8 Foods to Help You Detox Naturally

The holidays are over, and you may be wondering how to detoxify your body from overindulging. You want to start the year off right, so you head to your local health food store. As you browse the aisles, you find yourself bombarded with products, each promising to cleanse your body of the junk from weeks prior. 

From detox programs to full-body cleanses, your detoxification choices seem limitless. You find recipes for DIY ginger and cayenne tinctures, along with a myriad of juices, supplements, and herbal teas. The message that you need to detoxify your body to be healthy surrounds you on every front.

However, if you’re wondering how to detox your body that is safe yet effective, how exactly do you do that? Is it even necessary?

Every day, we are exposed to toxins due to our modern lifestyles. Toxins come from the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the products we put on our bodies, and even from our homes. In fact, the CDC estimates that 80% of all illnesses have environmental and lifestyle causes. 

Taming toxins is the third pillar of The Myers Way®, and one of the best places you can start to detoxify your body is with what you eat. There are a number of foods to help you detoxify naturally that you can easily add to your daily diet. Let’s dive into what detoxifying your body is all about and why the need to do it is more than just hype.

What is Detoxification?

Despite the current trend of detoxification, it’s not at all a new tenant of natural health. Detoxification methods of healing date back thousands of years. Hippocrates said, “Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine thy food.”

Detoxification, by definition, is the removal of toxic substances from within your body. Your lymphatic and circulatory systems detoxify your cells on a systemic level. Locally, detoxification is carried out by your liver, kidneys, and intestines. Other organs such as your bowels, lungs, and skin also play a part in how your body detoxifies itself.

Understanding how this process works will help you learn how to detoxify your body naturally and effectively. Let’s dive deeper by discussing what toxicity is, and why it matters.

What is Toxicity? 

Experts determine toxicity by how much chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage your body. In short, a toxin is a poisonous substance. This includes heavy metals, pesticides, and pollutants. It’s also found in GMOs, food additives, and many chemicals that we come in contact with every day. 

Unfortunately, these toxic substances hide in everything. If you look carefully, you will see them in the food you eat, cosmetics you wear, personal care products, and even household cleaning products. 

Toxins are even emitted from your cookware. In the US alone, there are over 80,000 chemicals registered for use with little to no testing 1. This means the government leaves it up to manufacturers to test products. It’s also up to them to tell us whether their product is “safe.”

When you eat non-organic fruits and vegetables, you expose your body to toxins. This is also true of beef that is not from grass-fed cows. These toxins can come in the form of antibiotics, growth hormones, and pesticides.

Since you’re learning how to detoxify your body , a major part of that is learning how to minimize toxin exposure. In the case of food, I recommend only organic fruits, vegetables, and grass-fed meats.

How to Detoxify Your Body

Constant exposure to toxins will eventually wear down your natural detoxification system. When this happens, it needs support. This is especially true if you eat a poor diet, stress a lot, and get infections frequently. If you have an autoimmune condition, your body is even less equipped to manage toxins. 

What if there was a way you could detox your body naturally? There is! Eliminating toxic ingredients in your cleaning and household supplies is one step. The other step is considering the food you put on your plate. 

In a little bit, I’m going to share eight foods with you that can support detoxification. Before we get into that, though, here are a few other ways to detox your body naturally.  

Limit Your Toxin Exposure

I recommend a two-step approach to tame the toxins in your life: Prevention and natural detoxification. 

The first step requires some intentionality. I do this by eating only organic food, and by making my home as toxin-free as possible. Since you can’t always control your environment when you leave the house, making sure you have a toxic-free home is your best defense

How to Detoxify Your Home 

Your home is your retreat. It should be a place where you go to unwind and relax. That’s why it’s important to have a healthy living environment. 

Here’s how you can minimize the toxins in your home:

• Clean your air. Did you know that indoor air is 2-5 times MORE polluted than outdoor air? It’s true. For this reason, I recommend using a HEPA air filter in your home and office. 
• Clean your water. The water you drink and bathe in can be full of toxic chemicals. You can eliminate toxins in your water by installing filters. You can attach these to your faucets and shower heads. You can also have a full-house filtration system installed. Avoid drinking out of plastic bottles, as they are full of toxins. Use glass or stainless steel instead.
• Buy clean food. As I said earlier, eat organic produce and meat when you can. I understand organic food can be expensive, but your health is worth it. Look for organic, grass-fed meats such as grass-fed beef or wild-caught salmon. When you eat non-organic meat, you are also consuming toxins the animals are exposed to. This often includes pesticides sprayed on the grains and grass they eat. 
• Buy clean body products. Your skin is your biggest organ, and you absorb a lot of what you put on it. That’s why it’s important to make sure your body products are toxin-free. If you can’t replace all your personal care products at once, work on replacing them over time. Make it your goal to eventually have all clean beauty products
• Buy clean household cleaners. When cleaning, it’s tempting to fall for products that advertise that “fresh scent” or “citrus smell”. You may not realize it, but many commercial cleaning products are loaded with toxins. Using them can contribute to autoimmunity and other chronic health issues. If you want to know how to detoxify your body and your home, I recommend using DIY cleaning products.

