When I was young, my Nana had the most amazinggardenfull of potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, peas, carrots, radishes,strawberries, raspberries… she even had a few stalks of corn! I ate peas from the pod and young carrots I’d pulled from the ground and washed in the rain barrel. When we wanted potatoes for dinner we went out to the garden and dug a few up. To put it mildly, I was spoiled.
When you consider how much abuse our bodies take from the chemicals in the air and the products we use on a daily basis, the detoxing benefits of fresh, organicfruits and veggiesis surely needed.
Since Nana doesn’t have her garden anymore and Idon’t have the space for one, I rely on local farmers markets and nearby farms for organic fruits and veggies. Here are my five favorite detoxifying foods to get fresh from the farm.
Cruciferous plants
Cabbage, cauliflower,broccoli, Brussels sprouts, radishes, watercress, mustard plants are all members of this oh-so-good-for-you plant family. Compounds in these plants helpthe livercreate enzymes that break down and eliminate toxins. There are tons of ways to eat these veggies. Addcabbage, watercress, radishes and mustard greens to salads or pile them on sandwiches. Munch on raw broccoli and cauliflower for a snack, or toss them in a stir-fry for dinner.
Beets
Sweet but low in calories,beetsare great for detoxing your body. Packed with vitamin C and folate, this red veggie staves off free radicals and promotes healthy cell growth. Think pickled beets and Borscht (beet soup) are the only ways to eat this veg? Raw beets actually pack the biggest punch, so grate some on salads or add thin slices to a veggie sandwich or wrap. If you’re already a fan ofbeets, top a bed of baby spinach with ribbons of raw beets for a tasty and beautiful salad.
Berries
Blueberries, blackberries,strawberries, raspberries, brambleberries… they’re all so very yummy. And while theberryseason is fleeting, the health benefits are lasting. Researchers at Tufts University tested 60 fruits and veggies for antioxidants and blueberries topped the list.Blueberriesneutralize free radicals, improve the structure of veins and generally strengthen the cardiovascular system, protect against cancer development, and have been linked to healthy eyesight. Raspberries are another great antioxidant, but they also have importantantimicrobial properties, which can prevent overgrowth bacteria and fungi, as well as a yeast linked tovagin*l yeast infectionsand irritable bowel syndrome.
Tomatoes
There is nothing quite like aripe, juicy tomatofresh from the field or a garden. Warm, juicy and sweet, you can almost taste the sunshine. But the health benefits are even better than the taste. The red skins of tomatoes are full oflycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals in the body. Not only can it detox your system immediately, lycopene may help prevent cancers. Just be sure to get your hands on organic tomatoes – they contain more lycopene (even organic ketchup hasthree times the lycopenethan a non-organic product).
Carrots
Sure you can get them year-round, but freshcarrotsare a totally different experience than carrots from storage. Since most ofthe good stuff is in the skinor just under it, don’t peel your carrots if you can help it—if they’re fresh, a good wash it all it will take. Thisroot veggieis packed with carotene (which is converted to vitamin A by the body), vitamins B, C, D and E – all of which are antioxidants that protect the body from harmful free radicals. They’re also a mild diuretic, so they’ll help flush out your kidneys. Thealkaline elementsin carrots also help detox your blood, and maintain a neutral pH level.
So eat to your heart’s content! Just don’t neglectlegumes, grainsand water: protein produces enzymes the liver requires to break down toxins,fiberhelps remove waste from the body, andwaterkeeps everything working properly.
SOURCE:http://www.care2.com/greenliving/eat-these-5-foods-for-a-healthy-detox.html
