9 Skinny Detox Recipes

Written by
Nicole Reino
There are days when you wake up and feeling unmotivated to do anything. Sometimes this feeling can last for days or weeks. The culprit to those feelings of apathy could be toxins in your body that affect your hormones, weight, mood and overall health. One of the best methods to rid your body of these energy-sapping toxins is to feed it naturally detoxifying foods everyday. These nine recipes include some of the top detox ingredients—everything from dandelion greens and lemon to cinnamon and red peppers. Put them on your skinny detox-eating plan.
Warm Water with Lemon
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Although this recipe only includes two ingredients—warm water and lemons—the health benefits are many. This duo balances the body's pH, and studies have shown that an alkaline body loses weight faster. Lemon water hydrates the lymph system, aids digestion, and acts as a gentle diuretic, meaning it flushes out unwanted toxins.

Start your day with a mug of warm water combined with the juice of half a lemon. If you weigh more than 150 pounds, use the juice of a whole lemon. Be sure the water is warm or, at the very least, room temperature because cold water can shock your system and prevent the health benefits from kicking in, according to Sacred Source Nutrition.
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Raw Veggies and Spicy Red Pepper Dip
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This is an ideal snack to keep on hand. Red bell peppers and plain yogurt create the base of the dip. The vitamin C in red peppers aids the body's detox process and the calcium in yogurt signals fat cells to pump out less cortisol, making it easier for you to shed pounds. The dip also contains cayenne pepper, which neutralizes the body's pH, helps digestion, regulates blood sugar, and burns fat by increasing the body's temperature and boosting the metabolism, according to Dr. Andrew Weil, best-selling holistic-health author and the director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.
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Green Mango Lemonade
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The two key detoxifying ingredients in this Green Mango Lemonade are the lemons and dandelion greens. As previously mentioned, lemons alkalize the body. And antioxidant-rich dandelion greens stimulate the liver, release toxins, and cleanse the digestive tract—all of which can help you drop weight. Joseph Mercola, a doctor who focuses on whole-body osteopathic medicine, includes dandelion greens on his list of the most highly recommended vegetables for great health.
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Nut Berry Oat Bowl
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The Nut Berry Oat Bowl is loaded with super detox ingredients, including flaxseeds, which contain large amounts of fiber. The high fiber content stabilizes your blood sugar, cleans the colon of toxic metabolic waste, and promotes friendly bacteria. Getting your bowel health in order can make it easier to lose weight. When you make this recipe, be sure you use ground flaxseeds. If you use whole seeds, they'll pass through your digestive system without being digested.
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Healthy Trail Mix
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The three powerful ingredients in this recipe—goji berries, raw almonds and cacao nibs—are perfect to keep on hand when you get a case of the munchies but don't want to blow your diet. Gram for gram, goji berries pack more vitamin C than oranges and more beta-carotene than carrots. Vitamin C can help remove waste from your body and beta-carotene improves liver performance. Almonds provide healthful monounsaturated fat, protein and fiber, which together will help you feel full, according to Michelle Wien, who conducted a weight loss experiment focused on almonds at City of Hope National Medical Center. And cacao is a natural appetite suppressant and can reduce food cravings.
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Vegan Pasta With Avocado Sauce
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Avocados create the base for the pasta sauce. Avocados contain a nutrient called glutathione, which blocks at least 30 different carcinogens and helps the liver detoxify chemicals. Additionally, consuming avocados is associated with a lower intake of added sugars, lower body weight, BMI and waist circumferences, and higher good cholesterol levels. If you're trying to lose weight by cutting back on carbs, this pasta recipe is a great choice because the "pasta" is actually spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash has 7 grams of carbohydrates per serving compared to whole-wheat pasta, which has 37 grams. And the cilantro in this dish helps move the mercury and other metals out of the body.
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Penne with Tomato Pesto
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Almonds have long been associated with weight loss. During a study conducted by Loma Linda University, dieters who ate the nuts everyday lost 56 percent more fat than those who didn't. Why? The nuts' fiber may prevent fat absorption. They also help with feeling satiated. The tomato pesto in this recipe is made with almonds, sundried tomatoes and parsley. Parsley pushes heavy metals out of the body. If you're lactose intolerant or avoiding cow's milk, leave out the smoked mozzarella and replace it with goat cheese. The natural enzymes in goats are closer to those in humans than cows, therefore humans can generally digest goat milk better.
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Tequila-Lime Mahi Mahi Tacos
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Cabbage, cilantro, garlic, limes—these detoxifying ingredients all have a place in this taco recipe. Along with cleansing your liver, cabbage also helps you go to the bathroom and, in turn, expel toxins. Cilantro helps push heavy metals out of the body. Garlic boosts the immune system and lends the liver an additional hand. Like lemons, limes are high on the alkaline list. Mahi mahi, also called common dolphinfish, provides the body with protein, iron and B vitamins, which also nourish the liver.
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Kale, Beet and Pear Salad
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Beets and kale take center stage in this salad. Kale is a detoxifying superstar. That's because it has some of the highest antioxidant levels of any vegetable, according to IdealBite.com. Beets contain a unique mixture of phytochemicals that make them excellent blood purifiers and liver cleansers. They also help boost the body's cellular intake of oxygen. When you're detoxing, beets ensure the toxins you're aiming to get rid of actually make it out of your body.
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