What Can I Do About Toxic Exposure?

Unfortunately, environmental toxins are unavoidable. That’s where my second step for taming toxins comes in: using natural methods.

One of the best ways to support your body’s natural detoxification is by drinking lots of water. Opt for spring or filtered water to support your body’s ability to eliminate toxins. 

If you’re looking to reduce toxin overload internally, charcoal is a great place to start. Also made with natural coconut fibers, it helps bind to toxins and promote healthy elimination. 

Another product I highly recommend is Gut ImmunIG™. This dairy alternative to colostrum packs a powerful punch in the fight against toxicity. It also helps repair damaged gut tissue, restoring optimal wellness. 

Exercise is also a great way to detox your body. Your body eliminates toxins through sweat. Try to spend 30 minutes a day doing something that makes you sweat. I love getting in a sweat session by doing yoga or heating up my infrared sauna. Sweating is a great way to naturally detoxify your body.  

Autoimmune disease makes it harder for your body to naturally detox itself because your immune system is in overdrive. If you have an autoimmune disease, I recommend supplementing with glutathione. This powerful amino acid is a great tool in supporting your body’s natural detox processes.

Now you understand a bit about how to detoxify your body from environmental toxins. Let’s go over how certain foods can support detoxification in your body. 

Naturally Detoxify with These 8 Foods

What you eat affects your health, and your diet is a great place to start when learning how to detoxify your body . Eating foods that facilitate healthy detoxification supports optimal health. 

Let’s take a look at some of the best foods to help you detoxify naturally.

1. Chlorella

Chlorella tops the list of detoxifying foods for many reasons. This freshwater algae is an undercover superfood. It’s full of phytonutrients, amino acids, chlorophyll, vitamins, and minerals. It is by far one of the most nutrient-dense superfoods for supporting your immune system.

Chlorella provides a host of health benefits. Its chlorophyll¹ helps flush out heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and uranium. It also prevents them from being reabsorbed. There are many more benefits to this amazing superfood, but for now, I’m just highlighting its detoxification effects.²

Try this delicious apple ginger green juice made with Organic Greens. It is a great way to incorporate more chlorella in your diet. 

2. Spirulina

Spirulina, also called a cyanobacterium, is one of the most impressive greens you can add to your diet. Studies show that spirulina can help support regular immune function. It can also facilitate a healthy balance of histamines in your body.³

A cousin of chlorella, you can find this blue-green algae in both fresh and saltwater.

In its powdered form, 100 grams of spirulina contains vitamins, minerals, and protein. In fact, powdered spirulina is 60-70% protein depending on where it was harvested! It’s rich in vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin K, and a range of B vitamins.⁴ The chlorophyll found in spirulina can help remove toxins from the bloodstream. It can also support optimal immune function.⁵

Spirulina is a popular and diverse ingredient.  It makes a perfect addition to your favorite recipes and smoothies. This Green Goddess Dressing made with Organic Greens powder adds a healthy kick of flavor to your next meal. 

3. Turmeric

Turmeric is a perennial herb in the ginger family. What makes this herb a powerhouse is a phytochemical called curcumin. This gives it a distinctive deep golden color, often associated with curry. This exotic spice provides incredible detoxification support for your body.

Studies suggest the curcumin in turmeric encourages optimal detox pathway activity. Curcumin gives turmeric its famous free radical fighting effects. This also promotes healthy inflammatory responses in the body.

Adding a dash of turmeric to your next meal is never a bad idea. The only problem is in order to get the full benefit, you usually need a lot of it.⁶

This is because turmeric spices contain about 3% curcumin. Turmeric extracts are better because they can contain around 95% curcumin. 

Curcumin is also not easily absorbed, so you’ll need to get creative. Try pairing turmeric with healthy fats like coconut oil or almond. Coconut milk is also a great option to help optimize curcumin absorption. Another way to introduce turmeric into your diet is with this refreshing tea. 

If you can’t seem to consume enough powdered turmeric to benefit from the curcumin. A better option is to try Liposomal Curcumin. This physician-formulated supplement offers the most absorbable, bioavailable form of curcumin available on the market! 

