By Cecilia Pierron, Certified Health Coach – www.ceciliapierron.com – Instagram : @cp_healthyliving Facebook : /cphealthyliving
Although spring has been seen as THE detox season, you would be surprised by how much it makes sense to do a cleanse in the Fall. Why? Because Fall is a period of transition between 2 very opposite seasons, Summer and Winter.
On the autumn equinox (September 23rd), day and night are of equal length. This signals the need to balance light and darkness within us. In other words, autumn is a time for letting go and releasing things that have been a burden for your body and for your mind.
How about giving your body a little extra help with detoxification, thus getting our mind ready to set new goals and getting our immune system stronger when winter arrives?
What does Detox mean?
Let´s face it, Detox is a trend and people tend to use that word without knowing what it actually means. Did you know that our bodies are naturally built to detoxify every day as by eliminating and neutralizing toxins through our colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph and skin? A toxin is anything that enters your body or mind and interferes with your state of wellness, creating imbalances that over time, can lead to illness. There are two major sources of toxins:
- Physical toxins found in your food, personal and household products, air, water and environment.
- Emotional toxins, such as negative thought, self-criticism, chronic stress, and painful experiences that you haven’t fully processed
So if our body is built to detox, why exactly do we need to interfere? Well our body wasn’t originally built to absorb such great quantities of meat, alcohol, processed sugar and caffeine, not to mention pollution and chemicals surrounding us everyday.
These are the 3 signs to look out for to know it’s time for a Detox
If you are experiencing one or several of these symptoms below, your body might be trying to tell you something.
- Digestive issues – gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea
- Fatigue or energy dips and spikes
- Skin issues – acne, rashes, dry skin, etc.
The One Week Cleanse That´ll Give You a Clean Slate
- Start the day by stimulating your digestive track
Mix warm (not hot!) water with half a lemon (freshly squeezed). Add some fresh ginger and/or cayenne pepper (optional). This will hydrate your body and kick start your digestive system.
- Stay away from toxins
Eliminate the following things during 5 days:
- Alcohol
- Processed food such as snacks, pizza, pasta, sauces and dressing, processed cheese and processed meat like ham and bacon.
- Refined sugar found in ice cream, juices with added sugar, aromatized yoghurts, cereals, etc.
- Wheat found in all kinds of cake/ pastries and bread, except if it’s nut-based/keto
- Animal protein except for organic fish and eggs
- Limit your caffeine consumption to one coffee a day
- Eat detoxifying food
- Cruciferous vegetables such as arugula, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and spinach. Vegetables in this family help support liver detoxification and estrogen metabolism.
- Beetroot: providing anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support
- Spices such as turmeric (found in curry), ginger, cumin, coriander, and fennel
- Antioxidant-rich food such as garlic, onion and colorful fruits such as blackberries, blueberries, mangoes, pomegranate, orange and plums. During the detoxification process, your body can create some toxic metabolites that can cause damage if they are not buffered by protective nutrients.
- Flaxseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds
These foods should be included in your weekly meal plan and combined with healthy protein such as lentils, beans or gluten-free grains such millet, quinoa and amaranth. You can also make some warm and filling dishes containing wild caught fish or organic eggs.
DETOX BUDDHA BOWL
I love this recipe simply because it´s composed of several meal prep ingredients that can be prepared in advance and used in many other recipes throughout the week.
Tasty and colorful, these ingredients will spice up your dishes and make your plate look like a healthy rainbow!
I advise you to set aside 2-3 hours of your Sunday (or Saturday) preceding the cleanse week to do some meal prep for the rest of the week. Below are some meal prep ideas in my Detox Buddha Bowl recipe!
The Detox Buddha Bowl is composed of:
Arugula salad
I used arugula as a first layer for my Detox Buddha Bowl because it’s tasty and also because it belongs to the cruciferous vegetables family, making it a very healthy choice.
Pomegranate
Peel it in advance to avoid last minute mess. Packed with antioxidants, Pomegranate seeds can be stored in the fridge up to 4/5 days.
Raw beetroot
Beetroot is THE detox ingredient and will give your plate a colorful touch not to mention its sweet taste, helping against sugar cravings.
