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The Detox Prescription: Supercharge Your Health, Strip Away Pounds, and Eliminate the Toxins Within
The human body has an extraordinary ability to detoxify itself. We rely on this system when we wait for a hangover to lift or recover from a bout of food poisoning. However, cutting-edge science is revealing how toxic exposures can actually affect our genes and lead to conditions such as obesity, diabetes, arthritis, mood disorders, energy, allergies, fertility, and heart disease—all of which are on the rise.The good news is that each of us can optimize this natural cleansing system for better health, greater energy, and efficient weight loss. In The Detox Prescription, Dr. Merrell draws on new research to help readers assess their own toxic risk factors and health deficiencies. Next, he and Mary Beth Augustine, RD, offer more than 75 delicious and nutrient-rich recipes incorporating juices and whole foods, broken into 3-, 7-, and 21-day cleanses. Dr. Merrell’s holistic approach also relies on light yoga practices, basic self-care, beginning meditation, and sleep hygiene to reset body, mind, and spiritand take control of our genetic destiny.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published December 24, 2013
About the author
Woodson Merrell
7 books12 followersNew York City-based internist, Woodson Merrell, MD, is a pioneer and leading practitioner of Integrative Medicine, which combines the best, evidence-based therapeutic approaches from conventional and complementary medicine. He is chairman of the Department of Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center of the Mt. Sinai Health System and assistant clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He serves on the Medical Advisory Board of the Dr. Oz Show and is currently Conference Chair of the Integrative Healthcare Symposium.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 13, 2014
Highly recommend this book. I'm on day 4 (of 21) and feeling good. Highly time intensive program in terms of food prep.
January 3, 2014
The Good: Merrell's nutritional plan is based in easy to understand medical science. He explains the concept of detoxing well and makes a convincing argument as to why his way would be the most effective. He offers ideas for behavioral changes in addition to nutritional changes, encouraging an easy to follow lifestyle change. Speaking of easy, he describes three cleanse plans of varying length, each with in-depth menu plans and recipes making it quite easy to follow along.
The Bad: Merrell expects too radical a change of lifestyle for his plans. His 3 day juicing plan is pretty feasible, as long as you have a local organic food store. Where else are you going to find hemp seeds to make milk from? The 7 and 21 day plans are a little out there for the modern convenience eater. I cook with whole, natural foods as often as possible, but that's a far cry from the vegan meal plans listed here. I don't even know where to find dandelion or burdock tea, and I have no desire to live a meat, dairy, gluten free lifestyle in the long-term.
The Bad: Merrell expects too radical a change of lifestyle for his plans. His 3 day juicing plan is pretty feasible, as long as you have a local organic food store. Where else are you going to find hemp seeds to make milk from? The 7 and 21 day plans are a little out there for the modern convenience eater. I cook with whole, natural foods as often as possible, but that's a far cry from the vegan meal plans listed here. I don't even know where to find dandelion or burdock tea, and I have no desire to live a meat, dairy, gluten free lifestyle in the long-term.
February 1, 2014
If you know me at all (or read my blog) then you know how much I love and appreciate food. So it might come as a shock that I'm considering a detox, but I certainly don't plan on changing my diet forever. I just need to reset my system, and even though the idea of going vegan for 21 days makes me nervous, I think in the long run, this will be a helpful experience. I'm also hoping it will help me to continue to diminish the amount of meat I eat on a weekly basis. As a country, Americans eat far too much meat and I don't want to be one of those Americans with a giant carbon footprint.
January 16, 2015
This book isn't full of the typical detoxing hype and weird diet plans that we are bombarded with these days. The Detox Prescription offers realistic ways to introduce healthy fruits and vegetables into our diet. You can do the 3-, 7-, or 21-day cleanse if you feel the need to rid yourself of toxins quickly, or you can add the blender/juicer recipes to your regular diet to help in that never-ending quest to eat healthier.
