We featured this new book back last month,
and we are happy to have a guest post from it's author today!
Spring cleaning time is around the corner and it's a good time to clean out your body as well as your
house. After all, your body is like your house, if you don't maintain it, it will fall into disrepair. Lucky for you, spring is also when there is a bounty of greens which help cleanse the body.
Bitter greens help cleanse the liver because they stimulate the digestive system and help the liver
detoxify the chemicals we are exposed to. Greens aid in purifying the blood, strengthening your immune system, improving liver, gall bladder and kidney function, fighting depression, clearing congestion, and improving circulation. Here are five fabulous greens to cleanse your body this spring:
1) First there are dandelion greens. It is no surprise that in Greek, dandelion means “disorder remedy.” Dandelion is one of the best greens for liver detoxification. Dandelion stimulates the liver and
gallbladder to increase the flow of bile, which helps with the digestion and absorption of fats, the
detoxification of waste from the body, and is a natural diuretic.
2) Nettles are closer runner-up to dandelion. They are considered urinary cleansers because they have
a diuretic effect on the kidneys. Your kidneys catch wastes and toxins circulating in the blood and
eliminate them. In short, nettles are another good herb to incorporate to “spring clean” your body.
3) Arugula is another good bitter green to incorporate in your diet. It’s rich in vitamin A and C, and other phytonutrients (plant nutrients) that are considered antioxidants. Antioxidants are important because they help prevent oxidation of cells in the body, which can lead to cancer. It also has lots of vitamin K, which is important in blood clotting.
4) Like arugula, watercress is another green from the mustard family. It’s also rich in vitamin A and C and other antioxidant phytonutrients.
5) Kale is another super-green. It’s loaded with vitamins A and C and calcium. When it comes to
cleansing your body, Kale is full of fiber, which helps remove wastes from your body so that they don’t get re-absorbed in your liver. Kale also contains lots of sulfur, which helps detoxify chemicals in your body.
About the Author:
Rachel Khanna is a holistic health counselor, chef and author of the Live, Eat, Cook Healthy: Simple,
fresh, and delicious recipes for balanced living. Rachel has positively impacted peoples’ lives through her cooking classes, workshops, and individual and group coaching. She began focusing on nutrition after leaving a career in marketing and having four children. She trained at the renowned Institute of Culinary Education. She founded Tiffin in Greenwich, Connecticut, her successful organic catering business. Later, she became a certified health counselor and food therapist through programs at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and the Natural Gourmet Institute, respectively. She continues to pursue her studies in holistic health. www.liveeatcookhealthy.com
Now how about a great cleanse recipe?
Salad in a Glass
from Live, Eat, Cook Healthy by Rachel Khanna
Some salad greens, such as arugula and dandelion, are good cleansing greens. In spring, if I am feeling a little heavy from the winter or just want to cleanse my body, I make this green juice. If you make this in a blender, you should strain the juice before you drink it.
Ingredients:
5 oz. arugula and/or dandelion greens, thoroughly rinsed and spun dry
1 cucumber, peeled
4-6 celery stalks, cleaned and trimmed
1 apple, seeded
Handful of parsley leaves
2-3 thin (1/4 in.) slices of fresh ginger; peeled (optional)
Mint sprig for garnish
Directions:
1. Combine arugula and/or greens, cucumber, celery, apple, parsley, and ginger (if using) in a juicer or blender. Mix until smooth, about 2 minutes, pulsing regularly.
2. Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve.
Disclosure
/ Disclaimer: I received this post, free of charge, from the author,
via Spark Point Studio, for review purposes on this blog. No
other compensation,
monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor
was I told how to post about it
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