Why Try a Plant Based Detox?
It’s no secret anymore that a plant-based detox is one of the best things you can do for your health. The past several years have seen a huge boom in the world of plant based cuisine and plant based alternatives, and people from all walks of life are eagerly embracing more fresh fruits and vegetables, recipes focused on plant based wholefoods and getting more adventurous with meat-free dishes in general.
While it was once a challenge to eat out at a restaurant and find anything on a menu other than pasta for vegetarian options, menus these days are now well versed in plant based dietary preferences and most restaurants offer a plethora of creative plant based options that are appealing to those who do follow a vegetarian diet, but also those who love enjoy dabbling in plant based dishes as much as their meaty counterparts.
The benefits of a plant based diet are expansive and well documented. You are likely familiar with the fact that plant based diets assist everything from longevity to heart health to weight management to lower risk of cancer and other common illnesses and disease.
What you may not know is that you can experience many of the benefits even within the first week of switching to a plant based diet. Which is where a plant based detox comes in.
A plant based detox is a simple yet effective way for you to give your digestive system a break and trigger cell renewal, healing and regeneration.
If you’ve been feeling sluggish, lacking clarity, low on energy or simply lost your glow, a plant based detox offers a perfect chance to refresh and renew.
The best part about taking a break from meat and dairy is that you’re going to feel the positive effects right away. A plant based diet still offers you an abundance of healthy fuel, whilst cutting out the culprits that often leave you feeling bloated, exhausted or uninspired.
The human body does naturally detox on a daily basis, however a plant based detox takes this much further. In order to get the most out of your detox, you may like to not only remove meat and dairy, but also cut out gluten, refined sugar, processed food, caffeine and alcohol- which will give your body a really thorough opportunity to restore.
Don’t fret! There is plenty of variety left to choose from! Plant based diets are abundant in options and you won’t be left hungry or debilitated with cravings. You’ll likely be amazed at how much choice you have as well as how satiated and energised you feel.
It takes the body an enormous amount of energy to digest meat and animal products, so simply cutting these out of your diet will automatically leave you feeling lighter and brighter.
Let’s dive a little deeper into what a plant based detox is and how it can benefit you.
What is a plant-based diet?
A plant-based diet focuses on vegetables, fruit, whole grains (that are minimally processed such as quinoa, oats, brown rice), and legumes, along with nuts, seeds, and leafy greens. When you adopt a plant-based diet, you not only eat more nutrient-rich plant foods but you avoid meat, dairy, poultry, eggs and fish.
What is a plant-based detox?
A plant based detox means detoxifying your body in a way that does not include any animal products or by-products. How long you choose to do a plant based detox is completely up to you. A seven day detox is a great period of time to feel and bask in the benefits, you may choose to go longer, or you may choose to adapt your diet to simply include more plant based options once you feel the benefits.
Detoxifying your body is an important part of staying healthy – even if you eat really well and exercise, toxins from our environment are abundant in modern life and the body needs time to properly detoxify and come back to balance. A period of detox will likely remind you of how important it is to do at least once a year or ideally, every season. If you’d like to experience it in a fully supported setting, our Bali health retreat guides you through every step of the cleanse.
More research is pointing to the incredible health benefits of a plant-based diet and a detox is a great way to tap into and explore some of these great benefits. Many scientists have discovered, not only is a whole foods plant-based diet good for our health, but the lifestyle can significantly reduce- and reverse – common illness and disease. Even having a couple of meat free days a week has massive benefits for your wellbeing.
What To Eat On A Plant Based Detox
Some of the foods you should prioritise on a plant based detox, and their benefits include:
Fresh Fruits And Vegetables
There’s an excellent and incredibly diverse range of colourful plants in nature that are full of antioxidants, vitamins and fibre. Try to aim for at least five servings each day to gain the benefits of all the nutrients.
Lean Plant-Based Proteins
These foods are rich in protein, B vitamins, iron, and other minerals. Include plant-based proteins like legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, hemp, beans and leafy greens.
Whole Grains
Unrefined grains contain more B vitamins than refined carbohydrates because the former still have most or all of their original nutrients intact. In addition, they’re usually higher in dietary fiber than other sources of carbohydrates, this includes grains such as quinoa, brown rice, spelt, buckwheat and oats.
Healthy Fats
Unsaturated plant-based fats are considered healthy fats since they help maintain a healthy heart and brain. Examples of these include olive oil, avocado, hemp seeds, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, olives and coconut.
Benefits Of A Plant Based Detox
The benefits of switching to a plant based diet or doing a plant based detox are almost endless and long-lasting. Here are some of the top benefits of a plant based detox or lifestyle:
Promotes Overall Health
A huge benefit of going plant based, whether for 3 days, 30 days, or forever, is the enormous positive impact it has on your health. Detoxifying from meat and dairy and replacing them with greens, fruits and healthier plant proteins will promote a better immune system, healthier bodily functions, and prevent common illness and disease.
