A healthy gut is the foundation of a healthy body. When it comes to cleansing your body of harmful toxins, food really is the best medicine. You’ll be amazed to learn that many of your favourite foods also cleanse the body’s detoxification organs like the liver, intestines, kidneys, and skin, preventing harmful toxic buildup. Help ward off the harmful effects of pollution, food additives, second-hand smoke, and other toxins with delicious fruits, vegetables, nuts, oils, and beans. Here are the top most cleansing foods for an effective internal cleansing:
AVOCADOS
We rarely think of avocados as a cleansing food but these nutritional powerhouses lower cholesterol and dilate blood vessels while blocking artery-destroying toxicity. Avocados contain a nutrient called glutathione, which blocks at least thirty different carcinogens while helping the liver detoxify synthetic chemicals.
GREEN TEA
Polyphenols, antioxidant-rich phytochemicals found in green tea leaves; help to detoxify the body by eliminating harmful free radicals. Studies have also shown that increased consumption of green tea may reduce your risk of several cancers. And that’s not all: Research has linked drinking green tea to improving memory and reducing belly fat when combined with exercise, thanks to the catechin EGCG, a powerful antioxidant. Win-win!
CABBAGE
Cabbage, made up of approximately 92 percent water, is a natural diuretic that can help expel excess fluids from the body, so you can’t go wrong by filling up on this water-based food. It’s packed with glucosinolates, organic compounds that contain nitrogen and sulphur which help flush out unwanted toxins. Plus, cabbage delivers a good dose of many essential vitamins, including C, K, E, and A, minerals, dietary fibre, and folic acid.
CHIA SEEDS
These tiny power seeds are the perfect gut cleansers. When soaked in water for a few minutes they plump up and turn into a jello-like substance. They help flush out the stomach and especially great for those prone to constipation. They also contain anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids which your body will thank you for!
BEETS
Beets are bright and beautiful, like an insane shot of wellness for your whole body, including your liver. They naturally cleanse and purify the blood, which boosts liver function, and nutrient production in your body. Beets are also high in antioxidants and important nutrients including: foliate, fibre (in the form of pectin), iron, betaine, betalains, betacyanin, and betanin. Pectin is a soluble form of fibre that’s well known for its cleansing properties and ability to keep you full. Beets’ fibres and nutrients help the body flush toxins that are often stored in our liver so they can be evacuated out of the body instead of reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
BLUEBERRIES
Truly one of the most powerful healing foods, blueberries contain natural aspirin that helps lessen the tissue-damaging effects of chronic inflammation, while lessening pain. Blueberries also act as antibiotics by blocking bacteria in the urinary tract, thereby helping to prevent infections. They also have antiviral properties and help to block toxins from crossing the blood-brain barrier to gain access to the delicate brain.
CELERY AND CELERY SEEDS
Celery and celery seeds are excellent blood cleansers and contain many different anti-cancer compounds that help detoxify cancer cells from the body. Celery seeds contain over twenty anti-inflammatory substances. It is particularly good for detoxifying substances found in cigarette smoke.
GARLIC
Eat garlic to cleanse harmful bacteria, intestinal parasites and viruses from your body, especially from the blood and intestines. It also helps cleanse build-up from the arteries and has anti-cancer and antioxidant properties that help detoxify the body of harmful substances. Additionally, garlic assists with cleansing the respiratory tract by expelling mucous build-up in the lungs and sinuses.