5 recipes to make in a detox diet after a period of excesses

Performing a cleansing diet after a period of excesses is a support for the liver, an essential organ for the proper functioning of the body. These recipes, made with cleansing ingredients, will help you cleanse.

Every day our body receives toxins from the air, water, household cleaning products and personal hygiene… And also, of the foods we consume if they are not organic, especially after a period of culinary excesses. The liver is the organ responsible for eliminating these toxins and we can help you in its function through the diet, including in the menu’s recipes with foods with depurative and hepatoprotective properties.

DETOX DIET: WHAT IS IT

• The first thing is to eliminate products that harm it, such as those containing added sugars (soft drinks, pastries, pastries, refined cereals, etc.), meats, alcohol and ultra-processed foods. It is also advisable to avoid excess fat.
• To make a beneficial menu for the liver, we can follow the recommendations of traditional Chinese medicine, which advises choosing foods of green color, bitter or sour taste and rising energy. Whole grains (such as rice, quinoa and millet) are therefore particularly favourable; lettuce, kale, cabbage, watercress, mustard greens, radish and dandelion; algae; shoots and sprouts; fresh aromatic herbs, green apple and fermented foods.
• In addition, it is advisable to have dinner two or three hours before bedtime and consume moderate portions that do not leave us full.

RECIPES TO MAKE A 5-DAY DETOX DIET

To complete the care of the liver, I propose to do once or twice a year a cleansing diet of five days in which a strict diet based on brown rice, green vegetables, vegetable broths and infusions is followed. In the preparation of the dishes no salt or oil is used, but spices and aromatic herbs can be used. These five recipes can be included in a 5-day detox diet to cleanse the body after a period of excess.

ZUCCHINI ROLLS DETOX RECIPE

For 2 people (20 minutes):

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchinis
• 1 beetroot
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cucumber
• 7 spinach leaves
• 10 g garlic powder
• 3 g turmeric
• A sprig of cilantro

Preparation:

1. Wash well and cut the zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. For this you can use a mandolin. Sprinkle some turmeric and chopped garlic on each side of the slices.
2. Heat a pan or griddle over medium-high heat and place the zucchini slices to roast without oil for two minutes on each side. Remove and reserve them while you continue with the preparations.
3. Peel the beetroot and grate it on the thick side of the grater. Cut the cucumber into squares of one or two centimeters on each side. Cut the fresh spinach leaves into julienne and chop the cilantro into very small pieces.
4. Take advantage of the pan where you roasted the zucchini to mix the ingredients of the salad you just prepared and season them with apple cider vinegar, a pinch of garlic and a little turmeric.
5. Place the already roasted zucchini slices on a flat surface and put a generous tablespoon of the salad on top. Roll them up and serve.

Optional: you can accompany the zucchini rolls with rice pancakes or brown rice.
Recommendation: If possible, choose courgettes of organic and local production and small size. The big ones can be fibrous.

BOWL DETOX RECIPE WITH CAULIFLOWER AND POMEGRANATE

For 2 people (50 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower, cut into small bunches
• 1 fennel bulb, thickly sliced
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• Spices to taste (cumin, ginger, turmeric, garlic powder, cinnamon, aromatic herbs)
• Green leafy mixture
• Pomegranate grains
• Extra virgin olive oil
• The juice of half a lemon
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Prepare the dressing by pouring a stream of olive oil into a bowl along with the spices and salt. Mix very well.
2. Add the cauliflower and fennel to the bowl, and mix in such a way that they are completely impregnated with the dressing.
3. Preheat the oven to 180 ºC.
4. Place the fennel and cauliflower on a baking sheet, previously lined with sulfurized paper or covered with a nonstick platinum silicone sheet. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until cauliflower and fennel are tender. You can check it with a skewer for biscuits.
5. Prepare the vinaigrette for the green salad with a little extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and maple syrup. This vinaigrette has a purifying effect.
6. When serving, place at the bottom of the bowl a base of varied green leaves, seasoned with vinaigrette. Put freshly roasted cauliflower and fennel on top. Finally, add the fresh grains of the pomegranate.

