Modern lifestyle sometimes turns into a real challenge for our body: most of us suffer from constant stress, bad ecology, and poor nutrition. To support health in these conditions, you need to regularly get rid of toxins – the by-products of this lifestyle. Even one detox day will help to cleanse everything superfluous and adjust the digestive system, improve the condition of skin, hair, and nails, and as a pleasant bonus from such unloading – to shed some unwanted pounds.
Nutrition as detox
We often hear and read about different detox programs, that use extreme gut cleansing, mostly based on taking excessive doses of laxatives: magnesium hydroxide, rhubarb, Cascara Sagrada or senna herb, for example.
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Let me make myself clear, I am not against careful detox programs, which are supervised by a doctor or qualified nutritionist. But we all need to be careful with taking certain supplements and herbs, and especially careful if the dosage is obviously excessive.
For example, regular use of senna and Cascara Sagrada can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance in the body. These are some of the most powerful laxatives in nature that should be only used for a short period of time: for example, to ease constipation or before medical procedures. When you use them regularly, your intestines get kind of an addiction: once you quit taking them, constipation begins. This is the perfect excuse for a new detox program.
So, isn´t it better to eat certain food so that your body does not accumulate harmful substances?
If you eat food that keeps the liver and kidneys working and avoids the one that creates stressful conditions for these organs, you already doing your daily personal detox.
For example, to keep your liver healthy, avoid large amounts of polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acids derived from canned foods and foods that have been processed (such as rapeseed oil and fries). It is better to get these trace elements from fish, meat, seeds, and nuts.
It would be great if you could also reduce fructose and sugar in the diet, limiting alcohol consumption and eating more yolks that contain the necessary choline liver. To improve kidney function, it is worth giving up high fructose corn syrup.
Let “Nutrition as a detox” become our healthy motto for 2020! And in today´s post, I will list 15 best detox foods to add to your diet. If you incorporate these detox foods and herbs into your daily diet, you could really benefit from the healthy body detox.
1. Celery
Celery helps to restore the pH-balance of the body and to neutralize the high acidity, which, among other things, has a beneficial effect on fertility. Celery juice restores electrolyte levels in the blood, it lowers blood cholesterol levels, blood pressure and in this sense will be an excellent alternative to medicines.
It also soothes the nervous system and has a good effect on kidney function. One of the important properties of celery is that it reduces the body’s need and craving for heavy and sweet food.
Celery Recipes
2. Grapefruit
If your main goal is to lose weight, you can’t do without grapefruit – it’s famous for its ability to kick-start the fat burning process. It’s worth eating half a grapefruit half an hour before a meal. It helps to suppress your appetite, which means that at lunch or dinner, you will eat a little less, which will significantly affect your weight. You’ll eat less, but you won’t dream of french fries.
In addition, this fruit is ideal as a preventive agent against diabetes, cancer and for lowering blood cholesterol levels.
All the benefits of grapefruit will also be appreciated by those who suffer from stomach ulcers or gum problems.
Grapefruit Recipes
3. Cabbage
Cabbage is known for a long time, but it was only recently included in the mandatory list of detox products, immediately becoming a hit.
It contains so many antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that it can qualitatively accelerate metabolism, protect the body from diseases and purify it from toxins and slags.
In addition, cabbage perfectly “washes” the kidneys, and thus restores the health of one of the main organs involved in detox.
Cabbage diet assumes you stop consuming processed food at all. Although the diet includes a variety of products, they are all simple and easy to find. The purpose of the cabbage diet is to detoxify the body, but it is also a diet for weight loss.
Cabbage Recipes
4. Ginger
Useful properties of ginger have been known since ancient times. This useful product contains vitamins C, B1, B2, A, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, sodium and potassium.
Also, ginger is famous for its medicinal properties, it is also called a natural antibiotic, because when used regularly, it helps to cleanse the body of harmful microorganisms, strengthen the immune system and even has a pain-relieving effect.
And, of course, ginger is an excellent product for detox, it not only stimulates digestion, but also helps eliminate toxins from sweat through the skin.
Ginger Recipes
5. Blueberry
Vegetables and fruits with a purple color are rich in flavonoids, they protect plants from damage and have the same effect on our body. Foods with a blue, burgundy and purple tint can block certain enzymes that cause inflammation, including cancer.
That is why blueberries are one of the best detox foods ever! They are most known for helping with eye deseases, they can also reduce the symptoms of glaucoma, and cataracts.
Blueberries are a great substitute for aspirin, because they have the strongest antiviral properties. These small berries can significantly reduce inflammation in the body and reduce pain. They are a natural antibiotic that can block bacterial pathogens in the urinary system.
Blueberry Recipes
6. Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the most accessible superfoods. It has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, being a natural antibiotic. Only in contrast to pharmacy antibiotics, turmeric improves digestion and helps restore healthy intestinal microflora. Curcumin in turmeric cleans liver and blood well, reduces cholesterol, and reduces craving for sweet and fat. Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-cancer properties.
I like to add turmeric to almost all hot dishes. You can sprinkle turmeric on top of baked vegetables, add it to soup, buckwheat, rice or quinoa. You can also add turmeric to freshly squeezed juices and smoothies.
