Salad as a Natural Detox Food

The human body is capable of cleansing itself but there are certain foods that can speed up the process of eliminating dietary and environmental toxins from the body.

Indeed, there are several detoxification processes that help flush harmful substances out of the body. One of these is to make use of natural therapies.  By this, we mean remedies without prescription drugs — only food, and as a complement, proper exercise.

Fruits and vegetables are necessary for your body to have proper nutrition when detoxifying. Either taken as is, as salads or juices, these food items contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and other nutrients needed by the body.

In this article, let us learn why the salad is good for detoxifying. Salad can be anything, from all-fruit, all-veggie to a mix of fruits and veggies. Some people make it more palatable by adding bits of seafood or chicken to it. There are certain fruits and veggies that when mixed together, produce a pleasant taste, attractive appearance, and above all, a potency for detox. Let’s take a look at some of them here:

Apples. They are rich in insoluble fiber and the soluble fiber pectin. These nutrients have the ability to soak up wastes and toxins and flush them out via your intestines. The glucaric acid content in apples helps rid your body of estrogen-like chemicals and heavy metals. If you’re worried about rising sugar because of the sweetness, it would relieve you to know that apples are low-glycemic. It means that your body absorbs it slowly with only a gradual rise in blood sugar and insulin. Apple slices added to your typical salad add to its flavor, or better yet, eat it raw.

Arugula.  A type of cruciferous vegetable that is a culinary staple in Mediterranean cooking, arugula

belongs to the family of broccoli, kale, and watercress. This dark green salad leaf with a slightly bitter, mustardy, peppery flavour contains several compounds that aid in detoxification. These are sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol. This veggie is very rich in Vitamins C and K, the nutrients magnesium and folate. It is also packed with phytochemicals lutein and zeaxanthin, giving protection against age-related macular degeneration (often characterized by blurred vision) and cataracts. Use this veggie in pesto as a substitute for basil.

Lemon. Packed with Vitamin C, lemons are known to be one of the most potent detox foods around. They are thought to restore the acid-alkaline balance of your body, thus making it easier to eliminate dietary and environmental toxins effectively. Use it as a substitute for vinegar in a salad dressing, decorate your salad with lemon wedges or squeeze them into your steamed veggies for an added flavor.

Pomegranate. The jewel-toned, sweet-tart seeds are loaded with anthocyanins, the antioxidant responsible for giving it its deep red color. Anthocyanins are known to protect the body against DNA damage and inflammation. These may help reduce the risk of allergies, cancer, heart illness and diabetes. Giving your body a boost of these antioxidants may help it remove the toxins that cause skin aging. The collagen and elastin fiber in your skin is strengthened with the presence of antioxidants, thus slowing down skin aging. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds to your usual salad to liven up the taste.

In today’s modern living, toxic agents cannot be avoided, as they are everywhere. The food we eat, the water we drink, even the air we breathe does not guarantee to make us healthy as they too, can be contaminated.

To avoid the risks resulting from using prescription drugs, you can always turn to natural therapies as a safer way to remove toxins from your body.