Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body

by Amie Valpone, Mark Hyman (Foreword)

The essential guide to fight inflammation, heal your gut, and reset your body with detox and clean eating After suffering for a decade from a range of ailments like Lyme Disease, Hypothyroidism, and Leaky Gut Syndrome, Amie Valpone, creator of TheHealthyApple.com, healed herself through clean eating and detoxing. In Eating Clean, Amie provides guidance on how to fight inflammation and reset your body, including a 21-Day Elimination Diet, instructions for food reintroduction, a 2-week meal plan, and an extensive pantry list. The book has over 200 recipes that are vegetarian and free of gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, and refined sugar to keep tummies healthy and satisfied—such as Velvety Pear and Fennel Soup, Carrot “Fettuccine” with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pumpkin Seeds, and Vanilla Bean Coconut Ice Cream. With this book, readers are able to get the support they need on their path toward wellness. 

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Health, Nonfiction, Cooking, Reference, Diets

396 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 8, 2016

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Forgot to buy tahini at the store? No worries, just make your own. Simply take 1 pound of sesame seeds....." People who have 1 pound of fresh sesame seeds lying around are not the kind of people who forget to buy tahini sauce. And people who forget to buy the tahini will probably not have the seeds. I do like the book though. 4 stars. The recipes are really great and she drops nutrition knowledge like Galileo dropped the orange. ;) xoxo

[Sarah Yasin]

page 28 - if you want to order bread, have a salad instead. (paraphrase).

Really?

This book is for people who already want to eat clean. It doesn't use science to back up its claims. It's more of a guide for a lifestyle that I'm not convinced I want to partake in.

Oh, and saying that eating organic is less expensive than doctor visits in the future is kind of like Marie Antoinette saying "let them eat cake" when the peasants couldn't afford bread. Lots of people take home paychecks that couldn't support a single run of organic groceries. Talk about classism.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the author's point of view that food heals (and harms, if you eat the wrong things) is valid, but I find her particular guidelines a bit too restrictive.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to up their game health wise. And especially anyone dealing with health issues.
I’ve tried many recipes in the book. At first I might have been a bit intimidated but after getting a few under my belt I was hooked. Whether you do her 21-day reset or just want another source for good plant-based meals this is well worth having in your kitchen library.

[JanB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Amie's story of how she healed from multiple health problems through functional medicine and clean eating. The recipes sound delicious, and are accompanied with beautiful color photographs. I borrowed this from the library but placed an order for the book today. I'll definitely be making many of the recipes.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have preferred to see a photo of each recipe. Many of the recipes are quite complicated requiring many ingredients or a lot of time soaking things or are otherwise labor intensive.

[Tyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't tried a lot of the recipes yet (there are many!), but have tried enough to know...I am buying this book. So far, everything I've made has been delicious!

[Claudia Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure there is anything wrong with the book, I just can’t seem to finish it.

[Rachel Hafler · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for the information in the beginning of the book. 3 stars for the cookbook. Amie is clearly VERY knowledgeable about nutrition, detox, and holistic health. I really appreciated the first quarter of the book that outlined ways to detox your diet, kitchen, home, beauty products, and cleaning supplies, etc. I'll definitely be adopting some of these changes on my own journey to live healthier.
The cookbook was impressive and the recipes seemed well planned and explained, but I found most of them to be unrealistic. Unless you make EVERYTHING homemade and have 8+ hours a day to spend on cooking, shopping, meal/food prep, then I don't see how most of her recipes or food choices would be feasible. Still looking forward to trying a few of her suggestions.

[Alexandra Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book club read. I agreed with much of the author's "food heals" spiel, but the "everything you consume is terrible and toxic" views get repetitive. Amie was a good storyteller and had some good advice throughout, but some of her guidelines seemed a bit restrictive.

Some of the recipes sound super good, and I will be trying! Others require specialty ingredients and extensive amounts of time, which is not practical for many who are working and have families.

[Cara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Holy dumpster fire, Batman! This book is pretty trash. My fault...I borrowed it without properly reading the title first — instead of a “clean living” vegetarian or vegan cookbook, it’s a detox planning cookbook. Everything is toxic, better beware...just a bunch of baloney.

*I did read it anyway and I don’t recommend anyone bother.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked this book out from our local library. I liked so much that I ordered my own copy to keep on hand. It is full of wonderful gluten-free recipes and helpful tips in keeping our bodies, homes, and offices clean. Very practical.

[Katherine Reece · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was full of great information, and wonderful recipes! I'm going to buy a copy to keep!

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book, the advice, and the recipes. I took it with on our cottage week and made recipes from it while at the cottage. They were fantastic!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made several recipes, all very good.

[Kris Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s all good!

[Liz Dreher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, good as a reference book. Delicious recipes at the end of the book. A lot of the information I already knew but it’s aways nice to hear about someone else’s story.

[Louise Arruda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recipes are amazing. 2 week plan in back of book. However, you're on your own from then on.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a lot of good ideas and RECIPES I will be trying!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lays out the detox plan perfectly without leaving anything out and offers solutions/substitutions for cravings.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book so well I decided to purchase it - too much not to have as a reference.

[Alessandra]

200 pages of information on nutrition in addition to the recipes.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I keep coming back too. It is worth the space on our book shelf as one I reread with renewed vigor to make better and wiser food choices.

