Nowadays, it is very common to hear that friends and family are doing a “cleanse” or starting a “detox”.  But what does all of this really mean!?

The Holiday Season is not only full of love and joy, but also comes with a tight social agenda that leaves us exhausted and overloaded from all the indulgences. The season is flooded with cookies, candied sweet potatoes, turkey stuffing and glasses of eggnog. After giving in to all these excesses, a “cleanse” could be a great way to get rid of all the toxins and junk in our system and increase our overall wellbeing – but many of the popular methods can be very expensive and difficult to follow. Most people can’t adhere to a “cleanse” long enough to notice any changes.

So, the most efficient way to “detox” our bodies is by eating clean, wholesome foods, where the protagonists are: fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals. There are people who rely on supplements to support a “detox”, but oftentimes these contain other substances that block the ducts of the liver, the kidneys, the digestive system and the circulatory system.

Our suggestion is to focus on eating as natural as possible with a diet centered in the foods that will maintain our bodies clean and free of residues. Here are our top five allies:

1- Turmeric: For ages the Chinese and Indian medicine have given a center role to turmeric due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains high levels of antioxidants and research has demonstrated that it increases the enzymes that detoxify the liver.  An easy way to incorporate turmeric in our diets will be sprinkling it over hard-boiled eggs, grilled vegetables or incorporate them in salad dressings.

2- Beets: One of the most perfect foods to detoxify our bodies due to its high content of numerous essential substances like: betaine and pectin. Beets are famous for helping the liver get rid off residues and improving the overall health of people who eat them. Beets can be enjoyed shredded, raw, in juices or baked. Beets’ leaves can be prepared sauté with garlic as a side dish.

3- Watercress: recent chemical analyses of watercress reveal that its benefits come from its abundant content of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. Moreover, all green leaf vegetables like: kale, spinach and watercress are full of chlorophyll – which also plays a central role in liberating our bodies from environmental toxins like: contamination, heavy metals, herbicides, cleaning products and pesticides.

4- Garlic: renowned as one of the most beneficial foods in the world, garlic cleanses the blood, has antiviral and antibiotic properties and aids in the reduction of blood pressure. Garlic stimulates the liver and when cut and cooked it produces a detox enzyme called allicin. Research also shows that the consumption of garlic increases the number of white cells in the blood.

5- Avocadoes: Recent evidence demonstrates that the frequent consumption of avocadoes results in an improved functioning of the liver. Avocadoes are rich in omega 3s, and also aid our bodies with the production of glutathione, which is a key detoxifying agent that is naturally depleted in our bodies due to everyday stress.

About the Authors:

Nutriwhite is a family practice of Immuno-Nutrition specialists. They identify food sensitivities and design a diet for everyone as well as treat disorders related to the digestive, metabolic and immune systems.

Mercedes White, MG, holds a postgraduate degree in Biology in Clinical Nutrition at the University Simon Bolivar. She has years of experience in private practice, maintains close contact with specialized doctors in the United States. Mercedes also has a Tier 1 Certification in the Gluten Free Society, which accredits health professionals to understand, identify and treat the patient with intolerance to gluten. She leads many research projects with Nutriwhite. the culmination of which is “descriptive study of the results of food causing immune reactions IgG measured by ELISA in the laboratory Inmunolabs in patients who attended the consultation Nutriwhite during the period 2007 – 2014”.

Andreina White, MG, graduated from Central University of Venezuela in 2007 with a Nutrition & Dietetics degree and moved to Spain, where she earned two masters, one in Immunology and one in Metabolism at the University of Barcelona. During this time, she had the privilege of working with Dr. Clavera, a specialist in biomedical therapy, to improve the condition of autistic children. She continues to collaborate with Dr. Clavera, and travels frequently between Spain and Venezuela. She is also a certified nutrition professional  with the League Nutritional Intervention against Autism Hyperactivity Disorder (LINCA).

Mariana White, Lic, has a Bachelors of Nutrition and Dietetics from the Central University of Venezuela. She is currently doing a graduate in https://www.achs.edu Holistic Nutrition. In Nutriwhite, she serves patients and young adults who want to achieve a healthy weight. She is also a member of the American Overseas Dietetic Association (AODA), an international subsidiary of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics US (AND) and a certified nutrition professional League Nutritional Intervention against Autism Hyperactivity Disorder (LINCA).

For more information, please visit www.nutriwhitedietas.com.