10 cleansing foods to get your body back on track

Top 10 detox foods

Recently overindulged? Feeling a bit sluggish? Or just not looking your best? It could be that your body is in need of a detox. Fortunately, there are many foods around that can help counteract the effects of a toxic lifestyle. Whether you want to lose weight, feel more energised, improve your complexion or boost your mood, check out these top 10 foods to cleanse your body and boost your health.

1. Lemon: Lemons are a staple of many detox diets, and there is good reason for this. Firstly, lemons are packed with antioxidant vitamin C, which is great for the skin and for fighting disease-forming free-radicals. Furthermore, the citrus fruit has an alkaline effect on the body, meaning that it can help restore the body's pH balance, benefiting the immune system. Try starting your day with hot water and a slice of lemon to help flush out toxins and cleanse your system.

2. Ginger: If too much fatty food or alcohol has caused problems for your digestive system, it may be worthwhile adding some ginger to your diet. Ginger is not only great for reducing feelings of nausea, but it can help improve digestion, beat bloating and reduce gas. In addition to this, ginger is high in antioxidants and is good for boosting the immune system. To give your digestion a helping hand, try sipping on ginger tea or adding some freshly grated ginger to a fruit or vegetable juice.

3. Garlic: Garlic has long been known for its heart benefits, however the pungent food is also good at detoxifying the body. Garlic is not only antiviral, antibacterial and antibiotic, but it contains a chemical called allicin which promotes the production of white blood cells and helps fight against toxins. Garlic is best eaten raw, so add some crushed garlic to a salad dressing to boost its flavour and your health at the same time.

4. Artichoke: If you have recently been overindulging in fatty foods and alcohol, adding some steamed globe artichoke leaves to your meals is a great way to help get your body back on track. Globe artichokes are packed with antioxidants and fibre and can also help the body digest fatty foods. On top of this, globe artichoke is renowned for its ability to stimulate and improve the functions of the liver - the body's main toxin-fighting tool.

5. Beetroot: For those needing a quick health-boosting shot of nutrients, you can't do much better 

than beetroot. Packed with magnesium, iron, and vitamin C, the vegetable has recently been hailed as a superfood due to its many reported health benefits. Not only is beetroot great for skin, hair and cholesterol levels, but it can also help support liver detoxification, making it an ultimate detox food. To enjoy its benefits, try adding raw beetroot to salads or sipping on some beetroot juice.

6. Green tea: While it's not technically a food, no detox plan would be complete without regular consumption of essential liquids. Fluids are essential for keeping our organs healthy and helping to flush toxins from the body, and drinking green tea is a great way of boosting your intake. Green tea is not only a good weight-loss drink, but it is extremely high in antioxidants. Research has also suggested that drinking green tea can protect the liver from diseases including fatty liver disease.

7. Cabbage: Many celebs have resorted to the cabbage soup diet to help lose weight and get in shape quickly before a big event, however cabbage is not only good for weight loss - it is also an excellent detoxifying food. Like most cruciferous vegetables (including broccoli and sprouts), cabbage contains a chemical called sulforaphane, which helps the body fight against toxins. Cabbage also supplies the body with glutathione; an antioxidant that helps improve the detoxifying function of the liver.

8. Fresh fruit: Fresh fruits are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre and are also low in calories, making them an important part of a detox diet. If you're after brighter eyes and skin, shinier hair and improved digestion, try boosting your intake of fruit and eating from a wide variety of different kinds. The good news is fruit is easy to add to your diet, so try starting your day with a fresh fruit salad or smoothie and snacking on pieces of fruit throughout the day.

9. Brown rice: If you want to cleanse your system and boost your health, it is a good idea to cut down on processed foods. Instead, try supplementing your diet with healthier whole grains such as brown rice, which is rich in many key detoxifying nutrients including B vitamins, magnesium, manganese and phosphorous. Brown rice is also high in fibre, which is good for cleansing the colon, and rich in selenium, which can help to protect the liver as well as improving the complexion.

10. Watercress: Like most green herbs and vegetables, watercress is an excellent health-booster and detox food. Firstly, watercress leaves are packed with many vital detoxifying nutrients, including several B vitamins, zinc, potassium, vitamin E and vitamin C. Secondly, watercress has natural diuretic properties, which can help to flush toxins out the body. To reap the benefits of this nutritious food, try adding a handful of watercress to salads, soups and sandwiches.

Ayurvedic Tea Recipes for Various Health Benefits

Ayurveda has always given highest importance to right food according to one's body constitution. As such, one should always eat food according to the dosha of his her body- vata, pitta or kapha. Ayurveda has also advocated certain diets that are beneficial to achieve overall health. It gives many recipes for specific problems such asAyurvedic Detoxifying Recipes or Ayurvedic Recipes for weight loss etc. There are also many drinks that help maintaining health. One of such drinks is the tea, which when prepared with different herbs and spices give different benefits for health. Some of such ayurvedic tea recipes are described here.

