10 Best Natural Detox Foods
Here are our 10 picks for the foods that can make for the best all natural detox.
Each of us has a different opinion when it comes to what makes a good natural detox.
Some say we just need to drink more water. Others say we should eat less sugar and processed foods. Then there are those who say drinking less alcohol will do the trick.
They’re not wrong. These are effective ways to rejuvenate our bodies. But if you ask us, they don’t sound all that easy.
Just take cutting back on sugar and processed foods. It’ll be great if you pull it off, but it involves what could be a pretty drastic change to the way you normally eat. Anybody who’s trying to lose weight will be the first to tell you that’s easier said than done.
Instead of making a major change to how you eat just so you can have a natural detox, why not add natural detox foods to your diet?
Healthy, tasty and most probably available at your nearest grocery store at affordable prices, these foods are packed with all kinds of nutrients that can help your body detoxify itself naturally. All you have to do to enjoy these foods as an all-natural detox is to add them to your diet—making them arguably the best natural detox there is.
To help you get started on your journey of healing your body from the ravages brought on by toxins, here are 10 of what we trust are the best natural detox foods.
Spinach
Spinach is a green and leafy vegetable that, just like any other vegetable, has hardly any calories but is rich in vitamins, like:
- Vitamin A, which is good for your sight, growth and immunity
- Vitamin C, which helps protect your cells from free radicals
- Vitamin E, which helps keep your blood, brain and skin healthy
- Vitamin K, which is necessary for normal blood clotting
- Vitamin B1, or thiamin, which is essential for glucose metabolism and healthy nerve, muscle and heart functions
- Folate, which is important in red blood cell formation and for healthy cell growth and function
- Magnesium, which helps keep your blood pressure normal, your bones strong and your heart rhythm steady
- Iron, which helps transport oxygen throughout your body
- Calcium, which you need to build and maintain healthy bones and teeth
Spinach also contains compounds called flavonoids that help keep you healthy by acting as antioxidants, which help fight off infectious cells, like cancer.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a green vegetable that looks just like a miniature tree. Aside from vitamin C and vitamin K, it’s rich in sulforaphane, a sulfur-rich compound that helps your body keep infectious cells at bay and boosts liver function.
You might be surprised to know that sulfur is good for you, but it actually has many health benefits. Not only does it help protect cells from damage, it also builds and repairs DNA.
To get the most out of eating broccoli, it ought to be steamed or stir-fried instead of boiled. Doing so preserves it.
Blueberries
Blueberries are fruits considered as powerful healing plants for their impact on health.
To begin with, blueberries contain a natural aspirin that helps lessen the damaging effects of chronic inflammation. They also help prevent urinary tract infection and keep toxins from reaching the brain.
Blueberries can be consumed raw or as jam, jelly, juice and even wine.
Avocado
Say what you will about millennials and avocado on toast, but the fruit is great for keeping healthy.
Considered as “nutrient-dense” fruits, avocados are packed with vitamins, including several B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K and potassium, which helps manage blood pressure by helping your body remove sodium.
Avocados can be served raw, as a dip called guacamole, a spread or soup.
Grapefruit
The grapefruit looks just like an orange on the outside, but its flesh is usually bright red. Just like the avocado, it’s loaded with nutrients, like:
- Vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, which helps break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates
- Biotin, which helps keep your eyes, hair, skin, liver and nervous system healthy
- Potassium
- Vitamins A, C and B1
The grapefruit also contains fiber, which isn’t only necessary in regulating digestion, but helps prevent certain diseases.
Kale
Like spinach, kale is also a green and leafy vegetable, except it has a distinctly earthy taste.
Since it’s rich in amino acids, kale is great for staying healthy. It lets your mind stay sharp and your cholesterol manageable. It’s also high in magnesium and potassium, which helps with blood pressure management.
Kale can be served as chips or as an ingredient in certain dishes.
Celery
Celery is a green vegetable with thick, juicy, ribbed stalks and parsley-like leaves. It’s most commonly used as a herb, but it’s also an excellent blood cleanser for being full of anti-inflammatory substances. It’s so effective that even celery seeds, which are turned into powder and used as a spice, also have the same effect.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a green vegetable that bears shoots ending in pointy, feather-like clusters.
Not only is it a good source of fiber and vitamins, A, C, E and K, it contains the antioxidant glutathione and folate, or vitamin B-9, which is important in the formation of red blood cells and for the healthy growth and function of cells.
Asparagus is best served boiled then tossed into a salad or some pasta or with just a squeeze of lemon.
Legumes
Legumes are basically the edible seeds of certain plants. Examples include peanuts, soybeans, chickpeas and lentils. They’re full of fiber, which helps cleanse the intestines, lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels. They also contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Beets
Referred to as beetroot in British English, beets are vegetables that grow a round, reddish-purple bulb with green leaves. They’re high in antioxidants and rich in more than a few nutrients, such as betaine, which helps your liver rid itself of toxins, as well as a fiber called pectin that clears those toxins.
Beets can be eaten raw, boiled or roasted and either alone or mixed into a salad.
References
- “9 Foods to Naturally Detox” by McKay Gorse for Patient First
- “15 Best Foods for Detoxing Your Body,” EcoWatch
- Mayo Clinic
- Medical News Today
- WebMD
- Healthline
- How to Cook Asparagus,” Love and Lemons
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