Summer Reset: 3 Detox Meals That Help Eliminate Toxins

Earlier this week, we shared why (and how) to do a summer reset and detox your body from any unhealthy foods and habits you’ve picked up during the warm vacation season. Let’s get started this weekend with a full day’s worth of delicious and healthy recipes. Each meal is simple to craft, but contains potent ingredients that help your body to naturally eliminate heavy metals and other unwanted toxins.

1. BREAKFAST: Toxin-Banishing Green Smoothie

Perfect for at home or on-the-go, this detox breakfast shake goes above and beyond, providing several servings of vegetables, plus gut-boosting apple cider vinegar and metabolism-enhancing lemon juice. A single glass nets you more than a full day’s worth of vitamin C and vitamin A, plus lots of inflammation-soothing polyphenols and cell-protecting flavonoids for long-term health and wellness.

1 c ice cubes

2 c lettuce

2 cup spinach

1/2 whole avocado, pitted and removed from shell

1 cucumber

1 green apple, cored

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp organic, raw apple cider vinegar

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy. Enjoy!

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2. LUNCH: Simple Broccoli Stir Fry

Broccoli, onions and garlic are all very rich in sulfur compounds. Not only does sulfur help your body to eliminate heavy, toxic metals such as cadmium, but sulfur also helps your body to produce glutathione, an antioxidant that helps optimize the natural detoxing process. Finally, the ginger adds exotic layers of flavor while also helping you to reduce inflammation in your body.

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/2 cup soup stock (chicken stock, beef stock, or you can use vegetable stock if you’re plant-based)

1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

Olive oil or the plant oil of your choice

1 pound broccoli florets, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 sweet onion, diced

1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

In a frying pan, toast the sesame seeds for a few minutes until fragrant and golden-brown.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sesame oil, soup stock and soy sauce.

In a second frying pan, saute the onions in olive oil (or your favorite plant oil) for five minutes or until translucent, then add the broccoli, garlic and ginger. Stir constantly until the broccoli is tender.

Pour in the stir fry sauce and enjoy with a pinch of toasted sesame seeds on top!

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3. DINNER: Roasted Squash and Kale Medley

When you are exposed to harmful substances that damage your cells, whether it’s air pollution or an unhealthy diet, free radicals are released in your body. Eating a diet that’s very high in antioxidants is the best way to zap these free radicals, neutralize their effects, protect against cellular damage and ensure your body is best equipped to handle toxin exposure. And kale is one of the most nutritious, antioxidant-rich greens on earth.

Enjoy this protein- and antioxidant-rich meal on its own, or amp it up even further with a healthy protein source like lean fish or smoked tofu.

Olive oil or the oil of your choice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Pinch of salt and pepper

1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes

1 zucchini, diced

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa

2 cups kale, chopped and packed densely

2 cups parsley, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is heating, mix the spices together with a splash of olive oil, then toss in the zucchini and squash. Let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Layer the marinated veggies on a baking sheet in a single layer, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, mix/flip, then return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until the squash has softened.

While the veggies are baking, prepare the quinoa by combining 1 cup of the grains with 2 cups of water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes

To plate this dinner, mix the roasted veggies with the cooked quinoa, then toss with all the other ingredients and enjoy hot.

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