It's Time to Detox!

Your body is detoxifying right now. This very minute. Yes, even if you haven’t been chugging organic cold-pressed green juices all week or adding special powders to your morning smoothies.

Our bodies create internal “messes” every day that necessitate detoxification—a.k.a. clean-up work in the body. When your body creates a mess and does not properly detox, there’s a good chance you’ll get sick more often, feel kind of “meh” all the time, not get the weight-loss results you’re going after, and more. However, your body is a well-designed machine that knows how to detox on its own. There are also plenty of ways you can support your body in this important process known as detoxification (aka spring cleaning).

Detoxification is a system in your body not a product you buy.

“If I had a dollar for every new detox program or product….” Right? Beyond being wasteful, these can be unhealthy, and if they reduce intake of essential nutrients or interact with medications, they can be harmful. So, let me help you understand your body’s detoxification system and how to give it what it needs to detox better.

How does the body detox?

The body has two detoxification pathways. Healthy digestion plays an important role here.

Detox Phase 1

It’s all about conversion. This is when the body goes to work to convert toxins into waste to be eliminated. This can be a messy process and create more free radicals, which add to the toxic load that needs to be eliminated. It’s proof that the body’s detox work is never done! However, during this first phase your body marks all of the toxins for elimination—think of it like putting all of the stuff that needs cleaning up in your car or your house into boxes and marking it for “trash,” “donation,” or “bring back to the kitchen.”

Phase 1 Foods

So, what should you eat in order to help your body during Detox Phase 1? Think plants! Think organic whole grains, seeds (hemp, sesame, and sunflower), avocados, bananas, spinach, and all greens. An organic, quality, plant-based diet will always help promote your body’s natural detoxification system.

Detox Phase 2

It’s all about elimination. This is when your body starts moving those toxins. In order to do this, the body actually adds specific nutrients to harmful toxins in order for them to be eliminated. The great part about this phase is that it’s also when the body removes “used” hormones (like estrogen and thyroid hormones), which may reduce your risk of certain cancers.

Phase 2 Foods

To help the body convert toxins for elimination, be sure and consume broccoli (florets) or consider a glucoraphanin supplement. Choose plant proteins (like hemp seeds), and for calcium enjoy sesame seeds and seaweed. Be sure and eat shallots, leeks, garlic and radishes, too.

Let’s get started!

Buddha Loves Broccoli Bowl Servings: (5 cereal bowl servings or 2-3 soup bowls)

• 1 head cauliflower florets

• 1 head broccoli florets

• 5-6 carrots chopped

• 1-2 leeks chopped

• salt & pepper to taste

• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil

• I head kale chopped

• 1 & 1⁄2 cups purple or black rice cooked

Additional toppings (per serving): 2 Tbsp. tahini or 3 Tbsp. sunflower, hemp seeds, 1⁄4 cup almonds, peanuts, pistachios.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and leeks with coconut oil, salt & pepper and place on baking sheet on upper rack in oven.

3. Place chopped kale in the same bowl used to mix veggies and coat leaves with remaining coconut oil, set aside.

4. Roast vegetables for ~30 minutes or less if you like your vegetables crunchy. While vegetables are roasting, prepare tahini dressing.

After vegetables have been cooking for 25 minutes place kale on top of roasted veggies and return to oven for additional 4-5 minutes to let kale steam. Careful not to let kale get too crispy. Divide cooked rice into bowls, add roasted veggies and serve with tahini.