To kick-start our healthy January, the lovely team at Kafoodle and Fig and Bloom have very kindly shared some details about their ‘detox diet’, along with some absolutely delicious recipes! This post originally appeared on the Kafoodle blog.
A little overview…
Fig and Bloom are a London-based nutrition and food consultancy, who blend ‘evidence-based nutrition with culinary creativity’ to produce nutritious dishes for their clients in easy and effective ways. Their ethos is to focus on wholefoods; to use the most ‘nutrient dense’ ingredients to deliver ‘natural and unprocessed’ dishes that taste great. Fig and Bloom ‘don’t talk diets’- just great ingredients to suit individual lifestyles.
One of the key factors that is stressed with this approach, is the importance of a ‘natural’ detox. To avoid what they call a ‘Toxic Overload’, they believe that we should simply support our body’s own detox routes rather than buying into any detox products or programmes, which are often misinformed.
So what exactly is a Toxic Overload?
- Fig and Bloom advise that we all, on a daily basis, breathe in, eat, drink, and absorb toxic compounds into our bodies that can build up and result in a toxic overload.
- If we do not naturally clear these compounds from our bodies, we will eventually feel the effects of this overload.
- Symptoms can include: Difficulty losing weight, tiredness, skin conditions, dark circle under your eyes, nausea and headaches (you should however, always consult your GP first if you experience any of these symptoms).
So what can we do to help protect ourselves against a Toxic overload?
- Fig and Bloom believe that the best way to encourage a natural detox is through the food we eat. Certain ingredients have particularity high levels of detoxifying attributes.
- Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are, in particular, high in a compound called indole-3-carbinol which help to support the liver function; enabling them to effectively clear toxins from the body.
- Eggs are another fantastic ingredient to include in your detox diet due to their high level of protein. Again, this enables liver function, helping to convert insoluble toxins into soluble toxins that can subsequently be expelled.
- Water is a key component in the detox diet, and helps to ensure that you do not become constipated and the toxins reabsorbed. Ensure you are drinking about 1.5 litres of water (or non sugary herbal tea) to flush them trough.
- An increase in your daily fibre will also help to reduce constipation and keep your digestion running smoothly, try wholegrain foods and 5-8 handfuls of vegetables.
- Skin brushing and hot baths are a great way to clear out toxins from your skin- which is, ultimately, your largest organ and a major route in which toxins are expelled.
- Exercise is another great component in your detox journey- anything that gets you sweaty and out of breathe will expel toxins. It will also stimulate movement in the gut.
- Reducing your exposure to toxins is an obvious but crucial step to take in a detox. Reduce your intake of caffeine and alcohol, and try to shop organic when possible. Swapping cleaning products to natural alternatives is another great way to reduce this exposure.
Hopefully this has given you a good introduction into the natural detox diet and some of the key elements involved. In our next blog we be looking closely at the ‘egg’ and how this simple ingredient can play a huge part in your natural detox. There is also a gorgeous recipe included for you to try!
All information in this blog is credited to Fig and Bloom, if you would like to find out any more information or contact them directly, then just click here.