The Best Foods For Supporting Healthy Detoxification
Detoxification is a word that gets quite a lot of buzz. It seems like everyone nowadays wants to detox. I myself love to do a good detox (3-7 days of eliminating processed foods, sugar, etc. and eating foods to help heal my digestive system and liver). I feel refreshed, lighter and my mood is brighter. Detoxing can sometimes get confused with “dieting” or “flushing out waste”, but it is in fact nothing like that at all.
Detoxing is what the body naturally does on it’s own everyday. Your body digests food, absorbs the vitamins and nutrients, then detoxes the stuff you don’t need (excess hormones, toxic waste, etc.). What you really need to know is that if your body doesn’t detox efficiently, your body can reabsorb the hormones and toxic waste which can eventually cause a multitude of issues for you like hormone imbalances which can lead to infertility, acne and other issues.
Issues in digestion can arise when our bodies are overloaded with the chemicals and toxins that come from processed foods and low quality goods.
Some of the indicators that your digestive system are off are:
Constipation (with this can come moodiness and agitation)
Acne (issues in your digestive system often show through the skin, hair and nails)
Dark eye circles
Poor elimination
Low energy
Those are just a few but very common symptoms. Not everyone is dealing with serious digestive issues, but it is important to take care of your digestion and gut no matter what!
How can I start healing my digestive system now?
Healing the digestive system is something that I help you tackle in my one on one coaching sessions, but you don’t have to wait to start healing! Below are some of the best foods to help support a healthy digestive system:
Fibrous foods- Chia seeds, apples, oats, beans, berries pears etc. Fiber is essential for healthy digestion, without it you cannot eliminate waste properly.
Lemons- These are amazing for healthy digestion and healthy detoxification. Lemon water first thing in the morning is something that I recommend to all of my clients!
Parsley- The enzymes in this bright herb can help break down food and release nutrients from the macronutrients in your diet.
Beets- This root veggie can help activate liver enzymes to create bile (bile is needed to emulsify/ break down fat and transport fat soluble vitamins like Vitamins A, D, E and K).
Fermented foods- Foods like sauerkraut and miso have amazing healing benefits on the gut. They contain the amino acid glutamine as well as many probiotics to help support the digestive system.
A few things that you can start incorporating into your routine that can help support gut health:
Meditation- Stress is a major cause of digestive stress. Incorporating a coping strategy for stress like meditation is beneficial for the body.
Exercise- This helps get things moving in your digestive system.
Sleep- Getting good quality sleep (8-10 hours).
Below is one of my favorite smoothies for gut support. It is packed with healthy fiber and healthy fats which benefit the digestive system as a whole:
8-10 oz of coconut milk or cashew milk unsweetened
1 scoop of protein powder (I use this one here)
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 tsp flax seeds
1 frozen banana
1/4 cup frozen coconut flesh
kale (optional)
Blend all ingredients in the blender then serve and enjoy!
