De-tox Delight!

The supply of environmental toxins which can be chemical or microbial seem never-ending.

The supply of environmental toxins which can be chemical or microbial seem never-ending. Just as we did our best to save us from the chicken flu scare,swine flu grips us now. But we are blessed as our bodies are equipped with many natural defence mechanisms to deal with environmental toxins. Our skin is constantly flaking and renewing itself. Our stomach lining slowly yet assiduously chases away environmental toxins from the body. We are well-equipped with enzymes systems in the liver that obliterate toxins and prepare them for excretion. But we at our end should regularly contribute once in two weeks to detoxify our systems overkill.

Traditional approaches to detoxification employed fasting,purging and herbal remedies to cleanse the intestinal tract. Ancient Egyptians had no knowledge of the microscopic parasites; they used herbs to cleanse their system which still remains an easy and highly effective approach in dealing with the same. You could detoxify your system by omitting red meat,egg,or any other animal protein from the diet along with cereal and pulses. Two to three glasses of fresh fruit mashes and pulps could be consumed during the day. Light,summery drinks such as buttermilk,mango panna,khus,chandan sherbet are cooling in nature. Bael juice first thing in the morning can be consumed. Fresh fruit bowls,cold soups like gazpacho,vichyssoise,cucumber,cantaloupe or carrot are nutrient dense as well as cleansing agents for the intestines. Raw salads with a minimum of five colours can be consumed for lunch and a bowl of vegetables steamed,grilled,baked or sautéed makes for a filling yet light dinner. This lessens the severity of toxin overload in our system.

On a regular basis,one must consume a high-fibre food daily. Curd is rich in the friendly bacterial flora which is highly beneficial for our stomach. Spicing the food liberally with garlic,onion,turmeric,ginger,basil and other herbs also helps in the same. Frequent use of drugs like pain-killers and antacids should be minimized in order to retain the intestinal flora from getting damaged. Kitchen counters and surfaces need to be wiped cleaned with a clean sterilized dishrag. Kitchen is where we can get good health on one hand and dreaded diseases on the other. Detoxification is based on the principle that illnesses can be caused by the accumulation of toxic substances (toxins) in the body. Eliminating existing toxins and avoiding new toxins are essential parts of the healing process.

The aim of the recipes below is to give your body an abundance of nutrients in a way that it will find easy and effortless to digest and utilize.

WARM BROCCOLI SOUP

(Serves 2)

This is definitely a winter favourite and destroys the myth that all raw food has to be cold and unwelcoming! By steaming the broccoli for just 5-6 minutes,the meal remains raw,but gains enough warmth to give that filling,comforting feeling of soup. The texture given by the broccoli and the kick of the ginger makes this an excellent choice for those new to detoxing.

Ingredients

1/2 avocado,6 -8 decent size Broccoli heads,1/3 red onion,1 celery stick,a big handful of spinach,an inch of root ginger ,cumin (optional)

Method

Lightly steam the broccoli (5-6 minutes) and put with all ingredients in a blender. Add garlic,pepper,and salt to taste. The heat from the broccoli makes this a lovely,gently warmed soup great for winter.

AUTUMN TOMATO AND AVOCADO SOUP

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

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5 large ripe (preferably vine) tomatoes,1 ripe avocado,1 spring onion,1/4 cup ground almonds (freshly done yourself,not packet),1 cup broth from Swiss Vegetable Bouillon,1/4 teaspoon dill seed,dash of cayenne pepper sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

Method

All you need to do is place all of the ingredients into a blender (except one of the tomatoes) and blend! Depending on whether you are going cold or warm – then place the soup into a pan and warm very slightly. Warming so that it is not painful to put your finger into still means that the soup is raw. Add the last tomato (sliced) on top and serve!

(The writer is a city-based food and diet consultant who can be contacted at adda.mehrotra@gmail.com)

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