4 Day Detox
Restore, Rebalance and Rejuvenate
Detoxing is a great way to rid the body of toxins, loose weight and rebalance the body. This mini 4 day detox will help your body to restore, rebalance and rejuvenate itself. Everyday we are overloaded with toxins from all directions. From the food we eat, to cosmetic products, cleaning products, environmental factors, medicines and the list goes on…
The body is well equipped to get rid of toxins. However, with the sheer overload that we are exposed to daily, it can’t always rid the body of them all. The toxins that remain can store up and cause all kinds of health issues.
There are many different methods that can be used to detox the body. Juice fasts are a popular way to detox. This is where you don’t eat any food, only drink fruit and vegetable juices throughout the day. This type of juicing fast can be difficult, especially for those that aren’t used to detoxing or fasting. With this mini detox, there will be food. It is a gentle food based cleanse. The ingredients used are detoxifying and able to assist with hormonal imbalances which can be caused by the toxins in our body.
You may have seen my post about intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is a great way to detox. But if you’ve never detoxed before, I would advise doing some kind of detox plan before beginning intermittent fasting . This way, your body has had a chance to get rid of a bulk of the stored up toxins, body fat and has been able to start on healing and rebalancing the body.
4 day detox
This 4 day detox will get rid of stored up toxins and work on ridding the body of stored up body fat. Another bonus to this mini detox is that it works on balancing hormones. Many of the toxins we are exposed to are endocrine disruptors and many are also xenoestrogenic – meaning that they mimic estrogen in the body by adhering to estrogen receptor sites on the cells. This can cause estrogen overload which can lead to health issues such as acne, infertility, irregular periods, PCOS, low sex drive, ovarian cysts, fatigue and mood swings. Other benefits from this detox include stabilising blood sugar levels, restoring adrenal rhythm and estrogen elimination.
People that have done this detox have reported loosing up to 10 pounds over the four days. They’ve also reported increased energy, clearing up of acne and better skin, and women experience pain and PMS free periods.
how to get prepared
Start preparing a few days before you start the detox. You will need a high quality fiber supplement and a chlorella supplement. These supplements will give you extra support during the detox process. Chlorella is for liver support. Your liver will be working hard throughout this process. Taking chlorella also aids the liver by getting rid of toxins that have been stored in the liver by binding to them, and pulling them out of the body by excretion. The first day or two of the detox you may feel nauseas due to toxins being removed and being loose and moving around within the body.
I would advise getting all of your shopping in before you start the detox. You may need to pre prep some of your meals, especially if you’ll be doing it around your work schedule. It will also be beneficial if you can prepare some items in bulk to reduce your time spent in the kitchen.
stay hydrated
It is vital that you stay hydrated through the cleanse. Try to drink more water than usual. Aim for at least 8 glasses a day. You can drink warm water if you prefer, and even add a slice of lemon. This will help aid with the detox process.
We need to drink water to stay hydrated and it helps flush out the toxins. Lemons are full of detoxifying properties, so drink as much as you like.
excercise
It’s advised to not do any extreme exercise, your body will need all the energy it can get, and over exerting yourself will not be of any benefit whilst your low on energy and the body is trying to work on getting the toxins out. Go for walks, or bouncing is great for detoxing. Bouncing or rebounding, has many health benefits. It’s also highly detoxifying. As you bounce the lymph system is alerted and fluid starts to move. The fluid moves out toxins and debris which can then leave the body via excretion.
before you get started
Read through the detox plan a few times. Plan when you will be preparing your meals, are there any items that you can cook in bulk? You don’t want to be eating anything after 7.30pm. This will give the body plenty of time to work on things other than digesting food. The periods of time when we’re not eating is when the body gets to work on healing, balancing and getting rid of toxins.
what to expect
The first time I ever detoxed, it was this detox plan that I used. I do have many more detox plans, which I will be adding to the website in due course.
By the evening of day 1, I felt awful. I felt extremely nauseous, I had a headache and I was hungry and miserable at the fact that I had another 3 full days to go. I thought about giving up, but instead, I ate my evening meal and went to bed early.
It’s absolutely normal to feel off during the detox. Your body is working hard getting rid of toxins that have been stored in the body. They become loose in the body and are moving around which can cause you to feel sick, and get a headache. I experienced this for the first two days of the detox. By day 3 I was feeling a little better. I had more energy, no headache and knew I had nearly finished the detox. I was counting down the meals. Also by day 3, I knew that I had lost some weight, as all of my rings were loose on my fingers. I did find myself going to bed early each night, as I was hungry the later it got. Which is a good thing when your detoxing. Sleeping is healing time, so it’s important to get enough sleep.
DAY 5 ONWARDS
Day five will be a great day. Not only can you eat food again, yaay, you will feel lighter, more energised and proud that you accomplished it. Do not go overboard with food for the first few days. Try to stick to healthy foods rather than junk foods. Too much food or junk food will be a shock to the system. Your body needs to consume foods that are easy for the body to digest for the next few days. Your body has been on limited portions for four days, it needs to ease back in to it gently.
You can find all of the recipes and the fruit and vegetable list below the detox plan.
