Ah, the fall of New Year’s resolutions is already being heard around the country. If you’re still sticking to your diet resolutions, congrats! But for those of us who have already fallen back into bad eating habits — for instance, eating vegan chocolate cake for dinner three nights in a row — it is high time to re-clean up our diets. A great place to start is by sidestepping the chocolate cake and incorporating more detoxifying foods into your daily vegan meals.
Ah, the fall of New Year’s resolutions is already being heard around the country. If you’re still sticking to your diet resolutions, congrats! But for those of us who have already fallen back into bad eating habits — for instance, eating vegan chocolate cake for dinner three nights in a row — it is high time to re-clean up our diets. A great place to start is by sidestepping the chocolate cake and incorporating more detoxifying foods into your daily vegan meals.
5 Vegan foods that detox your body
Before you design your diet soley around these low-calorie five vegan foods, keep in mind that there are no miracle foods — vegan or non-vegan. The following five vegan foods just happen to be effective at cleansing toxins from — and supporting — your system. Replace some of the low-quality foods in your diet with these super-nutritious foods (vegan recipes included!) and you’ll be one step closer to following your New Year’s diet resolutions.
1. Cabbage
Part of the cancer-fighting cruciferous family (that includes cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts), cabbage can help your liver purge toxins from your body. As a bonus, cabbage is low in calories and can be eaten raw, lightly steamed, or stirred into a broth-based vegetable soup.
2. Garlic
Gotta love garlic! Not only does the “stinkin’ rose” give food a fabulous flavor, it stimulates the liver to filter out toxins (and it’s a great heart-healthy cancer fighter). Add a generous amount of garlic to your vegetable soups and let this pungent bulb add flavor and healthfulness to your vegan meal.
3. Dark leafy greens
My favorite type of vegetable, dark leafy greens are super concentrated in nutrients and aid the liver in removing toxins from your system. Low in calories and high in fiber, dark leafies, like chard, kale, spinach, and dark leaf lettuces, can be pureed into green drinks, eaten raw, lightly cooked, or added to healthy soups.
>>Did you know leafy greens are good for your bones?
4. Watermelon
Melons are high in water content and can help flush your system for few calories. Watermelon is loaded with naturally sweet flavor and can be blended with raw green veggies for a tasty, nutrition-rich green drink or eaten raw right off the rind.
>>Vegan Green Smoothie (just add melon)
5. Lemons
Just the word “lemon” conjures visions of “clean”. This citrus fruit is high in vitamin C and can help jumpstart your digestion and support your liver in its detoxifying processes. Add fresh lemon juice to your green tea, squeeze it into your water, and add the zest and juice to your everyday vegan meals to give them a fresh, lemony flavor.
>>Warm Chickpea Salad with Lemon Zest
All fruits and vegetables are excellent foods for cleaning up your diet and nourishing your body with a bounty of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. These five are a jumping off point for you to include fresh, healthy, lower-calorie vegan foods into your daily diet.
More healthy vegan recipes!
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