The secret to a successful detox has less to do with skimping on what you eat, and more to do with nourishing your body. Yes youre cutting out alcohol, refined sugar, caffeine, wheat, dairy and processed foods, but you should also be packing in foods that will give you the best bang for your buck. Make it a rule to always cook from fresh, and try to include as many of the following foods as possible
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Fruit and veg superfoods
Juice it or slice it and enjoy in savoury dishes as well as desserts – pineapple is great with chilli, mint, coriander and coconut says Robert Hobson, a registered nutritionist and co-author of The Detox Kitchen (£25, www.amazon.co.uk). ‘The best thing about pineapple is the bromelaine it contains – it’s an enzyme that can help digestion by breaking down protein in food. Pineapple is also high in vitamin C - you’ll get 80% of your RDA in 100g - which can help keep your skin healthy and reduce wrinkles by fighting free radical damage caused by external factors (sunshine and pollution) and ensuring you produce a healthy amount of collagen, your skin’s support system.’
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Fruit and veg superfoods
Not just for Christmas, Brazil nuts are a must for your detox plan, says Rob Hobson. ‘They’re most famous for being one of the world’s richest sources of selenium. This mineral acts as a powerful antioxidant, helping fight free radical damage and also supporting a healthy immune system and thyroid hormone production. Most of us don't get enough selenium from our diets so try to eat six Brazil nuts a day as a snack.’
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Superfood nuts, beans and seeds
This Welsh speciality has nothing to do with bread – it is seaweed, and, though it’s traditionally mixed with oatmeal and then fried in bacon fat, there are healthier ways to eat it, says nutritional therapist Stephanie Lashford from www.sanfordclinic.co.uk. ‘I like to heat it gently with olive oil then use it as a sauce on fish. It looks like green slime and tastes of the sea but it will flood your system with about 50 fantastic minerals – notably iodine, which is good for thyroid health. During a detox you are releasing a cascade of toxins and the body needs to compensate for these with minerals in a form it can understand and cope with. As a food, laverbread is the perfect source of these minerals. I recommend three 100g portions a week for six weeks, followed by one portion a month for maintenance.’
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Harvest the health benefits of seaweed
Papaya – or paw-paw – contains am enzyme called papain that is a superb digestive aid, says Stephanie Lashford. ‘If you have problems like burping, try to eat fresh papaya with every protein meal to make it more digestible. During a detox, make a papaya smoothie for breakfast – I like it with fresh mint and ice – it will stimulate the production of digestive enzymes and set up your stomach to process everything you send its way during the day.’
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Fruit and veg superfoods
If you still turn up your nose at the mention of kale, now’s the time to stop, says Stephanie Lashford. ‘It is an amazing vegetable, loaded with minerals and vitamins – including 1,180% of your RDA of vitamin K per 130g cooked portion, and this acts as a scavenger to calcium that could otherwise become trapped in your arteries causing arterial stiffness. Its vitamin C content (71% of your RDA) is crucial during a detox as it stimulates the body to emit toxins that you can then flush out of your system. It’s good cooked (steaming it helps it to bind and excrete bile acids), but it’s also good in a smoothie (mix it with cucumber and parsley).’
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Fruit and veg superfoods
Try cooking your own kale crisps
Here's a secret weapon for your detox programme: chia seeds bind with liquid to make a gelatinous gloop that can be used to create mock desserts, says Staphanie Lashford. ‘The good thing about this is that you don’t feel deprived and it's easier to wean yourself off sugar and dairy rich puds. Mix the seeds with coconut or almond milk to make something that looks a bit like tapioca, but is actually packed with omega-3 fatty acids. Or make chia seed jam to curb cravings for sugary compotes. You can use pretty much any type of fruit, chopped to about the size of raspberries or blueberries so it breaks down quickly. It keeps in a jar in the fridge for a week or two.’
Ingredients:
3 cups frozen or fresh fruit
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, or to taste
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Stir the fruit, maple syrup, and chia seeds together in a saucepan over a low medium heat, simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Makes one cup of jam.
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Chia seeds: get the facts
These are the ideal detox food, says nutritional coach Leonie Wright, of www.eatwright.co.uk. ‘They bind and flush out toxins, cholesterol and waste from the intestinal tract while also coating the intestinal walls with healthy omega 3 fatty oils, which further enhance your ability to clear toxins. Omega 3s also appear to improve how the body uses insulin, the hormone that clears sugar from the bloodstream. Mix 1-3 teaspoons of freshly ground flaxseeds into your yoghurt, sprinkle on salad, or add to a smoothie.’
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Superfood seeds, nuts and pulses
Pick a fruit with good detox properties. ‘Kiwi really is a superfood - packed with vitamins C, A, B6, E and K as well as folate, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and dietary fibre,’ says Leonie Wright. ‘The edible seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids. Together with all the vitamins, these help keep free radicals at bay, as well as certain types of cancer. Eat it with its skin on - but only if it’s an organic kiwi – because this is where the majority of the fruit’s antioxidants cluster. Kiwis also help flush out toxins from the colon, improving your overall health and wellbeing. As a health bonus: studies suggest that consuming two to three kiwifruits each day for four weeks helps thin and reduce fat in the blood which lowers the risk of clots and blockages.’
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Fruit and veg superfoods
Grin and bear the onion breath, knowing its doing you the power of good. Onions are brimming with sulphur-containing amino acids, which efficiently detox the liver. They also have powerful antioxidant and anti-cancer capabilities, says Leonie Wright. They thin and cleanse the blood and lower LDL cholesterol without lessening HDL cholesterol. Rich in biotin (which aids sugar and fat metabolism) and phytonutrients like polyphenols, onions also help detoxify the respiratory tract and fight asthma, bronchitis, hay fever, and diabetes. Additionally, like garlic, onions help cleanse the body of viruses and the intestines of harmful bacteria.
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Fruit and veg superfoods
Don’t assume eggs are off the menu when you’re detoxing. ‘They’re a fab source of lecithin, choline and sulphur – all of which help with the elimination of toxins,’ says Nutritional Therapist Judy Watson (www.judywatsonnutritionist.co.uk). ‘Lecithin (from egg yolk) is an important nutrient for liver function and is needed for healthy bile for fat digestion and for preventing fatty deposits and cholesterol in the liver (and else where in the body such as the arteries). Choline (also from egg yolk) helps to detox the liver; and sulphur helps to trap and remove toxins from alcohol, processed foods and pollutants.’
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Healthy foods that aren't as healthy as they seem
Dont underestimate the role of water in your detox. Pure, clean water is absolutely essential to help flush out unwanted toxins, says Leonie Wright. It is important to drink the proper amount of water for your body weight. Eight glasses of water a day is often recommended but, for someone weighing 300lbs, this is too little, while eight glasses for someone weighing 125lbs is too much! To work out the right amount of water for you, simply halve your body weight in pounds. The answer is the amount you need to drink in ounces everyday. For example, if you weigh 140lbs (10 stone) you need 70 ounces of water per day, the equivalent of seven large glasses per day.
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Help yourself to healthier drinks
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