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Best 15 Foods for Detoxification (#8 Is a Surprise!)
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No matter how healthy you might try to eat, even if you grow your own food and drink pure clean water, unless you live alone on a mountaintop, you cannot escape exposure to toxins. Air pollution, plastics, polymers, water pollution, and soil pollution can lead to toxic levels in our bodies.
Although our bodies do a great job of removing toxins, they were never designed to handle the load that we are exposed to in our modern day lives. You should try to detox on a regular basis; otherwise, you might experience symptoms such as inflammation, sinus problems, digestive problems, chronic fatigue, headaches, acne, rashes, and periods of extreme weakness.
Detox is all about cleansing and nourishing the body by allowing it time to rest. By doing so, we protect the body from disease, maintain a natural balance, and encourage optimum health.
Detox is not like surgery, where you do it once and it’s finished. Detoxification is on ongoing process. You can take time out, eating specialized diets or liquids, or you can add some type of detoxifying food to your diet each and every day to help your liver remove toxins. Think of it like doing the laundry: many people find it easier to do a load every day or so, rather than trying to do all of it over the weekend.
Keep reading for 15 of the best foods that will help your body detox a bit more every day.
1. Seaweed
This is one of the most underrated vegetables in America today. Seaweed is eaten in many parts of the world, but Americans still haven’t caught on. McGill University in Canada conducted studies which showed that seaweed binds to radioactive waste in the body for removal. Contaminated water, soil, and especially fish (remember Fukushima?) can contain radioactive material as well as residue from medical tests. Seaweed is also perfect for binding to heavy metals in the body and then removing them through the bowels. It’s full of incredibly healthy vitamins and minerals. If you can’t stomach the thought of eating seaweed, it’s also available as a supplement.
2. Lemons
These are perhaps the best known food for detoxification. Lemons are full of antioxidants and vitamins, and are well known for being a powerful detoxification ingredient. This sunny yellow citrus fruit is loaded with vitamin C, which the body needs to make glutathione, which is vital in helping the liver detoxify the body. Although lemons are acidic, once inside the body they are alkaline, which will help to restore the body’s natural pH level. Lemons also help to energize the body and can help you fight some of the most annoying symptoms of toxic buildup. All you need is a squeeze of juice from half of an organic lemon in some water. Drink it every morning on an empty stomach.
3. Kale
Kale is king when it comes to vitamins and minerals, but did you know that it also has powerful antioxidant and anti-cancer compounds? It’s the powerful antioxidants and high fiber that helps to cleanse the body of toxins. Kale neutralizes many of the harmful compounds found in air pollution, such as cigarette smoke, and it stimulates the liver to produce more bile, which is the body’s natural cleansing enzyme.
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4. Beets
Along with lemons, beets are one of the most powerful foods ever when it comes to detoxifying the body. They contain high levels of pectin and betaine, which protect the liver as well as the digestive system. Pectin and betaine not only cleanse the body, but they stabilize the blood’s pH balance, which also helps with detoxification. Beets are also a great source of magnesium, iron, zinc, and calcium, all of which are important for detoxification. Be careful when buying beets, as many of them are now GMO products. You can consume beet juice, roast them for a different vegetable taste for dinnertime, or eat fresh slices in your soup or salad.
5. Cranberries
These tasty little berries are well known for cleansing the body of harmful bacteria, but did you know that they also clean out viruses from the body via the urinary tract? It’s true. All you need is 8 ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice each day to keep viruses and bacteria at bay. Unsweetened cranberry juice can be difficult to find. If that’s the case for you, buy frozen berries and squeeze them yourself! Of course, if you love cranberries, you can simply eat them just as they are!
6. Green Tea
This is one of the easiest and healthiest ways to detox the body. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants called catechins. They do a terrific job of removing free radicals from the body, and also improve liver function. Drink two or three cups of freshly brewed green tea each day for the best results. Be certain to avoid coffee or soft drinks during this time. Don’t waste your money on bottled greet tea, either, as it’s so highly processed that it contains little or no healthy catechins.
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7. Blueberries
This must be the sweetest way to detox ever! Blueberries contain a natural type of aspirin, which reduces the damage caused by inflammation. It can even lessen pain symptoms. Blueberries block bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract, preventing infections. They are loaded with powerful phytonutrients called proanthocyanidins, which help the body remove toxins and other foreign substances. Keep a bag of blueberries in your freezer so that you can enjoy your detox program any time of the year.
