This 3-Day Cleanse Tames the Gut Inflammation That Causes Unhealthy Weight Gain

While people typically turn to a clean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean meats in an attempt to look and feel their best, these foods aren't exactly a cure-all. "There's a reason our healthy intentions and diets are not always yielding the results they should. That reason is called inflammation," writes Lyn-Genet Recitas, a sports and holistic nutritionist and New York Times best-selling author of The Metabolism Plan, for MindBodyGreen. "My own practice treating thousands of clients has shown that even healthy foods can cause inflammation, which can pose serious problems, not only for weight loss but for short- and long-term health," she continues.

It can be difficult to pinpoint the foods that are causing this inflammation, but Recitas recommends paying attention to how your body reacts directly after a meal. If you're bloated, constipated, experience a 3 p.m. energy dip, body aches and pains, irritability, depression, or hormonal issues, that's your body's way of saying "Please don't feed this to me!" With all this in mind, Recitas created a three-day detox plan designed to ease the inflammation associated with poor health, weight gain, and the like.

While the below cleanse is admittedly difficult, here's what the nutrition pro recommends eating for 72 hours.

Breakfast

1 cup flax granola with 1/2 cup blueberries or 1/2 pear
Silk coconut milk or Rice Dream

Lunch

Carrot ginger soup with sunflower seeds
2 cups sautéed or steamed broccoli
Baby romaine with lemon and extra virgin olive oil

Snack

1 apple

Dinner

Sautéed kale, 3 to 4 carrots, onion, zucchini, shiitakes, and broccoli with spicy coco sauce
Grated carrot and raw grated beet salad with pumpkin seeds

Breakfast

Flax with 1/2 cup blueberries or 1/2 apple
Silk coconut milk or Rice Dream

Lunch

Carrot ginger soup with sunflower seeds
Baby romaine with 1/4 avocado, lemon, and extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups sautéed or steamed broccoli

Snack

1 oz. raw almonds

Dinner

Leftover sautéed kale and veggies
1 cup basmati rice with pumpkin seeds
Beet/carrot salad with sunflower seeds, lemon, and extra-virgin olive oil

Breakfast

Flax with choice of 1/2 cup blueberries or 1/2 pear

Lunch

Baby romaine with 1/4 avocado, carrots, and pumpkin seeds—add lemon and extra-virgin olive oil
Cream of broccoli soup

Snack

12 to 15 almonds

Dinner

Chicken with Italian herbs and orange zest on a bed of baby romaine.

Next up: This is what happens to your body when you combat inflammation.