I want to try something new as I have hit a plateau, I love this plan and hope you will too. :)

Vegan Detox Food Guideline

A vegan diet excludes all forms of animal products. A Guide to Eating Vegan Foods (see ) provides a detailed guideline of what foods you can eat while on a vegan diet.

Meat: All meat, poultry and seafood is prohibited while on the vegan detox meal plan. Substitutes permitted include products made from bean curds, tofu, soybeans, grains or nuts.

Plant products: Fruits and vegetables make up the majority of a vegan detox. Try to choose organic produce. You can eat the fruits and vegetables whole or have fresh fruit juices.

Beans, nuts and legumes: All beans, nuts, and legumes are part of a vegan detox meal plan, including peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter or any other nut butter. Beans and legumes are crucial to a vegan diet to assure adequate protein intake.

Dairy and Eggs: Since veganism goes beyond being vegetarian, vegans cannot consume dairy products because it comes from animals. Soy and rice milk are good substitutes for milk and margarine is a common substitute for butter as it is made from soybean or sunflower oil.

Gelatin: Gelatin contains an ingredient that comes from a horse, and so should be avoided.

Sweeteners: Vegans differ on whether to avoid honey as it comes from bees, but others regard it as a “biological, animal-friendly product.” Refined sugar, which is made using cow or horse bone marrow is not part of the vegan diet. Vegans can have raw brown sugar, from either sugar cane or sugar beet.

Drink at least eight glasses of water a day as part of your vegan detox meal plan.


How Long Does it Last

Some people set the vegan detox to a certain number of days, weeks, or months, while others have made it a steady part of their life by following it one day a week. You should follow the vegan detox until your body feels better and repeat as often as necessary. The vegan detox is safe to continue indefinitely as long as your body can handle it, as the meal plan is healthy and nutritious.


What to Expect During the Vegan Detox

The vegan detox meal plan will detox your body of toxins and chemicals that your body has collected over the years. The vitamins and minerals in the fruits and vegetables will provide antioxidant benefits and prevent your cells from damage from free radicals, improve your immune system and increase your energy levels.

Vegan Detox Sample Menu

For breakfast have a glass of soy milk, tea, a slice of wheat bread and a piece of fruit.

Breakfast is a crucial meal because it’s a chance to start your day with the necessary fuel you need. Choose breakfast foods that provide fiber to help you feel full. Stay away from sugary breakfast cereals that provide little nutrition benefit and guarantee an eventual sugar crash that will leave you feeling sluggish.

For a mid-morning snack, have some tea.

For lunch, have fresh fruit salad using as many fruits as you’d like. For example, a salad consisting of papaya, banana, pear, strawberries and grapes. For a dressing, use unsweetened fruit juice and maple syrup.

At mid-afternoon have a fresh fruit or vegetable juice.

For dinner, have one cup brown rice, with one ounce of tofu, a side of vegetables and a piece of fruit.

After dinner drink one cup chamomile tea.

* Don’t deny yourself snacks. They break up your long day physically and mentally. Going between meals for four to six hours can leave you feeling exhausted and moody. For nutritionally dense food items, choose fruits and vegetables. This ensures you are receiving adequate amounts of fiber, as well as meeting your required amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Precautions

Regardless of the length of time you choose for your vegan detox, there are some safety precautions you should follow. Before starting a vegan detox plan, you should consult your doctor. While a detox diet can be safe, it can become unhealthy if you do not watch your vitamin and protein intake.

(Source: health-heaven)

4 toasted slabs of whole grain bread, rubbed with olive oil and a bit of garlic

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lb of asparagus stalks, trimmed roughly the length of your bread
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 avocado, pitted and smashed
a couple handfuls of arugula, tossed in a bit of olive oil

a handful of toasted pepitas, or almonds, or sunflower seeds

A few minutes before you want to eat heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add the asparagus, and a pinch of salt and cook for about thirty seconds. Add the garlic and caraway, and cook another thirty seconds, or until the spears are a vibrant green. Remove from heat, and assembly the tartines.

