Super DeTox Foods

This informative blog entry was originally posted in February of 2007. I’m reposting it for my children. I apologise for not putting a link to the originator of the article.
Repost: Top 10 Detox Foods
I know about 5 minutes ago I put a (boring) health article on this site. Well, here’s another I found on the Yahoo search site. (I need this stuff for my personal files, so I can have facts to back up my food lectures I give to my children.)
Top 10 detox foods article:
As 2007 swings into gear, there’s no better time to give your body a healthy, fresh start than now! Plus if you’re thinking about lowering your weight – and your RealAge “eating clean” is a great first step. Add these 10 foods to your grocery cart and you’ll get three terrific benefits:
1. Lots of super-healthy liquids to flush out the body while pouring in nutrients.


2. Fiber to keep your GI tract fit.
3. Foods that energize cleansing enzymes in the liver, your body’s built-in detox center.
The top 10:
1. Green leafy vegetables. Eat them raw, throw them into a broth, add them to juices. Their chlorophyll helps swab out environmental toxins (heavy metals, pesticides) and is an all-round liver protector.
2. Lemons. You need to keep the fluids flowing to wash out the body and fresh lemonade is ideal. Its vitamin C – considered the detox vitamin – helps convert toxins into a water – soluble form that?s easily flushed away.
3. Watercress. Put a handful into salads, soups, and sandwiches. The peppery little green leaves have a diuretic effect that helps move things through your system. And cress is rich in minerals too.
4. Garlic. Add it to everything – salads, sauces, spreads. In addition to the bulb’s cardio benefits, it activates liver enzymes that help filter out junk.
5. Green tea. This antioxidant-rich brew is one of the healthiest ways to get more fluids into your system. Bonus: It contains catechins, which speed up liver activity.
6. Broccoli sprouts. Get ’em at your health-food store. They pack 20 to 50 times more cancer-fighting, enzyme-stimulating activity into each bite than the grown-up vegetable.
7. Sesame seeds. They’re credited with protecting liver cells from the damaging effects of alcohol and other chemicals. For a concentrated form, try tahini, the yummy sesame seed paste that?s a staple of Asian cooking.
8. Cabbage. There are two main types of detoxifying enzymes in the liver; this potent veggie helps activate both of them. Coleslaw, anyone?
9. Psyllium. A plant that?s rich in soluble fiber, like oat bran, but more versatile. It mops up toxins (cholesterol too) and helps clear them out. Stir powdered psyllium into juice to help cleanse your colon, or have psyllium-fortified Bran Buds for breakfast.
10. Fruits, fruits, fruits. They’re full of almost all the good things above – vitamin C, fiber, nutritious fluids, and all kinds of antioxidants. Besides, nothing tastes better than a ripe mango, fresh berries, or a perfect pear.
Ultimate Detox Recipe
Easy Wilted Garlic-Sesame Salad
Toss dark, leafy greens in hot, garlicky oil for a cleansing?and delicious – dish
4 servings, about 65 calories each
1 Tsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. spinach, stemmed,
or 1 lb. Swiss chard, stems sliced, leaves torn
or 1 lb. mixture of spinach and watercress
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tsp. sesame seeds for garnish
Warm oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir until lightly browned, about 45 seconds. Add greens (do in two batches, if necessary) and toss until just wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Posted by Linda at January 14, 2007 01:32 PM

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2 thoughts on “Super DeTox Foods

  1. Barbara says:

    I love veggies! They’re so delicious and healthy and beneficial. I can’t stress how important it is to be taking advantage of foods with isothyiocyanates in them! We should be eating anything natural that can help prevent certain diseases and disabilities, especially cancer. I came across this article over at the Dietary Supplement Information Bureau, I think it would be a good companion to this post, it’s a few paragraphs on how beneficial broccoli is.

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  2. Linda Carlton says:

    Barbara, Haven’t tried the broccoli sprouts or the psyllium the article discusses. I’m in my early 40’s and its kinda scary wandering about the things my body has tried to process for food. I checked out the article you suggested too.
    Linda Carlton

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