During the summer months not only is there a temptation to eat and drink foods that are not the best for our overall health, but we tend to overeat, causing our stomachs to work overtime. Taking time to detox your gut will allow you to decrease bloating, combat belly fat, stay energized, and glow internally and externally.
A great way to begin your mid-summer detox is to ease into by way of intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting is time-restricted eating where you fast for a duration of time and have a specific window for eating.
You can eat during a 4, 6, 8, or 12-hour window (you can customize based on what works for you). If you are new to intermittent fasting, you should try a larger window for eating, that way you stay on track.
You’ll also want to prepare healthier clean meals. If you can focus on an 80/20 plant-based meal plan during your fasting, you’ll likely experience greater benefits.
These benefits include weight loss, better sleep, higher levels of energy, mental clarity, reduced belly fat, and glowing skin.
After a few days, if you feel comfortable enough to eat more plant-based meals do so, and be sure to eat more fruit, specifically in the morning.
Fruit breaks down and cleanses the body while vegetables repair and rebuild the body, giving our insides a flush while it rebuilds.
During your cleanse you should only drink water or unsweetened tea. Black coffee is acceptable as well. In my experience, I ate 90 percent fruit and 10 percent vegetable during my 5-week trial of intermittent fasting and it was the best I’ve ever felt. Finding what works for your body is important, but challenging your body (within limits) is just as important. At the end of the day, you want to be sure you are giving the body its proper rest, replenishment, and nourishment to be able to work properly.
If the idea of intermittent fasting scares you, the easiest way to rest your stomach during your mid-summer detox is to eat fruits and vegetables with light grains and beans. The goal is to put less strain on your insides and allow the body to flush all the heavy harsh foods from the digestive system.
1. Wake up: Drink a glass of fresh lemon or lime water.
2. Breakfast: Eat a huge bowl of fruit (blueberries, strawberries, dragon fruit, blackberries, bananas), an Acai bowl, or a green smoothie (1 banana, handful of spinach, 1 cup of water, 1 tsp of chia seeds, 1 fresh squeezed lime).
3. Lunch: Eat sauteed vegetables of choice over quinoa, with a side of beans (optional)
4. Dinner: Arugula salad (fresh arugula, chopped red onions, chopped cucumber, and tomatoes)
Remember, detoxing doesn’t have to feel like hard work. The goal is to give your gut the proper rest and nourishment so it can keep working for you. If your digestive system is down you can experience constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, weight gain, upset stomach, and possibly other chronic diseases.
Elissa Mirsky, known to most as Elle, is a published author and former editor-in-chief of Bold Magazine. She believes food shouldn’t be boring and every meal should be fashionably edible. Follow her on Instagram @mylifebeingelle where she is documenting her journey to eat well, live life, and love self.
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