Summer Detox Salad

Ever stumble across some really great salads that you just have to re-create? Well, that’s me in a nutshell!

I use to love this salad at Whole Foods as a light, filling and very tasty salad during the summer. However, there were a couple things I wanted to change. The sugar content, the canola oil, the dressing and I’m not a fan of raisins!

Ok, so maybe I just used it as inspiration for my own salad but I LOVE this salad and I know you will as well!

First, what do I mean by detox salad?

A detox is a clearing of the body and mind. For me, and my clients I like to look at it as a complete rinsing out of the old and renewing with the good.

So for me, and my clients, part of that is FOOD.

So what foods are considered detox foods?

Well, it depends on the person, but really here are a few components you want to look for when doing a food detox.

1.) Does it contain sugar? In this case, I stripped out most of the sugar except for natural occurring sugars in the drying process of apricots. We want to eliminate sugar to reduce inflammation and reset the body.

2.) Add in some water soluble vegetables. What do I mean by this? I love cucumbers and celery for this reason and they are always a great add for any type of detox. For example, here is a recent medical journal’s description of celery and benefits for reducing inflammation.

A study published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research investigated whether this chemical might help modify or reduce damage caused by inflammation.

The authors conclude that apigenin and apigenin-rich diets reduced the expression of certain inflammatory proteins in mice. In this way, they can reduce inflammation and restore immune balance.

3.) Add in Cruciferous vegetables - AKA Fibrous veggies! This salad contains cabbage and broccoli!

Such vegetables include arugula, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, horseradish, turnips, radish, watercress, collard greens, and others.

Cruciferous vegetables are rich sources of: fiber; vitamins C, E, and K; several carotenoids; folate; and minerals

A new study of older women living in Australia finds that eating more vegetables — especially cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower — might help to prevent clogged arteries, or atherosclerosis, a main cause of heart attack and stroke.

4.) Fermented Foods which are probiotic-rich foods for gut health - this salad contains miso which is a fermented food.

Eating these types of foods promote the good bacteria in the gut and may improve digestion, boost immunity, promote a healthy weight and more.

Now that we’ve got a handle on WHAT a Detox salad consists of, let’s get to the recipe!

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp miso paste - HERE is my favorite

• 1/4 cup grape seed oil OR olive oil is great too

Directions:

Mix all above ingredients together with a whisk to break up the miso paste and set aside.

Salad Mix:

1. 3 stalks organic celery chopped

2. 2 cups raw organic broccoli

3. 1 cup rainbow cabbage - I love the pre-chopped Organic mix at Trader Joe’s —> HERE —>

4. 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

5. 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds OR pistachios

6. 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

Directions:

1. Chop all veggies finely above and add to bowl.

2. Add in seeds and chopped apricots.

3. Drizzle with dressing and mix well until mix is fully coated.

Enjoy!

As always, thank you for following along! Please share with your friends and family if you like the recipe above! I’d love to see your creations on social media so feel free to tag me @AngieReneeFitLife on Instagram!

Have a healthy day!

XX

Angie