Ever feel like your body is depleting, more prone to diseases and just generally not-so-good? They’re probably signs that your body is screaming for a detox.
People use the term “detox” here and there, but what does it actually mean?
Detox, short for detoxification, is what your body does naturally to neutralize, transform and get rid of unwanted harmful substances (toxins). This is done without any particular diet or program, it’s all au naturel! Although most of the task is performed by our liver, which filter the toxins and bacteria in blood, our complex detox system is a synergy of many of our other body organs, including the intestinal tract, the kidneys, lungs, lymphatic system and skin to get rid of those toxins. And by the way, toxins aren’t just booze and cigs, they are everywhere, unavoidable and a normal part of life; pollution, pesticides in your food, bacteria in your water, pharmaceutical drugs, and so on. Fret not, we could rely on our body, which is constantly in a working mode to remove them from our system (Yay!)
So why go for “detox” when detoxification is already a natural thing in our body system?
Just as important as keeping our external body clean (we shower, brush our teeth, etc), detoxing is about keeping the inside “clean”. A healthy detoxification system yields a happy and healthy body!
As we go on from year to year, there is an increasing number of populations, and hence pollutions in this world – which means our detoxification system needs to work extra harder than ever before. By radically changing the way we eat and drink; eat fresh anti-inflammatory foods, plant-based foods, increase hydration and avoiding the toxic vices we may have, we are technically giving support to our natural detoxification system by two ways. First, consuming more vitamin and mineral rich foods will assist our liver in doing its job, and second, we also simultaneously reduce the toxic load that our system needs to get rid of.
Moreover, doing a “detox” plan will boost your energy levels, improve your mood and sleep, improve your emotional and mental clarity, control your weight and sugar cravings and give your skin that glow-y look. It’s definitely a win-win! A detox plan can come in various methods, but for this particular thread, we’re gonna take a look on the seven simple homemade detox drinks. Let’s GuavaGulp and Reboot!
- Rise and Shine: lemon ginger tea
Ingredients:
- 1-inch fresh ginger root
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
How to make it:
- Grate the ginger into a teapot
- Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the ginger and let it steep for 3 minutes
- Put the lemon juice and honey in a mug
- Strain the ginger tea into the mug
- Stir and serve hot (Add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric if you’d like)
- Super Green: broccoli detox smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 broccoli floret
- 1/4 pineapple
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 green banana
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries
How to make it:
- Lightly steam your broccoli and let it cool
- Blend in all the ingredients
- Transfer into a glass
- Bulletproof: apple cider papaya smoothie
Ingredients:
- Papaya
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorn
- Mint leaves
How to make it:
- Cut the papaya into cubes and toss them into the blender
- Add apple cider vinegar and crushed black peppercorns and give it a spin
- Add mint leaves and ice cubes before drinking
- Antioxidant Kick: cauliflower berry smoothie
Ingredients:
- Cauliflower
- 1/2 cup raspberries (froze them yourself)
- 1/2 cup blueberries (froze them yourself)
How to make it:
- Blend in all the ingredients
- Transfer into a glass
- Goodbye Flu: ginger and mint
Ingredients:
- 1/2 inch ginger root
- A handful of mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 cup watercress
- A pinch of sea salt
How to make it:
- Toss the ginger root and mint leaves together with water into a blender
- Transfer into a glass
- Add maple syrup, and black salt. Stir well
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes before drinking
- Calorie Burner: carrot and celery
Ingredients:
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 lime wedge
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorn
- A pinch of salt
How to make it:
- Roughly chop the carrot and celery and toss them into a blender. Give it a spin
- Pour the juice into a glass
- Squeeze in the juice of lime. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir well
- Immunity Boost: kale and pomegranate
Ingredients:
- A bunch of kale leaves
- Pomegranate
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of black peppercorn
How to make it:
- Toss the kale leaves and pomegranate into a blender
- Add a pinch of salt and a little black pepper powder and spin it
- Serve with ice.
Here’s to a superb week: Start your detox drink today and feel fresh by Sunday!
Written by Aimee Garibaldi.
Picture credit: Keira Mason, Claire Elise, Manu via Pinterest
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