mango, paw paw & LSA)
I suggest you make veggie/bean/tofu patties or burgers, dahl, soups, casseroles, vege bakes, curries, stir fries, laksas, noodle dishes which are filling and highly nutritious.
RECIPES:
The Detox Cookbook: Jan Purser & Kathy Snowball.
The Ultimate Detox: Sandra Cabot & Margaret Jasinska.
Vegan Recipes: www.marigold-health-foods.com.au