All About Detox

Most of us think of going on a detox after a long vacation, a big buffet, or even just feeling sluggish throughout the week.

We’ve called it by many names too: cleansing, fasting, juicing, or rebooting the old machine.

Those achy joints, inexplicable cravings, bloating or memory issues—bodily problems in various areas—may all stem from the toxins building up in our body.

These harmful substances come from various sources too—the air we breathe, our skincare products, and of course food.

Chemicals, pollutants, or even metals are in our blood and organs, and the best way to help the liver flush them out carefully is through a healthy detox.

Keep in Mind

“Whether you eat it, put it on your skin or inhale it — however something gets into your bloodstream, the liver is going to process it” – Nancy Reau, MD, a hepatologist

Detox allows our bodies to eliminate these toxins and bring us back to our near-perfect selves. The best way to restore balance and replenish our bodies is through the intake of healthy and nutritious food.

Give Your Body A Break

When we feel under the weather, it could be the toxins taking a toll on the body.

The liver is strained to filter these chemicals from the bloodstream, and an unhealthy diet can make matters worse for the entire digestive system.

The chemicals we breathe, ingest, and even put on our bodies may play a role in piling up the “junk” that’s making our systems function badly.

The breakouts, feeling of fatigue and irritability, or even that craving for junk food are the body’s call for help. We need to listen to that and act fast.

Detox With Superfoods

Why just do a basic diet or body cleanse, when you could detox with superfoods? When you fast or eat fewer calories, you may be relieving your body in the short run.

However, it’s the ongoing and quality nourishment that matters. If you still eat junk food (though less) or observe Meatless Mondays but eat canned goods for the rest of the week, the effort—well—just goes to waste.

“I’d say that 50% to 70% of suffering could be eliminated by what people eat and how they move: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension can all be impacted” – Elizabeth Somer, author of “The Essential Guide to Vitamins and Minerals”

A healthier and life-changing move would be to go for the superfoods. There is something very powerful, re-energizing, and just magical when you indulge in the mightiest foods.

Not only will they boost your full-body detoxification process, but they also will replenish your much-needed nutrients, supplement the body with more minerals and antioxidants, and make cleansing a natural (and non-stop) process of the body.

What Do Superfoods Do To Your Body?

While fasting and laxatives can purge your body of impurities, superfoods are hardworking because they can give the body a total cleanse while replenishing the vital nutrients.

Superfoods introduce a cycle of total nourishment and do not strip the body of its sustenance and function.

They are densely packed with vitamins, that you end up rebooting your body to achieve an even better, happier, and leaner state.

Supercharge Your Diet With These 7 Superfoods (superfood nutritional cleansing)

1. Berries

Berries deliciously come in many forms and colors, but they stand out as the fruit powerhouse packed with vitamins and minerals that your body needs to fight against heart disease and cancer.

The antioxidants, fiber, and nutrients they provide help flush out the toxic elements in the bloodstream and the gut.

Snacking on berries helps you produce butyrate, which is a godsend for those looking to get a slimmer figure.

2. Celery

Rich in Vitamins A, C, K, potassium, and a lot more, Celery is your best ally to boost your cardiovascular health and help protect you against cancer.

It’s brimming with antioxidants that reduce inflammation—which all help manage your heart, kidneys, obesity and give you that clearer complexion.

Also known as a blood cleanser, celery is a champion for helping sweep those toxic and cancer cells from the body.

3. Chlorella

Hold your breath, but Chlorella is a single-celled alga that is rich in chlorophyll, omega-3s, protein, and vitamins!

Gaining popularity for the chlorella heavy metal detox, its superpower is to bind with heavy metals (like mercury) and harmful substances and expel them from the body.

Cell regeneration, lower cholesterol, and blood sugar are benefits too—so there’s nothing fishy about this superfood.

You can buy Chlorella on Amazon

And if you’re interested to learn about chlorella vs spirulina, check out this comparison table.

4. Dark Leafy Greens

Our parents were not kidding when they told us to eat our dark leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard to make us strong and healthy!

A greenhouse (pardon the pun) of vitamins A, C, folate and calcium, antioxidants, and phytochemicals, these alkaline veggies detoxify the liver and make sure the toxic stuff stays out of the body.

The green team is the best defense against liver and kidney diseases—and best of all offers the widest mealtime possibilities.

5. Green Tea

Drink at least 3 cups of green tea a day to get that healthy dose of cancer-fighting antioxidants such as EGCG.

This energy booster helps flush out toxins to help burn fat, lose weight and get better immunity. Get more out of your fluids when you drink green tea as your morning, office, or fitness pick-me-up.

Did You Know?

“Formally known as epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG is a type of plant-based compound called catechin. Research suggests that catechins like EGCG may reduce inflammation and prevent certain chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers ” – Pubmed.gov

You can buy Green Tea on Amazon.

6. Wheatgrass

Another one makes it to the green team and this time with a 70% chlorophyll content to supercharge the detoxification of the blood and organs.

The wheatgrass magic also works by drawing out toxic by-products of chemotherapy and metals from the body.

One shot gives a burst of minerals and antioxidants that kick out the free radicals that can harm your healthy cells.

You can buy Wheatgrass on Amazon.

7. Lemon

Lemon is the master of liver detox and is rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps the body produce an important substance called glutathione which aids liver in detoxifying harmful chemicals.

How to best utilize lemons in your detoxifying journey? Simply squeeze a slice of lemon in a luke-warm glass of water and drink first thing in the morning every day.

You’ll soon see its cleansing and hydrating benefits.