[Amy Paxton]

Made squash and cauliflower pizza crusts. Not my long term plan but some good ideas. Liked cooling ice cubes. Thehealthyapple.com

[Brenda Humphreys · Rating 4 out of 5]

CLEAN EATING

Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body is a diet that will help to remove toxins from your body. The process is to go on the complete elimination diet and then reintroduce food back into your diet one item at a time. Assess how the new food makes you feel. If you have adverse reactions, then keep that ingredient off of your menu. Essentially the book helps you to identify which foods are toxic to your body and get rid of them so that you can feel better.

THE AUTHOR'S STORY

Amie Valpone, the author, created this diet because of her story of being deathly ill. At one point doctors told her that she only had 24 hours left to live. At 25 years old she weighed only 89 pounds and was malnourished. Her body was not absorbing any nutrients. Furthermore, she had severe abdominal and leg swelling. The doctors did not know what was wrong. After being sent home from the hospital because they couldn't find a diagnosis, Amie had to find her own diagnosis by seeking functional and integrative physicians. They had her do the elimination diet which she describes in the book to determine which foods were toxic to her body. Her diet now is free of gluten, dairy, egg, refined sugar, corn, peanut, and soy. Consequently, she feels "unbelievably better" now.

"Many of the symptoms we experience are caused by toxins, especially those in our food system. I've learned about the connection between the health of our gut and the efficiency of our immune system, the clarity of our skin, the ease of our digestion, and our risk for disease." (p.53)

HOW TO REMOVE TOXINS FROM YOUR BODY

The author starts off with the 21-day elimination diet to remove toxins from your body. She gives thirteen toxic foods to eliminate from your diet. If you cheat by eating something you are not supposed to, you need to start the 21 days all over again. Getting rid of addicting foods will be the hardest part. The first days of the diet you most likely experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and feeling lethargic. These side effects will pass within a few days; then you will start feeling energetic and clear headed.

Upon completing the 21-day elimination diet, slowly reintroduce organic, healthy foods back into your diet to determine which foods are sensitive to you. Add one food back into your diet at a time to see if you have any reaction to it. After three days of eating this food, assess if you had any reactions. Don't eat the food on the fourth day. If there are no symptoms, then this food can be a part of your diet. However, if you did have an adverse reaction, such as headaches or stomach upsets, then stay away from eating this food. On day five, try another food to introduce into your diet and repeat the process again.

"Counting calories is the last thing you should worry about when you're trying to eat clean. A handful of nuts may be calorically dense, but there's a lot of goodness packed in there that you can't get somewhere else." (p. 12)

Two chapters are devoted to teaching you how to remove toxins from your environment. There are many harmful ingredients in personal care products, cleaning supplies, and pesticides in your home and office, The author tells you where they are and alternative products to use instead.

MY REVIEW

Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body describes a strict diet. Hence, it is not for everyone. This book will help people who are sick, even with minor symptoms, to eliminate toxic food in their diet. If you have an ailment that could be caused by a certain food you are eating but cannot find the culprit, this diet is perfect for you.

There are recipes on how to make homemade dairy-free nut milk and flours, including almond milk, coconut milk, and almond flour. I enjoyed the recipes because they are easy to make and healthier than the products you purchase at a store.

Many websites where you can buy organic ingredients are provided, so you don't have to waste time looking for them in a health store.

Read my review on my blog: http://brendahumphreys.com/remove-tox...
Get your copy here: http://amzn.to/2eQSgvR

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is filled with great vegan gluten free recipes. The whole take on how toxic everything is I take with a grain of salt (organic, natch). By the end, the “everything you eat is terrible and my way is the only way” tone gets annoying.

[rinabeana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amie Valpone has provided a lot of useful information and I've already incorporated some of her suggestions and recipes into my life. Despite her efforts to make her chosen lifestyle accessible, it was a bit overwhelming to learn that nearly every food, personal hygiene product, cleaning product, and piece of fabric in my house may be toxic to me. I am willing to make substantial changes in my diet and lifestyle if it makes me feel healthy and energetic, but I'm hesitant to become a person who won't eat out at restaurants (without incessantly questioning the wait staff about the source of every single ingredient) and brings her own food to every social gathering. I love cooking, but I'm not willing to devote every minute outside my full time job to food preparation. However, I am enjoying warm cleansing drinks in the morning and I've switched to organic produce where feasible (due to cost and availability). I can't wait for gardening season to start (may be a while since it's April 5th and there's snow on the ground). We'll see about replacing sheets, towels, cleaning products, etc. as they wear or run out. Regardless of how closely I follow her regimen, I am grateful that Amie Valpone has taken the time to share her experience and suggestions for cleaning up your lifestyle.

[Dorinda Violante · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally picked up this book for the recipes, but I love the storytelling and sound advice.

[Kym · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amie Valpone, like so many other healthy cookbook authors, found herself in poor health and after exhausting all of the medical possibilities, turned to healthy food to heal herself. What sets this book apart is her honesty, really good basic instructions for those new to cooking, delicious looking recipes and photography which highlights the recipes. I checked this book out of the library, but I'll be purchasing it as soon as possible.

[Charyl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid information in this book. I did take away a few good tidbits. Unfortunately if you're low income it's depressing to read about all the things that can make you sick, but you can't afford to replace or to buy the more expensive alternative (food, household items, etc). Most of the recipes aren't very feasible for the typical American who works full-time, has kids, and doesn't have the time to cook everything from scratch.