10 Jan 7 Green Detoxifying Foods
7 Green Detoxifying Foods
In this new year, I’m beginning a new conversation in a beauty blog focused on wellness. Because health plays a leading role in beauty.
To kick it off, we’re starting with my favorite seven simple foods for detoxing for better skin. A new year gives us a clean slate, a refreshing reset that boosts motivation to accomplish things that have been important to us – and when it comes to our health, we could all improve our daily choices and feel better all around. Sometimes we don’t know where to begin with changes, so I’m making it short, sweet and simple for you.
There are two main factors in the body’s detoxification process – creating healthy gut flora and detoxing the liver.
Toxins in our environment, such as processed foods, pollutants, pesticides and pharmaceuticals, increase the toxicity levels in the body and increase the chance of disease. The liver is the body’s most important detoxification organ. It absorbs and filters everything we eat or drink, retaining the nutrients that the body needs and is responsible for disposing of the wastes and toxins.
A healthy gut works wonders – even producing vitamins we are lacking in our diet. Healthy bacteria in the gut produce the entire spectrum of B vitamins, Vitamin K2, and amino acids – for example, when your body is running low on vitamin B16 it activates your gut flora to naturally produce more of it. Healthy gut flora is incredibly protective and can naturally eliminate heavy metals from your body.
How do we get there? Add these 7 liver-cleansing, gut-healthy green foods to your daily diet now.
avacado
Not only do essential fatty acids in avocados neutralize free radicals, promoting healthy skin and hair growth, but they’re also rich in glutathione, an antioxidant that’s essential to liver function, helping with toxin removal. Avocados pack nearly 20 essential nutrients and vitamins and its healthy monounsaturated fats help balance blood sugar levels and keep cholesterol low. In a study in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry 22 different fruits were researched and avocado was proved to be the most beneficial for the liver.
MAKE: Add slices to your daily meals, blend up in a smoothie, make guacamole, or make avocado toast with some sea salt and cracked red pepper.
cilantro
Make cilantro a daily go-to for fast cleansing, as it’s known to pull out heavy metals from the body (toxins not only in our food but in our air and water). Cilantro contains a unique blend of oils that send a message to an upset to calm down and relax, and is known to help heal digestive issues according to a study published in The Journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences. The vitamin K and calcium content of cilantro help to build strong bones, teeth, and hair making it an excellent beauty food.
MAKE: Enjoy cilantro on top of your favorite dishes or add a big handful to green smoothies.
asparagus
The amino acids and minerals found in asparagus protect liver cells against toxins and also act as a natural diuretic, which helps flush excess toxins from your system. Asparagus also helps when you’re feeling bloated, flushing your body quickly of excess water which gets toxins out faster. When there’s too much inflammation in the body, there will be excess water retention, so this helps.
MAKE: Steam asparagus and drizzle fresh lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt or roast in the oven with olive oil, sea salt and a big dash of cayenne pepper.
dark leafy greens
Dark leafy greens are the number one food to get into your daily diet – greens are great to beef up on our plates, ensuring we’re getting all the essential nutrients we need – and even some plant-based protein. Kale is a natural detoxifier. It not only helps remove toxins, but also helps eliminate them from your body – isothiocyanates (ITCs) are made from glucosinolates have been reported to help detox your body at the cellular level. While it’s not getting all the attention kale gets these days, collard greens, a Southern favorite, have an incredible ability to cleanse your system of excess cholesterol, especially when steamed, proving to win over cholesterol-lowering drugs by 13 percent, in a study published in the journal Nutrition Research.
MAKE: Greens are so versatile you can eat them a variety of ways throughout the day, adding them to all your regular meals, and making a green smoothie in the morning to get an extra dose of green before you start the day.
kiwi
Vitamin C is not only good for preventing colds, but it’s a top detoxifier and kiwi has even more vitamin C than oranges. Its even known to double collagen synthesis in the body, compared to normal conditions when this activity reduces as we age. Vitamin C is an easy, practical way to slowly pull toxins from your body over time and while a supplement works great (only take a food-based C supplement, not synthetic), it’s always good to get vitamins from a food source like a kiwi.
MAKE: Get kiwis into your diet as a delicious snack just on their own, or throw a kiwi into your daily green smoothie, or add to a breakfast bowl for extra prettiness.
artichoke
Artichokes detox the liver and digestive system, improving gut flora and boosting immunity since much of the immune system is actually held within the gut. A natural beauty food, artichokes contain high levels of antioxidants and specifically flavanoid silymarin, which is an effective liver protectant. Just one artichoke will help you hit the day’s nutritional mark for fiber.
MAKE: Steam artichokes and dip the leaves in a homemade aioli or a simple lemon and olive oil mixture with sea salt.
cucumber
Cucumbers fight free radical damage, hydrate and sooth skin, while detoxifying the body, and contain powerful polyphenol compounds that help naturally slow aging caused by oxidative stress. Cucumber has soluble fiber, which helps your body absorb nutrients in the intestine and its beauty benefits are high, with electrolytes and silica, good for hair and skin.
MAKE: Add cucumbers to your salad or toss them into your daily green smoothie (I like to use a whole half of a cucumber in my smoothies).
– Siobhan
ORGANIC BEAUTY BEGINNING WITHIN