Increases Energy Levels
Animal products, especially meat, take a lot of work for our bodies to break down, digest and assimilate. As it takes a lot of work for us to digest, the process can often make us feel sluggish or lethargic. Ever wondered why you need to take a lay down after that Sunday roast?! A plant based cleanse replaces hard to break down foods with foods that are much simpler on the digestive system. That means you’ll reap the benefits with more energy.
Better Digestion
Plant-based foods are basically fiber, water, healthy fats, and plant-based protein. There’s nothing in those foods (unless you choose highly processed versions) that cause your digestion to slow down or take a stand-still. Of course, everyone is different and you also have to remember to take it slow and chew your food very well, which also enhances the digestion process. You should also always drink plenty of water, especially when increasing fibre in your diet. For those who consume a lot of milk, cheese, and meat, this is one of the best changes you can make for healing chronic constipation, gas, bloating, stomach inflammation, and heartburn.
Better Blood Sugar
When you switch to a plant based diet, your blood sugar levels become more stable because of the high fiber content in vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains, which helps your body burn fuel continually instead of causing insulin to rise, which causes calories to be stored as fat. In fact, studies have shown that diabetics who switch to a vegan diet may be able to stop taking medications or at least have the dosage reduced. Furthermore, studies show that a person who follows a plant-based diet may reduce their chances of developing diabetes.
It Supports Your Immune System
Eighty percent of our immune system is in our gastrointestinal tract, and it’s very good for the immune system to have a healthy microbiome. The best way to do that is to feed the good bacteria. A lot of the fiber found in plant foods like bananas and artichokes serves as prebiotics, which are food for probiotics. Plant foods are also filled with nutrients that can help strengthen your immune system. Just a few of the many helpful vitamins and minerals found abundantly in fruits and vegetables include: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc and Vitamin A
Less Inflammation
Have joint pain? Eat more plants! Plant-based foods lower inflammation. Especially those rich in omega-3 fats like chia and flax, along with leafy greens that contain chlorophyll which also relieves inflammation. Eating a plant-based diet increases alkalinity in the body to calm inflammation. A diet high in animal foods promotes acidity which can lead to everything from arthritis to gout to chronic stomach inflammation. When it comes to gut health, plants have fiber, polyphenols and phytonutrients that all help with reducing inflammation in the gut and beyond.
Better Sleep
A plant-based diet is incredibly beneficial when it comes to sleep. Even though you’ll likely have endless amounts of energy throughout the day, you’ll likely feel calmer and find it easier to sleep come night. Plus, certain foods like bananas, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cashew butter, peanut butter, avocados, kale, almonds, walnuts, spinach, and squash all contain vitamin B6, tryptophan, and magnesium, which ensure a healthy sleep cycle.
Glowing skin
What we put into our bodies shows on the outside, without question! Because plants are so full of vitamins and minerals, they’re particularly amazing for your skin. Meat, dairy, and processed foods have all been shown to cause inflammation in the body and oftentimes inflammation can show in our skin. Nutritious plant foods are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, antioxidants, water, chlorophyll, and vitamin E, which lead to hydrated, radiant, glowing skin. Some of the best bets are apples, oranges, berries, greens, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, avocados, lemons, beets, squash, and tomatoes. Healthy plant based fats such as coconut, hemp, avocado, walnuts and almonds are also wonderful for the skin.
Bone health
When you think of calcium, you may think about dairy, right? Well, that’s not quite correct. Modern day dairy foods are so acidic in the body, they actually leach calcium out of the bones. The countries that have the lowest levels of osteoporosis are actually the regions that consume the least dairy. Foods such as kale, Swiss chard, fortified almond or soy milk, and dried figs are far richer in calcium than dairy milk.
Healthy heart
Going plant-based helps you replace unhealthy saturated and trans fats with plant-based fats that contain heart-protective polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. And while limiting animal foods can reduce your cholesterol levels, eating more fiber — particularly soluble fiber — actually helps to bind with cholesterol in the gut and pull it out of the body to naturally lower your cholesterol. A plant-based diet is tied to a lower risk of diabetes, and diabetes and heart disease often go hand in hand.Studies show that people who eat more plant-based foods and fewer animal products are observed to have a lower risk of dying from a heart attack, stroke or another cardiovascular disease.
A Brighter Brain
A healthy plant-based diet is linked to a lower risk of stroke, according to a March 2021 study in Neurology. And researchers found that the diets high in plant based foods are also linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. The top foods to limit for brain health include red meat, butter and cheese, whilst the best sources include tomatoes, blueberries, walnuts, avocados, wholegrains, beans, banana, turmeric, pumpkin seeds, spinach, cacao, oranges and green tea.
