Page 34 - Florida Sentinel 1-20-17 Edition

Health
It happens every year—millions ring in the New Year, make resolutions, and search for ways to cleanse and detox their bodies.
But what is detoxing, anyway?
While there's no clinical, universal definition for "detox," it essentially refers to flushing the body of toxins it has accumulated through diet or the envi- ronment. But there's an important factor that most of the internet isn't talking about—that the body detoxifies itself already, through digestion and elimination. That's right, it does the whole thing naturally, no green juice required.
But don't give up on your New Year's resolution yet—there are ways that we can aid our bodies in their natural detoxification process. And the best way to do this is through what we eat.
Try incorporating these foods weekly. That way, you'll be able to easily keep up.
Cayenne
It's true—spicy food is good for you. Cayenne pepper stimulates di- gestion, helping your body remove toxins via
the digestive system. Try sprinkling a little cayenne into your favorite stir fry, or adding a touch to your favorite salad dressing. Just be careful—a little cayenne goes a long way!
Pineapple
Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that aids in digestion and reduces inflamma- tion. While delicious
raw, pineapple can easily be incorporated into smoothies or frozen and turned into sorbet. Bromelain can also be taken as a supplement, usu- ally found at your local health food store.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit contains a flavonoid called narin- genin, which has been shown to help kick- start the metabolism.
Grapefruits are also delicious raw, but their juice can easily be added to smoothies, ice pops, or even made into a vinaigrette. (If you take blood pressure medicine, grapefruits are not good for you.)
Papaya
Papaya is one of our favorite detox foods be- cause it contains pa- pain, a digestive
enzyme. It's becoming more and more popular at conventional grocery stores, so it's easier than ever to take advantage of its detoxification properties. Try serving your smoothies in papaya "boats" or adding fresh or frozen papaya to your smoothies.
Green Tea
Green tea is a power- house source of antioxi- dants, which are crucial in aiding the body to re- move toxins. Try to drink at least two cups
of green tea per day to take advantage of its healing powers.
Spinach
There's a reason Pop- eye would open up a can of spinach whenever he needed a boost—it's full of vitamins and miner- als that keep the body
on its detoxing grind. Fairly mild in flavor, it can be added to smoothies, salads, soups, and wraps. It's easier than you think to get more spinach into your diet!
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