There are only a handful of things that capture the essence of summer. A long beach day with the family, a day at the lake, a backyard barbecue, and, of course, biting into a juicy stone fruit. Be it a peach, nectarine, apricot, plum, pluot, or a cup of cherries, a stone fruit is nearly unmatched for summer fruits. Well, watermelon may top the list for some, but not for us!

A stone fruit, or a drupe, is a type of fruit that contains a large stone (pit) in the center. They belong to the Prunus genus family and usually have a thin skin with soft and juicy flesh. Unlike other fruits, stone fruits stop reopening right after being picked. That means that the stone fruit season is limited, but because of different ripening times, you can find stone fruit varieties throughout the year. Stone fruits provide a long list of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and you can continue reading to learn more about them. 

Peaches

A true classic, the peach has been cultivated all over the world, dating all the way back to 6,000 BC. They exhibit a scrumptiously sweet flavor, are low in calories, and have a host of health benefits. Peaches are rich in carotenoids, which are plant pigments that give peaches their signature yellow color. Carotenoids exhibit anti-inflammatory effects and may help protect against certain eye diseases and cancers. Some research shows that people who eat carotenoid-rich diets have a lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. 

Apricots

These small, orange stone fruits are naturally rich in vitamins A, C, E, K, and several B vitamins. Fresh apricots are especially rich in beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid that the body converts into vitamin A. Apricots are particularly rich in this plant pigment, in addition to other plant compounds that help protect against oxidative stress. One study with 1,300 people suffering from gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) found that people who ate apricots daily experienced significantly fewer GERD symptoms compared to those who didn’t. Apricots may also improve digestion by accelerating the rate at which food moves through the digestive tract.

Lychee

The lychee fruit offers a distinct flavor and texture. The sweet and refreshing white flesh is protected by a sturdy, inedible pink skin. One cup of lychees fulfills 226% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin C and 7% of the RDI of folate. Lychees are also rich in phosphorus, copper, potassium, and good amounts of riboflavin (vitamin B2). They also provide phenolic compounds, including epicatechin, rutin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and gallic acid, all of which exhibit powerful antioxidant effects. 

Plums

Plums, despite their size, pack an impressive nutritional punch. They are naturally rich in vitamins A, C, and K, and offer an assortment of phenolic compounds, including kaempferol and proanthocyanidins. Phenolic compounds work to protect your cells from damaging free radicals, which may help reduce your risk of neurodegenerative illnesses and heart disease. Prunes, which are dried plums, may help increase bone mineral density and relieve constipation. Think of prunes like concentrated doses of the nutrients you find in plums. 

Mangos

Didn’t think you’d see mangos on this list, did you? Most people don’t realize that mangos belong to the stone fruit family. They are naturally rich in several B vitamins, vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin C, magnesium, copper, and potassium. Like other stone fruits, mangos offer a diverse mix of antioxidant compounds, including anthocyanins and carotenoids. Mangos are high-fiber fruits, so it helps promote healthy digestion. One study involved people with chronic constipation. Researchers observed that eating two cups of mango daily significantly improved stool consistency and frequency. 

Cherries

Last, but not certainly not least, we have cherries, which have a sweet and slightly tart flavor. Cherries are great sources of manganese, magnesium, copper, vitamins B6, C, and K, potassium, and lots of antioxidants, including procyanidins, anthocyanins, and flavonols. These antioxidants work to reduce inflammatory processes, potentially reducing your risk of some chronic diseases. A small one-month study found that people who consumed a little less than two cups of cherries per day significantly reduced inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 18 (IL-18). Other studies indicate that cherries may help improve sleep, reduce post-exercise muscle soreness, and regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

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We love a good detox water because it is refreshing and easy to make. It also a tasty beverage option for anyone following one of our cleanses. It takes water to a whole new level! Plus, adding fresh fruits and herbs enhances your hydration efforts, in addition to supplying your water with added vitamins and minerals. In the case of this orange cucumber mint water, your palate is refreshed with the essences of cucumber, orange, and mint.

This detox water is easy to make and perfect for warm, sunny days. You can also adjust the amounts of the ingredients, tailoring it to your liking. You can also double, triple, or quadruple the recipe if you have guests. When selecting your ingredients for this detox water:

• Make sure you select large, juicy, ripe oranges because you don’t want oranges that are bitter or on the unripe side.
• Wash and de-stem your mint before you add it to your water. You don’t need little pests inside this detox water!
• Use a large English cucumber for this recipe, as they are better than smaller Persian cucumbers for detox waters.

