3 Day Detox For Winter Cleanse

Removing toxins, heavy metals and other unwanted substances from the body is called detox. Our body has the ability to detox with the liver, kidneys, and intestines, and it does so throughout the day. But city life exposes us excessively to pollutants in the air and water, and to processed foods. When we consume foods such as sugar, white flour, animal products, and alcohol, we also ingest substances such as preservatives, hormones, and toxins that overwork our detox system. Juice cleaning programs help the system in its cleaning task as well as nourishing the cells with all the nutritional properties in cold pressed juices.

What does the body get rid of during detox?

• Waste as a result of the natural reactions in the body (such as hormones, etc)
• Waste from digestive system
• Unwanted material from processed foods
• Chemicals, additives, preservatives, hormones in foods
• Alcohol
• Cigarettes
• Pesticides
• Pollution in the air and water
• Heavy metals

Number 1 and 2 on this list are part of the ongoing operations of our detox system. Item 3 can also be tolerated up to certain levels by a healthy body. Being exposed to the other items on the list for a long period of time can take a toll on our bodies. So detox for us is helping the body get rid of free-radicals and toxins by consuming additive-free, sugar-free and unpasteurized juices and food.

The Most Common Ways to Detox

There are many ways to do a detox diet — ranging from total starvation fasts to simpler food modifications. Most detox diets involve at least one of the following:

• Fasting for 1–3 days.
• Drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, water, and tea.
• Drinking only specific liquids, such as salted water or lemon juice.
• Eliminating foods high in heavy metals, contaminants, and allergens.
• Taking supplements or herbs.
• Avoiding all allergenic foods, then slowly reintroducing them.
• Using laxatives, colon cleanses, or enemas.
• Exercising regularly.

Which Toxins Are Eliminated?

Detox diets rarely identify the specific toxins they aim to remove. The mechanisms by which they work are also unclear. In fact, there is little to no evidence that detox diets remove any toxins from your body.

What’s more, your body is capable of cleansing itself through the liver, feces, urine, and sweat. Your liver makes toxic substances harmless, then ensures that they’re released from your body.

Despite this, there are a few chemicals that may not be as easily removed by these processes, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs), phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), and heavy metals.

These tend to accumulate in fat tissue or blood and can take a very long time — even years — for your body to flush.

However, these compounds generally are removed from or limited in commercial products today. Overall, there is little evidence that detox diets help eliminate any of these compounds.

Winter Cleanse In Your Body For 3 Days

This 3-day winter detox allows you to eat healthy, clean, nutritious foods without starving while restarting your digestion, encouraging your body’s natural detoxification processes.

The detox is completely gluten-free and dairy-free, with a low allergenic, anti-inflammatory profile. And it’s filling enough that you can even do it while going to work, as long as you prepare your snacks and lunches to take with you. Ideally, do this over a weekend when you don’t have to go to work, with Day 1 being a Friday.

Three important principles to help you to mobilize and lighten the burden on your detox systems are to

• Stay well hydrated by drinking 8 to 10 large glasses of water (or water with lemon) daily
• Keep your bowels moving
• Sweat

Optimally you may have water with lemon, or a daily maximum of 1 cup of green tea with lemon (unsweetened). During the detox, it is optimal to get at least one massage and do a sauna at least twice. If this is not possible, plan to at least do yoga or some form of light exercise daily for 45 minutes, and take a daily hot soak with 2 cups of Epsom salts and 7 drops of lavender oil in your tub.

Each day for 3 days:

Breakfast

Vegan smoothie: Blend 1 banana, 1 tbs. organic raw or roasted almond butter (omit if you are allergic to nuts), 2 tsp ground flax or chia seeds, ½ cup of frozen blueberries, 1 tbs. pea or rice protein powder, ½ cup of coconut water or almond milk, and optionally, add your daily probiotic to the smoothie.

Morning Snack

Winter veggie juice: Juice 3 large organic carrots, 2 stalks of organic celery, 1 cup of fresh spinach or kale, 1 organic apple (choose your favorite type!), ½ of an organic lemon including the peel, and a ½ inch slice a of fresh ginger root. This will make about 10 ounces.

Lunch

Choice of ½ cup of cooked brown rice, millet, or quinoa

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Choice of: 4 oz steamed or broiled chicken, fish, or tofu, or ¼ cup of toasted sunflower seeds, walnuts, or 2 tbs. tahini

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1-2 cups of steamed vegetables, including kale, broccoli, carrots, onion.

Season with olive oil, lemon juice, dulse flakes, and if you’d like more flavor, fresh grated ginger, 1 clove of fresh pressed garlic, chopped fresh basil or cilantro if available.

Afternoon Snack

Potassium Broth

or

1 cup of miso broth with dulse (to prepare dissolve 2 tsp red or light miso paste to 1 cup of boiling water; add dulse flakes).

If you’re still hungry, have 1 small handful or nuts, preferably raw almonds or walnuts

Dinner

Eat by 7 pm and do not eat anything after this hour.

Choice of ½ cup of cooked brown rice, millet, or quinoa

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Choice of: 4 oz steamed or broiled chicken, fish, or tofu, or ¼ cup of toasted sunflower seeds or walnuts, or 2 tbs. tahini (Season as for lunch)

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Steamed or lightly sautéed vegetables including kale, broccoli, bok choy or nappa cabbage, carrots, onion, and if you’d like, add ½ cup of steamed winter squash or ½ of a sweet potato.

Optional dessert or snack

1/2 cup of fresh or frozen organic blueberries that have been brought to room temperature before eating.

Daily Supplements

If you are not having a bowel movement at least once daily, add 400 mg magnesium citrate and 500-1000 mg of buffered ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in the morning, and if needed, again in the afternoon.

Take a probiotic each morning. For reliable information on selecting a probiotic, go here.

B Complex: B vitamins help to calm and restore your nervous system. Rainbow Lite Makes a great product called Complete B Complex) that contains L-glutamine, and amino acid that helps to heal gut tissue. After your 3-Day Detox, you may feel so great that you wish to continue an expanded version of this diet for longer – feel free to continue this program for up to 1 week.