Give each piece of bread a generous slather of mashed avocado. Top that with a bit of arugula, a few asparagus spears, and a generous sprinkling of pepitas or seeds.

Serves 2-4

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 5 min

(Source: health-heaven)

Butter: Margarine or olive oil are the best choices. For margarine,try Earth Balance brand for the most “buttery” flavor, but any vegan brand can be substituted directly for butter. Don’t try to brown it in recipes calling for browned butter, though.

Baking with olive oil also works well. (Use 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil for every cup of butter.) It can be used to grease pans as well, as long as the coating is very light.

Buttermilk: Mix 1 cup soymilk with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and let the mixture sit until it separates.

Condensed Milk: Canned coconut milk is the best substitute.

Eggs: Egg substitutions depend on the type of recipe you are making. For egg whites in recipes like lemon bars, use agar agar powder mixed with water according to the package directions. To replace whole eggs in chewy baked goods like brownies, use one ripe mashed banana for every egg the recipe calls for. As a general rule, one tablespoon applesauce can replace one egg in most baking recipes.

Heavy Cream: Put a can of coconut milk in the fridge for 48 hours. Open it up and use just the solidified top layer in place of heavy cream.

Honey: Use an equal amount of maple syrup or agave in place of honey.

Milk: Among the non-dairy substitutes for milk, try soymilk because it is a bit thicker than almond or rice milk. When using a thinner non-dairy milk, use a little less than the amount of milk called for in the recipe.

Sugar: While there is often concern over the use of bone char in sugar processing, only about half of the sugar in the US is processed this way, so there are several vegan sugar options. Look for beet sugar or unbleached sugar — which may even be labeled “vegan sugar” — or check out this list of sugar brands that do not use bone char.

(Source: health-heaven)

150 g rice malt syrup

130 g raw almond butter

20 g raw coconut oil

50 ml unflavoured and unsweetened almond milk

65 ml almond cream, or other GMO-free, unflavoured and unsweetened vegetable cream

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

Put all the ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture into the fridge for about 30 minutes then pour it into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 40 minutes should be enough to make a creamy, thick ice cream. At the end of the cycle, remove the ice cream from the machine and divide it into bowls. Eat the ice cream right away or keep it in the freezer until serving time. 

(Source: health-heaven)

One of my favorite recipes!

• 1 tsp / 5 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp / 1.25 ml dried Herbes de Provence
• Pinch sea salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup / 240 ml broccoli florets
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup / 240 ml low-fat milk
• 1/8 tsp / 0.625 ml freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml Danish or French blue cheese or you can use dry cottage cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Position a rack in the upper third of oven and preheat to 400°F / 200°C. Coat a 9-inch glass or ceramic quiche dish with Eat-Clean Cooking Spray( you can use little olive oil ) and place on a baking sheet to catch any spills.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and Herbes de Provence, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and spread out in a single layer to cook, undisturbed, until starting to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Stir and reduce heat to medium low. Continue to cook onions, stirring occasionally, until they reduce in volume and are well caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes.

In the meantime, heat a small pot of boiling water over high heat and prepare an ice bath. Blanch broccoli florets in boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain and immediately submerge in ice bath to stop cooking process. Drain and chop florets into half- to one-inch pieces.

Whisk together egg, egg whites, milk and nutmeg, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread caramelized onions, broccoli and blue cheese in bottom of prepared quiche dish. Pour egg mixture over top and push under any ingredients not covered by egg to prevent burning. Bake uncovered until set and golden brown around edges and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let quiche rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to settle, then cut into eight slices and serve.
 

Calories per Serving: 61   

(Source: health-heaven)

Makes 6 muffins


Eggs, pastured (3)
Butter (2 TBS)
Coconut milk
Honey, raw honey if possible
8 ounces organic fresh or frozen blueberries (3 TBS)
Sea salt (1/4 tsp)
Vanilla, organic, additive-free (1/4 tsp)
Coconut flour (1/4 cup)
Baking powder  (1/4 tsp)


1. Blend together eggs, butter, coconut milk, honey, salt, and vanilla.
2. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and thoroughly mix into batter until there are no lumps.
3. Drain blueberries and dry with paper towels. Add to batter with a spoon.
4. Pour batter into muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 C) for 15 minutes.  