Before you begin making your detox water at home, consider what to look for at the market:

• Select bright, green, and firm cucumbers that are heavy. Give them a gentle squeeze to ensure there are no soft spots or bruises. Organic cucumbers work especially well for detox waters.
• Always use fresh oranges, not bottled orange juice. Look for oranges that have a little give when you squeeze them. Avoid any citrus fruit with scars, discoloration, or bruises. The skin should be vibrant and not dried out.
• You should be able to smell the mint before you even pick up a bunch. The leaves should be vibrant, dark green, and not yellow or old-looking. Give your leaves a good sniff because if they do not smell like mint, they are not fresh.

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Forget the excess sodium, added sugars, and other preservatives in store bought dips and spreads. This creamy raw zucchini spread is the perfect way to enjoy rich, comforting flavor while nourishing the body with wholesome plant-based ingredients. Raw zucchini creates a smooth, velvety base that is both hydrating and low in calories, while raw cashews add a satisfying creaminess without the need for dairy, or even tahini. Bright lemon juice, garlic, and nutritional yeast bring depth and zest and subtle cheesiness to every bite, making this zucchini spread a delicious addition to your arsenal of dips and spreads.

Not only do the ingredients in this recipe offer impressive flavor, but they also have a long list of health benefits, according to research studies. Zucchini contains antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, which may help support cellular health and reduce oxidative stress. Its high water and fiber content may also support healthy digestion and satiety. Regarding cashews, research suggests that regularly consuming nuts (like cashews) may help support heart health and healthy cholesterol levels, due to their beneficial unsaturated fats and mineral content.

Garlic and lemon juice further enhance the wellness benefits of this addictive spread. Garlic has long been valued for its potential immune-supporting and anti-inflammatory properties, while lemon juice provides vitamin C and a refreshing citrus flavor that brightens the entire recipe. Nutritional yeast contributes a naturally cheesy flavor along with essential vitamins and minerals. In fact, it is a prominent dietary source of vitamin B12 for people following plant-based diets. Whether you are cleansing, resetting, or simply looking for a nourishing raw vegan recipe, this zucchini spread delivers both taste and nutrition in every bite.

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When it comes to balancing and healing your gut, you can experiment with different diets, lifestyle changes, and so much more. You may experiment with probiotics, increasing fiber intake, detox plans, or other supplements that promise less bloating and regular elimination. Even after all of those efforts, you still may not be able to get your gut under control. Have you thought about your alcohol intake, though?

Most people who drink alcohol can typically recall a time when it caused them digestive troubles. A night of drinking can lead to irregular bowel habits or bloating, depending on the alcoholic beverages you drank. Alcohol also affects many other aspects of your overall health, not just the digestive system. In this article, we will take a look at how much alcohol impacts gut health, which can affect your mental health, hormone balance, energy levels, and much more. 

It Can Affect Immune Function

A large portion of the body’s immune cells are created in the gut, so an imbalance in your gut microbiome can affect this production. In fact, an imbalanced gut can increase the likelihood of a weakened immune response. Additionally, the integrity of your intestinal lining helps support optimal immune function, but that lining is broken down with regular or chronic alcohol consumption. 

It Creates An Imbalance Of Gut Microbes 

If you take a high-quality probiotic to help balance gut microbes, it’s likely that alcohol consumption is sabotaging that effort. That is true whether you drink alcohol a couple times per week or daily. Researchers note that certain unhealthy gut microbes feed off alcohol, which makes your cravings more irresistible, especially if you regularly imbibe. 

It Can Contribute To Leaky Gut

When you drink alcohol, you increase the risk of leaky gut, or intestinal permeability. This is because alcohol destroys epithelial cells in the gut lining. That increases toxic byproducts of bacteria and cell damage, which triggers inflammation in the gut. Intestinal permeability can also be a cause of many autoimmune diseases, food sensitivities, or other immune concerns. 

It Can Affect Your Mood

Believe it or not, your gut microbiome plays a role in how you feel. Your gut supports mood via the release of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, and supports the communication of the gut-brain axis. If you have an unhealthy balance of bacteria in the gut because of alcohol consumption, you may worsen symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders. 

How Much Alcohol Does It Take To Impact The Gut?

In all honesty, it does not take much. A few drinks per week or a single alcohol binge (more than four to five drinks in one sitting) can prevent you from having optimal gut health. Alcohol’s toxic nature and the byproducts it creates when the body metabolizes it can affect normal gut bacteria and jeopardize the gut’s lining. Unfortunately, the effects become more problematic when you drink more. If you want to help improve gut health after cutting back on alcohol intake, consider the following:

• Take probiotics because they can help establish healthy bacteria in the gut. By increasing the amount of beneficial bacteria, you can help improve immune function, enhance digestion, and feel better overall. If you notice that a probiotic harms the gut or worsens existing symptoms, you may need to modify your diet even more. Eliminating gut-irritating foods, such as dairy, grains, gluten, and corn, may help improve gut health. 
• Increase your fiber intake by adding a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes to your diet. Researchers state that adding more fiber to your diet is one of the best ways to enhance your gut microbiome. You should also increase your intake of prebiotic fiber, which you can find in oats, apples, artichokes, bananas, and sunchokes. 
• Replenish integral nutrients, such as B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, magnesium, and more, because alcohol can deplete them. Nutrients like zinc, vitamin C, and omega-3s can help rebuild the gut lining and benefit those with leaky gut.

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We are big smoothie people. They are so easy to make and have seemingly endless possibilities. You can make a simple green smoothie with spinach, banana, pineapple, strawberries, and water, or you can make one that is slightly more unique, such as this recipe. We love to include blueberries in smoothies because they are naturally rich in antioxidants and low in sugar. They mix well with a variety of ingredients and have a strong flavor that can overpower less traditional smoothie ingredients, such as avocado.

Don’t worry, your smoothie will not taste like guacamole. In fact, you won’t even know the avocado is in your smoothie, but you will reap the healthy fats, potassium, magnesium, and other vitamins and minerals that it provides. Banana adds creaminess and natural sugars that pair beautifully with the antioxidant-rich blueberries. The homemade almond milk brings a subtle nutty flavor and contributes to the creamy consistency. Not a fan of almond milk? No problem! You can switch it out for water or another homemade nut or seed milk of your choice.

Avocado is not the only ingredient bringing healthy fats to the party in this smoothie recipe. We cannot forget about hemp seeds, which add a hefty amount of omega-3s and protein. Hemp seeds are also a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own. That makes hemp seeds an excellent plant-based protein source.

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So…you’ve been on a quest to find new, interesting raw vegan recipes that keep your taste buds interested in raw foods during your cleansing journey. Well, did you ever think to make ceviche using mushrooms? Ceviche is a traditional South American dish typically made with two essential ingredients: fish and lime. Many people include different types of seafood, such as octopus and shrimp, in ceviche recipes, but one thing is for certain: the seafood never comes in contact with any heat source. The “cooking” of ceviche happens when the seafood marinates in the citrus juice.

Instead of using seafood, this recipe calls for nutrient-dense mushrooms, which take the place of seafood. Because mushrooms have a meaty texture and absorb the other flavors so beautifully, you will not miss the fish one bit. Mushrooms are very low in carbohydrates and calories, but supply a lot of valuable nutrients. They contain trace minerals, some B-vitamins, protein, fiber, and some vitamin D, the amount of which depends on how much sun the mushrooms absorbed while growing. Mushrooms also contain high levels of beta-glucans, which are compounds that keep immune cells alert, and ergothioneine, which helps lower total inflammation.

As for the other ingredients in this recipe, you have a little wiggle room. We decided to include tomatoes, red bell pepper, jalapeño, red onion, avocado, cilantro, and limes, of course. Should you want to change some of the ingredients out for other raw vegan produce items you prefer, feel free to do so. The important step is just to let everything marinate in the fridge for about 30-60 minutes before serving. We hope you love it!

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There is something to be said about a simple salad recipe. You don’t need a lot of ingredients and complex flavors to make something shine. That’s why this salad only has one main ingredient: cucumber, which is refreshing, crunchy, and the perfect vessel for almost any dressing. Coat it in a vibrant vinaigrette or creamy tahini dressing inspired by Mediterranean flavors. For this recipe, we took inspiration from a classic Chinese appetizer or side and tweaked it to fit the raw vegan criteria.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) cucumber is a cleansing ingredient, helping detoxify the body and reduce high blood pressure. Because of its inherent “cooling” element, TCM thought it to ease the body’s internal heat. Cucumbers also have a rich water content (about 95%), so you can enhance your hydration efforts by eating them. They contain essential vitamins like K and C, and their antioxidant content, especially the flavonoids, fights against oxidative stress. Additionally, the fiber and potassium help support heart health and healthy blood pressure.

The key to this salad’s success lies in the smashing of the cucumbers. Ideally, use a heavy cleaver or rolling pin to smash the cucumber. This technique creates lots of jagged edges and crevices for the dressing to penetrate. Once you wash and dry the cucumbers, place them on a cutting board and lay your large knife flat against one at a time. Smash it lightly with your other hand and the cucumber should open and smash into sections. Repeat across the cucumber and then cut it into bite-size pieces.

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There is something about freshly squeezed lemonade that epitomizes summer. Perhaps your mom made big batches of lemonade for you as a child, or maybe you made some yourself to sell to the neighborhood for 25 cents per cup. With inflation, that 25-cent cup could cost three dollars today! Let’s disregard the price of lemonade for a second and get back to what matters: delicious flavors, because that is what we aim to achieve with this refreshing kiwi lemonade.

We feel that people underutilize kiwis, reserving them for occasional fruit salads or smoothies. Kiwi is a vitamin C super fruit, with one kiwi delivering more this nutrient than two oranges. Vitamin C encourages collagen production, helps the body absorb iron, and aids immune function. Because kiwi contains vitamins C and E, it is a great source of antioxidants, which aim to fight free radicals. Eating antioxidant-rich foods like kiwi can help reduce the risk of certain illnesses. It also happens to be a great source of potassium, with one kiwi delivering 215 milligrams of potassium. Getting enough potassium in your diet can help lower the risk of cardiovascular conditions, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and kidney stones.

Although kiwi has natural sugars, it can be tart, especially when you combine it with freshly squeezed lemon juice. That is why we included raw agave nectar, but if you like your lemonade more tart then you can start with less agave and add more as you taste. Remember that you can always add more, but you cannot take it out. Add less agave to start if you are worried about the kiwi lemonade being too sweet.

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Dishes made with sweet potatoes tend to enhance their inherent sweetness using maple syrup, agave, or other spices. That is not the case for this recipe. We are going in the complete opposite direction and presenting you with a lovely, spiced soup. Because sweet potatoes are, well, sweet, they lend themselves to aromatic, Moroccan spices, such as coriander, cumin, cinnamon, caraway, turmeric, and paprika. So a spiced soup like this one is what we made!

Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, making them filling options for people who do not eat meat. They are also rich sources of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body. Sweet potatoes also contain good amounts of vitamin C, potassium, B-vitamins, and several minerals. They are not, however, rich in protein, which is why we included chickpeas in this recipe. Not only are chickpeas rich in protein, but they also contain a lot of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Due to their neutral flavor, chickpeas take on a variety of flavors and don’t impose their own mild flavor on anything.

If you want to cook this soup, your spice cabinet needs to be ready. Make sure to clearly check the ingredient list because, like most Moroccan recipes, this one contains a long list of spices. They all come together to create incredible depth of flavor, and the burst of lemon that you add at the very end livens up everything. Garnish with fresh parsley, sea salt and pepper, and even some crispy chickpeas if you want to go the extra mile.

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Everyone loves a good snack, especially chips. In fact, it is pretty difficult to no reach your hand in an open bag of chips and grab a handful. If the bag is not open, the temptation to open it is potentially the most powerful force in the universe. While that may or may not be true, one thing is for certain: chips are highly addictive, but they typically contain problematic ingredients. We always want our cleansers to have access to various entrees, desserts, and snacks, especially, to help them power through their cleanses. Enter the dehydrator!

Why should you dehydrate instead of fry? Well, dehydrating preserves a food’s natural integrity, while simultaneously enhancing its shelf life without introducing harmful byproducts. That ultimately makes a dehydrated snack a cleaner, healthier preparation method than frying. Dehydrating at low temperatures gently removes a food’s water content, helping it retain as many vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fiber as possible. In contrast, frying (especially at high heat) can kill nutrients and create harmful compounds like trans fats and oxidized oils.

So what makes these dehydrated carrot chips so special? Well, carrots are a vibrant, nutrient-dense root vegetable that can help support eye health, as it is rich in beta-carotene. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which helps promote clearre vision, more radiant skin, and a stronger immune system. Additionally, their high fiber content aids digestive function, supporting gut health and helping the body eliminate waste efficiently. The natural compounds in carrots may help balance blood sugar levels and support heart health by contributing lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol levels.

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