Want to Detox? Try These Top 10 Cleansing Foods!

I love to cook and entertain, especially during the holidays, but this holiday season challenged us all to celebrate differently with Zoom parties, staying at home, and social distancing.

For me, baking is a great way to de-stress, and because I believe in indulging friends and family with delicious food, drink and desserts, this year I made my mother’s recipe for fruitcake and my own recipe for biscotti and had them delivered. After a couple of months of holiday meals and baking up a storm, I am ready to start 2022 with a “clean” slate. That calls for some detoxing. However, detoxing doesn’t have to mean starving yourself or adhering to a liquid diet.

To cleanse the system, the goal is to stimulate liver enzymes, effectively empty intestines of waste, and help the kidneys eliminate toxins that build up in your tissues, organs, and blood. It’s caring for your digestive system, and good for every part of your body. When possible, I enjoy going to a spa where meals are prepared to help detoxify, but you don’t really have to go to that length to get the benefits. There are delicious foods that help stimulate your digestive system and will make you feel healthy and new.

Artichoke

This edible flower boosts the function of the body’s filters– the liver and kidneys. It’s rich in cynarin, which stimulates the liver and gall bladder. Artichokes contain 10 grams of fiber and only 65 calories. To enjoy, steam and serve with a roasted red pepper sauce or use drained artichokes from a jar in salads and pasta sauces. You can also try my Grilled Artichokes with Moringa Dip for an extra boost of nutrition.

Daikon Radish

This spicy root has a distinctive flavor. It’s used to help clear mucus from the body and contains a group of cancer-fighting chemicals called glucosinolates including glucobrassicin. Chewing daikon releases an enzyme that converts the glucobrassicin into a compound that neutralizes some of the harmful effects of estrogen. Try my recipe for Daikon Radish Salad or slice for dips or on sandwiches for a crunchy texture.

Flaxseeds

High in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseeds also contain lots of fiber. Add flaxseeds to cereals, smoothies and baked goods. My recipe for Meatloaf with Flaxseed is meatloaf infused with Mediterranean flavors and ingredients. I have a variety of new recipes with flax seeds in my award-winning cookbook, The Age Beautifully Cookbook, including Flaxseed and Squash Tortillas and Exotic Fruit Salad with Yogurt and Granola.

Garlic

I just can’t say enough about garlic! It’s a global remedy and one of the oldest medicinal foods known. An effective antibacterial, garlic encourages production of glutathione, a potent detoxifying antioxidant, which enables the liver to complete its detox function. It’s high in sulfur-containing compounds and antioxidants that protect cells from damage. It also lowers cholesterol and helps prevent blood clots. Use garlic to flavor soups, sauces, stews and stir-frys.

Green Tea

The powerful theaflavins in green tea make it a strong antioxidant with vigorous anti-inflammatory properties. It also supports the liver and increases detoxifying enzymes. Drinking green tea is a great way to start the day, but to get more green tea in your diet, try cooking soba, udon or ramen noodles in it. Green Tea Noodles with Edamame is a simple tasty recipe containing fiber, omega-3 and sulfur compounds to help cleanse.

Leafy Greens

Choose spinach, arugula, collards, kale and watercress for a wealth of benefits. All are alkalizing and full of chlorophyll, which can help prevent cancer. The best part is that leafy greens are so versatile! Add to sandwiches and soups or create colorful salads like my Spinach and Grapefruit Salad, which contains iron from the spinach, vitamin C, potassium and a good dose of fiber.

Lemon

Long used in folk remedies, lemons balance acidity caused by excess animal protein, sugar and grains. Lemons also loosen mucus as well as have positive effects on the liver, bile and digestion. Drinking hot water with lemon will help maintain hydration and take the edge off hunger.

Rosemary

Rosemary helps to increase bile and eliminate toxins. It’s also a good source of carnosic acid, a compound that helps the body produce detoxifying glutathione. The wonderful pine scent adds flavor to roasted root vegetables, salad dressings and even lemon-herb water. Cookies and pies abound during the winter holidays so why not mix things up with a naturally sweet apple bar as a unique alternative? Try my Rosemary Dessert Bars for a special treat with rosemary.

Sea Vegetables

Seaweed is loaded with valuable minerals and trace elements that are essential for good health. They contain vitamins, amino acids, iodine, calcium and iron and are effective for detoxifying the body. As a group, sea vegetables provide effective protection against environmental pollutants. Use sea vegetables as you would herbs. They add a briny flavor to soups, stews and Asian noodle dishes. Of course you could wrap nori around lightly cooked vegetables to create your own vegetarian hand rolls.

Turmeric

This beautiful golden spice is one of my favorite flavors. It’s one of the most distinctive ingredients in Indian curry. Turmeric is anti-inflammatory and contains antioxidants. Curcumin—the active ingredient in turmeric—increases the liver’s ability to neutralize toxic chemicals as well as boosting bile flow, reducing inflammation in the liver, and maintaining colon health. Turmeric is delicious on scrambled eggs, for flavoring rice dishes, in sauces as in Turkey in Turmeric Sauce and added to juices and smoothies. Try some in orange juice or make my Fresh Turmeric Juice for a healthy and more exotic wake-up drink. It’s hard to beat the combination of eggs, celery, and turmeric for brain health that are included in my Egg Salad with Turmeric recipe.