The body has its own specialized detoxification system that works hard every day to flush toxins from your system. You can help support this process by eating certain foods to help ensure this process goes smoothly. There are so many delicious and nutritious sources of detoxifying food, it’s easy to find ways to incorporate them into your diet.
Defining Detoxification
Detoxification, by definition, is the physiological removal of toxic substances from within your body. Your lymphatic and circulatory systems detoxify your individual cells, while detoxification on a broader scale is mainly carried out by your liver, kidneys, and intestines. Other organs such as your bowels, lungs, and skin also play a part in removing toxins from your body.
Boosting the Process
At Thistle, we create nutrient-dense meals to help ensure your body stays healthy and in balance year-round. Eating detoxifying foods and staying hydrated are important to keep your system from getting run down by all of life’s activities, environmental toxins and indulgences. Exercise is another great way to boost the process as it helps your blood and lymph start moving. The body can also excrete toxins through the sweat.
Water, Water, Water
Water does so much more than quench your thirst. It regulates your body temperature, lubricates joints, aids digestion and nutrient absorption, and detoxifies your body by removing waste from it.
Your body’s cells must continuously be repaired to function optimally and break down nutrients for your body to use as energy. However, these processes release wastes—in the form of urea and carbon dioxide—which cause harm if allowed to build up in your blood. Water transports these waste products, efficiently removing them through urination, breathing, or sweating.
Staying properly hydrated is as important as eating cleansing foods when it comes to supporting our body’s natural detoxification process.
Detoxifying Foods We Love
There are so many foods that support your body’s natural detoxification process and here at Thistle we are proud to incorporate them into our weekly meals. Keep reading to find out how these ingredients not only enhance our meals, but help your body rid toxins.
Foods to Keep the Liver Working Optimally
The liver is one of the body’s most important self-detoxifying organs, which is why it is crucial to eat foods that support it like:
Citrus:
- A 2014 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that the citric acid in lemons can protect liver function and prevent oxidative (stress-related) damage, which can help fight against many chronic diseases like diabetes. The citric acid in lemons has also shown to kick start metabolism.
Avocados:
- A 2001 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that the fatty acids in avocados help protect against damage caused by d-galactosamine, a powerful liver toxin. They can also lower bad cholesterol and blood sugar.
Turmeric:
- Turmeric is a perennial herb in the ginger family containing a phytochemical called curcumin. Curcumin impacts gallbladder function, which in turn supports liver function. Bile, produced by your gallbladder, cleanses your liver and rejuvenates liver cells. Bile also prevents toxins from being converted to harmful compounds that damage your liver.
Garlic:
- Researchers have found that garlic can inhibit the activation of carcinogens, enhance detoxification, and even protect DNA. With garlic’s supreme detoxifying powers, it directly supports many liver enzymes, which keep this organ pumping toxins out of the body.
Apples:
- These popular snacks are rich in the soluble fiber, pectin. Pectin helps purge toxins from the bloodstream through bile (thanks again, liver!) and lower LDL cholesterol. Pectin can also aid in the excretion of harmful substances, such as mercury and lead.
Plant Foods that Heal and Detox
When it comes to detoxifying foods, leafy greens and herbs are some of the most powerful options to make sure your body is able to get rid of toxins.
Dark Leafy Greens / Cruciferous Veggies:
- This class of leafy veggies includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and bok choy, all of which can help you cleanse your body.
- Spinach and dandelion greens—among other veggies on the list—are excellent sources of chlorophyll, which is considered the top detoxifying plant pigment.
Chlorella:
- With many positive effects for everything from mood to heart function, some consider this bright green algae to be a wonder food. Chlorella has been shown to help with depression and anxiety, reduce excess weight, and lower LDL cholesterol. It also helps reduce liver inflammation. You only need four grams or more (about two teaspoons) per day for at least eight weeks to kickstart the benefits. If you like, you can stir it into your morning juice or add it to a smoothie!
Cilantro:
- Some plants can bind to heavy metals and help your body excrete them. Those plants are known as “chelators” and cilantro is one of them. A 2013 study published in Scientific World Journal found that cilantro can enhance mercury excretion and decrease lead absorption.
