First come Christmas festivities, then New Year's Eve celebrations, now what? We are well and truly into January, and if you are like many people I know- you are either on a Detox right now or are planning one for ASAP.

Swimming and jumping at Zamora falls, Ecuador with Alissa and Elliot

I keep getting asked whether there's any point for myself to do a detox when I eat so well all the time and whether I allowed myself to be naughty during the holidays. Well, I'll put your curious fairies to rest...

No, I did not have any turkey, I don't eat meat.
Yes, I've just been on a vacation with my family (photos here) and ate aeroplane food.
No, I don't consider it slipping up at Christmas when you eat Nutella that one time a year ("my guilt is more toxic than my food").
Yes, I prefer to eat raw and do the majority of the time.
No, I didn't start off loving it straight away and it took a good amount of time to detoxify the system, change my cravings, and discover a new appreciating for what real food is.
Yes, I believe Detox if for everyone, no matter what your diet is. A body needs a 'shake me up' and 'flush me out'.
No, I am not too cool to follow my own Detox program, in fact I am having this very recipe (below) for dinner tonight as I type this sentence!

in Vilcabamba with sister Alissa, mum Elena and dad Vladimir

Taken right out of the Luxury Section of 'Purified', this is the DAY FOUR Dinner Recipe...
[Purified is a 7 Day Detox Program which contains two menu plans- one for a Budget Detoxer and one for a Luxury Detoxer]
Zucchini (courgette) used here as spaghetti will surprise some of you, when you taste how satisfying it is eaten raw and not too different in taste to the actual processed wheat pasta variety, since it doesn’t have a strong taste. But it really is an amazing vegetable with anti-cancerous properties and high water content, making it an ideal detoxifier. The flaxseed oil is the richest source of Omega 3 fatty acids, that are vital for preventing many degenerative conditions, such as heart disease, but it also plays a big role in strengthening immunity. The addition of lime in this meal is not only for taste, but to improve metabolism and speed up the detox effect.

For the Pesto
1 Cup Basil, packed tightly
½ Cup Sundried tomatoes, soaked 1-4 hours
½ Cup Pine nuts
½ Cup Macadamia nuts
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Lime, juiced
2 Tbsp Flaxseed Oil

For the Pasta
1 Large Zucchini/ courgette

For the side
1 Cup Sauerkraut
1 Cup Spinach, packed

-Process all the Pesto ingredients in a food processor (Tip: stop to scrape down the sides of bowl often to make sure there are always ingredients covering the blade)
-Dice thinly or grate the zucchini, to make them as long as possible and resemble noodles (Tip: use a spiralizer if you have one)
-Assemble the spinach leaves first, then sauerkraut, then pasta and pesto on top


Do you like this recipe? How would you LOVE another 45? My downloadable eBook 'Purified- Your Complete 7 Days Detox Program' contains two menu plans- one for the Budget Detoxer and one for the Luxury Detoxer, a complete shopping list for each, a recipe for every meal (even snacks) and a little information (just as above) about the benefits in every meal you'll enjoy.