Natural Cleanse Plan | An Easy, Healthy Detox for Busy People

Many of us could use the benefits of a detox, but we are simply too busy to give it the full effort and attention a cleanse requires in order to be effective. The first step of a good detox begins with thorough planning, but what if we just don’t have the time?

There are a number of ways to incorporate effective and healthy cleanse practices into your daily life without the stress of additional planning. Making some small changes to your regular routine works as a mini-cleanse until you have the time and energy to do a full overhaul. These changes will also lay the groundwork for developing healthy eating habits in the long-term. 

A Natural Cleanse Plan for Busy People: The Easy, Healthy Detox

Begin with Breakfast
Breakfast is the foundation for your entire day. If you’re used to getting it on the go, try setting yourself up for some cleanse-worthy breakfasts that are easy to make and grab to take along with you. Some of our favorite quick breakfast ideas:

• Hard-boiled egg with greens.
  Make a big batch of hard-boiled eggs while cooking dinner one night this week, and you’ll be all set for a quick and healthy breakfast. Toss some spring greens in a bowl, top with a sliced egg, walnuts or sunflower seeds, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, True Lemon, and a drizzle of olive oil. Done and done!
• Night-before smoothie.
  Throw together your favorite dry smoothie ingredients tonight, then add the liquid in the morning. Even better, put everything directly into the blender and put the container itself (covered) in the fridge overnight. In the morning, pull out the blender to add wet ingredients, blend, and go!
• Easy morning oats.
  Add ¼ cup of instant oats into 5 separate mason jars. Divide an array of toppings evenly into each jar, such as ground flaxseed, nuts, cinnamon, chia seeds, unsweetened coconut, cacao nibs, freeze dried strawberries, or other dried fruit. Include a small amount of natural sweetener, and a sprinkle of True Orange Ginger. When ready to eat, pour about ¾ cup of hot water over the top, stir, and let sit for about 2-3 minutes.

Lighten Up your Lunch
A great way to cut a significant amount of calories from your day is to lighten up your lunchtime routine. Switch to soup for lunch in order to detox, as it will satiate your hunger but be gentle on your digestive system. These are some delicious soup recipes to make yourself at home, but store-bought soups work well if you’re pressed for time. Just be sure to read your labels and keep an eye out for:

• Dairy.
  Dairy products can be difficult to digest for many people, and during a detox it’s best to keep it as easy on digestion as possible. Avoid milk-based soups for now.
• A long list of ingredients.
  This rule applies to any food you buy, but soup is especially guilty of having a lot of added ingredients as fillers and preservatives. Make sure the list of ingredients is short and only contains words you understand.
• Pasta.
  Although noodles add a lovely texture to soup, try to avoid all carbohydrates during lunch throughout this detox. This includes noodles, dumplings, and rice. Fill up on plenty of vegetables and healthy meats instead to keep it light.

Build a Healthy Dinner
At the end of a busy day a healthy dinner should be the least of your worries. Doing it all in the oven on one big sheet pan is not only simple, but also guaranteed to create a delicious and savory meal. Here are some of our favorite healthy dinner recipes.

When it comes to cleaning up your diet, making small changes can be just what you need to move forward to a healthier lifestyle. These little adjustments can make a big difference in how you feel, from gaining more energy throughout the day to having a more positive outlook on life. A detox doesn’t have to be a big overhaul of your diet, it can simply be changing your outlook on what you choose to eat for each meal throughout your busy week.

[Credit: Goop. “The Working Girl Detox.”]