Foods with Antioxidants to Spare
Antioxidants are your body’s protection against cell damage, and they are hugely important for proper detoxification. These are some of our favorite cleansing foods full of antioxidants and other detox benefits:
Green Tea:
- High in antioxidants, it helps keep your body in balance, protecting against free radicals that can cause aging and degenerative disease.
- A 2007 study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that a green tea concentrate boosted production of detoxification enzymes, which play a key role in cancer prevention.
Beets:
- Beets are another blood-cleansing and purifying food loved by your liver! A cleansed bloodstream and “happy” liver results in increased nutrient production in your body. Beets are also high in antioxidants and many nutrients including folate, pectin fiber, iron, betaine, betalains, betacyanin, and betanin. They also contain pectin, which is a natural blood cleanser.
Ginger:
- Rich in phytochemicals—the healthy compounds found in plants—ginger is a popular gastrointestinal aid. The intestines perform detoxification work, and ginger can help boost your body’s ability to process food and eliminate waste. A 2013 research review published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found that ginger protects against oxidative stress, has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects, and offers a wealth of antioxidants.
Cleansing Foods for the Gut
Gut health is the foundation for overall health. Incorporate some of these cleansing foods into your diet to keep your gut in top shape so your body can flush out toxins that might otherwise affect your health:
Fermented Ingredients:
- Fermented ingredients like kimchi, miso, and pickled vegetables provide beneficial bacteria, which make the body less hospitable to pathogens while decreasing inflammation. Good gut health starts with prebiotics, a type of fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your gut called probiotics. With prebiotics, your good bacteria are able to produce nutrients called short-chain fatty acids that are beneficial for health.
Krauts (Probiotics) and Prebiotic-Rich foods:
- Your intestinal cells have a detoxification and excretion system that protects your gut and body from harmful toxins, such as chemicals. Sauerkraut contains probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that act as the first line of defense against toxins and harmful bacteria. Probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut provide the nutrients needed to feed the prebiotics in your intestines, which creates a balanced (and happy) gut.
Your weekly Thistle meal plan is loaded with naturally many of these detoxifying ingredients that keep your body functioning well. We love using delicious detox foods to create tasty and ready-to-eat meals that are delivered right to your door. Try Thistle today to start giving your body cleansing foods that promote good health.
The body has its own specialized detoxification system that works hard every day to flush toxins from your system. You can help support this process by eating certain foods to help ensure this process goes smoothly. There are so many delicious and nutritious sources of detoxifying food, it’s easy to find ways to incorporate them into your diet.
Defining Detoxification
Detoxification, by definition, is the physiological removal of toxic substances from within your body. Your lymphatic and circulatory systems detoxify your individual cells, while detoxification on a broader scale is mainly carried out by your liver, kidneys, and intestines. Other organs such as your bowels, lungs, and skin also play a part in removing toxins from your body.
Boosting the Process
At Thistle, we create nutrient-dense meals to help ensure your body stays healthy and in balance year-round. Eating detoxifying foods and staying hydrated are important to keep your system from getting run down by all of life’s activities, environmental toxins and indulgences. Exercise is another great way to boost the process as it helps your blood and lymph start moving. The body can also excrete toxins through the sweat.
Water, Water, Water
Water does so much more than quench your thirst. It regulates your body temperature, lubricates joints, aids digestion and nutrient absorption, and detoxifies your body by removing waste from it.
Your body’s cells must continuously be repaired to function optimally and break down nutrients for your body to use as energy. However, these processes release wastes—in the form of urea and carbon dioxide—which cause harm if allowed to build up in your blood. Water transports these waste products, efficiently removing them through urination, breathing, or sweating.
Staying properly hydrated is as important as eating cleansing foods when it comes to supporting our body’s natural detoxification process.
Detoxifying Foods We Love
There are so many foods that support your body’s natural detoxification process and here at Thistle we are proud to incorporate them into our weekly meals. Keep reading to find out how these ingredients not only enhance our meals, but help your body rid toxins.
Foods to Keep the Liver Working Optimally
The liver is one of the body’s most important self-detoxifying organs, which is why it is crucial to eat foods that support it like:
Citrus:
- A 2014 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that the citric acid in lemons can protect liver function and prevent oxidative (stress-related) damage, which can help fight against many chronic diseases like diabetes. The citric acid in lemons has also shown to kick start metabolism.
