Lose weight in 10 Days

Want to kickstart a healthier you? Try this 3-day anti-inflammatory cleanse from Lyn-Genet Recitas, director of nutrition at Neighborhood Holistic, a nonprofit health center in New York City. Three simple rules: Avoid added salt, drink plenty of water (calculate how much you need here) and if no amounts are listed for a specific ingredient below, you may eat as much as you'd like. Average weight loss on a plan like this? Nearly five pounds, says Recitas. DAY 1 Breakfast 1 cup OAT-FREE granola (second choice: rice-based cereal) and 1 cup berries Or 20-oz smoothie (Blend 1 pear, 1 cup berries, ice and liquid. Top with 2 Tbsp chia seeds.) Note: Columbia County Flax Granola is great for relieving chronic constipation. Also, for cereal or smoothie you may use a Rice Dream beverage or So Delicious Coconut Milk. Lunch Carrot ginger soup (recipe below) Mesclun-mix salad (mesclun, ¼ cup low-sodium chickpeas, cucumber, ½ ounce sunflower seeds and ¼ avocado) with lime agave or lemon oil vinaigrette (recipes below) Snack 1 cup watermelon Dinner 1 head Swiss chard, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 1 zucchini, 2 heads broccoli and 4 shiitake mushrooms in spicy coco sauce (recipe below) Carrot and beet salad (Grate 4 carrots and 1 small beet and you will have 3-4 servings of a salad) with lime agave or lemon oil vinaigrette Steamed broccoli with extra-virgin olive oil Note: Shiitake mushrooms help with immune function. Do not substitute regular mushrooms, which are more reactive and avoid all mushrooms if you have yeast infections. DAY 2 Breakfast Cereal (as above) or smoothie Lunch Leftover chard 1 cup brown or basmati rice with ½ oz pumpkin seeds Snack 1 apple 4-6 Brazil nuts Dinner Warm kale salad (see below) Carrot ginger soup 1 cup steamed snow peas with extra virgin olive oil and orange zest DAY 3 Breakfast Cereal (as above) or smoothie Lunch Mixed green salad (Mixed greens with 1/2 cup low-sodium chickpeas, cucumber, leftover snow peas, ¼ avocado) with lime agave or lemon oil vinaigrette 2 rye crackers with 1 oz cheese (sheep’s milk or goat) Snack Apple and 8-10 almonds Dinner Chicken with spicy apricot glaze (recipe below) Grated raw beet and carrot salad (see above) Sautéed zucchini with onion, basil and lemon zest RECIPES Carrot Ginger Soup 1 .5 liters water 1.5 lbs carrots 1 zucchini 1 onion 2-3 cloves garlic Raw ginger, cinnamon, cumin, onion powder and black pepper to taste Chop all ingredients. Add water and simmer for 30 min. Puree the mixture. (For thicker soup use ½ liter water) Lime Agave Vinaigrette ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/8 cup water 1 Tbsp Herbes de Provence 1 Tbsp agave nectar or honey Lemon Zest Vinaigrette Zest from 2 medium-sized lemons or 1 small orange ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 1-2 garlic cloves (mashed) Herbs of your choice (I like Herbes de Provence) Optional: mustard Steep the zest in the olive oil for at least one day before making vinaigrette, preferably 4-5 days. Mix in balsamic vinegar, garlic and herbs. Will keep for one week. While mustard is a nice addition, it is high on reactive list and must be tested first. Quick Spicy Coco Sauce 1 can coconut milk (Do not use low fat.) Ginger, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, garlic, onion, black pepper and cayenne—all to taste ½ tsp salt 1 heaping Tbsp brown sugar Sauté the spices. Add salt and brown sugar. Reduce for 20 min. Will hold for 5 days or you can freeze the remainder. Portion is 1/8t cup per serving. Warm Kale salad 2 cups kale Extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil Carrot and beet salad (see above) ¼ avocado red onion 1 oz goat or sheep’s milk cheese Sauté kale oil for 1-2 min. Season as you’d like (Ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, cumin, cloves, and black better aid digestion. Rosemary and oregano are wonderful, too.) Top with remaining ingredients. Spicy Apricot Glaze ½ cup apricot jam ¼ - ½ cup water 1 Tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or 2 tsp smoked chipotle powder (less sodium) Editor's Note: Interested in working with Lyn-Genet Recitas? Due to an overwhelming response to our story, the uber popular nutritionist is booked through July 2012. But don’t be dismayed. Click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and be the first to get her exclusive tips and recipes, as well as information about her upcoming book!