I choose to blend everything because I don't own a juicer, and I prefer to consume the entire fruit and vegetable goodness. If you follow the plans, you will get a good mix of blends and juices. You will get your fiber throughout the day.
This book goes beyond just blender/juicer recipes and meal plans. This book helps you identify where you are on the toxic scale and why supercharging your health is so important. We already know we must eat healthier and get those fruits and vegetables (and nuts and other goodies) into our bodies. This is not new. But who doesn't need a reminder or a shove in the right direction every now and then?
I choose to blend everything because I don't own a juicer, and I prefer to consume the entire fruit and vegetable goodness. If you follow the plans, you will get a good mix of blends and juices. You will get your fiber throughout the day.
This book goes beyond just blender/juicer recipes and meal plans. This book helps you identify where you are on the toxic scale and why supercharging your health is so important. We already know we must eat healthier and get those fruits and vegetables (and nuts and other goodies) into our bodies. This is not new. But who doesn't need a reminder or a shove in the right direction every now and then?
August 11, 2016
I won this book in goodreads firstreads giveaway.
I've always wanted to try a detox but really had no clue how to start or do one in a healthy way. This book does a great job of walking you through the entire process. In this book you learn the benefits of doing the detox, and where the toxins in our bodies are coming from. I especially found the questionnaire that allowed me to figure out how toxic my own body was to be very helpful. The book is well written and the cleanses for 3, 7, and 21 days give you everything you need (including already made shopping lists) to be successful. Plus the recipes were not only filling but they also tasted good! This is definitely a book that I will use for years to come!
I've always wanted to try a detox but really had no clue how to start or do one in a healthy way. This book does a great job of walking you through the entire process. In this book you learn the benefits of doing the detox, and where the toxins in our bodies are coming from. I especially found the questionnaire that allowed me to figure out how toxic my own body was to be very helpful. The book is well written and the cleanses for 3, 7, and 21 days give you everything you need (including already made shopping lists) to be successful. Plus the recipes were not only filling but they also tasted good! This is definitely a book that I will use for years to come!
April 30, 2015
I want to thank the author and Goodreads First Reads for the book, The Detox Prescription: Supercharge Your Health, Strip Away Pounds, and Eliminate the Toxins Within.
The Detox Prescription: Supercharge Your Health, Strip Away Pounds, and Eliminate the Toxins Within is a well organized book that starts explaining the toxins in our environment and gives several surveys for the read to take to discover the toxic level of the individual. The next step is the grocery lists for the detox diet, which I found helpful and time saving. The suggested detox diets follow with other health suggestions. I look forward to following the advise in the book to live a healthier lifestyle. My only concern is that living in a rural area of the South, many of the ingredients are not available in our area, so I plan to adapt to what I can find. It would be nice if all the ingredients were common in local markets.
The Detox Prescription: Supercharge Your Health, Strip Away Pounds, and Eliminate the Toxins Within is a well organized book that starts explaining the toxins in our environment and gives several surveys for the read to take to discover the toxic level of the individual. The next step is the grocery lists for the detox diet, which I found helpful and time saving. The suggested detox diets follow with other health suggestions. I look forward to following the advise in the book to live a healthier lifestyle. My only concern is that living in a rural area of the South, many of the ingredients are not available in our area, so I plan to adapt to what I can find. It would be nice if all the ingredients were common in local markets.
June 24, 2014
If you are looking to jump start a major overhaul in your diet (or to get really strict about what you are eating) I think this is a great book. The plans are manageable, and seem sound nutritionally.
Personally though, not a whole lot of this worked for me. First off, I'm a runner training for a marathon. Drinking shakes and juices and such simply doesn't supply the fuel I need, and after even one day of attempting the cleanse, I could barely walk a few miles, let alone run. Secondly, I really like food. I simply don't feel bad enough with my current state to want to give up two things in life that make me happy.
