Detox diet: A post-holiday cleanse

Do pour yourself a mocktail

Need a break after a few too many merry nights? Cut calories and give your body — and liver — a rest by sipping herbal tea or flavoured water. Or try a fun combo of sparkling water with a splash of pomegranate juice and fresh berries or pomegranate seeds.

Do downsize your dishes

Studies show most people who eat from 8-inch dinner plates (instead of 10- or 12-inch ones) feel satisfied sooner and eat less.

Do enjoy a liquid lunch

A hearty homemade soup is the perfect midday meal to help you lose weight. Choose one that’s packed with lean protein and vegetables. Low-cal yet filling!

Do get your sweat on

Put exercise at the top of your priority list — it increases energy levels and makes you perspire, which means you’re burning calories. Tip: If you’re not sweating after 10 minutes, amp it up by increasing speed or using heavier weights.

Do stress less

Constant stress is bad for your entire body. Give yourself a break by taking five to 10 minutes every day to do simple meditation: Sit quietly and breathe deeply. Focus on slowing your breath and breathing deeply through both your nostrils. Concentrate on how your body sounds, moves and feels.

Do reset your bedtime

Aim for seven to eight hours of restorative sleep every night. And hit the hay before 11 p.m.: According to Chinese medicine, 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. is key for the gallbladder and liver, which help detoxification.

Do our easy seven-day cleanse

Day 1



Breakfast: Gluten-free bread with nut or seed butter and sugar-free jam
Lunch: Grilled fish and quinoa salad with onions, olive oil, avocado, chickpeas and lentils
Snack: Seeds and fruit
Dinner: Organic roasted chicken breast with brown basmati rice and steamed broccoli and rapini
Snack: Nuts with cut vegetables



Day 2



Breakfast: Quick quinoa porridge (continue for recipe)
Lunch: Grilled wild salmon with chickpeas, kidney beans and white beans
Snack: Nuts with cut vegetables
Dinner: Organic roasted turkey with white beans, garlic and onions, and cauliflower roasted in olive oil
Snack: Avocado smoothie (continue for recipe)



Day 3



Breakfast: Organic muesli with unsweetened almond milk and fresh fruit
Lunch: Madras chicken soup (continue for recipe)
Snack: Unsalted rice crackers with almond butter
Dinner: Steamed snapper with ginger and garlic, with steamed asparagus and wild rice with walnuts
Snack: Nuts and seeds



Day 4



Breakfast: Spelt muffin with fresh blueberries
Lunch: Skipjack tuna salad with olive oil, celery and onions, with green salad or chopped radishes, carrots and celery in olive oil and rice wine vinegar
Snack: Rice cakes with cashew butter
Dinner: Seared-salmon salad with ruby red grapefruit (continue for recipe)
Snack: Fruit smoothie: frozen berries, unsweetened almond milk and low-sugar fruit juice



Day 5



Breakfast: Quick quinoa porridge with fresh fruit
Lunch: Madras chicken soup
Snack: Your favourite fruit, unsalted rice crackers with almond butter
Dinner: Baby greens with chicken and spring vegetables
Snack: Avocado smoothie



Day 6



Breakfast: Gluten-free toast with almond butter and all-fruit no-sugar jam, fruit
Lunch: Grilled organic chicken with hummus, brown rice and spinach salad
Snack: Avocado smoothie
Dinner: Baked trout with stir-fry of broccoli, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms and brown rice
Snack: Nuts, seeds, cut vegetables or fruit



Day 7



Breakfast: Fruit smoothie
Lunch: Homemade veggie or turkey chili with steamed carrots, broccoli and cauliflower
Snack: Baked sweet potato fries
Dinner: Cod skewers with mushrooms, onions and half a roasted squash and quinoa
Snack: All-natural spelt ginger snaps with almond butter


Cleansing cheat sheet



Eat lots of these:

• liver-healthy veggies, including broccoli, arugula, cabbage, bok choy , rapini, endive, radicchio and artichokes
• organic chicken, turkey and wild fish (excluding tuna, unless it’s skipjack)
• onions and garlic
• brown basmati rice

Limit these:

• salt
• refined sugar

Avoid these:

• red meat
• processed foods
• coffee and black tea
• artificial colours and sweeteners
• alcohol (except for cooking)

And these, which cause common intolerances and allergies:

• wheat
• dairy
• soy
• shellfish
• eggs
• corn

After the cleanse: Reap more rewards: At the end of the week, reintroduce foods that are more likely to cause sensitivities one at a time, says Jean-Jacques Dugoua , ND, and take note of how your body reacts. If you’re feeling worse after adding them — especially with sneezing and congestion, tummy troubles or skin irritation — it might be a sign of an intolerance. This is awesome information: Cut down on it in general, or consider not eating it at all.

