Wednesday, November 28, 2007

How To Detox with a Natural Detox Diet

These top ten detox foods can help provide some great ideas on how to detox your body - they provide some of the best all round nutrients for a total body detox, and can easily be incorporated into a free detox diet plan. You can include them in part of a raw food detox diet, or juice them for some great tasting detox drinks.

When buying fruit and vegetables, organic produce is always better for you that non organic if your budget can stretch that far. If not, non organic will be OK, as these foods can be used for a very healthy 7 day detox program and as part of your ongoing detoxification regime.

1. The Power of Apples

Did you know that scientists in the Ukraine used apples to help clean and purify the area of Chernobyl when they had that catastrophic disaster back in 1986? That says something about the detox power of apples. Their power comes from high levels of vitamin C and quercetin, which is an antioxidant that helps reduce levels of bad cholesterol.

They also contain pectin - a fiber that is also found in citrus fruits, beets and berries. Pectin binds to heavy metals (like lead and mercury) in the colon and helps eliminate them from your body. It also helps your body excrete food additives and toxins, including tartrazine, which has been linked to conditions such as hyperactivity, migraine and asthma, particularly in children.

2. Avocados - My Favorite

Apart from anything else I think avos taste great - the fact that they are good for you is even better. Avocados contain a nutrient called gluthathione, which is a powerful antioxidant. It combines with fat soluble toxins, particularly alcohol, and makes them water soluble.

The natural levels of gluthathione in our bodies decrease as we get older, which is one reason why hangovers get worse as we age. Studies of "older people" have shown that those who had higher levels of glutathione were healthier than those with lower levels. The higher level group were also less likely to suffer from arthritis, which many experts believe is a condition aggravated by excess toxicity in our bodies.

3. A Liver Detox with Artichokes

Artichokes are known to increase bile production. One of the roles of bile is to transport toxins to the bowel where they can be excreted. Recent studies have shown that eating artichokes can increase bile production by up to 127% (100% is the same as doubling) within 30 minutes of eating it.

Artichokes are also full of antioxidant nutrients, and play an important role in liver detox. Studies in Germany have shown that liver damage, caused by free radicals, is dramatically reduced when artichoke extracts are present within the body.

4. Beetroot

Beetroot is another fat-free vegetable, with very low calorific content and very high fiber content. Throughout Europe, beetroot is seen as a powerful anti-carcinogen, and can help increase the amount of oxygen our bodies can absorb by up to 400%.

The use of beetroot for health benefits dates back several thousand years - it was used in ancient Rome as a blood purifying tonic for a total body detox. It also has some chelation properties by binding with heavy metals.

5. Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous Vegetables are a powerful group of plants that offer powerful cancer fighting benefits. Many studies have shown that these vegetables contain a phytochemical compound called isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates encourage our bodies to attack and destroy many carcinogenic compounds. They do this by preventing normal healthy cells from transforming into cancerous cells.

These vegetables contain a nutrient called glucosinolates, which help the liver to produce vital enzymes.


About the Author
Clare Denton manages a total body detox site and shows people how to detox their body with simple tips for recipes for detox diets. You can easily detox your body with raw foods from your local supermarket. Body Detox Tips

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