Light weekly menu to give your digestive system a break

Do you want to give yourself a break? Just as on many occasions we feel that we have to take a break from work, from daily obligations or from social networks, other times we need to take a break. rest our digestive system.

Our own body is the one who asks us to stop; if we listen to it, it’s good to get out of the routine and take time for yourself.

In the case of food, we tend to think that we need a lighter menu after a time of copious meals, such as Christmas parties, vacations or cold winter days. However, you may feel that need in many other situationssimply because the body asks for it.

Listen to yourself and, if that’s the case, here are some ideas to lighten up the menus and make things easier for your body. I also offer you a complete downloadable menu for a whole weekwith simple, healthy and light proposals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Can download the weekly menu healthy and light here.

Below I tell you more about the menu and I give you three practical and nutritious recipes included in it:

Green Lettuce Smoothie Red Lentil Soup with Oats and Cumin Light Vichyssoise with Hemp Seeds

One week eating healthier and lighter

Although we can find many liquid-based menu options of this style, where soups, juices and smoothies are prioritized, it is vital that we remember that chewing is part of the fundamental part of digestion. Avoiding it for a week is not a good health strategy. Chewing calmly and consciously, giving ourselves the necessary time, is a habit that we must cultivate and essential if we want our menu to be light to our digestive system.

It is also important to note that categorizing food as good or bad makes little sense and it is unscientific. A food by itself does not provide us with health or disease, so compensating for a week of disordered eating with another of light eating is not going to work.

Learn healthy habits that are maintained over time as something naturalOn the other hand, it will bring us health and well-being at all levels. Along these lines are the following recommendations to follow your weekly light menu:

There are foods that are suitable always avoid in a healthy diet, or at least reduce them to a minimum: ultra-processed foods, refined flours, added sugars and alcohol, in any quantity. People who do not follow a 100% vegetable diet should also remove dairy, red meat and processed meat (whether smoked or cured). In addition to avoiding these foods, in a week of light menu it is convenient to avoid: fried foods, spicy and very spicy food, very fatty sauces, stews and heavy food, and foods that are difficult to digest. It can also be a good idea reduce gluten intake, or at least diversify the consumption of cereals, beyond wheat. In fact, it is very interesting to take advantage of this type of diet changes to introduce new ingredients that accompany us.Another issue that should be reviewed is the type of cooking and preparations that we can do. Let’s bet on steam, purées and creams, as well as techniques with little oil such as ironing or papillote. The soups, whether hot or cold, are also very good options.​

3 healthy and light recipes with the weekly menu

I propose a weekly menu that is especially light, but nutritious and complete, so that you can eat for a whole week taking care of yourself that little bit more. But don’t follow it to the letter! Listen to your body and give it what it needs.

Fruit is undoubtedly our best ally during this week, preferably whole. You will find it in different menu proposals, but remember to also include it in your breakfasts and snacks. We can combine it in multiple ways: in smoothies, with yogurt, with oat flakes…

In the downloadable weekly menu you will find healthy and light lunches and dinners in which you will see that salads and vegetable creams abound. There are also preparations baked, steamed and grilled. Among the different proposals are these three recipes, which will undoubtedly satisfy and nourish you without overloading your digestive system.

1. Green lettuce smoothie

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in the shakes we can include the fruits and vegetables that we like the most, but remember that it is best that they be varied, especially in the case of green leaves. The shake is a “pre-processed” food, so it is convenient that it be dense so that we salivate and assimilate it better.

Ingredients for a copious serving:

4-5 oak leaf lettuce leaves 1 kiwi 1 handful of almonds ½ teaspoon ground ginger Water or coconut water or coconut milk 1 serving of vegan protein powder (optional)

Preparation:

Peel the kiwi and cut them into quarters. Wash the lettuce leaves with plenty of water and break them with your hands. Blend all the ingredients until there are no lumps. The amount of liquid will depend on the desired consistency. We can add and beat.

Consume immediately or within two hours.

2. Red lentil soup with oats and cumin

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Ingredients for two servings:

100 g red lentils 200 g rolled oats 200 g carrots 20 ml tomato concentrate 1 medium white onion 2 cloves of garlic 700 ml vegetable broth ½ teaspoon cumin 2 tablespoons olive oil Optional: turmeric, pepper

Preparation:

Peel the onion and garlic and cut them into julienne strips. We also peel the carrot and cut it into slices. In a pot, sauté the onion, garlic and carrot in the olive oil for a few minutes. Add the vegetable broth and concentrated tomato. Stir. Add the oats, red lentils and spices. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, with a lid. We check that the lentils and vegetables are well done. Turn off the heat, let it rest and serve while still hot.

3. Light Vichyssoise with hemp seeds

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Ingredients for two servings:

3 leeks 1 potato 2 heaping tablespoons hemp seeds 20 ml flaxseed oil 400 ml mild vegetable broth 50 ml oat cream 1 pinch ground black pepper 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast Salt

Preparation:

Cut the stems of the leeks. We wash them well, making sure that no dirt remains between the different layers. Chop the leeks and use both the white part and a piece of the green part. Peel the potatoes and cut them into pinches, so that the cut is not clean but broken. Cook the leeks and the potato with the vegetable broth for at least half an hour on low heat. We make sure that the potatoes are soft. Add the cream, linseed oil and hemp seeds and beat with the mixer until a fine cream is obtained. Add salt and pepper and finish beating. We can serve cold or hot, with nutritional yeast on top.