Part 1 – Using Food as Medicine
I want to thank all who participated in my Renew Your Health: Spring Cleaning for the Body, Mind & Spirit class series! It was wonderful hearing your feedback and having an educated discussion about your specific interests in relation to nutrition and lifestyle management. As we head out of winter hibernation and into the energy of renewal this spring, this 3-part blog series will cover nutritional, environmental toxins, and dry skin brushing tips to boost your health.
Detoxifying Foods
We all know to avoid toxins we need to stay away from sugar, processed foods and alcohol. But what if you want your cake and eat it too? Here are some foods that support your body’s natural detoxification pathways. Add them to your meals tomorrow to aid in that “spring cleaning” from the inside out.
- Beets: Act as natural blood cleansers, helping detoxify the blood of heavy metals and waste due to a compound that forms Glutathione. This master antioxidant is essential to help the detoxification pathways in the liver run efficiently.
- Watercress: Is extremely nutrient-dense food that is high in Vitamins A, C, E, K and B, Manganese and Omega 3 fatty acids which we must get through our diet.
- Asparagus: Is a prebiotic food, which means it acts as food for the probiotic bacteria to eat.
- Chickpeas aka garbanzo beans: Are a complex carbohydrate, slower-burning starch that the body does not react to by suddenly spiking glucose in the blood.
- Garlic: Contains allicin, a sulfur compound that supports liver detoxification. (Garlic must be crushed to release this compound, so be sure to crush and let sit a bit before using in your cooking.)
In the next part of this blog series, I will be discussing best practices to avoid everyday environmental toxins. If you were to stop and think how many products you come into contact with on a daily basis, your “hazard health score” can really add up. Watch for the next blog to learn what specific ingredients to avoid and how to clean your house in a health-conscious manner!