Change of seasons is probably the best time to start a detox program. If you eat raw food on regular basis your body is less "polluted" than that of a person who eats cooked, baked and grilled foods.
A healthy body knows how to take care of itself, but many people have lifestyles that lead to toxic overload and incomplete detoxification. Growing environmental pollution also plays part in our inability to detoxify properly on our own. Moreover, liver, lungs and kidney become a bit sluggish as we age and need a little help.
To start my spring detox program this year I have chosen two simple and easy to make juices - one green and one purple. All ingredients are known for their detoxifying properties and can be used safely at any time.
All ingredients used in these juices are organic. This is important! You want to remove toxins from your body. You do not want to add any.
All ingredients used in these juices are organic. This is important! You want to remove toxins from your body. You do not want to add any.
~ Beet and Horseradish Super Detox Juice ~
Ingredients:
- 4-5 beets
- 1 horseradish root, about 5-6 inches long (I used a much larger one)
Method:
- Wash and peel beets and horseradish. Chop into manageable pieces if your juicer is not very powerful.
- Juice the vegetable alternating between and horseradish.
- Drink fresh.
Beets are one of the best foods to detoxify the liver. They contain betaine which enhances the liver detoxification process and protects the liver and bile ducts to optimize liver function.
Horseradish contains compounds called glucosinates. Recent studies demonstrated that these compounds help increase body's resistance to cancer. Glucosinates increase liver's ability to detoxify carcinogens and to suppress the growth of existing tumors.
Tip: Do not discard the leftover pulp. It contains many nutrients and fiber, most importantly pectin from beets. Pectin can help to clean the toxins that have been removed from the liver and flash them out instead of being reabsorbed by the body. To make the best use of it I turn the leftover pulp into a tasty beet horseradish cashew nut butter that can also be used as a dip or a sauce for raw and cooked vegan burgers. Recipe will follow next week.
~ Cucumber Cilantro Detox Juice ~
Ingredients:
- 2 large English cucumbers
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1/2 organic lime with peel (optional)
- 1/2 organic lemon with peel (optional)
Method:
- Wash cucumbers and cilantro.
- Wash lemon and lime. Make sure that you removed all the wax from the peel. Only organic lemons and limes can be juiced with peel!
- Pass all the ingredients through a juicer. Pour the juice into a chilled jug. Stir well.
- Drink fresh.
Cucumbers are quite amazing. They support a healthy kidney function. Kidneys are important elimination organs. Moreover, compounds in cucumbers such as lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol have the ability to protect the body from various cancers including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, and prostate cancer.
Cilantro helps remove heavy metals from the body. The herb is one of the very few substances that helps detoxify heavy metals from the brain.
Citrus fruit, especially the peel, contain D-limonene - a substance known to activate enzymes in the liver that are part of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification processes. During the Phase 1 and Phase 2 liver converts the harmful toxins into less toxic waste.
Tip: Do not discard the leftover pulp. You can use as a base to make creamy cucumber cilantro dressing, gazpacho or some other refreshing raw soup.
And last, but not least. If you are not familiar with juicing and detoxification or have a serious health issue I suggest that you consult a certified nutritionist or naturopath. Do not start juicing or a detox program all by yourself. An experienced healthcare provider will prepare you for the program and devise the best strategy to suit your particular condition.
In radiant health - passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2014
*Information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.
And last, but not least. If you are not familiar with juicing and detoxification or have a serious health issue I suggest that you consult a certified nutritionist or naturopath. Do not start juicing or a detox program all by yourself. An experienced healthcare provider will prepare you for the program and devise the best strategy to suit your particular condition.
In radiant health - passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2014
*Information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.