Check out these immune-boosting shots with turmeric, that are so easy to make – just mix turmeric with orange juice, ginger or lemon juice.
It is recommended to combine turmeric with pepper or ginger, which greatly improves its digestibility and efficiency. You should not consume more than one teaspoon of turmeric every day, as it can have side effects if you eat large quantities of this spice.
Turmeric Recipes
7. Asparagus
Asparagus is rich in prebiotics and probiotics that keep the digestive tract running normally.
In addition to detoxification, the dietary fibers contained in the asparagus will help you get rid of excess fat.
Start your day with a fragrant breakfast of asparagus, lean meat and poached eggs.
8. Lemon
Morning should begin not with orange juice, coffee or tea, but with simple water and lemon – this will allow the body to start and improve digestion, cleanse the liver and neutralize acidity of some products. Another important property of such water is its beneficial effect on the pH level.
There are two ways to benefit from lemon detox drinks. The first involves the use of liquid as an alternative to diet – a kind of express diet (and very rigid).
The second involves replacing 1-2 meals with detox drinks or suppressing hunger when needed. Since the purpose of detox is not only to lose weight, but also to get rid of accumulated toxins, the second option seems to us the most optimal.
Lemon Detox Recipes
9. Apples
The English proverb about apples has some hard evidence. Apples do contain phytochemical compounds such as flavonoids, calcium D-glucarate and terpenoids. All these ingredients are indispensable for cleansing the body of toxins.
Florizin, a member of the flavonoid group, stimulates bile production and thus removes toxins from the liver.
Apples also contribute to the elimination of all kinds of additives and metals that come to us through ordinary food.
10. Avocado
Few fruits (and an avocado is a fruit) contain as many vitamins, minerals and trace elements as there are in an avocado.
So feel free to include it not only in your detox program, but also in a permanent menu: it blocks up to 30 carcinogens and effectively cleanses the liver.
Consuming avocado also brings in some “bonuses”: lower blood cholesterol levels, improved memory, normalized heart function, lower blood pressure, increased efficiency, stronger bones and immunity.
Avocado is an excellent source of plant-based protein.
Avocado Detox Recipes
11 .Cayenne pepper
This detox product should be used very carefully, because cayenne pepper is considered the most spicy and one of the most useful spices. It works quickly and efficiently, making our body work.
Cayenne pepper has an immediate stimulating effect and accelerates metabolism, it purifies blood and has a beneficial effect on the vascular system, preventing the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques.
Cayenne pepper is more aggressive to the body than black pepper. If black pepper can be added to your diet every day, you need to be more careful with cayenne pepper – it is easy to overdo it. Side effects of cayenne pepper include insomnia, irritability and digestive problems.
12. Pineapple
Pineapple helps our body get rid of toxins and fats faster, it improves digestion and helps to clear the blood from cholesterol. It contains many vitamins C, A and B, and most importantly, pineapple juice contains bromelain enzyme.
This natural enzyme destroys pathogenic bacteria, relieves spasms, helps relax muscles, and speeds up the process of digesting food.
13. Milk thistle
Milk thistle is one of the natural herbs, has an antioxidant effect and is usually used for detoxification and liver treatment.
Milk Thistle is considered to be beneficial for the liver, because it is a diuretic, painkiller and choleretic; it also can help your digestion – it promotes the formation of enzymes by increasing bile production, eliminating heartburn and soothing the mucous stomach.
As an antioxidant, milk thistle can be compared to vitamin E or vitamin C, which helps fight free radicals and slow down the aging process. Thistle contains high levels of lipophilic extracts in the seeds of this plant, which act as bioflavonoids – antioxidants that increase immunity and slow down oxidative stress.
Besides its many advantages, milk thistle is best known for its natural liver support and detoxification. Our liver works tirelessly to help us protect ourselves from the toxins present in our daily lives by acting like a filter and removing harmful substances from the body.
14. Beetroot
If lemon can be called a detox king, the beetroot is definitely the queen.
It contains a lot of pectins, which help to remove harmful substances from the body. In addition, the beetroot is rich in vitamin C and various minerals.
For example, beets contain lots of potassium, which is useful for muscle functions, and manganese, an indispensable element for the health of bones, liver and kidneys. It also contains iodine, magnesium salts and chlorine, which is good for cleaning the liver, kidneys and gallbladder.
Beetroot Recipes
15. Garlic
Garlic can be safely added to most dishes. In addition to its indispensable quality to help the heart, it also activates the production of liver enzymes, helping the body to “filter out” toxins and other harmful substances.
One garlic clove contains more than 400 useful components. They clean blood vessels, reduce blood cholesterol levels and kill cells of multiform glioblastoma, which provoke cancer.
In fact, garlic is so powerful, it can destroy the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, considered to be the cause of gastritis and stomach ulcers. Garlic has an anti-glystic effect and kills diphtheria and tuberculosis bacillus.
If you are worried about your breath smell after consuming fresh garlic, try garlic powder supplements, that leave absolutely no bad aftertaste and smell.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice; the content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Talk to your doctor to determine if taking bentonite clay is safe for you.
