Summer Indulgence: A Remedy
Prana Wellbeing’s resident nutritionist Rita Arora guest writes in the first post of our new blog about how you can accelerate your detox with a handful of greens and a little knowledge about your DNA.
After all the wine and BBQ food, it’s time to be good to yourself.
No one can can blame us for overindulging in the sunny months, but there’s no mistaking that feeling when we’ve overdone it.
As the nights get longer and temperatures drop, one of the most common enquiries I receive is that of detoxing. The term has been hijacked of late, so what is detoxification?
Detoxification happens in the kidneys, skin, lungs and most importantly the liver. Generally, when people detox they often eliminate alcohol. When alcohol is ingested, metabolic process converts it to acetaldehyde, a very toxic substance damaging to liver cells before changing this into carbon dioxide and water.
With this in mind, removing alcohol from your diet can only be a good thing, especially if your liver struggles to break it down. Genetic testing of your detoxification pathways is the best way to determine whether you have real issues.
DNA And Detox
All that’s required is a quick cheek swab which is then analysed. You’ll receive a full report on your genetic predisposition which can be used to detox effectively.
I recommend this test if you’re often unwell after a lightish evening; when partners and friends seem fine. As most drugs are metabolised by the liver, you may also want to consider this option if you have poor response to medical interventions.
There are some foods that do assist liver detoxification, namely, cauliflower, sprouts, broccoli and cabbage. You’ll find four yummy recipes below that incorporate these foods. Eat them slightly steamed for even more nutrients.
1. Winter Salad
Great easy recipe. Swap out dried herbs for fresh and benefit from even greater antibacterial and antifungal properties. The broccoli and cauliflower are high in DIM, an effective liver detoxer. The recipe is also rich in fibre, vitamin C and A. You can sex this up further by throwing in some spices from recipe three.
See the recipe on EatingWell.
2. Cabbage, Apple And Pomegranate Salad With A Ginger And Almond Dressing
Sprouts tend to only land on our plates at Christmas but if you like them, why not eat them all year round? They’re high in vitamin C and other nutritional goodness. The prosciutto gives a smoky taste and enhances flavour. Try grating or shredding sprouts and adding them to cabbage.
This recipe can be found over on the trusty BBC GoodFood site.
3. Roasted Cauliflower With Cumin, Coriander And Almonds
I like this recipe as cauliflower is one of those neglected vegetables that’s either unlovingly smothered in cheese or simply steamed and served. Mixed with spices, this inexpensive vegetable is transformed. The use of butter in cooking is totally recommended. Cook in butter rather than olive oil or add a coconut alternative.
Head to JamieOliver.com for this recipe.
4. Sprouts With Crispy Prosciutto
Raw recipes are always interesting. Hemp seeds help increase Omega-3 intake. Chia seeds can also be used. Soaking chia seeds expands them, changing the taste and texture of the dish. Pomegranate is a great source of antioxidants. Almonds are also a good source of magnesium.
Find this dish on Raw Food Recipes.
To find out more about the detox DNA test I offer, click the button below and book a free 15 minute consultation. In that quarter of an hour, I’ll give you all the information you need about the test and the benefits. If you’re happy to, we can get the ball rolling right there.
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon,
