You are meant to eat the broth not the vegetables (the vegetables get thrown away / composted at the end) - so that is why we have to simmer for so long - in order to get as much out of the vegetables as possible. During the detox - the aim is to give the digestive system a break - so that is why there are no solid foods - just nutrient dense liquids - so that the body gets maximum nutrition without having to work too hard to obtain it.