What to eat before and after a detox

More and more people are feeling the need to make a detox. Considering the poor quality of the air we breathe in cities, the water, the processed food, the excess of additives, colorants, pesticides, medicines, chemicals and heavy metals such as mercury, lead, aluminum or cadmium, how can it miss us?

It is normal in these circumstances that our liver, the main one in charge of expelling toxins, becomes exhausted and congested, and does not manage to eliminate everything it should. In addition, our kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymphatic system and skin, also in charge of cleaning us of toxins, stop working properly and this is affecting every cell of the body.

Then it happens that what the body should do naturally without our help, which is to eliminate toxins, is overloaded and at some point will ask for our help to do this work. With detox we help the body to cleanse itself by decongesting organs, such as the gallbladder, liver, lymphatic system, skin, and improving circulation.

It is important to eliminate toxins from our body to avoid the deterioration of the immune system and thus make us less susceptible to chronic degenerative diseases such as some types of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, etc..

The best time to do so is when we have any of these symptoms: tiredness, low energy, anxiety, dull skin and hair, dry skin, difficult digestion, cellulite, fluid retention, fat accumulated in the abdomen, poor memory, lack of concentration or dispersion, weight gain, joint or muscle pain, inflammation, etc..

If we see that we have some symptom and we decide to make a detox, it is not only important to take into account the detox diet, but also what we should eat before and after doing so.

The good news is that it is very simple, because what we should eat before and after detox is the same: a vegan diet free of gluten, sugars, processed, refined, dyes, chemicals and everything that is not integral, natural, clean and real.

What should we eat before and after detox?

There is NO inconvenience in suddenly stopping eating products of animal origin to start a detox diet, because they do not generate addiction or withdrawal syndrome, but it is very important to progressively eliminate from the diet those foods or false foods that can produce withdrawal syndrome, with the consequent headache or bad mood/irritation, such as coffee, alcohol, sugar, gluten, refined flours, dairy products and chocolate.

But above all before starting the preparation of detox I want you to reflect on the reasons that lead you to do so. A detox diet is something punctual that must be done because we really want to change habits and we want to do it with something that motivates us. The idea will never be to eat inappropriately on a continuous basis to punctually make a detox and believe that this way we solve everything.

Detox has to be a starting point for a change in lifestyle and diet. And then if we eat healthily we can occasionally make a detox at times of change of season or after Christmas, for example, where we usually consume perhaps some alcohol, sweets or a little more than normal amount.

Once the detox feeding days are over, we can use it to introduce food groups for weeks, especially if we want to detect which of them is causing us discomfort or we hesitate to have some kind of intolerance or negative reaction to any of them.

The first week after detox we would introduce whole grains, seeds, legumes and nuts (the latter we would observe how we feel), the following week corn (polenta, e.g.), the following week egg, then fish, next meat, then chocolate, and finally gluten.

In my opinion, dairy products, sugar, coffee and alcohol, for example, do not need to be reintroduced or checked because it is already evident that they are not friends of our digestions and general state of health.

Once these concepts are clear, we can start with detox. For it, of all the recipes published up to now in Conasi I have selected the best pre and post detox recipes.

Ideal recipes for breakfast:

  • Green juice SEN
  • Citrus juice
  • SEN Green Shake
  • Aromatic green peach and chia shake
  • Nolla green milkshake
  • Spitulant juice
  • Pineapple and papaya juice
  • Juice to enhance tanning
  • Apple juice
  • Summer fruit breakfast
  • Pineapple juice, ginger and turmeric:
  • Anti-cancer juice
  • Cherry juice
  • Sesame milk

Ideal recipes to eat:

  • Spaghetti carbonara with portobello and peas
  • Hamburger rice, oatmeal and beetroot
  • Polenta Timbale with Spring Vegetables
  • Country rice:
  • Rice with shiitake Kuala Lumpur
  • Meatballs of polenta and portobello mushroom with thyme
  • Caneloni with cream cheese and kale pesto
  • Zucchini Rawiolis with Pistachio Pesto
  • Pea Dahl
  • Fresh salad of beans and green leaves
  • Vegetarian lentil and avocado tartar
  • Vegan potato omelette
  • Tajine of sprouted lentils
  • Tajine of chickpeas