If you are having some serious issues with your health or energy, than this might be a great resource. But if you are content with the way you feel, I'm not sure this would be super helpful. I purchased this book thinking I could pick up a few small changes I could make to my lifestyle, but it pretty much advocates big lifestyle changes that just weren't for me.
Personally though, not a whole lot of this worked for me. First off, I'm a runner training for a marathon. Drinking shakes and juices and such simply doesn't supply the fuel I need, and after even one day of attempting the cleanse, I could barely walk a few miles, let alone run. Secondly, I really like food. I simply don't feel bad enough with my current state to want to give up two things in life that make me happy.
If you are having some serious issues with your health or energy, than this might be a great resource. But if you are content with the way you feel, I'm not sure this would be super helpful. I purchased this book thinking I could pick up a few small changes I could make to my lifestyle, but it pretty much advocates big lifestyle changes that just weren't for me.
July 3, 2015
Dr Merrell presents a very compelling argument for the benefits of a whole foods, organic diet. In addition, he explains how exposure to toxins, which are virtually ubiquitous, can lead to seemingly innocuous and more serious medical problems. Merrell provides a prescription for relief from headaches to arthritis pain to IBS. This book contains a complete description of the process of detoxification, a menu for several detox diets each varying in duration, shopping lists and recipes. If you are planning on trying a juice cleanse or detox, this book gives you all the tools to do so. The recipes are not overly complex and there is a huge variety of foods to choose from, all you need is a juicer and a blender. After reading this book, I plan to try the 21 day detox.
August 11, 2016
Woodson Merrell explains toxins in our environment and our bodies as well as how to detox for better health. I love that he includes breathing, meditation, etc. as well as juicing and recipes. His program is definitely the next step to my current gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free and nightshade-free diet!
December 5, 2014
Well written. I liked the first half of the book, but the detox plan itself looks too time consuming for me. Recipes are detailed and too many juices and smoothies. The first 3 days has only liquids. I tried a few recipes but they were not for me.
January 13, 2014
Very informative and hopeful.
September 1, 2016
Good information in this book.
August 22, 2014
Good hints. Tried the 3-day Juice Cleanse and actually enjoyed it, though I did miss "protein" by the third evening. Will do it again.
November 5, 2014
Excellent book with wonderful recipes.
June 22, 2014
Great idea. Pretty complicated recipes and plan.
December 5, 2023
The Detox Prescription by Woodson Merrell, Mary Beth Augustine, Hillari Dowdle
368 Pages
Publisher: Rodale Inc, Rodale Books
Release Date: December 24, 2013
Nonfiction, Health, Mind, Body, Weight Loss, Diet
The book is divided into the following chapters.
Chapter One: What’s the problem?
Chapter Two: How Toxic Are You?
Chapter Three: The Detox Continuum
Chapter Four: Get Read, Get Set, Go!
Chapter Five: The 3-Day Turbo Cleanse
Chapter Six: The 7-Day In-Depth Detox
Chapter Seven: The 21-Day Clean and Lean Diet
Chapter Eight: Beyond the Detox Prescription
Chapter Nine: The Science of Detox
The authors do an excellent job explaining what toxins are, where they come from, and what they do to the body. The case histories are great since they are so varied, they are bound to cover all readers. Unfortunately, I was affected by arsenic poisoning and can tell you that it is terrible. After taking the test, I know I need to detox by system. The authors recommend eating vegan but give suggestions for meat options.
In the past, I have done several cleanses and juice fasts. In fact, I did the “Master Cleanse” that they reference. Although I have food reactions, there are many recipes in this book that I can have. This book is an ideal detox book. It not only discusses eating but also stress and exercise.
368 Pages
Publisher: Rodale Inc, Rodale Books
Release Date: December 24, 2013
Nonfiction, Health, Mind, Body, Weight Loss, Diet
The book is divided into the following chapters.
Chapter One: What’s the problem?
Chapter Two: How Toxic Are You?
Chapter Three: The Detox Continuum
Chapter Four: Get Read, Get Set, Go!
