Working out detox-style is sometimes necessary.
I don’t regret my gluttony but my body is rejecting pig meat after this.
I’m not a fan of diets, as you know from my No Shit Diet. What I’m talking about here is NOT a diet. It’s being gentle with myself after putting my body through… well… one delicious weekend. You see, I was feeling a big tired, run down, and downright sluggish after 3 days of throwing my normal way of eating out the window. It was fun and I am thrilled I got to try all of the foods that I did, but I was excited by the thought of getting back to reality this week!
Today’s Work It Out is in the kitchen, with a detox spin.
Many detox “diets” eliminate dairy, meat, sugars, caffeine, beans, grains… the list goes on and on. Never a fan of cutting out foods, I decided to focus on what I needed to ADD to my diet to boost energy and help my body get back on track after last weekend’s Food & Wine Festival.
I consulted with my favorite resource – Google. There are a million sites claiming to know the foods you should eat or special juices to drink. I’m sure they are all fine, but I settled on the list of foods below for two reasons: they are seasonally appropriate and they all sounded appealing as I was making my list for the farmer’s market.
Here are some of the foods I’m making sure to add to my diet this week to reset:
Detox Foods
- Basil – It turns out that my favorite herb has anti-bacterial properties, and is full of antioxidants which protect the liver.
- Beets – Beets are full of magnesium, iron, zinc and calcium, and help by making sure that toxins actually flush all the way out of your body. They are also a great source of betacyanin, which has cancer-fighting properties.
- Blueberries – The berries I’ve had this season are some of the most flavorful in recent memory. A handful of blueberries are a low-calorie way to curb a sweet tooth, while providing you with fiber and vitamin C. They are consistently ranked at the top when it comes to antioxidant capacity!
- Cabbage – This beautiful cruciferous helps your liver and aids in… errr… going to the bathroom (if you know what I mean). Going #2 expels toxins, leaving you feeling fresh.
- Cinnamon – I use cinnamon like most of America uses salt. It goes on everything in my house because I like everything to taste like cookies. In addition to making everything taste better, it revs your metabolism and is full of iron, calcium and manganese. Manganese is great for helping your body process fatty acids and keep blood sugar levels stable.
- Cucumber – Cucumbers are 95% water, help flush out toxins and alkalize the body. I love to snack on slices with a little rice vinegar ans freshly ground pepper.
- Garlic – It keeps vampires away, but did you know it also boosts up the immune system as well as helps out the liver? It also helps to add flavor to all you other toxin-eliminating veggies!
- Ginger – Like cinnamon, ginger spikes metabolism and flushes out waste. It’s also a tummy soother and may help keep your appetite in check. I like to add fresh ginger to smoothies (like this Cherry-Ginger), or just toss a piece in hot water with lemon and a cinnamon stick
and Irish whiskey. - Goji berries – These chewy teats boost vitamin C and beta-carotene intake. This is important because vitamin C help remove waste from your body, and beta-carotene improves liver performance.
- Hemp Seeds – These chewy, nutty nutritional bombs are an excellent source of omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, are an easily digestible protein, are anti-inflammatories, and aid in elimination. Try sprinkling them on salads, yogurt, or smoothie bowls!
- Lemon – You probably all know that lemon flushes toxins from your body. See the Ginger note for a great drink, or just squeeze a bunch in water first thing get your digestive system ready for the day.
- Onions – Onions have sulfur-containing amino acids, which efficiently detox the liver. the are best eaten raw to get the most of their health benefits, so I’ve been tossing them on salads!
- Parsley – It’s not just a plate garnish! Parsley is rich in beta-carotene and vitamins A, C, and K which protect your kidneys and bladder.
- Sesame Seeds – This one shocked me! Did you know sesame seeds help protect your liver from alcohol and other toxins?
- Spinach – Popeye was on to something. Spinach (and other greens) is high in fiber and contains high amounts of vitamins A, C,E, iron, beta carotene and calcium. These are all essential nutrients that aid in the body’s natural detoxification process.
Bonus: Don’t underestimate the importance of water! It is important for organ health, and for flushing toxins out of your body. Especially in these sweaty, exercise-filled summer months it’s important to stay hydrated.
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen a lot of the salad creations I’ve been eating. I’m still adding protein (duh), but I’ve been focusing on getting these veggies and seeds in too!
This Ultimate Detox Salad couldn’t be healthier if it tried. It also tastes good. I’d have eaten it at the Food & Wine Festival! 😉
Ultimate Detox Salad
- Spinach
- Parsley, chopped
- Basil, chopped
- Red onion, diced
- Cucumber, diced
- Raw beet, shredded
- Sesame seeds
- Shredded cabbage
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
Combine first 6 ingredients in salad bowl.
Toast sesame seeds in a non-stick pan over medium heat, stirring occassionally. Add remaining ingredients and saute until tender.
Add cabbage sautee to salad bowl and enjoy!
