The 2016 goop Detox ~ Titina Penzini

It’s here: That moment when we vow to put our elastic waist-banded pants in the back of the closet and kick-start some healthier patterns in the kitchen. As always, the goal with the annual goop detox is to not try to pull off a week of starvation: It’s to simply clean up the menu and eat as well as possible (more on that below), as a means for re-setting the palate (bye-bye shrimp toast and cheese plates), giving our guts a break, and stripping off a few extra pounds we just might have picked up at the end of the year. It’s the baseline of how we like to eat all the time (with plenty of deviations for wine, bread, and french fries)—but this time of the year, we just stay the course. For this round, we asked our friends at Surya, an incredible Ayurvedic spa in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades, for a handful of recipes too. They offer a full panchakarma, and as part of it, they cook for you: The mung dal, in particular, is delicious.

As always, the rules are straightforward, but a little rough (particularly when it comes to coffee and booze). No gluten, dairy, corn, soy, caffeine, alcohol, added sugar, red meat, shellfish, white rice, or nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, potatoes). Once you get through the first few days of caffeine withdrawal (some people might experience dry heaving—if this is you, see Dr. Junger’s piece on adrenal fatigue), sticking to the meal plan won’t make you feel like you’re depriving yourself of anything. If you can’t cook, it’s easy to make a clean meal at any salad bar: Focus on whole veggies, lean proteins, and a dressing like olive oil and lemon.

Things That Help

While exercise is important, you might need to take it down a notch while you’re on a detox diet (then again, you might not). Yoga and walking are great options for something less-intense. But getting a great sweat is key for detoxification, so if you can get to an infrared sauna, you’ll be helping your system get the toxins out faster (yep, you can even sweat out plastics). Meanwhile, drink as much water as you can—and if you still find yourself backed up, consider kicking off the cleanse with a colonic (Dr. Junger answers questions about what’s involved with that here).

The Meal Plan

You can extend this to as many days as you’d like. Plus, you can mix in more detox recipes from previous years.

Surya Spa Detox Tea
This is an unusual yet delicious hot tea to help detox the kidneys, aid digestion, and clean the blood. It’s also a natural diuretic, to help release excess water that creates bloating. Make a large batch at the beginning of your detox and reheat as needed.
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Chia Pudding
This super simple chia pudding recipe can be dressed up with whatever you like. We love it with toasted coconut, toasted hazelnuts, and fresh strawberries, but feel free to add any detox-friendly toppings (blueberries, etc.).
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GP's Morning "Smoothie"
Gwyneth drinks one of these every morning, whether or not she’s detoxing. Choose your Moon Juice Moon Dust depending on what the day ahead holds…brain before a long day at the office, sex dust before a date, etc.
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Surya Spa Aloe & Coconut Smoothie
This refreshing smoothie, which our friends at Surya Spa kindly shared with us, helps detox the body of heavy metals and soothes symptoms such as irritation, rashes, hives, and dermatitis. You can play around with proportions to suit your tastes.
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Kimchi & Grilled Chicken Nori Wrap
We make this with cooked sushi rice from the grocery store and leftover grilled chicken. Full of protein and probiotic-packed kimchi, this is one of our favorite lunches even when we’re not detoxing.
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Detox Tostada Salad with Chicken & Cilantro Cashew Dressing
There are a lot of components to this salad, but they’re all pretty easy to make and the end result is worth the effort. The creamy consistency of the dressing is achieved by using cashews, but remember that they have to soak for at least one hour to soften, so be sure to plan in advance.
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Detox Asian Salad
This makes a great light meal on its own but we particularly like it served with simply grilled chicken or our five spice salmon burgers. Dress only as much salad as you’ll eat in one sitting—undressed leftovers keep well in the fridge for a couple of days.
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Chicken Paillard with Zucchini Noodles
This is so good we happily chow down on it even when we’re not detoxing. These noodles would be yummy on their own or with any other protein as well (i.e., grilled salmon).
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Five Spice Salmon Burgers
These Asian-infused salmon burgers are a new favorite around the office. If you’re not detoxing, make three large burgers and serve them on brioche buns with sriracha mayo.
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Detox Hot & Sour Soup
This clean version of a Chinese take-out standby is assertively bright and ginger-y. It’s perfect for a chilly winter afternoon or evening.
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Soba Noodle Salad with Miso Dressing
This hearty salad makes a perfect filling lunch. If you’re detoxing, be sure to buy soba made with 100% buckwheat flour and feel free to dress it up with any detox-friendly veggies or protein. This makes extra dressing—use any leftover as a dip for crudités later.
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Chickpea & Kale Curry
This makes a lot of curry, but it gets better as it sits in the fridge and freezes well too. We love it with brown rice, but it’s also great on its own or with quinoa. Feel free to add more stock and coconut milk if you’d like a slightly soupier consistency.
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Surya Spa Dal
This is Surya Spa’s every day Mung Bean Dal—high in protein, low in calories, and particularly easy to digest and absorb, it makes a perfect detox meal. Mung bean soup cleans the liver, gall bladder, and vascular system of what Ayurveda calls ama, or undigested toxins. Highly satisfying and superb for weight loss, combine this delicious soup with brown rice and some extra vegetables.
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