Ayurvedic Tea for Digestion: Take 1 tsp each of cumin, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds. Also take 3 cups of water and honey. Boil water and after removing from flame, soak the ingredients, except honey, in it for about 5 minutes. Strain and add honey to make it sweet.

Soothing Tulsi Tea: Take 50 gm Tulsi, 7.5 gm Dalchini, 5 gmBrahmi, 15 gm Banafsha, 25 gm Saunf, 15 gm Iliachi dana, 25 gm each of Lalchandan and Kali Mirch. Ground them and boil the mixture in water.

Banafsha Tea for Cough and Cold: Take 60 gm Banafsha, 15 gm Kulanjan, and 20 gm Mulathi. Ground them and boil the mixture in water. Add one drop each of peppermint and eucalyptus oil.

Jushanda Tea for Relief in Asthma: Take 30 gm Mulathi, 15 gm Somavali, 25 gm Vasaka, and 2 gm Naushadar. Ground them and boil the mixture in water.

Herbal Diuretic Tea: Take 26 gm Hauber, 24 gm Gokshru, 25 gm Varun, and 25 gm Punernava. Ground them and boil the mixture in water. It is a diuretic agent which increases the volume of urine excreted and prevents the formation of stone and also dissolves the kidney stone.

Anti-oxidant Keshar and Green Tea: Take 5 gm Jaiphal, 4 gm Javitri, 50 gm Dalchini, 1 gm Keshar, and 40 gm Ashwagandha. Ground them and boil the mixture in water. For anti-oxidant green tea recipe, add 10 gm green tea leaves, and 1 gm each of Dalchini and Iliachi with sugar (as per taste) in water. Boil to get the tea.

Herbal Laxative Tea: Take 90 gm Senna, and 10 gm Dhania. Ground them and boil the mixture in water. It helps in relieving constipation.

Vata Dosha Tea Recipe: Take 1/4 teaspoon each of freshly grated ginger, ground cardamom, cinnamon, ajwan seeds and 1 cup water. Mix all the ingredients. Boil the water and add the herb mixture to it. Steep for 5 minutes. Strain and then serve. It balances the vata dosha.

Pitta Dosha Tea Recipe: Take 1/4 teaspoon each of cumin seeds, coriander, fennel, fresh cilantro, rose petals, and 1 cup water. Mix all the ingredients. Boil the water and add the herb mixture to it. Steep for 5 minutes. Strain and then serve. It balances the pitta dosha.

Kapha Dosha Tea Recipe: Take 1/4 teaspoon each of dry ginger, dill seed, fenugreek seed, 1 clove , and 1 cup water. Mix all the ingredients. Boil the water and add the herb mixture to it. Steep for 5 minutes. Strain and then serve. It balances the kapha dosha.

Green Tea: A Dietary Supplement Against Aging

Green tea is rich in antioxidants, which prevent our bodies’ cells from damage due to oxidation. The process is not very different from preventing your car from being rusted.

Fast realizing the increasing knowledge of public about the many health benefits of antioxidants as they are being published, the marketers of cold drinks have begun promoting green tea drinks flavored with fruit juices. Apple, lemon, strawberry, peach, and pomegranate, you name it and it’s out there for sale.
Green Tea is often consumed as a dietary supplement. A dietary supplement refers to vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements and other substances (e.g weight loss supplement) meant to improve your diet. Green tea comprises EGCG or the epigallocatechin gallate that makes the tea power packed with the advantages of antioxidants.

As far as aging is concerned, many studies blame free radicals within our bodies as the ones responsible of it. Consequently, the higher the quantity of free radicals in your body, the faster you would age. Since the main job of antioxidants is to neutralize the free radicals their presence is supposed to slow down the rate of aging. Apart from green tea some common sources of antioxidants are apricots, broccoli, pumpkin, cantaloupes, spinach, sweet potatoes and tomatoes. So it makes good sense to supplement your diet with these as well.

However there’s a problem, and that is, once you drink the tea, 80 percent of its antioxidantcatechins are lost during digestion, making the mechanism highly inefficient. At the same time a tasty solution to this problem exists. Studies have found that when the tea is coupled with some specific foods, antioxidant absorption becomes a lot more efficient. Out of the edibles that make it so, lemon ranks first, followed by orange, lime and grapefruit juices. In fact lemon has been found to retain 80 percent of the catechins.

No magic potion is needed, even a simple herb such as green tea can go a long way to protect your body from the harmful effects of free radicals, and tastefully too!