4 day detox
day 1
MORNING
- Drink water upon waking up
- cup of warm water with slice of lemon
- fiber supplement
- Fresh fruit salad with lemon juice and 1 tbsp flax meal
MID MORNING
- Green juice
- chlorella supplement
LUNCH
- Salmon or white fish with brown rice (small portion) and 1 tbsp flax meal, liver cleansing mix
MID AFTERNOON SNACK
- Veggies or fruits from the list
- Unsalted nuts and raisins
DINNER
- Quick veggie soup
EVENING SNACK (ONLY IF NEEDED)
- Fruit from list
- nuts and raisins
Do not eat after 7.30pm. Drink water and herbal teas throughout the days. I would advise drinking detoxifying herbal teas such as dandelion, milk thistle, nettle and burdock root. Make sure to drink a detoxifying tea before bedtimes.
day 2
MORNING
- Drink water upon waking up
- Warm water with slice of lemon
- Fiber supplement
- Fresh fruit salad with tbsp flax meal and lemon juice
MID MORNING SNACK
- Green juice
- Chlorella supplement
LUNCH
- Salmon or white fish with brown rice (small portion) and 1 tbsp flax meal and liver cleansing mix
MID AFTERNOON SNACK
- Fruit or veggies from list
- Unsalted nuts and raisins
DINNER
- Quick veggie soup
EVENING SNACK (ONLY IF NEEDED)
- Fruits from list
- Unsalted nuts and raisins
Remember, no eating after 7.30pm, and drink detoxifying herbal teas.
day 3
vegan day
MORNING
- Drink water upon waking up
- Cup of warm water with slice of lemon
- Fiber supplement
- Fresh fruit salad with 1 tbsp flax meal and lemon juice
MID MORNING SNACK
- Green juice
- Chlorella supplement
LUNCH
- Large liver cleansing mix, Quinoa (small portion) with flax meal, 1/2 avocado
MID AFTERNOON SNACK
- Fruits and veggies from list
- Unsalted nuts and raisins
DINNER
- Vegetable stir-fry or veggie soup
EVENING SNACK (ONLY IF NEEDED)
- Fruits or veggies from list
- Unsalted nuts and raisins
No eating after 7.30pm, and drink detoxifying tea.
day 4
MORNING
- Drink water upon waking
- cup of warm water with lemon
- Fiber supplement
- Fresh fruit salad with lemon juice 1 tbsp flax, plus 1 tbsp nut butter, or 2 tbsp nuts/seeds
MID MORNING SNACK
- Green juice
- Chlorella supplement
LUNCH
- White fish or beans, brown rice (small portion) with 1 tbsp flax meal, liver cleansing mix
AFTERNOON SNACK
- Fruits and veggies from list
- Unsalted nuts and raisins
DINNER
- Quinoa (small portion) with dark leafy green vegetables
EVENING SNACK(ONLY IF NEEDED)
- Fruits or veggies from list
- Unsalted nuts and raisins
Do not eat after 7.30pm, and drink detoxifying tea.
Why not take a hot detoxifying bath. Just add Epsom salt and a few drops of your favourite essential oils. This will help draw out the toxins. Your skin is the largest organ of elimination. Heat opens up the pores, and the salt pulls out the toxins.
CONGRATULATIONS
The hard work is over, and now you can reap all of the benefits. Remember, take it easy over the next few days. Stay eating healthy and don’t overindulge. You need to eat foods that are easy for the body to digest. You may notice more toxins leaving your body over the next couple of days.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
FRUIT
- Green apples
- Pears
- Lemon
- Grapes
- Avocado
- Fresh berries
Add all of the above to your fruit salad if you can. You can eat any fruits apart from melon.
VEGGIES
- Dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli etc)
- Carrots
- Baby greens
- String beans
- Onion
- Tomatoes
- Bok choy/Pak choi
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Fennel
- Radish
- Bean sprout shoots
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Corriander
Quick Veggie Soup
In a large pot of water add chopped onion, garlic, carrot, celery and parsley.
Feel free to add turnip, dark leafy greens, zucchini, cut string beans and bean sprout shoots
Bring to boil and simmer for 30 mins or until veggies have softened.
In another pan cook lentils.
When lentils finish cooking, drain them and add to soup.
liver cleansing mixes
bok choy/pak choi salad
Slice thinly and mix together: 6 stalks bok choy, 1 granny smith apple, 1/2 red onion, 1/2 cup of sprouts (optional). Add salt, coriander and lemon juice.
The longer you let it sit with the lemon juice and salt combo, the softer the veggies will get, and the better it will taste.
raw kale salad
Chop a bunch of kale, thinly slice half a red onion and a fennel bulb. Mix all together with the juice of 2 lemons, sprinkle with salt. Leave to stand preferably overnight, until it wilts. The longer the better.
Dress with olive oil before serving.
Feel free to add grated radish, ginger or garlic to salads and grains. These ingredients are anti-microbial and blood cleansers, and will give your immune system a boost.
fruit salad
Chop and mix any combination of the following: green apples, pears, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.
Saueeze over fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with flax meal.
veggie stir-fry
Sautee in a frying pan with olive oil chopped garlic, red onion, broccoli, string beans, sliced kale and cabbage, beansprout shoots and any other veggies from the list.
Sprinkle with salt
green juice
mid morning snack
Juice 3-6 stalks celery, 1/2 cucumber, 1 green apple, 1/2 cup parsley, 1 whole small lemon with skin.
salmon and white fish
Heat olive oil in frying pan, add fish fillets, cook on each side until cooked.
Add lemon juice and spices
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