I need to detox from too many parties and holiday eating. |
Last weekend, we had 3 parties:
Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday night. Need I say more?
I enjoyed the parties , but when I stepped on the scale on Monday, I wasn't happy.
I've been enjoying the festive season, but festivities can be fattening. |
I was complaining my woes to my good friend Anne. She said that when she needs to get off the junk , lose a few pounds and detox,
she spends 4 days detoxing the easy way.
The Healthy and Easy Way to Detox
She makes a big pot of delicious vegan vegetable bean soup and eats it for lunch and dinner.
She read about this type of detox in one of her weight loss books. It's healthy, filling and cleansing .
The very next day after my complaining, Anne presented me with a huge container of her soup, enough for me for two days. That was four days ago, and since then I took off five pounds and never felt hungry or dissatisfied in the least. I even went to my book club pot luck dinner and guess what I brought ? I made a pot of that soup, and I ate it for dinner along with a salad that someone else brought.
It's easy and works for 4 simple reasons
- It's short term - just four days
- Convenience- once you make the soup in advance- it's always ready
- No choices- that keeps me on track
- Healthy, filling and tasty- full of vegetables and beans
- It helps stabilize your blood sugar to eliminate cravings
Also , Since I haven't been starving myself or eating restrictive foods, I'm able to maintain the weight loss once I go back to my regular healthy eating habits.
Can't do it for 4 days?
Even 2 days can help you detox some of the bloat
The best part is that there is no steadfast recipe.
You can substitute any
non starchy vegetable or bean in your recipe. Don't like kidney beans? Add black beans. I added spinach to my 2nd pot of soup and my daughter in law Wendy added string beans to a soup she made.
*
Do not add potatoes, butternut squash, or sweet potatoes if you want to lose weight.
From: Gluten Free A-Z Blog
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time:
Ingredients:
1/2 medium cabbage, chopped ( about 6 cups)
1 28 ounce can of organic only chopped tomatoes ( or 6 fresh chopped fresh tomatoes roasted)
1/2 cup organic tomato paste
1/2 bag of dry uncooked lentils, washed (1 and half cups uncooked)
2 cups of cooked kidney beans with liquid ( or 1 organic can with juice )
4 large organic carrots , sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
10 fresh green beans
1 large organic red pepper, chopped
1 package of sliced mushrooms, or any dried mushrooms
1 onion chopped
4 -5 cloves garlic, pressed
fresh cracked pepper to taste ( I also added
21 Salute salt free seasoning from Trader Joes which is a salt free seasoning like Mrs Dash with lots of herbs in it)
8 cups filtered water depending on the size of your pot
4 cups vegetable broth
a few sprigs of fresh basil
a few shakes of ground hot pepper ( optional)
Easy Directions:
Crock Pot Directions
Put everything into the slow cooker on high for 3 hours and then change to low for another two hours if the lentils are not soft enough
Regular Pot Directions:
Use a few sprays of olive oil to a very large soup pot and add garlic and onions. Stir for a full minute and add then add cabbage and stir for another full minute. Add the carrots, celery, red pepper, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, and lentils , beans, seasoning and water. Bring to a boil and allow to cook on high for about 15-20 minutes uncovered. Add the raw mushrooms and turn down heat to simmer and cover the pot. Allow to cook for about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours until your lentils are nice and soft. I like to make mine in a pot- I like the taste better.
***Remember this is a low salt soup to help you detox! It will not be salty like regular soups. If you absolutely cannot palate soup without salt, then add one container of clear vegetable soup broth of your choice when it's done cooking.
If needed: eat a small salad with lemon juice with your soup for lunch or dinner and or one hard boiled egg for breakfast and you will still be ok.
Remember, you can substitute the vegetables and beans to any beans or vegetables of your liking.. use any kind of non starchy vegetables and any kind of beans. You won't be hungry and the best part is that your meal is always ready and waiting for you
Don't have a crock pot/slow cooker? Just make the soup in a pot.. tastes even better
Want another great way to detox and lose weight? Try
Drinking this- works great!
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