The 5 Best Detox Foods

If you are new to natural detoxing then you probably have no idea about the types of foods that should be in your diet. I always advocate raw and organic fruits and vegetables, either whole or in liquid form rather than kitschy foods like kale chips and sweet potato fries. Detox foods are those that are highly nutritious and have properties common to detox diets such as energy boosts, healthy skin and regular bowel movements.

Whether you are looking for new foods to add to your detox or liquid diet or if you’re trying to find whole foods to add to your diet between detoxification periods, it is important to add variety to your plate…or glass. The more foods at your disposal, the better able you will be to add detox foods to your diet on a regular basis. Moreover, variety makes it likely that you will continue this healthy way of detoxing, eating and living.

Best Foods Criteria

The foods I’ve chosen for today’s list have made it because they have at least one detox benefit and a high water and fiber content. And since good health is the ultimate goal of detox dieting, these foods will all contribute to good health!

Just remember than when in doubt, spend the extra few cents and chose the organic option. If you are going to detox you don’t want to continue adding more toxins to your system (that’s including laxatives), which is exactly what you will do if you opt for chemically treated fruits and vegetables.

Finally these are foods that are totally edible and delicious when consumed in their raw form. However you should make sure you choose foods that you can actually eat raw. If you don’t enjoy raw broccoli for example, don’t get it, and choose something more palatable to you such as carrots and turnips. There are 50,000 (that’s not a typo — that’s fifty thousand) edible vegetables and fruits. Go out of your comfort zone and try some.

Now, on to the top 5 detox foods:

Beets

These beautiful red root vegetables are a tremendous source of good health. Fresh raw organic beets have amazing cancer fighting properties thanks to the antioxidant known as betacyanin and they contain many of the nutrients that rid the body of toxins such as zinc, calcium, iron and magnesium. What’s more is that beets contain a compound we know lowers inflammatory markers and it protects the body’s natural filter—the liver—against damage.

How to enjoy beets for detox: Eat them raw in a salad or sandwich, or juice them with green leafy vegetables and ginger juices. Toss a few beets into your favorite detox smoothie for detoxification and a bright red color.

Ginger

The spicy flavor of ginger is a true detox food as it speeds up the digestive process, helping your food make its way through the body more efficiently. Ginger can also stave off chronic illnesses thanks in part to its natural anti-inflammatory properties. Thanks to the powerful flavor of ginger, only small amounts are needed in any recipe to reap the many rewards.

How to enjoy ginger for detox: Puree it with carrots for a delicious soup or juice. Grate it into salad dressing or dice a few pieces into your favorite stir fry.

Avocados

Some strict but ignorant dieters tend to cross avocados off their grocery lists because of their high fat content. What most people don’t know is that the fat contained is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, which means not only are avocados simply good for your heart they are also a great detox food.

As a detox food, avocados contain a good amount of fiber for faster digestion. The healthy fats contained within also promote a healthy gallbladder by eliminating toxins from the body. Thanks to the creaminess of avocados they can help you get through a detox without other off limits foods like mayonnaise and cream.

How to enjoy avocados for detox: Add ½ cup of avocado to your smoothie or slice it up in your favorite salad.

Apples

Adding apples to your diet is about so much more than keeping the proverbial doctor away; they are also fantastic at keeping toxins at bay. The soluble and insoluble fibers soak up toxins, along with other types of waste, and expedite their trip through the intestines and out of the body. There is a compound in apples known as glucaric acid that detox dieters find especially helpful because it flushes heavy metals and chemicals similar to estrogen out of the body as well. It’s also one of the highest fiber containing food that exists.

How to enjoy apples for detox: Apples are best when eaten whole, and since there are so many types you are bound to find one you love. But you can also toss apples into the juicer or add them to another high fiber food such as oatmeal.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Okay so maybe this isn’t technically a food but rather a group of foods, but they are some of the best detoxifiers around. Currently there are more than 500 studies touting the benefits of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale and arugula for a variety of cancers. These vegetables are also known for the anti-inflammatory properties thanks to a combination of molecules and compounds.

Cruciferous vegetables have always been part of a healthy detox diet because their fibrous nature helps evacuate toxins from the body to promote good health. And the best part of all is that there are tons of cruciferous vegetables from which you can choose, including:

• Brussels sprouts
• Turnip greens
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Watercress
• Kale
• Collard greens
• Rutabaga
• Arugula
• Cauliflower
• Turnip roots
• Radish

Getting Started

There are plenty of other great detox foods you can add to your diet such as blueberries, fennel, cinnamon and parsley. The key is to keep your diet filled with healthy and whole raw organic foods so that you’re maximizing your detoxification efforts even in between particular detoxes. Whenever I have a pre-detox week, I fill my fridge with these foods so I never miss out.

The more you know about healthy and whole foods like those listed above, the more you will be able to keep toxins from infiltrating your system permanently and reduce your chances of chronic illnesses. Challenge: Add at least 5 of these detox foods to your diet this week.