Don’t worry, you won’t miss out on flavor – it tastes just like an orange popsicle. Try it in a drink, smoothie, or dessert for a nutrient-dense pop of sweetness. If you’re looking for a morning coffee alternative, this turmeric golden milk recipe is unbelievably delicious! 

4. Ginger

Ginger is a flowering plant closely related to turmeric. People used the root, or rhizome, of the plant for thousands of years for its health benefits. 

There’s a reason your mom always gave you ginger ale when you were sick as a child. Ginger is full of nutritious properties that can ease bloating and aid digestion. It does this by enhancing motility and accelerating stomach emptying. This makes it easier to eliminate toxins. 

Gingerol, the active compound in ginger, was used for centuries to treat illness and promote health naturally. Studies have found that gingerol supports inflammation balance. It can also reduce oxidative stress by eliminating free radicals in the body.⁷

Ginger is a spice you can incorporate into so many delicious meals. Carrot and Ginger Soup with Lemon Zest is one of many ways to enjoy this zesty spice.

5. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are another great way to support your body’s natural detoxification. The darker the green the better, so make sure to include them in as many meals as you can! 

The best choices include spinach, kale, moringa leaf, alfalfa leaf, and parsley. They are full of vitamins and minerals, including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. They also contain fiber, which makes them slow to digest and good for detoxifying your bowels.

I’ve witnessed first-hand that diets rich in vegetables can help reduce chronic disease. when combined with grass-fed, pasture-raised meats and healthy fats.

That’s why a diet rich in nutrient-dense foods is a key part of The Myers Way®. Now, when it comes to vegetables, which is healthier: raw or cooked vegetables? The truth is both! Your body breaks down and absorbs nutrients from raw vegetables and cooked vegetables in different ways.

Eating raw vegetables provides your body with folate and water-soluble vitamins. These help protect the body against oxidative stress. On the other hand, the nutrients in cooked vegetables are easier to digest and absorb. The softened fibers of cooked vegetables lead to the release of vitamins E and K and better mineral absorption.

Cooked or raw, incorporating leafy greens into your diet is easy. For example, try adding a handful of spinach to your next smoothie. Next time you’re blending up your breakfast, don’t forget to add some green!

6. Apples

The saying goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” There’s a reason for that. Apples provide amazing detoxification support for your liver.⁸ The pectin and malic acid in apples offer a one-two punch to the toxins in your body! This is especially true in Granny Smith Apples. The soluble fiber in apple pectin supports cholesterol and toxin elimination from your blood. The malic acid also acts as a blood cleanser.⁹

Remember to eat only organic apples. Unfortunately, their conventionally grown counterparts are contaminated with pesticides. Looking for a way to spice things up a notch? These AIP-friendly caramel apples are the perfect sweet treat for any occasion!

7. Broccoli Sprouts

Yes, you should eat your broccoli. More specifically, you should eat broccoli sprouts. Broccoli sprouts contain a chemical called sulforaphane, shown to help process toxic substances.

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, which is one of the most nutrient-dense foods we eat. Cruciferous vegetables are rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients that support cardiovascular health.

While broccoli does have health-promoting qualities, they also contain potentially harmful goitrogens. Scientists are not sure how harmful the goitrogens in cruciferous vegetables may be, but they have been shown to suppress thyroid function in animals. 

What we do know is these antioxidant-rich foods contain lots of phytonutrients. This is good for promoting optimal health. You can reduce negative impacts on your thyroid by cooking any cruciferous vegetables. One of my favorite ways to enjoy the benefits of broccoli is to make a delicious broccoli and kale soup. 

8. Beets

Beets are a blood-cleansing food, and your liver loves that. Remember, your liver is your main detoxifying organ. This means it filters out toxins during the digestive process. A healthy liver results in increased nutrient distribution to the rest of your body. 

High in antioxidants, beets are rich in nutrients like folate, pectin fiber, iron, betaine, betalains, betacyanin, and betanin. They also contain pectin, a natural blood cleanser. It is important to assist your body in eliminating toxins by eating a diet high in fiber, and beets do this beautifully! 

These eight foods are among the best for detox. In today’s busy world, however, it can be difficult to incorporate all of these into every meal. That’s why I formulated Organic Reds, made with DNA-protecting ingredients that nourish your body and enhance your health!

Organic Reds contains a proprietary blend of superfoods and phytonutrients most of us lack in our diet. Aronia berry supports cell membranes by mitigating damage & DNA fragmentation caused by toxins and oxidation. Mulberry promotes brown fat activation, helping maintain optimal fat metabolism.

Learning how to detoxify your body through food is a great step towards achieving optimal health. Incorporating Organic Reds or Organic Greens into your morning smoothie or in a recipe makes it even easier!