Better Weight Management
There’s a growing body of research connecting vegan and vegetarian diets to a lower body mass index. Research in 2019 revealed that following a 16-week vegan diet can increase the good bacteria in your gut that are connected to improving your weight and body composition. Eating more vegetables and fruits has also been proven to promote long-term weight stability or weight loss. One reason for this is that the fiber in fruits and vegetables helps you to feel satiated faster and veggies and fruit are low in fat and calories. Shifting to a plant-based, low-fat diet is also linked to increasing the body’s metabolism. In one trial, the plant-based group had an average 18.7 percent increase in after-meal calorie burn.
Tips For A Healthy Plant Based Detox
These tips are a great guide for a healthy plant based detox.
- Keep Hydrated
As with any detox, it’s important to keep your water intake up. Water is the absolute best thing for us to consume and during a detox of any kind, it is more important than ever to up your water intake to help your body to flush toxins out of the body.
- Avoid Alcohol
If you choose to do a plant based detox, cutting out alcohol will also support the detox on a greater leve. The toxins in alcohol strains the body and especially the liver which is the body’s primary organ for detoxifying.
- Get Quality Sleep
Often overlooked, sleep is essential to a successful detox. Long and deep sleep is important as this is when your body heals and regenerates. You may find you feel sleepy whilst on a detox- this is your body’s way of telling you to slow down and let it do its thing.
- Drink Plenty Of Juices
Juice cleanses are extremely popular – best of all they’re plant based and loaded with easy to digest nutrients. Including fresh fruit and vegetable juices into your detox will greatly benefit your energy levels and nutrient intake.
- Move your body
One of the very best ways to get toxins out of your body is to sweat them out! Feel into your body though and don’t over strain yourself during a detox, even just a brisk walk or a swim will be helpful.
- Massage
Massage isn’t just enjoyable, it’s also incredibly beneficial and can help your body to detox toxins and increase circulation. Try and opt for massages that focus on supporting the lymphatic system whilst doing a detox program.
- Sauna
In the same way exercise is good for you during a detox, so too is a sauna as both help your body to release toxins through sweat. The skin is actually the largest detox organ in the body and most of the toxins in a detox leach from your skin! So a sauna daily during a detox is a powerful way to move those toxins out!
Getting the Nutrients You Need on a Plant-Based Diet
Plant-based, vegetarian and vegan diets do require some careful thought and planning to make sure you get all the nutrients that you may be used to getting from a meat diet. For example, cutting out meat and not replacing it with suitable alternatives isn’t a great way to go!
Make sure you’re eating enough of the nutrients below:
Choline is a nutrient typically found in beef liver, eggs, beef, seafood, chicken breast, shellfish and milk. Plant-based sources include wheat germ, Brussels sprouts, peanuts, soybeans, mushrooms and potatoes.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in cold-water fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, herring, salmon and sardine. Plant-based sources include flaxseed, soybeans, walnuts, chia seeds and basil seeds.
Vitamin B12 is typically found in animal products including fish, poultry, eggs, meat and milk products. Plant-based sources include nutritional yeast, fortified breakfast cereal and fortified plant milks. Or B12 supplements are also highly beneficial on all diets, not just a plant based diet, as the soil is now commonly void of this essential nutrient.
Vitamin D is naturally found in fatty fish, fortified milk, and eggs. Plant-based sources include fortified orange juice, fortified cereals and some mushrooms. The sun is also a great way to get vitamin D. Again, Vitamin D can be supplemented for diets that may be particularly low.
Calcium is typically found in dairy products, sardines and salmon. Plant-based sources include fortified soymilk, tofu, kale, sesame seeds, almonds, cabbage and broccoli.
Iron is a mineral found in beef, oysters, sardines, beef liver, and chicken. Plant-based sources include: fortified breakfast cereals, white beans, lentils, spinach, firm tofu, kidney beans, chickpeas and tomatoes
Zinc is naturally found in oysters, beef, shellfish, pork chops and chicken. Plant-based sources include baked beans, pumpkin seeds, cashews, chickpeas and oatmeal.
Doing a plant based detox is a great way to support your body to heal and regenerate in a way that is incredibly easy to do anytime you please. Best of all, you can see results quickly when you switch to a plant-based diet and these will only continue the longer you choose to stick to a plant based diet.
Join us for a Plant Based Detox Retreat in Bali!
If you’re feeling inspired to try a plant based detox and experience all of the great benefits or perhaps kickstart some new healthy routines, join us in beautiful Bali for our new Plant Based Detox Retreat.
Spend a week in luxury paradise sipping on cold fresh coconuts, eating delicious abundant salads, vegetable dishes and plant based meals, doing daily yoga and mediation, enjoying unlimited spa treatments, and optimising your detox with an array of highly specialised detox treatments that are included in your detox program.
Have all the energy you need to make the most of your Bali retreat, whilst still taking time to thoroughly detox and reset your body, mind and spirit.