Avocados:
- A 2001 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that the fatty acids in avocados help protect against damage caused by d-galactosamine, a powerful liver toxin. They can also lower bad cholesterol and blood sugar.
Turmeric:
- Turmeric is a perennial herb in the ginger family containing a phytochemical called curcumin. Curcumin impacts gallbladder function, which in turn supports liver function. Bile, produced by your gallbladder, cleanses your liver and rejuvenates liver cells. Bile also prevents toxins from being converted to harmful compounds that damage your liver.
Garlic:
- Researchers have found that garlic can inhibit the activation of carcinogens, enhance detoxification, and even protect DNA. With garlic’s supreme detoxifying powers, it directly supports many liver enzymes, which keep this organ pumping toxins out of the body.
Apples:
- These popular snacks are rich in the soluble fiber, pectin. Pectin helps purge toxins from the bloodstream through bile (thanks again, liver!) and lower LDL cholesterol. Pectin can also aid in the excretion of harmful substances, such as mercury and lead.
Plant Foods that Heal and Detox
When it comes to detoxifying foods, leafy greens and herbs are some of the most powerful options to make sure your body is able to get rid of toxins.
Dark Leafy Greens / Cruciferous Veggies:
- This class of leafy veggies includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and bok choy, all of which can help you cleanse your body.
- Spinach and dandelion greens—among other veggies on the list—are excellent sources of chlorophyll, which is considered the top detoxifying plant pigment.
Chlorella:
- With many positive effects for everything from mood to heart function, some consider this bright green algae to be a wonder food. Chlorella has been shown to help with depression and anxiety, reduce excess weight, and lower LDL cholesterol. It also helps reduce liver inflammation. You only need four grams or more (about two teaspoons) per day for at least eight weeks to kickstart the benefits. If you like, you can stir it into your morning juice or add it to a smoothie!
Cilantro:
- Some plants can bind to heavy metals and help your body excrete them. Those plants are known as “chelators” and cilantro is one of them. A 2013 study published in Scientific World Journal found that cilantro can enhance mercury excretion and decrease lead absorption.
Foods with Antioxidants to Spare
Antioxidants are your body’s protection against cell damage, and they are hugely important for proper detoxification. These are some of our favorite cleansing foods full of antioxidants and other detox benefits:
Green Tea:
- High in antioxidants, it helps keep your body in balance, protecting against free radicals that can cause aging and degenerative disease.
- A 2007 study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that a green tea concentrate boosted production of detoxification enzymes, which play a key role in cancer prevention.
Beets:
- Beets are another blood-cleansing and purifying food loved by your liver! A cleansed bloodstream and “happy” liver results in increased nutrient production in your body. Beets are also high in antioxidants and many nutrients including folate, pectin fiber, iron, betaine, betalains, betacyanin, and betanin. They also contain pectin, which is a natural blood cleanser.
Ginger:
- Rich in phytochemicals—the healthy compounds found in plants—ginger is a popular gastrointestinal aid. The intestines perform detoxification work, and ginger can help boost your body’s ability to process food and eliminate waste. A 2013 research review published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found that ginger protects against oxidative stress, has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects, and offers a wealth of antioxidants.
Cleansing Foods for the Gut
Gut health is the foundation for overall health. Incorporate some of these cleansing foods into your diet to keep your gut in top shape so your body can flush out toxins that might otherwise affect your health:
Fermented Ingredients:
- Fermented ingredients like kimchi, miso, and pickled vegetables provide beneficial bacteria, which make the body less hospitable to pathogens while decreasing inflammation. Good gut health starts with prebiotics, a type of fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your gut called probiotics. With prebiotics, your good bacteria are able to produce nutrients called short-chain fatty acids that are beneficial for health.
Krauts (Probiotics) and Prebiotic-Rich foods:
- Your intestinal cells have a detoxification and excretion system that protects your gut and body from harmful toxins, such as chemicals. Sauerkraut contains probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that act as the first line of defense against toxins and harmful bacteria. Probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut provide the nutrients needed to feed the prebiotics in your intestines, which creates a balanced (and happy) gut.
Your weekly Thistle meal plan is loaded with naturally many of these detoxifying ingredients that keep your body functioning well. We love using delicious detox foods to create tasty and ready-to-eat meals that are delivered right to your door. Try Thistle today to start giving your body cleansing foods that promote good health.