Note: This is more of a “guideline” recipe. Salads make it easy to add or remove ingredients, and exact measurements really aren’t necessary.
***
I’m actually feeling more normal today. I’m SO thankful that exercise and a (mostly) healthy diet has left my body fairly resiliant.
Do you ever feel sluggish after eating heavy?
What are your favorite detoxifying/refreshing foods?
Totally agree with your “detox” method. I even hate that word since it has such a negative connotation to it. Sometimes we have those set backs where we indulge a little too much, but it’s pretty simple to get back on trap if we don’t let our mindset and emotions take over us. And totally agree on nut cutting out food groups, and I love the idea of adding healthy foods not eliminating.
Plus, all the foods you listed all sound pretty darn delicious! I have plans to make hemp seed milk from the hemp seeds I picked up, and I’m a little too excited for this:)
Exactly! I really want to try hemp seed milk. Do you make it like any nut milk?
I love the thought of ADDING food rather than cutting out!!
My first drink in the morning is hot lemon water and Apple Vinegar, during the day I add fresh ginger to my tea, it really makes my tummy happy.
Last weekend I had a long night out dancing and inserted kind of a ‘detox day’ with coconut water, cucumber and a huge salad for dinner! You just reminded me that I need to buy some beet!!
I don’t know what I’d do without my morning ACV! That stuff is miraculous.
I am LOVING this list! My diet has been all over the place lately so I’ve been trying to get back to basics with a lot of fresh fruits and veggies…and well, I may or may not have gone a bit overboard at the farmers market on Saturday…local produce to feed a family of four? For one person? In a week? Sure, why not! 😉
Awesome about the sesame seeds! Guess I know what I’ll be topping my salad(s) with tomorrow!
I like this approach to getting back on track. It drives me kind of crazy to hear about people going on crazy cleanses after a period of indulgence, but I’m a big fan of just getting back to eating healthy and focusing on some cleansing foods… especially when that involves being able to use cinnamon on everything 😀
did not know that about basil! love what you said about not eliminating foods, but instead adding fuel to your body!
Love this! My friend and I just came up with our own detox plan and so many of these foods are on there! Nothing better than ridding our bodies of toxins!
Detox buddies are the best. 🙂
I absolutely love Beets! One of my favourite adds to a salad…or just to have them on their own! Basil is sooo tasty too.
Not eliminating..just cleaning things up 😉
sesame seeds was a surprise to me too!!
Love your list! Lemons, berries and greens are my favorite detoxifying foods. I definitely feel gross and sluggish after eating heavy foods. It’s fun to indulge, but I can also appreciate that sluggish feeling- it reinforces why I eat the way I do the majority of the time.
That’s exactly how I feel! I *have* to do it to appreciate my mostly celan diet. 😉
Salad looks fantastic. I eat most everything on that list almost daily even. I need to keep beets on hand more often. Love them even though they’re messy to cook. And I always feel really really off when I indulge even just one meal. Makes me question why I ever bother. Of course, at the time….mmmmmm
I don’t do beets more often becasue they are so messy… I need to start buying the golden beets!
I love your method of thinking about what foods you can add to your diet instead of what you need to take away from it after a period of indulgence. I can definitely feel sluggish after a couple of back-to-back heavy meals, but I’d much rather look at a detox this way. Annnd I’ve been eating blueberries like its my job, so I’m glad those are included as a detox food 😀
All berres are good, really. Do you find the bllueberres to be especially sweet this season? It’s blowing me away!
LOVE this Laura! I think these foods should be part of a healthy diet in general although cabbage & many other healthy veggies bloat me.. I have to try that dang beano! 😉 Hey, you have to enjoy BUT I agree, cause I eat a certain way most of the time, going off with too much of the food all at once creates havoc with my bod!
Dang, I tried that toasting of nuts yesterday & screwed up – must try again! 🙂
Cabbage bloats me too! I just wait and eat it at night when I can lounge in yoga pants. It’s so good!
Sometimes I overdo it on the sugary foods and definitely feel awful for a day or two. But like you said, I never regret the fun foods I eat. Getting back on track is fun, too because it makes me feel really good all over again!
In a (dorky) way, I love how my body will tell me when enough is enough. I love indulging in fun foods, especially when they are things I wouldn’t regularly have or have available. And I used to freak out about it. But what I noticed was how my body would totally give me signals when I had eaten too much sugar or consumed more than enough food. How cool! So, I know I can trust my body to keep things balanced. And funny how how all those clean/detox foods will taste incredibly delicious, too!
I’m the same way! After I started eating cleaner it became apparently how “ick” I felt after indulging. Now I’m just a little more selective about when I do it. I still want to try ALL the fancy foods/wines. 🙂
This looks delicious Laura!! Thanks for the list of the detox foods. My body does feel like it needs a reset lately.
Love this post! I definitely feel sluggish after eating heavy…half of what I love about indulging is that I get my fix and then my body actually CRAVES healthier foods.
