Winter Detox: Warming Foods that Purify

by Deborah English — November 30, 2007

Winter is the perfect time to slowly and painlessly detox your body of your summer indulgences. Detoxification is a natural process that takes place in your body 24/7. Your liver is the primary organ in which toxins are filtered from your system. However, your kidneys, intestines, and lymph glands all play a part. You can assist your body to rid itself of toxins by eating foods that support your liver in the natural detoxification process. Following are some naturally detoxing foods that keep you warm too!

• Grains/Pulses/Legumes: lentils, oats, quinoa (pronounced keenwaa)
• Vegetables: onion, leeks, carrots, spring onion, watercress
• Fruit: apricot, blackberry, blackcurrant, cherry, mango, quince, peach
• Seeds: sesame, sunflower, pumpkin
• Nuts: chestnuts, walnuts
• Herbs and spices: bay leaf, basil, oregano, coriander leaves and seeds, cumin, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, mustard, nutmeg, pepper, star anise

Here are a few ideas on how to include these foods in your winter diet:

• Start your day with a steaming bowl of porridge
• Cook vegetable soups containing garlic, ginger, and root vegetables
• Eat spicy casseroles
• Eat curries from India, Thailand, and Indonesia
• Whip up a pot of Lentil Dahl
• Boil some quinoa and combine with sautéed garlic, onions, ginger, and carrots
• Gorge on roasted chestnuts
• Combine sunflower and pumpkin seeds with walnuts and eat anytime
• Simmer dried apricots, blackberries and cherries (frozen okay), dried figs, cinnamon, and apple juice for about 15 minutes. Eat warm. Delicious!

For the best results; limit or eliminate toxic practices from your life. These include cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, refined sugar, dairy, and meat. And see tomorrow's blog for my yummy (and detoxing!) Lentil Dahl recipe.