Pickled red onions
Fermented vegetables contain high amounts of good probiotics and digestive enzymes. Easier to digest than raw, pickled onions give a sweet add-on to a warm fish dish or to any kind of salad.
-Picked Red Onion Recipe-
Peel one red onion; slice it into thin slices and place in a jar.
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1,5 cup water and 2 teaspoon of coconut sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Pour the hot liquid over the onions. Close the lid and let rest for a few hours. Refrigerate leftovers for up to one week.
Spicy chickpeas
Chickpeas are high in protein and make an excellent replacement for meat. Fried with this spice mix, they become an incredible tasty and crunchy ingredient that will give any dish a delicious oriental touch.
-Spicy Chickpea Recipe-
Mix a quarter teaspoon of each of these spices in a small bowl: coriander seeds, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and chili flakes.
Add 2 tablespoon of rice vinegar and one teaspoon of sweetener (I used honey).
Rinse one can of cooked chickpeas thoroughly. Heat up some oil in a pan, add the chickpeas and the spice mix. Fry on medium heat for 2/3 minutes, add a tablespoon of soy sauce, lower the heat and leave for another minute.
Ps: If you don’t have all these spices, don’t worry. Use what you have (cayenne pepper, paprika, turmeric…).
Celery marinated in homemade pesto
Celery is rich in vitamins and minerals with a low glycemic index meaning it has a slow, steady effect on your blood sugar.
Break apart the celery and chop in small pieces. Mix with the homemade pesto.
P.S.: you can prepare the pesto in advance but best to chop the celery just before cooking as chopped celery stored in the fridge looses its nutrients.
Pesto Recipe:
In a food processor mix the following ingredients:
- A big handful of basil or parsley or both
- A small handful of kale
- 1 table spoon hemp seeds
- About 10 cashew nuts or almonds or a mix
- 1 garlic glove
- Salt, pepper
- Olive oil/ water to taste
Cooked amaranth
Originally from Peru, this ancient gluten free grain can be defined as a superfood. Packed with nutrients and rich in proteins, its nutty taste will make you full for many hours.
I advise you to soak the amaranth overnight by placing the grains in a jar and covering it with water. Next morning, drain and rinse the amaranth.
Recipe for 2-3 servings (you can store the amaranth for up to 3 days in the fridge):
Add 3 cups of water to a thick bottom pan and bring it to a boil
Add 1 cup of dry amaranth seeds and give it a quick stir
Close the lid and let it cook on low heat. Simmer until the water has been absorbed (15 to 20 minutes).
P.S. In my detox Buddha Bowl, I chose to give the amaranth a pinkish look by blending it in a jar together with a raw beetroot. I then removed the beetroot from the jar, sliced it and added it to my bowl.
Lemon, Ginger, Honey Vinaigrette
Mix 2 spoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of honey, fresh ginger and a quarter of lemon freshly squeezed all together in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Et Voila! Your Detox Buddha Bowl is fabulous and ready to be devoured.
About Cecilia Pierron, Certified Health Coach – Institute for Integrative Nutrition
35-year-old Parisian soul based in Oslo, Norway, I believe that Food is medicine, nourishing our bodies and souls. Every bite is a new opportunity to feel healthier and happier.
I am not a vegan (cheese is my favorite thing on earth) neither am I part of the Paleo tribe or of any particular diet philosophy. In fact, I don’t really believe that one particular diet (as referred to a specific way of eating) works for everyone. Every single person has its own equation for well-being.
I therefore strongly believe that a holistic approach of health is the only way to achieve long lasting results as it implies healing the root of a condition rather than the symptoms.
Through private and group Coaching sessions, I help busy women maintain a healthy lifestyle. Step by step, I guide them towards building healthy eating habits and self care routines that fit them, individually.
Mother of a 3 year old, my time in the kitchen is limited which is why I am very fond of meal-prep. On my Instagram account, I post colorful recipes that are easy to make and little tips for a more balanced lifestyle. See you around. =)
By Cecilia Pierron, Certified Health Coach – www.ceciliapierron.com – Instagram : @cp_healthyliving Facebook : /cphealthyliving