Alternatives: If you want a dish that is more satiating and nutritionally complete, you can add some brown rice or quinoa. On the other hand, you can substitute cauliflower for broccoli if it is more to your liking.

QUINOA AND BLUEBERRY SALAD DETOX RECIPE

For 2 people (30 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 100 g quinoa
• 30 g sliced almonds
• 60 g zucchini
• 30 g celery
• 40 g dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon thyme or oregano
• The juice of half a lemon
• Half a tablespoon maple syrup
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. When preparing quinoa, if you want to improve its flavor and texture, toast it lightly in the pan before cooking. Next, cook the quinoa in water or, if you prefer, in a vegetable broth. Book it.
2. Sauté apart, in a little olive oil, the zucchini cut into cubes with a little salt.
3. Cut the celery into pieces and mix it raw with the almonds and dried blueberries.
4. To prepare the dressing, combine extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup, salt, thyme, oregano or any other fresh aromatic herb of your liking along with the juice of half a lemon.
5. For the presentation, mix the quinoa with the zucchini, celery and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Season just before serving the dish.

Liver cereal: we have chosen quinoa for this dish because it is a cereal with beneficial properties for the liver (reduces inflammation and cholesterol levels). In short cleansing diets, it is advisable to stick to a single cereal, and quinoa is a good choice.

Organic products: in all cleansing recipes it is preferable to use organically produced foods to avoid the ingestion of toxic pesticide residues.

DETOX RECIPE OF AZUKIS BURGER AND VEGETABLES

2 people (80 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 40 g dried azuki bean
• 50 g vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, pepper or whatever you have), lightly sautéed in coconut oil
• 30 g onion
• 30 g amaranth
• 35 g sunflower seeds
• 20 g sunflower meal
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 cm fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon seaweed salad mixture
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1 leaf kombu seaweed
• 1 drizzle of extra virgin coconut oil
• Spices and aromatic herbs for dressing

Preparation:

1. Cook the azuki beans (after soaking for 12 hours with a pinch of salt or apple cider vinegar) with water, salt and, if desired, kombu seaweed.
2. To cook amaranth, follow the manufacturer’s instructions (approximately 30 minutes). Amaranth should look similar to cooked quinoa. Remove excess water and let cool.
3. Sauté the onion, add the garlic along with the ginger and let them take a couple of minutes. Cut or grate the very thin vegetables and incorporate them into the mixture until they are al dente. Add the seaweed halfway through cooking. Let cool.
4. Add the spices, tamari, flour and sunflower seeds. Correct with the flour until the mixture acquires the right consistency to form the burgers.
5. You can make them in the oven for 25-30 minutes, turning them over towards the middle of this time. You can also make them in the pan with very little coconut oil, which resists high temperature very well.
6. You can serve them with your favorite sauce, a salad and some homemade probiotic sauerkraut.

TOMATO SOUP DETOX RECIPE

For 2 people (90 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 7 ripe tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• 30 g onion or leek
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 10 basil leaves
• 1 ear of corn
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. coconut sugar
• A pinch of salt

For the broth:

• 1 l of water
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 carrot
• Half white onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 2 basil leaves
• Salt, pepper and paprika

Preparation:

1. Put the ingredients of the broth in a pot and let them boil for 30-40 minutes. Reserve at room temperature.
2. Shell the cob and put the grains in a pan with a little olive oil or ghee (clarified butter). Brown for 7-10 minutes over low heat and set aside.
3. Roast the pepper in the oven: fillet it, extract the seeds, julienne it and put it in the oven. Once done, set it aside.
4. In a frying pan, make a sauce with a little broth and three tablespoons of olive oil, garlic quartered, finely cut leek, thyme sprigs and bay leaves  , a pinch of salt, pepper and paprika. When done, add the peeled tomatoes, chopped pepper and half a teaspoon of coconut sugar. Cook over medium heat 20 minutes.
5. In a blender, put the sofrito with the tomatoes and pepper and add enough broth to cover (remove the thyme and bay leaves). Blend for two minutes. Pass the mixture through a strainer, pour it into the pot and let it reduce 10 minutes. Garnish with roasted corn and fresh basil.