We all know ‘that’ time of the year, resolutions are made, we dust off our swimming costume and beach umbrella and decide right there and then - that we will start exercising and do a detox. While detoxification can be little overwhelming and often thought of as restrictive, but they don’t need to be!
The aim of a summer reset is to support, nourish and cleanse the body by enjoying delicious wholefood produce and stimulating our natural elimination pathways. The secret is to feel the benefits, and continue the healthy wholefood changes year-long round.
When we start to plan a reset or detox, we can’t help but look at foods or food groups to avoid, and while there are some key contenders it shouldn’t be the focus of a detox. The aim is to boost wholefoods, antioxidants, water, enjoy a wide variety of colours and textures and a range of different phytonutrients. The groups to limit are the ones we all know, alcohol, refined sugar, refined carbohydrates, white flour and dairy. I personally like to add chemicals to the list as well – because it’s always nice to have a break from harsh cleaning products and beauty / cosmetic chemicals.
So what should we have more of during a summer reset? Here are our 5 tips for a healthy and wholefood summer reset
Fruits, Vegetables and the whole shebang:
Firstly, it’s time to give wholefoods a big boost. During a reset, it is ideal to choose organic where ever possible, and support the body with extra phytonutrients. Here is where we enjoy fruit, vegetables, legumes and seeds in all different colours, shapes and textures. Enjoying foods that are in season gives an extra nutritional boost, while supporting local farmers and reducing the chemical load and long distance travel of your produce.
We want to enjoy a wide variety of vegetables, enjoying different colours, textures and sizes. Each vegetable has a unique nutritional profile for the body to enjoy, so it’s ideal to enjoy a variety to get the most benefit. The Australian Government recommend a daily intake of 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit, but saying that there is no reason why we can’t enjoy more veggies! Especially during a reset.
Fruit and vegetables are a natural source of fibre (and many other beneficial phytonutrients). Fibre is one of the elements essential for a healthy cleanse. Fibre helps to pull toxins and waste out of our body, which is vital to feeling healthy and well. It is a crucial component for a healthy gut microbiome, and assisting a healthy digestive system. Fibre also acts as a broom in the digestive system, helping to sweep clean the bowel, aiding in keeping your bowel movements regular. The Australian Government recommend a daily intake of 30g of fibre per day for men and 25g for women [1]
Fermented vegetables also come under this category, including ferments such as sauerkraut, kimchi, beet kavas – they all have their own individual health benefits but collectively support digestive health, provide healthy bacteria and a source of fibre. What’s not to love about them!
Bitter foods:
Our liver loves bitters. Bitter foods and herbs are our livers best friends. Bitters help to stimulate liver function, support digestive acids, general digestion and help to balance sweet cravings – yep, perfect for a reset. Common bitter foods include; dark leafy greens, dandelion greens, radicchio, dandelion root (tea), chicory, endive. They can be added into daily food preparations such as salads, stir fries and smoothies. Other liver stimulating foods are lemons (lemon juice) and apple cider vinegar.
They are often used diluted in warm water and consumed before a breakfast to kick start the digestive system. However, they are also delicious as a salad dressing! You can use them individually as a salad dressing or combine them both together. Other options include combing the juice of a lemon with some olive oil with a dash of pepper and salt or combine some apple cider vinegar with olive oil and salt and pepper.
Avoid Inflammatory Foods:
During a reset or short cleanse, there are some inflammatory triggering foods which should be limited or avoided. The main contenders here are; refined and highly processed sugars, carbohydrates, wheat/gluten, dairy and artificial sweeteners, additives and ingredients.
Enjoying fresh wholefood vegetables is the easiest way to combat inflammation, green vegetables in particular. Also our little friend turmeric would be a wonderful inclusion to your daily diet.
Get Physical:
Our bodies are made to move! While exercise helps to maintain a healthy body weight, it also has many other health benefits. Exercise helps stimulate the digestive system, and in doing so helps to move waste out of the body and keep your bowels regular.
It also increases our heart rate, helping to move blood around the body so it can be filtered through the liver aiding in detoxification. It increases our breath rate and expels waste in the form of gasses out of the lungs and helps us to sweat to open our skin pores and remove waste that way. So what are you waiting for get moving!
Water:
It goes without saying, but drinking filtered water throughout the day is possibly one of the most beneficial tools in a reset. Our body is comprised of roughly 75% water! Our cells need it, our brain and bowels need it and so does our skin. Water hydrates our cells so that they can function correctly. Water is also essential in the complex digestive processes – working on rehydrating the stool for a happy elimination.
General Reset Menu
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| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snacks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | 2 organic boiled eggs, 1 bunch of sautéed broccolini and baby spinach leaves, 1 tablespoon of sauerkraut or kimchi | Roasted pumpkin, chickpeas, mixed green salad with fresh seasonal tomatoes, roasted beetroot and tahini lemon dressing. | Vegetarian Brown lentil spaghetti Bolognese with added carrot, celery, onion herbs and spices. Served on zucchini noodles, rice noodles or lentil pasta. |
Handful of organic mixed nuts + filtered water throughout the day |
| OR | ||||
| Option 2 | Wholefood smoothie: ½ cup frozen berries, 1 cup baby spinach, 1 tablespoon LSA, ½ teaspoon chia seeds, pinch of cinnamon, coconut water (option: organic protein powder) | Roasted wild salmon with seasonal greens salad (rocket, radicchio, baby spinach) , cucumber, red onion and sliced pear with apple cider vinegar dressing | Mixed vegetable frittata with steamed Asian greens |
1 teaspoon of nut butter (almond butter) on apple slices. + filtered water throughout the day |
