December 12, 2014

Nutrition Spotlight: Detox with Vegetables

There are many healthy foods that help clean out your system and restore balance to your body, in other words, detox, are you wanting more ways to detox your system? Here are five of the best veggies to eat when you need to reset your body, and some tips for delicious ways to prepare them. Including them in your day-to-day meals can be very beneficial as well. These greens are found in many of the ‘green juices’ and super smoothies from brands like Naked. Unfortunately, many of these pre-packaged juices have extra added sugar, according to MSN.

Beets: This brightly colored root veggie is filled with iron and zinc, among many other nutrients. It’s a flavorful root veggie to help flush out toxins. Toss roasted beets into your salad or serve them as a side dish with olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, and chopped pine nuts!

Brussels sprouts: These may not have been your childhood favorite, but they surely are amazing for your detox pathways! They’re also a member of the cruciferous family and are perfect to enjoy on any detox.

Artichokes: These veggies are loaded with silymarin, an antioxidant that helps your liver process toxins. Steam artichokes and eat them dipped into a flavored olive oil or a mixture of olive oil, sea salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and lemon zest.

Arugula: This peppery, leafy green is ideal for any detox. It’s great for removing toxins from your body and doesn’t need to be cooked! You can toss a handful of arugula into your salad, tacos, soups, and more.

The process of detoxifying dangerous substances such as pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, drug metabolites, exhaust, smoke, and soot, is carried out by specific enzymes in these organs. Science has shown that ingredients from particular healthy foods, along with metabolites formed in the body, work together to dispose of toxins.

Detoxification

Dr. Millie Lytle, ND, MPH, CNS of InVite® Health reports, “Above all, detox! The body has a natural process of detoxification daily. It’s one of the main functions of the liver to convert harmful chemicals to inert metabolites safe for excretion. Help the body get rid of harmful xenoestrogens by consuming foods with nutrients that eliminate harmful estrogen metabolites. This is important for women, men and children. Children are being exposed to chemicals and going through puberty earlier than ever before. For men, testosterone breaks down into estrogen – this is carcinogenic for the prostate and breasts. It also contributes to a fat belly. For women, safe estrogen is needed for strong bones, healthy libido, and comfortable sleep, but the synthetic estrogens also contribute to breast and ovarian cancer. Instead of synthetics, take estrogen metabolizers: flax seeds, sprouts and cabbage family vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, cabbage, kale, bokchoy). Prioritize daily bowel movements with fiber, because endocrine disruptors can be packaged up in dietary fiber and eliminated from our stool. When constipated, these toxic circulating hormones get reabsorbed into the blood stream. Increase fruits, veggies, whole grains, lemon water and a diet low in animal products to improve size and ease of bowel movements.”