Detoxing Can Be Delicious: 3 Recipes

Who says you have to starve to cleanse? Adding nutrient dense foods, coupled with eliminating the most common dietary toxins, will help your body detox daily.

First, lose the sugar; it causes inflammation and encourages the growth of Candida albicans yeast that upsets normal intestinal flora and depletes the liver of enzymes needed for detoxification. Other dietary demons to avoid: coffee, wheat, gluten, dairy, yeast, corn and excess animal protein. Eat fiber-rich vegetables, to improve bowel function, and drink plenty of water to flush toxins from the body.

Then include plenty of naturally detoxifying foods, like cabbage, leafy green vegetables, bitter greens, garlic, parsley, lemon, ginger, celery, green tea, artichokes, cayenne pepper, grapefruit, sea vegetables and asparagus. They’ll nourish your cells and organs, and help you detox daily. Feast, don’t fast, with these naturally detoxifying recipes:

Dandelion and Bitter Greens with Spicy Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
Makes 4 to 6 servings
1 pound dandelion greens, stems removed and discarded
1 small head chicory, outer ribs discarded and remainder torn into 1-inch pieces
1 small head radicchio, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
1 medium Belgian endive, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
2 cups packed baby spinach
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 medium carrots, grated
2 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
1 or 2 small garlic cloves, pressed
Dash cayenne pepper

1. In a medium bowl, combine dandelion greens, chicory, radicchio, endive, spinach, parsley, carrots and celery. Toss to mix.

2. In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine olive oil, lemon juice, basil, garlic and cayenne. Shake vigorously to blend well. Season with sea salt and white pepper.

3. Just before serving, toss greens with just enough dressing to lightly coat leaves. Serve immediately.

Next: Kale, Blueberry, Goji and Avocado Salad and Grilled Baby Artichokes with Grapefruit and Rosemary