8. Avocados
Avocados contain a substance we talked about earlier: glutathione. Glutathione has the ability to block as many as 30 different types of carcinogens while helping the liver remove synthetic toxins. Scientists at the University of Michigan found that subjects who had high levels of glutathione in their bodies were much less likely to suffer from arthritis and other types of inflammatory conditions, and they were healthier subjects all around. Avocados are rich in vitamin K, which protects the liver from free radicals. They are also a good source of fiber, which helps the body remove waste via the colon. Always choose organic avocados. Try adding them to your sandwich and ditch the mayo!
9. Almonds
Almonds are truly a super snack: they are high in fiber, which removes toxins from the body via the colon, as well as calcium and magnesium, which removes impurities from the bowels while stabilizing blood sugar levels. Don’t overdo it, though. Almonds taste great, but all you need is one handful each day to get the benefits.
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10. Cabbage
This is a super affordable food that works hard to really cleanse the body. Cabbage contains sulfur compounds called glucosinolates, which make it a powerful detox food, since glucosinolates break down harmful and toxic chemicals like prescription drugs and pesticides. Cabbage also has high levels of vitamin C, although most people are not aware of this fact. Cabbage is loaded with fiber, so after it breaks down the toxins, it helps to expel them from the body. Use it any place that you would use lettuce, and add some to your vegetable smoothie. It can also give soups an interesting crunch.
11. Apples
Apples contain two different types of fiber: pectin, which is a soluble type of fiber that prevents plaque buildup in the arteries, and the insoluble fiber called cellulose, which adds bulk to the stool and helps the body remove waste more quickly through the intestinal tract. Eat two apples (of any variety) every day to power your body with super apple detox power.
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12. Garlic
Garlic has long been used to keep vampires away, as well as one of the most powerful detoxing agents on the planet. Garlic contains sulfur compounds that fight yeast and harmful bacteria in the digestive system. It also increases the production of glutathione in the body, which filters even more toxins from the intestines. Garlic must be crushed or chopped to release its super detoxing sulfur compounds. Slightly crush two cloves of organic garlic and swallow them whole each day, or add chopped, raw garlic to your salads, vegetable dishes, and entrees.
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13. Flax Seeds
Like apples, flax seeds contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which is important for the body to detoxify itself. Fiber encourages the body to remove toxins via the colon more quickly. Flax seeds are also loaded with healthy vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are important when it comes to supporting a healthy immune system, as well as maintaining proper function of the detoxing agents in your body. Flax seeds need to be ground to release their active ingredients. Grind whole flax seeds in your spice or coffee bean grinder, then add one tablespoon each day to yogurt, cereal, salads, or smoothies, or even just add some to a glass of water and drink it on an empty stomach.
SEE ALSO: Top 40 Foods that Cleanse and Detox the Body Naturally
14. Cauliflower
This underrated vegetable is high in glucosinolates, which you know by now helps with the detoxification process. Glucosinolates are broken down in your intestines into compounds called indole-3-carbinol and isothiocyanates, which regulate the body’s natural detoxification enzymes. Cauliflower contains tons of vitamin C, which supports both a healthy immune system as well as liver function. This super versatile vegetable helps to protect your liver from damage and fight free radicals. You can eat cauliflower raw in a salad, or lightly steamed in just about any entrée or dish. Try mashing lightly steamed cauliflower as a detox alternative to potatoes.
15. Ginger
This tasty herb is second only to garlic in its ability to detox the body. Ginger contains compounds called shogaols and gingerols, which speed up the movement of food through the body, helping it to remove toxins and wastes in the liver, colon, and gallbladder. Ginger is super supportive of healthy liver function, it makes a good detox tea and can help detoxify a fatty liver. Drink several cups of ginger tea each day. You can also try grating fresh ginger root in your salad dressings, or use it in other vegetable dishes for a detoxifying change of pace.
As well as adding these detox super foods to your diet, you will need to follow a healthy lifestyle and avoid stress. For the best detox possible, be sure that you are getting plenty of sleep, drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day, and getting a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day. It is also recommended that you get 30 minutes of sunshine and fresh air each day to optimize your vitamin D levels.
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