Summer is now here and that means sometimes we over indulge! In this post, we look at wellness for your body and how we can indulge but then detoxify your body! Plenty of deliciously satisfying foods have surprising detox-friendly properties that will help you boost your energy levels and cleanse your body at the same time. The list of foods below is not only healthy and delicious, but should help your body rid itself of any impurities or toxins.
Apples
An apple a day keeps the doctor away? It just might. You get fiber, vitamins, minerals and many beneficial phytochemicals such as D-Glucarate, flavonoids and terpenoids. The soluble fiber, pectin, helps prevent plaque buildup in blood vessels and can help detox metals and food additives from your body while the insoluble fiber, cellulose, helps the digestive system move waste quickly through the intestinal tract by adding bulk.
Artichoke
Artichokes are both very tasty and incredibly healthy. Artichokes have two powerful ways which they help detox the body. Sylymarin, a powerful antioxidant, boosts liver function by stimulating cell regeneration and scavenging for free radicals. It also helps the liver cope with big toxic loads. Cynarin, a caffeoylquinic acid found primarily in the leaves. Cynarin promotes the liver's bile production, which in turn helps break down fatty foods.
Beetroot
Not only is beetroot great for skin, hair and cholesterol levels, but it can also help support liver detoxification, making it a great detox food. Beets are full of vitamins B6, B3, C and beta-carotene. They are a good source of iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium all necessary to promote detoxification and waste elimination. Beets are also good for your gallbladder and liver helping to break down and remove toxins. Lastly the fiber in beetroot helps to improve digestion and eliminate bodily waste.
Broccoli Sprouts
Broccoli sprouts are an exceptional source of sulforaphane, but the surprising thing is that there’s none actually in the vegetable until you release it by chewing, chopping, cooking, or digesting it. Sulforaphane works as a potent catalyst to boost Phase 2 enzymes in the body. These detoxification enzymes trigger ongoing antioxidant action for at least 72 hours. As a result, the indirect antioxidant activity of sulforaphane lasts significantly longer than that of direct antioxidants, such as vitamins C, E and beta carotene, although it also boosts the regeneration of the active forms of these vitamins. Broccoli sprouts can actually provide more benefit than regular broccoli as they contain 20 times more sulfurophane. Add these to your salads and get creative with them in your meals.
Dandelions
Dandelion leaves and roots can be used to cleanse the liver. Dandelion is a natural diuretic that helps remove excess toxins and water from your blood and supports your liver function. They're a rich source of minerals and provide a variety of phytonutrients and are super antioxidants. Try adding dandelion leaves to your salad.
Flaxseed
Flaxseeds contain alpha-linolenic acid, a heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid that appears to improve how the body uses insulin, the hormone that clears sugar from the bloodstream. They also have soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps the body’s detoxification by promoting bowel regularity and helping the body to eliminate excess toxins, cholesterol and waste. Ground flaxseeds provide a wonderful source of fibre that helps to bind and flush toxins from the intestinal tract. Flaxseeds are also an excellent source of manganese.
Garlic
Garlic contains high amounts of vitamin C, which supports your immune system and your liver. It also contains antioxidants, which help fight the free radicals in your bloodstream that are responsible for some of the effects of aging, as well as being linked to certain kinds of cancer and heart disease. It's a powerful antiviral, antiseptic and antibiotic. Ridding your body of these pathogenic microbes can reduce endogenous (made by your body) toxins. The vital sulphuric compounds garlic contains makes it an essential detoxifier.
Lemons
Besides smelling wonderful this fruit stimulates the release of enzymes and helps convert toxins into a water-soluble form that can be easily excreted from the body. A glass of lemon water, first thing in the morning will help to balance out the acidity of foods we've consumed.
Sea Vegetables
Often known as seaweeds, this amazing group of ocean plants includes around 10,000 diverse species from around the globe. They are full of vitamins such as A, C, E and the B complex, including B12. They contain crucial minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, iodine and trace minerals as well as other powerful health-promoting nutrients, enzymes and compounds. Sea Vegetables house powerful antioxidants that help to alkalize the blood and strengthen the digestive tract. The algin in seaweeds absorb toxins from the digestive tract in much the same way a water softener removes the hardness from tap water.
Turmeric
Curcumin is the active ingredient in the spice turmeric. It gives it its yellow color and may provide an inexpensive, well-tolerated, and effective treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. Curcumin is used a lot in Ayurvedic Medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent to treat a wide variety of conditions, including flatulence, jaundice, menstrual difficulties, bloody urine, hemorrhage, toothache, bruises, chest pain, and colic.