Tip: some people feel that lemon juice is causing enamel erosion on their teeth (myself included). I replaced lemon with lime and it worked perfectly for me 😊.

The 3 best citrus fruit that have a great detoxifying effect on our body are: lemon, lime and grapefruit.

Things To Do Or Keep In Mind, If You Want To Boost Your Superfoods Detox:

• Personalizing your detox to target certain issues or pain points is another option if you don’t want to go all-out!  

* Give your liver some love with a detox high in greens (dark leafy greens, parsley, green tea, seaweed).

* Juicing detox is best if acne is your problem. Try to include my absolute favourite: celery, cucumber and leafy greens.

* Sugar detox removes sugar, processed foods, and yeast from your diet.

* A weight loss detox combo may include mint, lemon, green tea and cucumber.

• Keeping a detox superfoods list is handy. You can’t eat and drink just the seven listed above. Expand the list to get a full range of wholesome goodness and never get bored with the variety.

Benefits of Detox

Detoxing may be a long and challenging journey (for some) or may require a full dietary shift, but its impact on the body and overall wellness is priceless.

Here are just some of the peak changes and improvements, but the list just goes on.

• Feel Happy and Alive. You wake up with a general feeling of joy and motivation. Stress, depression, and moments of anxiety should be replaced with more positivity.

• Have More Concentration. With fewer chemicals and junk that cause memory loss and brain fog, you get that feeling of clarity and focus.

• Get More Energy. Fewer moments of fatigue! You feel more energized to work and exercise, and it’s not the caffeine talking.

• Lose Weight. The cleansing journey removes the unwanted toxic chemicals and wastes in the body, resulting in less of the bulge and a happier gut.

• Forget the Pain. Aches and pains previously caused by toxic build-up should be relieved with organs working in tip-top condition. Superfoods have anti-inflammatory properties to aid those ailing body parts.

• Glow Up. A smoother and brighter complexion is another offshoot of a superfood detox.

• Love Yourself. Wellness and balance are the ultimate results of successful detox. If there’s anyone to celebrate and appreciate, it’s you.

Is Too Much Detox Bad For you?

We’ve all heard the hype and praise of those who’ve succeeded in their detox plans.

From ultimate weight loss to getting pure energy without the need for caffeine, the success stories can be inspiring.

There’s also a handful who have failed and ended up feeling even more ill than when they first started.

Getting your detox to work in your favor is a matter of doing it correctly and in moderation. Too much, too fast, or too little of anything will not result in wins.

Crash diets or short-term fasting may, for some, result in a stressful experience for the body coupled with immediate weight loss—and gain once the diet is not sustained.

Too much juicing can pull out all the toxins from your liver, but without the aid of whole foods and fiber, the same toxins can return through your intestines.

Without the right vehicle to transport them out of your body, a strictly juicing method may turn into an endless cycle of reintroducing the toxins back into your body.

Remember that the body detoxifies through sweat, urine, and stool. Getting enough exercise, practicing yoga, and breathing exercises or even drinking water can also complement and power up any detox plan.

Power-Packed Plan For D-Day

Are you ready for your superfood detox?

Clear out your pantry and fridge and get started with a detox plan. Your detox day or week doesn’t have to be a time of boring foods and pure suffering—but it could help to ditch the temptations and “bad” foods in advance.

Get your household’s support on this or better yet, get them on board with your D-Day plan. Sharing a juice or bonding over superfood smoothies is a good way to stick with the plan, and reap the benefits collectively.

The more, the merrier (and yes, this keeps them from tempting you with chocolate chip cookies or pizza).

Not everyone in the family has to go on a full detox. As mentioned earlier, there can be mini detox sessions or personalized concoctions to target an issue or concern.

The important thing is that keeping a well-balanced detox that includes whole foods and fiber is instrumental to making it a success.

What Foods To Eat When You Are Detoxing

Aside from the 7 Superfoods mentioned, you can also consider stocking up on some (or all) of these. Aside from the health benefits, they are flexible and add awesome flavor to any dish or drink.

• Fiber tops the list as the main vehicle to get those toxins out of the body.

• Garlic doesn’t just ward off vampires; it can repel the build-up of harmful chemicals and bacteria in your intestines, blood, and arteries.

• Avocados are excellent in lowering cholesterol, blocking carcinogens, and boosting the liver with their cleansing abilities.

• Beets are the liver’s best friend that helps in the detoxification process and lower blood pressure.

• Ginger is an immunity booster and digestion aid.

• Other detox-friendly (and delicious) items to add to your grocery list: apples, cabbage, broccoli, brown rice, legumes, turmeric, brown eggs, and extra virgin olive oil.  

What Not To Eat When Detoxing

You will just be negating the effects of your detox if you continue to indulge in the below items.

They can hamper the detoxifying process and continue to burden your organs with unnecessary sugar, cholesterol, and fats. Your body needs a break from these:

• Alcohol

• Caffeine (i.e. coffee or soda)

• Dairy or milk products

• Sugar

• Processed or canned goods

• Fast food, junk food, and fried food

• Meat

Are You Ready To Start Your Detox With Superfoods?

With all these amazing health and wellness benefits, it’s hard to say no!

We’ve already listed the top 7 superfoods to boost any detox plan. You can incorporate them into your daily diet or make a mega smoothie to replace some or all meals.

The possibilities are infinite and much more exciting to plan and prepare.

It is important to start with a fresh perspective and positive mindset that this detox will work. Pouring in the good vibes will get you motivated to see this through.

Body cleanse with superfoods doesn’t have to be dull, bland, or even painful! Make your superfood detox journey a ride that is enjoyable and fun!

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