Springtime Is Cleanse Time

Dr. Haas’ Detox Menu Diet Plan

Morning (upon arising): Two glasses water (filtered, spring or reverse osmosis), 1 glass with 1/2 a lemon squeezed into it.

Breakfast: One piece fresh fruit (at room temperature), such as apple, pear, banana, grapes or citrus. Chew well, mixing each bite with saliva.

Fifteen to 30 minutes later: One bowl cooked whole grains — specifically millet, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, raw buckwheat or buckwheat. Flavoring can be 2 tablespoons of fruit juice for a sweeter breakfast taste, or use the “better butter” mixture mentioned below with a little salt or tamari for a deeper flavor.

11 a.m.: One to 2 cups veggie water, saved from steamed vegetables. Add a little sea salt or kelp and drink slowly, mixing each mouthful with saliva.

Lunch (noon–1 p.m.): One to 2 medium bowls steamed vegetables; use a variety, including roots, stems and greens — e.g. potatoes or yams, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, asparagus, kale, chard and cabbage. Chew well!

3 p.m.: Same as 11 a.m.
Dinner (5–6 p.m.): Same as lunch.
Evening: Herbal teas only.

Seasoning: Butter/canola oil mixture. Make this “better butter” by mixing 1/2 cup cold-pressed flaxseed oil (or olive or canola oils) into 2 soft (room temperature) sticks of butter; then place in dish and refrigerate. Use about 1 teaspoon per meal or a maximum of 3 teaspoons daily.

Note from Dr. Haas: You may feel a little weak or have a few symptoms the first couple of days; this will pass. Clarity and feeling good should appear by day three or four, if not before. If, during this diet, you start to feel weak or hungry, assess your water intake and elimination; if needed, you can eat a small portion of protein food (3 to 4 ounces) in the mid-afternoon. This could be fish; free-range, organic chicken; or some beans, such as lentils, garbanzos or black beans.

About Dr. Haas: Elson Haas, M.D. is the author of Staying Healthy With Nutrition (Celestial Arts, 1992) and The New Detox Diet (Celestial Arts, 2004). Haas is the founder and director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin, an integrated health-care facility in San Rafael, California. Visit his website at www.ElsonHaas.com.