An Attempt to Detox

During the week, I went out on Wednesday evening for a drink with a friend and my system can't handle just a bottle of beer. It got me thinking about how I have slightly diverted from my healthy eating lifestyle this past couple of weeks. I also had a hangover two weeks before and it took me about one week to get over it. I decided to get a cleanse this weekend.

I came across this nice cleanse recipe on the Chef Ahki Facebook page and felt inspired to use it too. So on Friday after work, I headed to Sainsburys to get the following;

•  Kale - 200g (used 100g)

• Spinach - 200g (used 100g)

• Lime -  4 medium but used only 1

• Cayenne pepper - used about half a tablespoon

• Green tea - 2 bags (Had this at home already)

• Water - 2 cups (Had this at home already)

• A food blender (Had this at home already)

I am not a 'greens' freak and don't make too much effort towards ensuring I always have 'the greens'. I prefer fruits and vegetables with other bright colours. However, this weekend I am giving 'the greens' a go and see if I succeed at it.

I came up with my own twist by using cooled down green tea to blend all the above and below ingredients.  

Why I used the above ingredients for my detox

Kale for detoxing - Kale contains isothiocyanates (TIC) from glucosinolates and it enables the body to detoxify in both phase I and II. Also the high sulfur in Kale is known to be essential for Phase II of detoxification. Phase I and II detox­i­fi­ca­tion is the process by which toxic com­pounds (usu­ally stored in fat) are made water-soluble, and released by the body. Water-soluble com­pounds are able to be released as urine by the kid­neys, by sweat in the skin, or by the bile from the gall bladder. In summary, Phase I neu­tral­ise the tox­ins and Phase II prepares them for elimination. For more information click here

According to WebMD, a cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Spinach for detoxing - A huge benefit of eating spinach for detoxification purposes is that it contains chlorophyll, which helps to absorb pesticides and heavy metals that are often found in several everyday fruits and vegetables. Generally, spinach contains similar nutrient to that of Kale with added Vitamin E.

For more about spinach vs kale click here

Lime for detoxing - This citrus fruit has come a long way with me. Also considered a berry, it is my go to fruit when i am feeling sick and nauseated. It contains vitamin C and a flavonoid called limonin glucoside. Limes are very good antibiotics, detoxifiers and great antioxidants. Limes cleanses bacteria and toxins from the body and aids in digestion, making them a key ingredient for liver detoxes

My Verdict: I know it is almost impossible to see the results of the cleanse immediately but i feel great about it. I must say though that it was not a kind of drink I could lounge at home, watch a movie and enjoy its taste. I had to rush it down and try not to savour it. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bitter or disgusting in taste but I am not a fan of smoothie consistency and this drink happens to have just that. All in all, it is something I can get used to like salads, and go on to have it about three times or even more a week as time goes on.

Source:
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/9-health-benefits-of-kale.html
http://www.webmd.com
http://www.ehow.com