How to create a detox diet

If you are genuinely interested in freeing your body from the damaging effects of toxins, following a detox diet once a month can help.

Proven to eliminate free radicals which can damage cells and reduce the efficiency of your metabolism, following a detox plan for a few days a month can help to improve your health and ultimately your weight loss over the long term.

Where do I start?

Before you jump on the band wagon and sign up for the latest celebrity diet, stop. Celebrity diets are notorious for cutting out major food groups in their quest to trigger weight loss and can often leave you feeling fatigued, dizzy and deprived of essential nutrients.

To detox properly, you need to incorporate the following kind of dietary plan:

Breakfast

• Swap milk for water and make some porridge topped with banana, raisins and sweetened honey
• Mix a healthy fruit salad with natural yoghurt and a sprinkle of oats
• Create a fruit smoothie using fresh fruit, natural yoghurt and honey (if you like it sweet)
• Cover muesli with some oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit before finishing with some natural yoghurt

Lunch

• Combine some vegetables or lentil soup with 2 oatcakes
• Top a freshly baked jacket potato with tuna mixed with sweetcorn and natural yoghurt. Serve with a side of salad
• Serve rice cakes with rocket, avocado, tomatoes, basil and black pepper before finishing with a handful of unsalted nuts
• Create your own homemade guacamole from avocado, lemon juice, fresh chilli, tomato and garlic and serve with vegetable crudités and oatcakes
• Try fresh avocado served with prawns, salad, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice
• Serve a grilled cod fillet on a jacket potato and finish with steamed vegetables

Dinner

• Create your own Chinese stir-fry using bok choi, spring onions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and beansprouts in a little olive oil, garlic and ginger. Finish with brown rice
• Combine a baked jacket potato with a salmon fillet and steamed vegetables
• Combine a selection of vegetables (onions, mushrooms, peppers, courgette and leek) with prawns and fry before finishing with tomatoes, black pepper and tuna and a side of noodles
• Stir fry onions, peppers, baby sweetcorn and mushrooms before combining with tomatoes, white wine vinegar and honey. Serve with brown rice
• Create your own potato and bean casserole using onions, carrot, parsnip, potatoes, beans and garlic

These are just a handful of meal choices you can make whilst detoxing. However it is important to remember that this is not a long term dietary choice as you need to eat a balanced diet which includes lean meats, fibre and dairy products to ensure your body gets plenty of protein and calcium to build strong bones and muscles.

For this reason, only incorporate this dietary plan into your routine for a few days each month – though there is no harm including some of these meal options in your day to day diet – and make sure to eat a balanced diet of all your major food groups.

Alternatively, why not add a detox product into your dietary plan? Detox drinks and supplements can help to cleanse your system without having to cut dairy, meat and the occasional treat from your diet.

Instead you can healthily eat in moderation and continue enjoying food without feeling guilty.
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