Health is one of the most valuable things we have, and taking good care of it is something many of us strive for. Things like a eating a healthy diet, buying organic, avoiding processed foods and getting regular exercise all make a big difference, but still, none of us are perfect all the time, and we are constantly exposed to things in our environment we can’t control. In spite of all our healthy choices, toxins can still build up in our bodies over time, until we reach a point of feeling less than healthy. Many of us have probably experienced that icky, funky feeling at one time or another, and I know a lot of people who swear by cleanses and detox diets but this approach is just not for everyone. I find myself less likely to incorporate something extreme out of my usual routine, and have more success including detoxing in daily life. By making a habit of a handful of simple things, we can be detoxing without even really having to think about it, and reach that point of feeling funky less frequently.
I found out about this #DetoxYourLife project from Oscar Health Insurance Company and was inspired to contribute a blog post to the conversation. Oscar is a new health insurance company in New York offering health care with a more intuitive and
human approach for its members. I appreciate the way they value simple and natural ways people can live a healthy life, and I am happy to share a few of my own from the homestead.
Drink. More. Water.
This is the most simple way to detox and flush out our bodies, yet many of us don’t do it on a regular basis. I have found that carrying around a water bottle or quart mason jar filled with fresh drinking water throughout the day, or just putting it in my car in the morning ensures that I will drink it throughout the day. Substituting water whenever you would otherwise drink a soda or other beverage is another way to make this habit a part of daily life. Tea counts too! Mugs of hot herbal tea on chilly days are a great accompaniment to whatever work you are doing. Along those lines, a good way to achieve a more serious detox is taking a break from soda, alcohol, or caffeinated beverages for a period of time and drinking only water and herbal tea until you are feeling back to your usual, healthy self.
Use Cilantro as a Green, not a Garnish.
Cilantro is my go-to detox ingredient. Heavy metals are an unfortunate reality in our environment and food chain, and cilantro does an outstanding job of removing heavy metal accumulation from our bodies. It helps mobilize mercury in your body’s tissues, so they are able to flush out. I read some articles recently about research using cilantro to purify water, and the results were pretty impressive. Often, we encounter cilantro as a garnish or topping, but in the interest of detoxing, use that stuff liberally! I like to get a bunch of cilantro every week when it isn’t growing in the garden, and put a small handful of chopped cilantro on top of soups, salads, and other dishes. I recently discovered this delicious cilantro cream sauce recipe that calls for an entire bunch, and I have been putting it on everything: Amy’s Cilantro Cream Sauce
Have Fun with Fermentation.
Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles contain live enzymes, lactic acid and beneficial bacteria that all aid in your body’s ability to detox. They help draw out and flush heavy metals and toxins from our bodies and actually re-builds our digestive flora so that it can do a more efficient job. I am starting to see more live culture sauerkraut in the refrigerated foods section of the grocery store, but it is also very easy to make your own fermented vegetables. You can get a started culture at the store or on the Internet, and they come with detailed instructions. I like the simple recipes that ferment small batches in the jar, but if you really want to go for it, many kitchen stores carry different sizes of crocks to accommodate larger quantities. I have also discovered some great books out there like Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz and Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon with detailed instructions and all kinds of recipes for fermented foods. Nourishing Traditions explores the world of lacto-fermentation, and I wrote about my experiences with it in my post: Where There’s a Will, There’s a Whey: Adventures With Nourishing Traditions.
Cranberries: Not Just for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Cranberries are another amazing food that flush toxins from your kidneys, lymphatic system and intestines. There is a popular cranberry juice cleanse out there involving raw cranberry juice, which is very effective but also not very palatable. Plus, raw cranberry juice is not cheap. I like to buy raw cranberries from the store and throw a handful in savory dishes like stews and salads, or in the pan with a roast. Dried cranberries are also good in salads, but it is important to note that many of them have a lot of added sugar and un-sweetened are a little harder to come by. My favorite way to eat fresh cranberries is in a cold weather recipe I made up called: Hearty Winter Rice.
Kombucha!
Last, but not least, kombucha is a pro-biotic fermented beverage made from a sweetened tea fermented by a symbiotic colony of bacteria or S.C.O.B.Y. Not only is it naturally sparkly and an excellent alternative to soda, it is rich in many of the natural enzymes and bacterial acids the body produces to detox your system. Kombucha doesn’t just flush out toxins, it improves your ability to flush them out yourself. There are many commercial kombuchas available out there, and even some on tap at restaurants and growler fill stations, but making your own is always an inexpensive alternative. You will need to ask around to find a friend with a spare S.C.O.B.Y. or order one online, but it’s pretty simple from there. I outlined the instructions in this post:
By incorporating foods in your regular diet that help your body detox, you don’t have to wait until things gets so bad that you need to do an extreme diet or unpleasant cleanse. Not that there isn’t a place for those, but it’s nice to save them for more rare occasions. Simply having these foods on hand and using them in your daily meals is a good way to ensure good health. Here’s a simple recipe I put together combining all detoxing ingredients.
A Mountain Hearth Detox Soup
one bunch chopped wild nettles or spinach
miso paste
6 cloves of garlic
fresh ginger root
fresh ginger root
one fresh burdock root or several dandelion roots (dried from the bulk section is fine too)
1/2 cup onion
1 cup wild chanterelle or shittake mushrooms
cilantro
sea salt and pepper
Finely chop onion and saute in a soup pot until translucent. Dice and add garlic and burdock or dandelion root, then the mushrooms. Add desired amount of water and miso paste according to directions on container. Simmer for about 20 minutes, add chopped nettles or spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in a handful of chopped cilantro or serve on top.
Enjoy in good health!
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