3 Delicious Detox 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.

Kale, Blueberry, Goji and Avocado Salad
Serves 4
2 small bunches of Tuscan kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup dried goji berries (soak them if they’re very hard or dry)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight, drained
1 cup blueberries
1 medium avocado, cubed

1.    Remove stems and center ribs from kale. Stack leaves and thinly slice crosswise into ribbons. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and white pepper. Using hands, massage oil and salt into kale leaves. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Add goji berries, pumpkin seeds and blueberries to salad, and toss to mix. Divide between individual plates, top with avocado, and serve.

Grilled Baby Artichokes with Grapefruit and Rosemary

Serves 4
16 baby artichokes
1 medium lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Juice and zest of one red grapefruit
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 large red grapefruit, cut into 12 thin wedges

1.    Fill a medium glass bowl with cold water and squeeze lemon into the water. Cut off stems of artichokes near the base. Remove tough outer leaves, leaving softer, yellowish-green inner leaves, then cut the top 1/3 off. As you trim each artichoke, immediately place into lemon water to prevent browning. Steam artichokes for 7 minutes, or until bottoms are just tender.

2.    While artichokes are steaming, combine olive oil, vinegar, grapefruit juice and zest, minced rosemary, garlic and white pepper in a bowl. Add steamed artichokes to the marinade, and toss to coat. Add grapefruit slices. Let stand for 15 minutes.

3.    While artichokes and grapefruits are marinating, preheat grill. Grill artichokes and grapefruit for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until artichokes are tender, basting with marinade several times. Remove to a serving platter, drizzle with additional marinade, garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary, and serve.

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