(Source: health-heaven)

Dressing:

1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce

Fruit:

1 pound firm black plums, halved and pitted
1 pound firm peaches, halved and pitted
1/2 pound firm nectarines, halved and pitted
1/2 pound firm pluots, halved and pitted
Cooking spray
Mint sprigs (optional)

Prepare grill.To prepare dressing, combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. To prepare fruit, place fruit on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side. Remove from grill. Drizzle fruit with dressing. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.


Yield: 8 servings

Amount per serving calories: 129 

(Source: health-heaven)

1 (1-pound) six-grain pizza crust
Cooking spray
3 cups thinly sliced Fuji apple (about 8 ounces)
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 cups baby arugula
3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Arrange apple slices evenly over pizza crust; top with cheese. Sprinkle thyme evenly over cheese. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.
3. Combine oil and next 3 ingredients (through honey) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add arugula; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle pecans evenly over pizza; top with arugula mixture. Cut pizza into 6 wedges.

* Crumbled feta can be substituted for the goat cheese in this recipe. 

Yield: Serves 6 (serving size: 1 wedge)

Calories per serving: 316 

(Source: health-heaven)

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can beets
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
1 medium onion, sliced into rings
6 large eggs


Drain liquid from beets into a small saucepan, reserving the beets for another use. Add vinegar, sugar, salt, bay leaves and cloves to the pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Pour the pickling liquid into a large deep bowl and stir in onions; set aside to cool for 1 hour. Meanwhile, place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at the lowest simmer for 10 minutes. Pour off the hot water and run cold water over the eggs until they are completely cooled. Peel the eggs. When the pickling liquid is cool, place the peeled eggs in a 4-cup container; pour the pickling liquid over the eggs, then spoon the onions on top. (The onions should hold the eggs under the liquid.) Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the eggs and onions from the pickling liquid. Refrigerate in an airtight container. Serve the onions (which are also delicious on burgers) alongside the eggs, if desired.


Per serving: 88 calories

(Source: health-heaven)

Ingredients

- 1/4 cup egg beaters
- 1/8 cup skim milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- non-stick cooking spray
- 2 pieces whole wheat bread


Directions

Heat a skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium-high heat.

In a shallow bowl/dish, combine the first four ingredients. Mix together well.

Quickly dip the first piece of bread flat in the bowl, letting it soak up the liquid, but not so much that it falls apart. Do this on both sides. Put the bread on the skillet, cooking it on both sides until browned. Repeat this process with the next piece of bread.

Put on a plate and eat! It tastes extra great topped with one of the following: fresh fruit, pure maple syrup..

Makes 2 pieces of french toast, or 1 serving.

Number of Servings: 1

Per Serving Calories: 150.2 

(Source: health-heaven)

1 eggplant
2 onions, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
Salt and pepper
¼ cup minced cilantro
¼ cup minced parsley
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Roast eggplant.

2. Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. Stir in the quinoa and lightly toast for 1 minute. Stir in the water and salt to taste; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover the pan, and gently simmer the quinoa for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Uncover the pan and fluff the quinoa with a fork; transfer to a bowl and let cool.

3. Puree the eggplant with the cilantro, parsley, soy sauce, and lemon juice in a food processor. Stir this mixture into the quinoa. Adjust seasoning, adding soy sauce, pepper, or lemon juice to taste. Garnish with sprigs of cilantro and parsley, if desired.

Makes 4 cups.

(Source: health-heaven)

My new favorite recipe  <3

3 carrots, peeled and cut
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Cumin seeds

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the carrot sticks in a bowl and pour the olive oil over them. Arrange carrots on baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt, pepper and cumin. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, flipping the carrots over halfway through, until slightly crispy. 

(Source: health-heaven)