I’m quite fond of my springtime detox, and was feeling a bit weighed down and sluggish as the season transitioned into Autumn. So I decided to do a little research into Autumn detoxes. None of them really appealed to me, so I decided to simply create one using warming veggies that are known to possess detoxification qualities. I wanted something easy on the digestion so I created some pureed and brothy soups from the list of detoxing veg — one of the reasons for embarking was to give my digestion a break, a reboot, a clear slate with which to renew itself. Plan it according to fasting day falling on a day where you can lounge, sleep, rest, read..whatever you do to relax. You don’t want to exert too much energy — mentally or physically — on fasting day. As with the springtime detox, I find fasting to be more successful when I tapper off the amount of food over a few days before fasting, then slowly ramping up portions over a few days when breaking the fast. You can choose to simply fast for 1.5 days up to 3 days.
As I went through this detox, I slept quite a bit (even before fasting day)..reduced the intensity of yoga I practiced, but still taught some tough classes which didn’t help the fatigue/weakness factor — and because of my teaching requirements, I broke the fast Day 5. The mind tried to talk me out of fasting midday on Day 4 (as it usually does when I fast), but my body was happy..so I persevered with the help of hot lemon water and chamomile tea. I did a walking meditation on Day 4 when I walked Mocha – a slow and abbreviated walk (maybe only 1/4 mile over the course of ~15 min). It was most enjoyable. 🙂 If you want to extend the number of fasting days beyond 1-1.5 days, I’d recommend also incorporating an herbal vegetable broth once a day (after a full single day of complete fasting) to keep nutrients coming in, without reigniting the digestive system.
Disclaimer: This is only meant as a way to give yourself a renewed sense of digestive health..NOT as a way to lose weight. As with any protocol that calls for fasting, please listen to your body (but be wary, the mind can play tricks..the body doesn’t lie). If you need to break the fast sooner than expected, break the fast gently. If you are pregnant, refrain from fasting. If you have any medical conditions, please consult a physician before embarking on this detox. Typically with detoxing, salt is recommended as to be avoided — however, if you have serious low blood pressure please include a minimal amount of salt during the detox/fast to avoid black-outs and such.
Day 1: [Eat normal portions for each meal.]
Breakfast: Cup of tea (options: Green, Herbal) + apple (or other autumn fruit) + oatmeal or handful of seeds (options: sunflower, pepitas) Lunch & Dinner: Roasted Veg (choices: Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Kale, Garlic, Onion, Artichokes, Beets) served with brown rice or quinoa and baby spinach salad (with baby tomatoes, carrots, seeds, drizzled with a small bit of cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice).
Afternoon Teatime: Red Rooibos or Chamomile tea (or a detox tea blend)
Evening Teatime: Chamomile, Red Rooibos, or Coconut Milk Chai using Rooibos tea
Day 2: [Normal portions at lunch, reducing the dinner portion to half of normal.]
Breakfast: Cup of tea (Green, Herbal, or Hot water+lemon wedge) + autumn fruit + handful of seeds Lunch & Dinner: Butternut Squash-Cauliflower Soup [roast b. squash, onion, and puree with cauliflower. spices include: cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom. veg broth to desired consistency.] OR Potato-Broccoli-Kale Soup [broccoleek soup+kale] + green smoothie at one of the meals (to make things easier, buying a Naked or Odwalla Green Monster or SuperFood smoothie will suffice..unless you want to make your own green smoothies). Afternoon Teatime: Herbal tea, Detox tea blend, or Dandelion Tea Evening Teatime: Chamomile, Red Rooibos, or Coconut Milk Chai using Rooibos teaDay 3: [Option to begin fasting after lunch.]
Breakfast: Cup of tea (Herbal or Hot water+lemon wedge) + glass of juice (if feeling you need some blood sugar love) Lunch: leftover Day 2 Soup or Herbal Broth (veggie broth heated with herbs like turmeric, garlic, oregano, thyme, coriander) Afternoon Teatime: Herbal tea, Detox tea blend, or Dandelion Tea Dinner: optional to begin fasting and skip dinner, or perhaps just have a green smoothie or Herbal Broth for dinner if you had soup for lunch Evening Teatime: Cup of Chamomile or other light herbal teaDay 4: [Fasting Day]
Anytime you feel the need for tea or a snack, have some hot water with lemon, Chamomile, a fasting/detox blend (pending it doesn’t have caffeine). As mentioned before, listen to your body — rest, relax, restore. Your mind will try to tell you to break the fast.. “why am I doing this? just eat!” yada yada.. but your body will tell you the truth. If you’re experiencing migraines (not just a slight headache, that is common), severe nausea (not just mild upset stomach), or black-outs, BREAK THE FAST with some light herbal broth or a smoothie.Day 5: [Option to continue fast or reintroducing food.]
