Traditional detox diets are faddish, extreme, and
usually don’t do much good. You can’t keep up with a diet like that over the
long term. Instead, try consuming foods every day that have detoxifying
properties. Add to that other cleansing lifestyle activities like getting
exercise, drinking plenty of clean water, and avoiding toxins, and you will
never need a drastic detox.
Lemons and Limes: Lemons and limes are powerful little citrus fruits. Packed
with vitamin C, a potent antioxidant, the fruits also help to restore the acid
and alkaline balance in your body. This makes it easier for your body to
naturally flush out toxins.
Cilantro: This controversial herb is a great way to eliminate heavy
metals from your body. Not everyone loves the flavor of cilantro, but compounds
in the leaves of the plant can bind to heavy metals like lead and mercury, and
flush them out of your body. If you love this herb, it is easy to add a handful
to your next green smoothie. If you can’t stand the taste, try parsley, which
has a lesser, but similar effect on the body.
Fennel: Fennel is a tasty root vegetable with a light licorice flavor.
Fennel is a diuretic, which means it flushes fluids out of the body, and has
anti-inflammatory properties. It also activates an antioxidant in the liver
called glutathione. This compound attaches to and removes damaging free
radicals. You can juice fennel for an easy smoothie additive.
Watermelon: This delicious and refreshing summer fruit is also a great
cleanser. In particular, watermelon helps to cleanse the liver and the kidneys.
It is a powerful hydrator thanks to the high amount of water. This fruit can
keep you hydrated while also flushing out toxins.
Ginger: Ginger is a fantastic smoothie additive for detoxing. It
promotes good digestion and helps to flush waste out of your system by pushing
foods through your digestive tract more quickly. Ginger also makes you feel
better when you have an upset stomach and has anti-
inflammatory
properties.
Dandelion Greens: These are not the most common greens that you will see in the
supermarket, but they are the best when it comes to cleansing. Compounds in
dandelion greens promote good liver and kidney function and help these organs
to better flush toxins from the body. Additionally, dandelion greens act like a
diuretic and have a slight laxative effect, further cleansing the body. Early
spring greens taste best, but later, more bitter greens can be hidden in
flavorful smoothies.
Green Tea: Tea is a great liquid for smoothies, especially if you are
detoxing. It has no calories, and if you use green tea, it will add lots of
antioxidants, including EGCG, which helps to protect the liver from toxin
damage. Green tea is also a diuretic, so it will help you produce urine and
pass more toxins from your body.
Kale: Kale provides the body
with fiber and chlorophyll, both of which support the body’s natural
detoxification efforts. Fiber binds with toxins and other undesirables in your
digestive tract and helps usher them out. Chlorophyll helps to remove heavy
metals and other toxins from the body. In order to successfully detox you need
to get the waste out.
Watercress: For a cleansing green that will not alter the flavor of your
smoothie to any great extent, try fresh watercress. This delicate green is a
powerful cleanser because it helps to improve circulation and oxygenate body
tissues. By increasing circulation, your body can more effectively flush out
toxins. As an added bonus, watercress improves the appearance of skin.
Arugula: This is another light green that you can easily pack into a
smoothie without adding much flavor. Arugula does have a little bit of a spicy
kick, but the taste is still mild if you add it to a flavorful, fruity
smoothie. Compounds in this green include those that help speed detoxification,
like indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane.
Wheatgrass: Long popular at juice bars, wheatgrass is young wheat and it
is believed to have potent detoxifying abilities. The only disadvantage to
using wheatgrass is that you need to juice it to get to the good stuff. The
cell walls in wheatgrass are sturdy, so juicing is needed to break them down
and to release the nutrients. If you have a juicer, a shot of wheatgrass juice
in a smoothie will give you a good
detox
kick.
Avocado: If you are detoxing to lose weight, you may feel like you need
to avoid fats. Healthy fats, however, are important for cleansing the body. The
monounsaturated fats in avocados help to release bile from the gall bladder and
this promotes the passing of toxins. Furthermore, the fats help your body to
absorb and use fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. Along with the fat,
avocados are also rich in fiber, which helps aid in digestion and the
elimination of toxins. In a smoothie, avocado adds a rich flavor and creamy
texture, and helps to keep you feeling full.
Cranberries: Cranberries help clear
toxins and plaque buildup from the body by cleansing the organs involved in
elimination and the lymphatic system. There’s even a popular cranberry juice
detox diet, which I don’t advise, as a testament to their cleansing prowess.
Apples: Apples are a good way to add sweetness and flavor to a
smoothie without adding too much sugar. In addition to their natural
sweeteners, apples are rich in pectin. This is a compound that absorbs toxins
and helps your digestive system sweep them out of the body. Another compound in
apples, glucaric acid, helps the body get rid of heavy metals and chemicals
that are similar to estrogen.
Yogurt: Yogurt is a popular ingredient in smoothies. It adds
creaminess and flavor, while also helping to give a smoothie the right texture.
Yogurt is rich in probiotics, the bacteria that your digestive system needs to
function properly. These little microbes aid your digestion and also help to
give your immune system a boost. Just make sure that you use plain yogurt. Flavored
yogurts have a lot of added sugar. If you also need more protein in your diet,
use Greek style yogurt.
Pineapple: Pineapple is a delicious fruit that adds a wonderful, sweet
flavor to smoothies. It also contains an enzyme, called bromelain, that helps
improve digestion and cleanses the colon. Just be careful when adding pineapple
to a smoothie with dairy products. The high acid content of the fruit can
curdle milk.
Spirulina & Chlorella: These potent green
superfoods have been shown to help detox heavy metals from the body. They bind
to and usher heavy metals out of the body through the process of chelation.
Spirulina and chlorella are also extremely nutritive.
Beets: The beet root is a delicious vegetable with a vibrant,
purple-red color. Although often used in stews, soups, or roasts, beets
actually work well with smoothies because they are naturally sweet. Beet juice,
in particular, is easy to add to a smoothie recipe. The compounds that give
beets their fantastic coloring are called betalains. Betalains have
anti-inflammatory properties and help repair cells, especially in the liver
where detoxification largely occurs. Beets also help to flush out the lymph
nodes.
You have a lot of options when it comes to adding
detox-friendly ingredients to your smoothies. Most of these either add a nice
flavor to a smoothie, or can be hidden by other, more flavorful ingredients.
There are other foods that you may not want to put
in a smoothie, but which can aid in detoxing your body. Try using these foods
in your meals that supplement your smoothie diet. They include garlic, onions,
sesame seeds, basil, artichokes, fennel, cabbage, broccoli, and collard greens.
Getting more vitamin V (variety), or consuming an array of healthy foods is
what this all boils down to.
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