No matter how hard we try to watch our diet, there are always times when circumstances force us to eat foods with a lot of fat, resort to ultra-processed foods too often, drink too much alcohol … It is true that our body has all the tools it needs to counteract these excesses and rebalance the body, but a little extra help from us never hurts., especially if we want to speed up the process and feel lighter as soon as possible. And then a detox diet, even if only for one day, can become our great ally.

What is a cleansing day?

Really it’s just about giving it “rest day” for our digestive system to help you get rid of the excess waste you have accumulated and prevent it from becoming full.

This provides several benefits. This is a light menu that helps digestion to be smoother and as a result we don’t have that feeling of bloating. But not only that; All this together also makes us feel better and motivate us to return to a healthy diet or follow a weight loss plan. In addition, as Dr. Isabelle Beltrán points out, a one-day detox diet is usually low in calories, which contributes to our body draws on its own reserves and uses stored fat for energy.

What should we eat on a detox day?

Our nutritionist, Dr. Mª Isabelle Beltrán, recommends following a plan based on vegetables, some fruit and some fermented yogurt. And, whenever possible, choose organic foods to minimize the amount of toxins we take in and thus cleanse ourselves of harmful substances.

In fact, the detox day menu is very simple:

• Breakfast. Yogurt
• Food. cream vegetables
• Afternoon snack. Yogurt
• Dinner. cream vegetables

You can take 1-2 fruits between meals. And besides water and infusions, you can still drink vegetable broth without salt.

When preparing creams, choose first of all diuretic and cleansing vegetables, promote the elimination of toxins. On the contrary, forget about adding potatoes or cream and do not add too much salt.

5 cleansing vegetables perfect for a detox day

• Artichoke. Stimulates the activity of the liver and kidneys, the great purifiers of the body. It is highly diuretic and promotes the digestion of fats.
• Asparagus. It contains aspartic acid, an acid that stimulates urine production, giving it diuretic properties that will help you stop fluid retention. It helps prevent constipation problems, prevents bloating, and helps control cholesterol levels.
• Leek. Not only is it highly diuretic, but it is also a source of soluble fiber, which takes care of the gut microbiota, and vitamin C, an antioxidant that also promotes iron absorption.
• Celery. It has a dilating effect on the renal blood vessels and thus promotes the excretion of water and toxic substances in the urine. It also helps fight gas and bloating.
• Onion. It has a great diuretic power, relieves heavy digestion and flatulence.

Yogurt is an exceptional probiotic. That is, a source of beneficial bacteria for the microbiota. They help to balance it and thus promote digestion. It is important that you choose natural and unsweetened. If you want, you can replace kefir or skyr with yogurt.

fruits on detox day

Some of the best known for their cleansing power are:

• A pineapple. It is a diuretic and cleansing fruit par excellence. With a lot of fiber, it is very satiating. In addition, it contains bromelain, which helps in the digestion of proteins.
• Kiwi. It is rich in vitamins C, E and A, as well as fiber, which helps control appetite and regulates intestinal transit.
• Grapefruit. It cleanses and, by promoting the production of bile, improves digestion. If bitter taste turns you off, pink is sweeter.
• Plum. It is one of the best natural laxatives due to its fiber content, as well as substances that stimulate the activity of the muscles of the colon.
• Watermelon. It’s practically all the water that makes you urinate more and thereby flush out toxins. It has very few calories and is very filling.
• Papaya. Improves the absorption of protein.

Drinks that cleanse you

In addition to watching what we eat, We must also pay attention to hydration, It is necessary both for the proper functioning of the body and for the elimination of toxins. Water should be the main choice, but also we can resort to vegetable consomme without salt between meals, which moisturize and provide almost no calories. Check out this cleansing broth recipe.

Another highly recommended alternative is cleansing infusions:

• Ponytail. It is an excellent natural diuretic; in fact, it can increase urine secretion by up to 30%. It also helps eliminate gas and bloating that comes with heavy digestion.
• milk thistle It is known as the “keeper of the liver” as it improves the liver’s ability to remove toxins from the body.
• Dandelion. Relieves mild digestive upsets such as feeling full, flatulence or slow digestion. It also has diuretic properties and has a laxative effect.
• Green tea. Not only does it have diuretic properties, but it also naturally raises body temperature (thermogenesis), which helps mobilize stored fat.

Can you lose weight with a detox diet?

Despite the fact that this cleansing menu provides very few calories, observing it for only one day, you should not expect miracles either. Yes, we can lose some weight, but if we don’t take care of our nutrition afterwards, it’s also easy for us to regain it in the following days.

In any case, it is important to note that this menu is very limited and does not provide the required calories or nutrients. If we follow it for just one day, this is not a problem, but if we continue it continuously for a long time, it can lead to nutritional deficiencies and the dreaded “rebound effect”. If you want to stick to a detox diet for more days, you should also include proteins (chicken, turkey, fish) and carbohydrates. You can try this cleansing diet for a week.