Chapter Five: The 3-Day Turbo Cleanse
Chapter Six: The 7-Day In-Depth Detox
Chapter Seven: The 21-Day Clean and Lean Diet
Chapter Eight: Beyond the Detox Prescription
Chapter Nine: The Science of Detox
The authors do an excellent job explaining what toxins are, where they come from, and what they do to the body. The case histories are great since they are so varied, they are bound to cover all readers. Unfortunately, I was affected by arsenic poisoning and can tell you that it is terrible. After taking the test, I know I need to detox by system. The authors recommend eating vegan but give suggestions for meat options.
In the past, I have done several cleanses and juice fasts. In fact, I did the “Master Cleanse” that they reference. Although I have food reactions, there are many recipes in this book that I can have. This book is an ideal detox book. It not only discusses eating but also stress and exercise.
June 27, 2017
I received this book "The Detox Prescription" by Woodson Merrell,MD for an honest review and i found this book to be just the book i needed.
I love how he gives case histories and how he divides the parts with the facts plus his advice.
He goes on to give the 3,7, and 21 day detox methods and then toward the end of the book he gives recipes to start on our way.he also helps us to trouble shoot what may or may not work under this program.
I have only one issue with this is that there isnt a workbook with it.to be able to jot what is working for us and what notes we might want to ask ourselves while reading or even after starting this program would have been a big help.
I am so glad i won this book from goodreads first reads.I believe if you want a detox program then this is for you.
I love how he gives case histories and how he divides the parts with the facts plus his advice.
He goes on to give the 3,7, and 21 day detox methods and then toward the end of the book he gives recipes to start on our way.he also helps us to trouble shoot what may or may not work under this program.
I have only one issue with this is that there isnt a workbook with it.to be able to jot what is working for us and what notes we might want to ask ourselves while reading or even after starting this program would have been a big help.
I am so glad i won this book from goodreads first reads.I believe if you want a detox program then this is for you.
November 28, 2025
If you are committed and invested and really, really want the change - this is the book for you. This is a 14 day program and the hardest thing is simply the dedication to meal prep and getting things in order. The actual program is easy to follow and there is no way that you won't feel like an entirely new person after the program is complete.
Read
January 24, 2016Not Practical For Several Reasons
I saw Dr. Merrell promoting this book one night while my wife was binge watching Dr. Oz. I've lost 85 pounds over the last year and still have a lot to go. And having taken a greater interest in being healthy I decided to get a copy of The Detox Prescription. While I'm convinced Dr. Merrel has good intentions, the equipment, food, and amount of prep time to do the things promoted in this book are just not practical for people like me who aren't rich and who have to work everyday and are busy with family. I read the entire book and it is evident he is a smart man, but I can't imagine how I would ever have time to shop for, prepare, and cook the recipes in this book, not to mention being able to afford it. I know you can't put a price on your health. But its equally true you can't get blood from a turnip. And in this case my turnips are time and money.
I saw Dr. Merrell promoting this book one night while my wife was binge watching Dr. Oz. I've lost 85 pounds over the last year and still have a lot to go. And having taken a greater interest in being healthy I decided to get a copy of The Detox Prescription. While I'm convinced Dr. Merrel has good intentions, the equipment, food, and amount of prep time to do the things promoted in this book are just not practical for people like me who aren't rich and who have to work everyday and are busy with family. I read the entire book and it is evident he is a smart man, but I can't imagine how I would ever have time to shop for, prepare, and cook the recipes in this book, not to mention being able to afford it. I know you can't put a price on your health. But its equally true you can't get blood from a turnip. And in this case my turnips are time and money.
February 27, 2016
this book explains the things to eliminate in your diet that causes you to gain weight and detox your body to promote better health and energy for your body...once you eliminate the toxins in your body you will feel better and lose the weight much easier....
July 21, 2016
I won this book on goodreads. I was glad to see this book is vegeterian friendly. The author includes a helpful shopping list for the juice cleanse.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews