Are you looking to revamp your eating habits, kickstart weight loss, or simply reset your system after a period of indulgence? A 5-day reset diet plan might be the answer. These plans are designed to help you refocus on nutritious foods, eliminate unhealthy cravings, and establish healthier habits in a short amount of time. This article delves into the concept of a 5-day reset diet, exploring different approaches, benefits, and potential drawbacks.
Understanding the Reset Diet Concept
A reset diet is a short-term eating plan aimed at "resetting" your body and mind. It often involves temporary dietary restrictions or modifications to promote healthier eating patterns. The goal is to break unhealthy habits, reduce cravings for processed foods, and encourage the consumption of nutrient-dense, whole foods.
The Body Reset Diet: A 15-Day Approach
One popular example of a reset diet is the Body Reset Diet, created by celebrity fitness trainer Harley Pasternak. Although it's technically a 15-day plan, the principles can be adapted for a shorter 5-day reset.
The Body Reset Diet consists of a low-calorie diet plan that lasts for 15 days and is broken into three separate phases, each lasting five days. The diet mostly involves drinking smoothies before incorporating solid food back into your diet. By following a low-calorie diet, you can train your body to use energy more efficiently and burn calories faster, even while you're asleep. By combining this approach with resistance exercise three days per week, you'll theoretically set yourself up for long-term, sustained weight loss.
How the Body Reset Diet Works
The Body Reset Diet is meant to be just that: a sudden reset to how you’re eating by eliminating all solid foods and replacing them with healthy, low-calorie smoothies.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Here’s a breakdown of the original 15-day plan:
- Days 1-5: Drink three smoothies per day (that contain about 270 to 325 calories each).
- Days 6-10: Replace one smoothie with a solid meal, such as a salad or veggie stir-fry.
- Days 11-15: Replace two smoothies with a solid meal.
Those following the Body Reset diet are also encouraged to exercise. Pasternak recommends walking at least 12,000 steps every day. Pasternak also recommends doing at least five minutes of resistance exercise at least five days per week or doing light resistance training for five minutes, three times per week. Resistance training helps build muscle and has been shown to help prevent arthritis, diabetes, obesity and more. Plus, you can do it easily at home.
Potential Benefits of the Body Reset Diet
- May help you lose weight: The Body Reset Diet is likely effective for weight loss - at least in the short term. Since this plan is comprised of low calorie smoothies, snacks, and meals, it will likely put your body in a calorie deficit. The plan’s exercise regimen also helps you burn calories.
- May keep you motivated initially: Though 15 days is a relatively short period, any weight you shed during this time may encourage you to stick with the Body Reset Diet longer.
- High in nutrient-rich foods: The Body Reset Diet emphasizes nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, lean proteins, and low fat dairy.
Potential Drawbacks of the Body Reset Diet
- May overly restrict calories: This is not only too severe of a calorie restriction for some people but also may lead to nutrient deficiencies.
- May be hard to follow long term: Research suggests that any low calorie diet can work for weight loss as long as you can stick with it (1).
- Malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies
- Insufficient caloric intake
Body Reset Diet Meal Plan
The Body Reset Diet has you eat five times per day. Its meal plan includes low calorie smoothies, snacks, and meals.
- Smoothies: Smoothies are on the menu three times per day in Phase 1, twice per day in Phase 2, and once per day in Phase 3. The smoothies are made using four main components, the ingredients of which you can alternate based on your preferences: Liquid base: water, flavored water, low or nonfat milk, or nondairy milk like almond or soy milkProtein: protein powder, tofu, or fat-free yogurtHealthy fat: avocado, nuts, or seedsHigh fiber carbs: any fruit - though berries, oranges, apples, and pears are recommended for their fiber content - plus leafy green vegetables like spinach or kaleSweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and cane sugar aren’t allowed in the smoothies, and neither are packaged fruits that contain added sweeteners.Three types of smoothie recipes are provided, named after their colors when blended - white, red, and green smoothies.
- Snacks: You eat low calorie snacks twice daily throughout the entire 15-day diet. These snacks should have around 150 calories, be low in sugar, and contain at least 5 grams of both protein and fiber. Examples include: edamameplain air-popped popcorncelery with peanut butterwhole wheat crackers with fat-free cheeseapple slices with deli turkey
- Meals: Homemade solid meals are added in Phases 2 and 3. The recipes are made with whole, minimally processed foods and include a balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Examples include: Salads: leafy greens topped with chopped vegetables, fruit, nuts, and lean protein like legumes or chicken, alongside a homemade olive-oil-based dressingSandwiches: made with whole grain bread, deli meat, veggies, and low fat condiments or cheeseSoups: made with reduced sodium broth, vegetables, seasonings, and lean protein like legumes or chicken breast, served with whole grain breadStir-fries: lean protein like chicken breast or shrimp, plus vegetables, seasonings, and brown rice or soba noodlesEgg white scrambles: made with veggies, low fat cheese, seasonings, and high fiber carbs like whole grain toast or potatoes
Foods to Avoid on the Body Reset Diet
As the Body Reset Diet involves a specific meal plan with recipes, there isn’t much room for deviation. You should always avoid these foods during the diet’s first 15 days: full fat milk, yogurt, and cheesehighly processed or fried foodswhite breads, pastas, and other refined grainssoda and other sugary beveragesalcoholPasternak’s rationale is that full fat dairy and processed foods are high in saturated fats, which have long been seen as unhealthy. However, some scientific evidence suggests that the fats in full fat dairy don’t harm heart health - and may even promote it (24).Refined grains are banned because they rank high on the glycemic index (GI), a measure of how quickly blood sugar rises in response to food (25). Furthermore, alcohol isn’t allowed until after the first 15 days, as it’s high in calories. Pasternak also suggests that it decreases your ability to burn fat, and that intoxication may lead to poor food choices.
Other 5-Day Reset Diet Approaches
While the Body Reset Diet provides a structured framework, other 5-day reset diet plans focus on different strategies. Here are a few examples:
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
The Pouch Reset Diet
A pouch reset diet is a temporary eating plan that resets your stomach pouch or sleeve to its post-surgery size and function. The reset diet mimics the early post-operative diet stages. It allows your stomach to rest and reminds you of proper eating habits.
- Day 1: Focus on clear liquids. This allows your stomach to rest while keeping you hydrated. Sip your liquids slowly throughout the day, aiming for small, frequent amounts. Avoid sugary or caffeinated drinks, which can irritate your stomach lining.
- Day 2: Introduces thick liquids to your diet. This provides more substance while still being gentle on your stomach. Choose protein shakes that are low in sugar and high in quality protein, and aim for at least 20 grams of protein per shake. They're also lactose free, making them easier to digest for many patients.
- Day 3: Transition to soft solids. Suitable foods include scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, soft cooked vegetables, and mashed legumes. Start with small portions, about 1/4 cup at a time. Chew each bite thoroughly until it's a pureed consistency before swallowing.
- Day 4: Include lean proteins like chicken, fish, or tofu, along with well-cooked vegetables. Cut your food into small, bite-sized pieces, no larger than a dime. Chew each bite thoroughly until it's nearly liquefied before swallowing. Start with 1/2 cup portions and stop eating when you feel comfortably full.
- Day 5: The final day of the pouch reset focuses on whole foods. Include a variety of lean proteins, vegetables, and small amounts of complex carbohydrates. Prioritize protein in your meals, aiming for at least 60-80 grams per day. Include a serving of non-starchy vegetables with each meal for fiber and essential vitamins.
Daily Harvest's 5-Day Jumpstart
Daily Harvest's 5-Day Jumpstart offers a curated selection of 14 plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy-free items designed to simplify healthy eating and help you establish lasting habits. This bundle includes a variety of meals such as Harvest Bowls, Bites, Smoothies, and Breakfast Bowls, providing balanced nutrition throughout the day.
Splendid Spoon's 5-Day Detox
The Splendid subscription offers access to our entire line of 50 different meals as well as select seasonal offerings. ALL Splendid Spoon products are always 100% plant based, free of gluten, free of dairy, free of artificial sugars, and designed by chefs and registered dietitians.Learn more about the Detox here. The Splendid Detox is based on strengthening your health through plant-rich whole food meals. The Detox is rooted in science that shows nutrients are best absorbed when consumed in whole-food format (rather than from supplements, powders and pills). Unlike other ‘fast mimicking’ cleanses and diets which require you to eat processed powders, shelf-stable snacks, or extremely low calorie raw-vegetable salads and juices, the Detox encourages you to focus more on a consistent 16:8 fasting schedule, with your 8 hour eating window chock full of delicious whole food meals in both raw and cooked form for optimum nutrient absorption. The Detox provides all the meals you need to eat during that intermittent fasting eating window of 8 hours, for a 5-day period. Individuals are of course able to supplement as they choose, based on individual health goals. This combination of intermittent fasting and whole-food meals is unique to Splendid Spoon, and targets gut and metabolic health by supporting more effective cellular cleanup through the fast, and enriching your body with complex carbohydrates, protein and fiber during the eating window. Also unlike other cleanses and detoxes on the market, Splendid does not offer blanket claims about which supplements to take during the Detox. All statements related to the Splendid Detox are for educational purposes only and are not meant to replace the advice of a healthcare provider. Each day, you will enjoy 6 eating moments: 1 warm breakfast, 4 Splendid meals (a variety of soups, smoothies, and dishes) and 1 shot. Your meals are mapped out on themenu sheet so you can keep everything organized in your fridge and freezer. The breakfast meal is intended to be your first meal, with the remaining 4 soups and smoothies enjoyed as you wish. Your final sip will be one of the Splendid shots. We have designed our menu around a 16:8 intermittent fasting schedule, meaning you will have 16 hours without food. All statements related to the Splendid Detox are for educational purposes only and are not meant to replace the advice of a healthcare provider.
goop's 5-Day Detox
As a refresher, this five-day cleanse is inspired by Dr. Alejandro Junger’s basic elimination diet, outlined in the Clean program. But what we really want to talk about is what we’ve got here: a guide full of delicious, nourishing breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks that, with a little planning and the help of your handy schedule and shopping list, should be simple to pull off. January is a good time to help our bodies catch up with detoxification-to give our detox organs a chance to rest and recover. One more important thing to keep in mind as you detox-possibly the best and worst buzz phrase of the 2010s-is self-care. That’s the spirit of this detox. We hope you feel inspired and empowered to take some extra time to cook yourself food you’ll love, soak in the tub, go for a walk, meditate, read a great book, do a face mask…just take time for you in some way. That also means: Do your own thing if it’s not feeling right. We set up a schedule of meals that we think is balanced and logistically sound, but if you still feel hungry after a meal, have some more so you feel satisfied and nourished. Our detox guide is not about deprivation, and it doesn’t have to be prescriptive. Let us know what you’re cooking, how you’re doing, and how you’re making it yours.
General Guidelines for a 5-Day Reset Diet
Regardless of the specific plan you choose, here are some general guidelines for a successful 5-day reset diet:
Read also: Weight Loss with Low-FODMAP
- Focus on whole, unprocessed foods: Prioritize fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.
- Eliminate or reduce processed foods, sugary drinks, and unhealthy fats: These can hinder your progress and contribute to cravings.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
- Listen to your body: Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. Don't starve yourself, but avoid overeating.
- Consider light exercise: Incorporate activities like walking, yoga, or stretching to support your body's natural detoxification processes.
- Plan your meals: Preparing a meal plan ahead of time can help you stay on track and avoid impulsive, unhealthy choices.
Sample Meal Plans and Recipe Ideas
Here are some ideas for meals and snacks that align with the principles of a 5-day reset diet:
Breakfast
- Omelet: Prepare a two-egg omelet with 1/4 cup spinach and 1 tablespoon feta cheese.
- Overnight Oats: Mix 1/2 cup oats with 1 tablespoon chia seeds and 1/4 cup almond milk.
- Pumpkin Spice and Greens Smoothie: This smoothie is creamy and spiced-reminiscent of pumpkin pie-but thanks to the spinach, almond butter, and pumpkin purée, it’s a filling, nutrient-dense on-the-go breakfast.