Do drink lots of water

This week, your go-to drink of choice is pure water: It fills you up and flushes toxins out of your organs.

Breakfast: Quick quinoa porridge

Prep 5 min
Total 32 min



Ingredients:


946-mL carton unsweetened almond milk
1 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup skin-on whole almonds, preferably toasted fresh berries for garnish



Directions:


1. Pour 2 cups almond milk into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. In a sieve, rinse quinoa, then stir into almond milk along with cardamom. Cover and bring back to a boil. Then reduce
heat and simmer for 12 minutes.
2. Remove from heat. Using a fork, fluff. Cover and let stand until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in extra almond milk, 1 tbsp at a time, until mixture is as thick as you like. Stir in raisins, apricots and almonds. Spoon into bowls.
3. Pour a little more almond milk overtop. Sprinkle with berries. Great sweetened with honey, maple syrup or brown sugar.


Serves 8



Per serving with 1 tbsp additional almond milk: 141 calories, 4 g protein, 22 g carbs, 5 g fat, 3 g fibre, 62 mg sodium, 3 mg iron, 91 mg calcium.

Lunch: Madras chicken soup

Prep 10 min
Total 45 min



Ingredients:


2 tsp olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup long-grain brown rice
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
2 284-mL cans undiluted low-sodium chicken broth
2 skinless, boneless organic chicken
breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into strips
1 cup frozen peas
2 green onions, thinly sliced



Directions:


1. Heat a large saucepan over medium. Add oil, then red onion. Cook until onion softens, about 3 min. Add rice, curry powder and cumin. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 min.
2. Pour in broth and 2 soup cans of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Gently boil, covered, until rice is half cooked, about 10 min. Add chicken and sweet
potato and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 more min.
3. Stir in peas and green onions. Serve warm in bowls.


Serves 4



Per 2 cups: 184 calories, 14 g protein, 25 g carbs, 3 g fat, 4 g fibre, 808 mg sodium.

Dinner: Seared-salmon salad with ruby red grapefruit

Total 15 min



Ingredients:


4 skin-on salmon fillets, about 400 g total
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
8 leaves Boston lettuce, washed and dried
4 cups arugula
2 avocados
1 large ruby red grapefruit



Grapefruit-Dill Dressing:


1/4 cup grapefruit juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill



Directions:


1. Sprinkle salmon with 1/8 tsp salt. Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over mediumhigh. Add 2 tsp olive oil, then salmon, skinside up. Cook until underside of fillet is light golden, about 3 to 4 min.
2. Turn fish over and continue cooking until a knife tip inserted in centre and held for 10 sec comes out warm, about 3 more min.
3. Bring water to a boil in a kettle. Place snow peas in a bowl and pour hot water over to cover. Drain after 30 sec. Immediately rinse with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Divide lettuce and arugula among 4 plates. Peel avocados and remove pits. Cut into small cubes.
4. Slice peel from top and bottom of grapefruit. Cut off and discard remaining peel, including white pith, so flesh is showing. Cut out segments over a medium bowl to catch juice. Leave segments in bowl and measure out 1/4 cup juice.
5. Pour into a small bowl. Whisk in Dijon, sugar, salt, oil, garlic and dill. Arrange avocados and grapefruit on greens, then top each plate with a warm salmon fillet. Drizzle salads with dressing just before serving.


Serves 4



Per serving: 504 calories, 23 g protein, 16 g carbs, 40 g fat, 7 g fibre, 477 mg sodium.

Smart snack: Avocado smoothie

Prep 5 min
Total 5 min



Ingredients:


1 peeled, pitted avocado, chopped
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp honey or agave nectar
2 tsp lime juice



Directions:


1. Combine avocado with almond milk, honey and lime juice in a blender. Purée until smooth, 1 min. Pour into tall glasses.


Makes 3 cups



Per cup: 167 calories, 2 g protein, 23 g carbs, 9 g fat, 4 g fibre, 125 mg sodium.