What pops up when you hear the word “detox?” For many, juice fasts, cleanses, and restrictive diets come to mind. But real detox isn’t complicated or a quick fix. It’s a natural bodily process.
Your body has a built-in detoxification system. Your liver, kidneys, digestive tract, lungs, skin, and lymphatic system escort toxins and waste from your body every day. And the foods you eat can either enhance this process or make your detox organs work harder.
Foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants flood your body with nutrients. This leaves you better equipped to detox effectively. On the flip side, fast food, processed foods, and high-sugar foods can harm your detox organs.
So what foods are good for detox? Here are 10 of the best detox foods to add to your diet, along with healthy recipes for each.
1 – Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are detox superstars. They’re rich in sulfur-containing compounds like sulforaphane and DIM that promote detox.
Sulforaphane is best known for its anti-cancer properties. It boosts enzymes that help your liver remove toxins. DIM helps your body detox excess estrogen to keep your hormones in balance. Cruciferous veggies are also high in fiber, which helps your colon remove toxins via your poop.
Recipes
- Broccoli Salad
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar & Honey
- Creamy Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
2 – Dark leafy greens
Dark leafy greens like spinach, chard, collard greens, and kale are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They get their vibrant hue from chlorophyll, a plant pigment with anti-inflammatory properties. Research suggests chlorophyll may improve the liver’s ability to excrete harmful toxins.
Recipes
3 – Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits like lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit are best known for their high vitamin C content. Vitamin C supports your immune system to help keep colds and other bugs at bay. Citrus fruits are also rich in flavonoids, which reduce inflammation and promote liver detox. Plus, they’re alkaline-forming, meaning they help balance your body’s internal pH.
Recipes
4 – Garlic & onions
Garlic and onion get their pungent smell from sulfur-containing compounds like allicin. And according to research, allicin may increase glutathione levels. Glutathione is known as the ‘master antioxidant’ for good reason. It protects your cells from free radicals and helps your liver remove toxins.
Recipes
5 – Green tea
One easy way to help your body detox is to sip a cup of green tea. Green tea is packed with catechins, a type of antioxidants that boost detox enzymes. While green tea contains many catechins, the most abundant one is epigallocatechin gallate – or EGCG for short. EGCG boasts anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and even anti-cancer effects.
Recipes
6 – Turmeric
You may know turmeric as the golden spice that gives curry its vivid color. But turmeric also comes with powerful health benefits. It contains curcumin, a compound with potent anti-inflammatory effects.
Curcumin offers a slew of health benefits. It protects your brain and heart, relieves pain, eases depression, and may even help prevent cancer. Turmeric also supports detoxification. It stimulates bile flow, which helps your liver excrete toxins and other waste.
Recipes
7 – Blueberries
Blueberries may be small, but their nutritional powers are mighty. They’re one of the richest sources of antioxidants on the planet. Their deep blue hue comes from anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can lead to disease.
Blueberries also benefit your gut health, thanks to their high fiber content. Fiber helps keep your digestive tract moving to support the elimination of toxins.
Recipes
8 – Beetroot
Beets are an excellent food to kickstart your liver. Their vibrant tint comes from betalains, plant pigments with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. These ruby roots are rich in betaine too, a nutrient that prevents fatty build-up in the liver to support detox.
Beets are also high in nitrates, which your body converts into nitric oxide. This substance relaxes your blood vessels. This can, in turn, improve blood flow and help lower blood pressure.
Recipes
9 – Fermented foods
A healthy gut is essential for detoxification. And fermented foods are one of the best ways to support your gut health. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and miso are rich in probiotics. These friendly microbes reduce inflammation, help your body absorb nutrients, and keep bad bacteria in check.
And when your microbiome is balanced, it’s easier for your digestive system to eliminate toxins. To keep your gut in tip-top shape, aim for 1-2 servings of fermented foods every day.
Recipes
10 – Flaxseed
Flaxseeds are an excellent source of prebiotics, a type of fiber that feeds your beneficial gut bacteria. While probiotics replenish gut bacteria, prebiotics are what help them thrive.
The high fiber content in flax also supports bowel regularity, so your body can remove toxins effectively. Flaxseeds are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids like alpha lipoic acid (ALA), which helps lower inflammation. Plus, they’re one of the best sources of lignans, compounds that help your body metabolize estrogen.
That said, whole flaxseeds can be difficult to digest. So it’s best to consume ground flax instead.
Recipes
Detox Your Body & Kickstart a Healthy New Lifestyle with Anchored in Health in Orland Park, IL
Eating more of the foods we’ve covered is a great start to support detoxification. However, if you’re feeling sluggish and want a full-body detox, we’re here to help.
At Anchored in Health, we offer the Shape ReClaimed program, which helps:
- Cleanse your body of toxins
- Balance your metabolism
- Cement healthy new eating habits
Whether you’re struggling with your weight or simply feel lost on how to make healthy eating habits stick, Shape ReClaimed can help.
So if you live in the Chicago area and are ready to kickstart your healthy new lifestyle, follow these steps:
- Contact us with questions.
- Schedule your first Shape ReClaimed appointment with our holistic doctor.
- Experience how this weight loss and lifestyle restoration program can change your health for the better.
Other Wellness Services We Offer at Anchored at Health in Orland Park, IL
Our goal is to help you live your healthiest life. That’s why we offer a variety of services to help you feel your best. This includes chiropractic care, functional medicine, massage therapy, and acupuncture. We even offer holistic assessments like thermography and genetic testing.
Contact us to find out how we can help you achieve your health goals. Visit our blog for more helpful tips.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4488002/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3048776/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7788866/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9524541/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19048328/
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070810194923.htm
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5613902/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10302777/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6316347/
- https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/a-2013-2966