If continuing to fast, have a small bowl of herbal broth midday, then continue as Day 4 and use Day 5 as a guide for when you break the fast. I wouldn’t recommend fasting for more than 3-5 days — and always listen to your body and break when your body needs it. Don’t reintroduce too much food at once..go slow!
Morning Teatime: Hot water with lemon or any light herbal tea + glass of juice (if breaking the fast) Lunch (about 1.5 C serving): Herbal Soup (see Day 3) + green smoothie Afternoon Teatime: Herbal tea, Detox tea blend, Dandelion Tea, or Nettle Tea + apple Dinner: Small portion of any leftover Day 2 soup, or Herbal Soup with the addition of peas or any leftover veg+rice/quinoa from day 1 Evening Teatime: Chamomile or Coconut Milk Chai using Rooibos teaAs with the Springtime detox, focus on calm breathing, positive thoughts, rest, and getting in touch with the change of the seasons. Autumn is a great time to reflect on seeds which we plant for a bountiful harvest in the spring, to let go of the high-heat energy of summer and linger in a slower-paced, mellow energy, to reflect on that which we should let go/release the way the trees release the leaves that no longer serve the health of the tree.
Happy Fasting!
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Why do we need to detox/fast if we’re vegan? I thought since we do not eat meat/dairy we are basically “detoxing” right there.
Hey Roxanne! While it’s true, that generally speaking vegans have the potential for being healthier than omni’s..but let’s face it, we still eat things that aren’t always at the top of the health charts (even if they are vegan). At the same time, some of us can tend to over-indulge in those yummy vegan foods (and I’m not just talking sweets.. eating a bit too much in general is tough on the digestive system and the heart). So it’s good from time to time to give our digestion a rest (from a physiological perspective), no matter how optimal our food choices may be. Another reason to detox as a vegan is to detox the body.. we absorb toxins by simply breathing, walking around (through the skin), and the things/people we touch, so aside from giving the digestive system a reset, fasting helps kick the liver into gear while reducing it’s workload by fasting (it doesn’t have to do double duty of processing that which is digestive while filtering out that which is already stored.. and toxins can be stored in your body for years!) Here’s a true anecdote: two vegans, roughly the same diet (health wise, obviously vegan). One lives in Albuquerque, the other NYC. They decided to do a detox together – this one a long fast. ABQ vegan completely detoxes after a handful of days (by indication through the tongue), the NYC vegan was still detoxing after 10 days.. so detoxing has to do with simply more than what we’re eating or not eating. 🙂
Thank you for your reply. I am afraid to detox because it may put me out for a while and I don’t want to be “sick” and weak for days at a time. My job is to clean a theater, it’s open 24/7 and I can’t miss any days, nobody can replace me, I am a contractor not an employee. 😦
Everybody reacts differently to detoxes.. and I even react slightly differently each time I detox (depending on how toxic I am to start with). I completely understand about needing to be functional – I own/manage a yoga studio, as well as teach there nearly every day. If you have at least one day off a week, choose that to be your fasting day. Or you could even do just a half-day fast (by skipping just one or two meals). Any little bit helps the digestion. What I’d recommend for your first detox, if you choose to embark.. is simply to go through day 1 & 2, slowly reducing the amount of food consumed, then fasting for breakfast on day 3, just having a glass of juice if you feel weak. Then returning to food at a late lunch/early dinner (maybe around 2pm – if you wake around 7am). See how that does for you, and maybe in a month or two (or wait until
the Spring) try it again with a full day 3 fast.. or going a little longer before you break the fast on day 3. The key is listening to your body, and if you feel weak and severely ill, break the fast. Fasting doesn’t do you any good if you harm yourself in the process. Of course you may not feel as energized as you do when you do eat, or perhaps you may experience more energy – that happens sometimes when I fast.. my energy level actually increases. Test the waters, give yourself the permission to break the fast when needed, and I think you’ll be surprised at how wonderful you feel.