7-day detox diet plan with recipes
- Carmela Pengelly
- Jan 6
- 5 min read
This very easy detoxification programme is one that I use for clients who are recovering from cancer and want to clear their body of toxins and rebuild their health. Detoxing does not have to be hard or complicated and you don't have to feel deprived and I have included some simple recipes at the end to help you.
I recommend that you do this detox programme for 7 days and you will find that you are feeling more energetic and that any gut symptoms have improved. I suggest you do this programme every 3-6 months and you can also follow the diet guidelines indefinitely as a positive lifestyle change.
In this blog
If you would like further guidance, book a free discovery call or a nutritional therapy consultation. I would love to help you on your health journey.
Why do a cleanse?
This cleanse is great for anyone who wants a general reset and for those who want to:
Improve gut health by cutting out foods that feed bad bacteria while at the same time encouraging good bacteria;
Improve liver function which is essential for good gut health, glowing skin; healthy hormone balance, healthy weight and detoxification systems;
Boost immunity;
Rebalance blood sugar after indulging over the holidays.
The 7-day detox programme
Do's and don'ts
Firstly, here are the general rules, i.e do's and don'ts, to follow during the detox and ideally, to continue as a lifestyle change after the cleanse is over.
Do’s | Don’ts |
Cook with olive oil or coconut | Cook with vegetable oils |
Drink filtered or mineral water when possible | Keep fruit to a maximum of two pieces per day |
Eat a mix of cooked and raw veggies every day | Avoid all grains - wheat, oats, rice, barley, rye |
Choose organic where possible | Avoid snacking |
Add as many veg as possible to every meal | Keep oily fish (salmon, tuna) to a maximum of two meals per week |
Eat a source of protein in every meal | Keep red meat to a maximum of two meals per week |
Add raw garlic to foods (see recipes below) | Avoid beef mince unless preservative-free |
If using tinned legumes choose soaked (e.g Edgell brand) | Avoid alcohol or soft drinks |
Boost antioxidants by adding plenty of fresh and dried herbs, and nuts and seeds, and cocoa | Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners, use stevia or a little maple syrup or honey instead |
Use butter, preferably grass-fed organic | Avoid processed foods |
Have 1-2 servings of fermented food daily e.g unpasteurised sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir or kombucha | Avoid dairy except for plain yoghurt or kefir |
Healthy grain alternatives
Quinoa
Make sure you soak in plenty of water and around 2 tbsp of lemon juice, vinegar or plain yoghurt, for at least two hours, to break down phytates. Rinse before cooking.
Cold salad potatoes
Salad potatoes cooked and cooled before eating adds healthy resistant starch to your diet. Hot potatoes have less of this type of fibre.
Sweet potatoes
Good sources of protein
Incorporate these types of protein in every meal:
Free-range chicken
Fresh fish and seafood
Eggs
Quinoa (see soaking instructions above)
Sugar-free protein powder, preferably plant protein such as fermented pea and rice
Sprouted legumes
Soaked legumes - soak in plenty of water and 2-3 tbsp lemon juice, vinegar or yoghurt overnight. Rinse before cooking. You can prepare and freeze batches.
Alternatively, you can use tinned legumes providing they have been soaked e.g Edgell brand.
Lifestyle habits
You can really boost your detox cleanse by adding some healthy habits to your programme.
Fasting
Eat 2-3 meals per day with at least 5 hours between each meal and at least 12 hours overnight.
Epsom salt baths
An excellent detox and a way of topping up your magnesium levels is to use Epsom bath salts (available in our online store).
If you have a bath, use two cups in a warm bath before bedtime.
If you don't have a bath, soak your feet instead.
Routine
Your body loves routine so this is a good time to establish regular meal times and bedtime and waking times.
Cleanse the mind
Avoid the news or negative social media as much as possible, especially before you go to sleep.
Mindfulness
An easy way to practice mindfulness is to try to tune in to your breathing and how your body feels for a few moments every 1-2 hours.
Exercise
Aim for gentle daily exercise daily, such as walking, yoga or swimming.
Water
It goes without saying to aim for at the very least 2 litres of water over the day.
Reduce toxic load
Avoid perfumes, air fresheners and scented candles.
Choose natural personal care products wherever possible.
Detox recipes
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Stewed apple
Stewed apple is an incredible functional food that inhibit the release of inflammatory chemicals in the body and feed the microbiome.
Make a batch using 8-10 apples (any apple you like)
Instructions
Wash and dry apples first
Peel very roughly so that some skin is left on
Stew (without sugar) adding any or all of the following spices: ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, star anise, cloves. Or, if it is easier, add 1-2 tsp mixed spice.
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Quinoa salad
Serves 2
Ingredients
½ cup uncooked quinoa
½ cup grated raw beetroot
¼ cup grated carrots
1 handful coriander leaves, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
Dressing
1 tbsp vinegar (apple cider if possible)
3 tbsp olive oil
½ clove garlic, crushed (optional)
½ tsp Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
Cook quinoa according to package instructions; allow to cool.
Stir in beetroot, carrots, coriander and spring onions.
Mix dressing ingredients.
Stir dressing through quinoa and serve.
Spicy chickpeas
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 red onion, cut into thin slices
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 3 cups of your own cooked chickpeas
4 tomatoes, chopped into large chunks
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp paprika
¼ tsp cumin
Salt and black pepper
½ fresh chilli
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Method
Mix dressing using lemon juice, oil and garlic.
Mix all other ingredients together.
Stir in dressing and serve.
Suggested detox supplements
If you want to make the most of your detox programme, it is really worth including high-quality supplements. The following are what I recommend to my clients in-clinic (all are available in our on-line store).
This is a really gentle low-fodmap fibre that comes as a tasteless powder that you can add to water, yoghurt, soups or sauces. It also has added probiotics in the form of spore-based probiotics, which is very well-tolerated for those who react to normal probiotics.
It's a great, inexpensive way to cleanse the gut and feed your microbiome, and if you suffer constipation it is great for that too.
This is a really excellent liver detox product. It helps to remove toxins from the body and boosts bile flow to improve digestion (especially if you struggle with digesting fats) and nutrient absorption. I find this formulation also really helps to clear up any skin issues, such as acne.
B vitamins are essential for the liver's detoxification processes and help you to metabolised food and convert it into usable energy, so is vital for weight management.
Good luck
Good luck on your detox week. Please contact me if you any questions or would like further help.
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