One of the biggest questions I get during Dr. Sara’s Detox is “what do I eat?!” Perhaps the better question would be, what can’t you eat? That list is much shorter, and easier to remember.
Here’s a quick overview of the addictive, toxin-forming foods we remove in 72-hour stages during the detox:
This leaves plenty of amazing foods participants CAN enjoy, including:
- Vegetables (aim to consume 1 pound per day)
- Organic free-range eggs
- Organic free-range turkey and chicken
- Wild-caught fish
- Beans/legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Hummus
- Stevia, xylitol and erythritol
- Dark chocolate with cacao
- Herbal teas
- Gluten-free grains
- Avocado
- Lemon
While it may take a few days to adjust to eating clean, participants quickly begin to enjoy getting creative with their recipes – and sharing them with one another in the program’s private Facebook group.
If you’re considering doing your own detox, or participating in the next session of Dr. Sara’s Detox, here’s a sample menu to help get you started…
Breakfast: Vanilla Green Milkshake
Ingredients:
- 1-2 tbsp. chia seeds soaked in unsweetened coconut, almond or hemp milk for 3-4 hours
- 2 scoops Dr. Sara’s Hormone-Balancing Shake Powder (vanilla)
- ½ avocado
- 4-6 pieces dinosaur kale (stems removed)
- Additional unsweetened coconut, almond, or hemp milk (to desired taste/consistency)
- Handful of ice cubes
Blend and enjoy!
Lunch: Sweet and Crunchy Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 4 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 4 scallions, sliced
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Place the quinoa into a small saucepan and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes, or until the water is evaporated. Turn off the heat and let quinoa sit covered for at least one hour.
- Place the sweet potato cubes into a roasting pan and toss with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, or until you can just pierce the cubes with a fork. Set aside.
- Place the pine nuts into a small pan over medium heat until lightly toasted, stirring often. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, place the remaining three tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Whisk well.
- When the quinoa is dry, use a whisk to break apart the seeds and place into a large bowl. Add half the vinaigrette and mix with the whisk. Add more to taste, depending on how wet you like your quinoa.
- Add the sweet potatoes, pine nuts, and scallions and mix gently. Serve at room temperature.
Dinner: Turkey and Zucchini Lasagna
Ingredients:
- 5-6 large zucchinis
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground organic turkey
- 1 8-oz. can tomato paste
- 1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 cups chopped cauliflower
- 3 tbsp. coconut milk
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 6 tbsp. olive oil, divided in half
- 2 tsp. sea salt, divided
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 organic egg whites
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. rosemary
- 1 tsp. sage
- 1 tsp. thyme
- 1 can gluten-free, sugar-free, organic tomato sauce
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Slice zucchini lengthwise into very thin wide strips, a mandolin slicer works great for this. Sprinkle each strip with salt. Set Aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Stir in ground turkey and cook for approximately 4 minutes. Add all herbs and bell peppers and cook until turkey is well browned and peppers are soft. Add tomato paste and mix well. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Steam or boil cauliflower until tender. Placed cooked cauliflower pieces in a blender with remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and coconut milk. Blender until smooth and creamy, adding more coconut milk if necessary. Set Aside.
- Spray a deep 8X8-inch baking dish with non-stick olive oil or coconut oil spray.
- Line bottom of baking dish with zucchini slices. Make sure each slice overlaps slightly. Add a thin layer of turkey mixture on top of zucchini. Cover this layer with tomato sauce, then add a 1/4-inch thick layer of blended cauliflower.
- Repeat layering of zucchini, meat, tomato sauce and cauliflower as many times as you desire. Finish with a layer of tomato sauce.
- Beat egg whites until frothy and pour evenly on top of lasagna.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 mins, or until eggs are set. Enjoy!
Dessert: 2 Pieces of >80% Dark Chocolate
Editor’s Note: Want more simple ways to fast track your health? Check out Dr. Sara’s Hormone Cure!
Originally published at SaraGottfriedMD
About the Author
Sara Gottfried, M.D.
Dr. Sara Gottfried M.D. is a Harvard-educated physician, speaker, and author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Hormone Cure: Reclaim Balance, Sleep, Sex Drive, and Vitality with The Gottfried Protocol. For the past 20 years, Dr. Gottfried has been dedicated to practicing and helping women feel at home in their bodies.
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