So true!!! I’ve been craving berries and greens like crazy.
I know exactly what you mean by feeling sluggish. I was feeling downright awful after our mini vacay on Memorial Day weekend. Ugh!
Love this list! And I’m happy to say that about 75% of the foods you listed are part of my regular diet. Woo!
I have been drinking lemon water on a daily basis recently really enjoy it. Not sure what kind of a difference it is making but it makes drinking water a little more fun!
If nothing else it makes the water more appetizing!
Okay I LOVE this thinking and I FULLY agree with focusing on adding in GOOD (so usually you won’t have so much room for the bad!).
Also your reason for adding cinnamon to everything is adorable! 😉
Me sweet tooth knows no limits. 🙂
YES! I always feel sluggish after eating junk. You’d think I’d learn… This salad is rad! Yummy……
That salad looks SO good!!
Some of my favorite “detox” foods include blueberries, cabbage, spinach, garlic, onions, and cinnamon. Thanks for providing that list. That is super helpful!
So many of my favorites:)
Allllways feel sluggish after eating or drinking crappy. Lemon water and spinach are my go-to’s if I need a refreshing detox. A salad is always perfect because it never feels “heavy” even if you do add protein.
For sure – I’m keeping up my protein but that increased veggie intake keeps me light.
such a beautiful detox salad!!
we can’t do garlic and onions, two foods our bodies hate so we avoid but everything else on your list sounds yummy 🙂 and very healing!!
HUGS
I hear that a lot with garlic – my trainer’s wife can’t have it! Or bananas, which I think is tragic.
I never used to notice it, but after making a shift to a (mostly) healthy diet, a no-holds-barred weekend makes me feel awful, and makes my workouts go about the same way!
I just like to focus on lighter foods to “detox”, like salads. Kind of typical, but it gets the job done in a tasty way!
Watercress – That’s a HUGE detox food!!! 🙂 Make a delicious recipe including it because to me it tastes like dirty mixed with dog poop! LOL!
That is a great one – cancer fighting properties too! It does taste like ass. Maybe hide it in a smoothie???
believe it or not, none of this stuff makes me sick. and it sounds freaking amazing.
i’ve been eating heavy all week b/c mark cooked all weekend and we didn’t realize (stupidly) that our freezer was full. so all our smart-thinking cook-ahead freezer-friendly heavy meals (pasta sauce and meatballs, enchiladas, pulled pork) that we would normally have once every few weeks are in the fridge and needing to be eaten this week. i feel like a slug.
i want a salad.
Meatball salad? With blueberries? #strangebutgood
YES!!! I love all of this. Also, your comment on cinnamon…we are of the same mindset! I pour it on everything…mmmmmm 🙂
I love everything on that list! Hemp is amazing, it’s a complete protein and I love how easy it is to make milk out it! Yup, count me in on being shocked at sesame seeds, so awesome. I have a love on for gojis and ginger, I want to eat them all the time!
Can you make sesame milk? I bet that would be good!
Beets and garlic?? Heck, I’ve been detoxing for weeks and loving it, little did I know 😉 Love the idea of “adding” rather than creating rules/weird restrictions to get back to the normal.
I didn’t know most of this info, Laura so Thanks! You know me and my salads, so I’m all over this one. Simple and good…I might add a bit of balsamic vinegar, because like cinnamon…I put it on everything!!
I think it would look beautiful in a pie dish. 🙂
Your detoxing actually makes sense unlike the real sense of the word 🙂
Thank you for a delicious but healthy list!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I love most of these foods, especially beets an cinnamon! I haven’t tried the two together but I’m sure it would be good 🙂
They are fantastic together! I use that combo in smoothies too – https://www.sprint2thetable.com/2012/02/drinking-my-valentine/.
This is a great post! I suffered a pretty serious foot injury a few months ago so I had to stop running. I notice I get bloated a lot more easily nowadays because of it. It’s nice to have a list like this on those days when I need to detox the fun away. LOL.
“detox the fun away.” LMAO!
Being that I am ALWAYS starving lol, those moments where I inhale a little too much happen here and there. But thank goodness for ginger!
I boil it with some lemon and honey and then the tummy’s all good 😉
That’s exactly how I reccommned it above! Try it with a cinnamon stick too!
Oh man, they should replace the Veggie Trail Mix at MetroFresh with this. And give you royalties from every bowl served. Note: it will be ALL OF THEM.
LOL! Can you write them an email? I think they should hire me.
I don’t know why they haven’t already! They all clearly know you 😀
I totally agreed with you adding instead of removing approach! My favorite ‘recovery’ meal is a big, colorful salad. Fruit salads are also awesome. I can literally feel all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants doing their work in my body. 😉
Ooooo that Detox Salad looks delicious! Thanks for all of the great tips, Laura!
I really like the idea of adding foods into your diet to help detox versus subtracting foods out. You are one smart cookie. Too bad those aren’t on the detox list.