It's kind of inevitable, really. The heavy lunches, the constant snacking in the afternoons, and the non-stop parties (Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day!), and now you're starting to realise that you are nursing a post-festive season bloat.
Before the bloat manifests into something a little more permanent (and the next round of partying begins), it's time to go on a detox diet to flush out all of those toxins.
A true detox diet is harsh for beginners, so go easy on yourself and try out these detox juice recipes for a start!
Vegetable Super Juice
Perfect for breakfast, this juice gives you an energy boost, awakens your digestive system, and gives your body a nutritious and gentle start to the day.
- - 1 whole cucumber
- - 4 sticks of celery
- - 2-4 handfuls of spinach
- - 8 lettuce leaves
- - Any other greens
Juice all ingredients and mix 50/50 with distilled water. Add optional lemon juice to taste.
Healing Detox Juice
The combination of the carrots, spinach and parsley provides an excellent source of antioxidants, while the celery lends its cleansing properties. It's also sweeter and more palatable for those who don't like their greens.
- - 3-4 Carrots
- - 125g Fresh Spinach
- - Handful of Flat Leaf Parsley
- - 2-3 Sticks of Celery
Juice all ingredients (putting celery through last). Mix with water to taste or drink neat (your preference).
Mango Swirl Smoothie
The tangy-sweet taste of mangoes makes this light, healthy, and easy-to-make smoothie a great thirst quencher.
- - 1 1/2 c. 2% milk
- - 8 oz. vanilla low-fat yogurt
- - 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped (or 1 c. frozen mango)
- - 1/8–1/4 c. sugar (optional, depends on the sweetness of the mango)
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender fitted with a steel blade. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into tall glasses with ice cubes; garnish with mint leaves (optional) and serve.
Liver Cleanse Grape Juice
This recipe supplies the liver (especially important for all that binge drinking) with much needed vitamins and cleansing agents that help flush out toxins from the liver.
- Water - 500 ml (boiled and cooled)
- Fresh lemons - 6
- Ginger root - 4 to 5 inches
- Grapefruits - 3
- Flaxseed oil - 3 tbsp
- Garlic cloves - 4
- Cumin powder - 3 to 4 pinches
- Fresh Mint – 3 to 4 leaves (optional)
Extract the lemon juice and grape fruit juice and keep them aside. In a blender, add some water and grated ginger and garlic pieces. Blend well and filter the juice into a container. Combine the two juices with water and blend this mixture with the flaxseed oil and cumin powder for 40 to 45 seconds. Pour the juice in a glass, garnish with mint leaves and serve.
Lemon-Lime Ginger Juice
- Ale
- Handful of grapes
- 1 apple, cored and sliced
- ½ inch fresh ginger (less if you find the taste too strong)
- 1/2 lime
- 1/4 lemon sparkling mineral water
Remove the grapes from the stem. Juice the apple and ginger together, then juice the rest of the fruit. Pour the juice in a large glass and fill to the top with sparkling water and serve with ice.
