There are many different techniques to follow when it comes to detoxifying your body. One of the most effective techniques is to eat detox foods. By this I mean eating the foods which contain nutrients that are needed by the detox system for it to work efficiently. All sort of things like genetics, poor diet choices, poor digestion and stress can contribute to nutrient deficiencies and cause less than optimal detox function.
Making sure your diet contains these power detox foods will go some way in ensuring your detox pathways are working optimally. They will certainly give your health a boost.
7 Power Detox Foods For Better Health
1. Jerusalem artichokes
Jerusalem artichokes are rich in prebiotic inulin, which helps to promote the development of probiotics (good bacteria) in the gut. In an article published by Medical News Today, it has referred to inulin as a prebiotic fiber that comes with many powerful health benefits. As stated in the article,
Your gut bacteria convert inulin and other prebiotics into short-chain fatty acids, which nourish colon cells and provide various other health benefits.
By improving your gut health, the load on your liver’s detoxifying role will be decreased as it won’t have to process toxins coming from the gut and can concentrate on processing toxins that are brought to it by the lymph system.
2. Lemons
Lemons have long been involved in detox programs as the lemon detox drink. Lemons are rich in Vitamin C which helps elevate glutathione, a compound that the liver uses to detox toxic chemicals.
The lemon rind contains d-limonene which increases liver detox enzymes so it’s always good to include some in any lemon detox drinks you make. Just make sure you use organic lemons. You don’t want to be adding possible pesticides that remain on the skin.
3. Brussels Sprouts
Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, are all rich in flavonoids and carbinols which greatly improve the functioning of the liver. They are rich too in fiber which is good for the digestive system. These vegetables help to promote gut health, liver health, and kidney health by aiding with excretion in your bowel movements.
By eating these fiber-rich veggies, you are promoting regular bowel movements, which also allows for the regular removal of wastes and toxins from your body. Jaclyn London, a senior dietician at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital has further stated that:
These cruciferous vegetables contain the phytochemical sulforaphane, which studies suggest may keep pre-carcinogenic cells from negatively impacting other cells in the body—thus supporting the health of all your organs.
Avoid these sulfur containing foods if you have a sulfur sensitivity or an overgrowth of hydrogen sulfide producing bacteria in the gut. See note below Garlic.
4. Garlic
Garlic is nature’s best medicine. It’s a source of sulfur so it’s not surprising why it’s one of the best detoxifying foods on the planet. Garlic helps to supply the liver with sulfur which is needed by the sulfation detoxification enzymes. This system is important for detoxifying several drugs, food additives and especially toxins from the intestines and the environment. Adding sliced or cooked garlic to any dish can help your detox diet.
You can read more science backed info in this article about the Health Benefits Of Garlic.
Note: If you have a sulfur sensitivity then you should avoid garlic and other foods that are high in sulfur. This may be due to bacteria in the gut which produce hydrogen sulfide. People with gut problems such as SIBO ( small intestine bacterial overgrowth) that has not responded to the usual treatment may have this problem although the bacteria may be in the colon and not the small intestine.
5. Seeds and Nuts
Adding easily digestible seeds and nuts to your diet is also another effective way to detoxify. Pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, almonds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds are some of the best nuts and seeds to eat for detox. They contain a number of antioxidants which are needed by the detox system to mop up free radicals created as part of the detox process.
Nuts are a good source of arginine, which the liver uses to remove ammonia.
Just remember to avoid eating nut butter with sugar when detoxifying. I’d also avoid peanuts and peanut butter because of the danger of mycotoxins that peanuts can harbor.
6. Beets
You either love them or hate them but beets contain a number of antioxidants and nutrients that are cleansing and detoxifying. One important nutrient is betaine which stimulates the production of bile, the substance produced by the liver for the elimination of toxins from the body. Another is betalain which stimulates the activity of the liver detox enzyme glutathione-S-transferase. This high-antioxidant vegetable contains the minerals magnesium, iron and zinc which are all needed for the function of the detox system.
Related reading: How to use Superfood Beets for Liver Detox
7. Kefir
Research suggests that a healthy microbiome (the variety of beneficial organisms living in your gut) is key to ensuring that your digestive system and your body functions at its best. The probiotics found in kefir, a fermented milk drink, can help to promote the overall health of your gut, allowing your body to process food more easily and pass out waste which contains toxins that have been processed by the liver.
If the waste stays in the gut too long chemical toxins can be released by gut bacteria and be absorbed back into the circulation where they will end up in the liver again. This uses up valuable detox nutrients. Best to get them out of your body as quickly as possible.
Kefir contains a larger number of different types of healthy bacteria compared with yogurt and possesses strong antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor properties. It contains many nutrients that are needed for the liver’s detox system so can be considered a good detox food. You can read more about kefir in this article.
Want to know more about detox? Check out my 14 Day Recharge and Energize Detox Plan
Lemons and garlic image by Good Free Photos