- Breakfast Broth: Starting the day with bone broth can feel so comforting, and making a base broth early in the week takes most of the work out of it. Before serving, all you have to do is fortify the broth with some incredibly flavorful mix-ins, like miso and turmeric, making it that much more satisfying. It may be called breakfast broth, but it’s also great to sip in the afternoons, so feel free to work it into your snack routine during your detox.
- Sweet Potato Two Ways: You can have it sweet and savory: We think the sweet potato tastes as delicious prepared with tahini, dates, and pepitas as it does topped with avocado, red onion, and cilantro. Baking the sweet potato the night before makes this quicker to prepare in the morning-warm it back up in the oven and finish with the toppings.
Lunch
- Crunchy Salad with Greener Goddess Dressing: Sure, a salad for detox doesn’t sound very original, but this one keeps it interesting. Start with super hydrating and crunchy veggies like cucumber, snap peas, and fennel; add in some protein; and finish with a garlicky, herby dressing. It’s simple but so not boring.
- Pesto Kelp Noodle Salad with Arugula: If you’re wary of kelp noodles, this recipe is a great place to start. They have almost no flavor, which really lets the pesto shine here. And they have a pleasant chewy texture that, along with the fresh arugula, is a nice foil to the richness of the sauce.
Dinner
- Roasted Veggies with Black Pepper Sauce: Black pepper chicken is one of GP’s favorite dishes (it was one of the first recipes she shared on goop), so we wanted to riff on it for this year’s detox. We eliminated the sugar in the sauce, letting the natural sweetness of the coconut aminos do the work, and simply served it over roasted vegetables.
- Grilled Shrimp Skewers: Skewer shrimp and grill.
- Vegetable Moo Shu: Ordering in is a good Friday night move, so naturally we had to do a takeout classic to close out the last night of detox. This veggie moo shu works for a couple of reasons: It uses up vegetables left over from earlier in the week, it comes together quickly, and it’s easy to clean up.
Snacks
- Edamame
- Air-popped popcorn
- Celery with peanut butter
- Whole wheat crackers with fat-free cheese
- Apple slices with deli turkey
- Dip Duo (Red Curry Almond Butter Dip and Greener Goddess Dip) Doing the goop five-day detox requires that you cook a lot, so we wanted to include plenty of recipes that can be used in multiple ways, with multiple meals. In addition to being delicious with crudités and seed crackers, this year’s dips also double as dressings and sauces to be used throughout the week.
- goop Gorp: Trail mix is only as good as the sum of its parts, which is why we packed this version with gems like pistachios, cherries, chocolate, cashews, and cardamom. Finishing with flaky sea salt makes the salty-sweet combination sing.
Who Can Benefit from a 5-Day Reset Diet?
A 5-day reset diet can be beneficial for individuals who:
- Want to kickstart a weight loss journey.
- Need to reset their eating habits after a period of indulgence (e.g., holidays, vacations).
- Want to reduce cravings for processed foods.
- Seek a structured approach to healthier eating.
- Desire to improve their overall well-being.
Important Considerations and Potential Risks
- Nutrient deficiencies: Restrictive diets can lead to inadequate intake of essential nutrients. Ensure you're consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods or consider consulting a healthcare professional about supplementation.
- Calorie restriction: Very low-calorie diets can slow metabolism and lead to muscle loss. It's important to consume enough calories to support your body's basic functions.
- Sustainability: Reset diets are not intended to be long-term solutions. Focus on incorporating the healthy habits you learn into your daily life for sustained results.
- Medical conditions: If you have any underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, consult your doctor before starting a reset diet.
- Eating disorders: Individuals with a history of eating disorders should avoid restrictive diets.
Transitioning After the Reset
The key to long-term success is how you transition back to your regular eating habits. Here are some tips:
- Gradually reintroduce foods: Avoid going back to your old eating patterns immediately. Slowly add back different food groups to see how your body responds.
- Maintain healthy habits: Continue to prioritize whole, unprocessed foods, stay hydrated, and engage in regular physical activity.
- Practice mindful eating: Pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues, and avoid eating mindlessly.
- Don't deprive yourself: Allow yourself occasional treats in moderation to prevent cravings and feelings of deprivation.