Many people don’t realize that you don’t have to pay hundreds of dollars for an expensive premade juice fast or fancy detox program. Many foods that you can find at any grocery store will help boost your body’s ability to detoxify itself. Check out this list of our favorite cleansing foods!
1. Beets
Beets are very nutritious– they are full of iron, magnesium, zinc, calcium, betaine, B vitamins and antioxidants, all of which promote optimal detoxification and elimination. and they help detoxify the liver. Betalains, which give beets their deep color, are especially supportive of phase 2 liver detoxification. Betalains in beets aren’t heat-stable, so to get the most detox benefits, eat them raw. Enjoy them grated on salad or juiced with other detoxifying ingredients.
2. Apples
Apples contain insoluble fiber which soaks up toxins and waste and helps move them through the intestines. Apples also have glucaric acid, which can help rid the body of estrogenic chemicals and heavy metals. Phlorizidin is a flavonoid found in apples which helps stimulate bile production; since the liver eliminates some toxins though bile, this is another helpful compound for detox.
3. Garlic
Garlic is a truly a superfood. It can do everything from helping to lower cholesterol to protecting from cancer. Its detoxing properties come from sulfur-containing compounds that increase production of glutathione, which is needed to eliminate some toxins. Garlic also fights harmful forms of bacteria and yeast.
4. Blueberries
Blueberries’ antioxidant pigments called anthocyanins protect cells from free radicals, enhance glutathione production (which is important for detoxing, as mentioned above), and guard against many other conditions.
5. Lemon
Lemons contain a compound called D-Limonene that can improve digestion, acid reflux, and a sluggish bowel. It can help cleanse and detoxify by clearing cholesterol in the gall bladder and aiding liver detoxification enzymes. Furthermore, it increases bile production and controls bile flow so that it does not damage your gastrointestinal tract.
6. Cabbage
…and all other cruciferous vegetables. Cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and broccoli also have detoxifying properties. Sulfur compounds in cruciferous veggies like cabbage stimulate enzymes that detoxify carcinogens before they cause damage. Like the other suggestions on our list, eating these veggies raw preserves most of their beneficial compounds.