Friday, February 26, 2010

10 ingredients to love your liver

I do hate the word "detoxing" I find it soooo misleading... Detoxing the detoxinator. tehehe. There are no quick fixes in your well-being. (Even money, although it would be nice.) So, here are some everyday food choices to keep in mind that Larry has thanked me for... and your liver will too (along with the rest of ya) I got it from a great nutrition site:
>>CLICK HERE<< To go to Suzettes site and see more.


Incorporating Detox Food Into Your Regular Diet

Detox Food: Top 10
Garlic and Onions
Cruciferous Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels, cabbage)
Whole Grains
Turmeric
Berries
Green Tea
Yogurt
Legumes (beans), nuts and seeds
Soy
Red Grapes

Garlic and Onions

Roast a bulb or two of garlic every week and keep it in the refrigerator to eat straight up or add to your cooking. Mash and spread on bread or add to pasta sauce.


  • Purée fresh garlic, canned garbanzo beans (a good detox food), tahini, olive oil and lemon juice to make quick and easy hummus dip.



  • Sauté steamed spinach, garlic, and fresh lemon juice.



  • My favorite detox food is (red) onions. I prepare a bunch in advance to have on hand for the week. Try this: slice and sauté in nonstick cooking spray over low to medium heat until the onions caramelize. Yummy in omelets, salads and on sandwiches or add to most any vegetable dish.



  • For a quick Mediterranean salad, combine chopped raw onions, tomatoes, cucumber and toasted whole wheat pita bread. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.



  • A classic Italian salad: sliced onions, tomatoes and (organic) mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil.


  • Cruciferous Vegetables

    Includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, collards, kohlrabi, bok choy, watercress.
    • Sauté cauliflower or broccoli with garlic, minced ginger and low sodium soy sauce.
    • Snack on cauliflower or broccoli florets dipped in salsa.
    • Roast Brussels spouts...yummy! Another of my favorite detox foods. I never liked Brussels sprouts until I tasted them roasted.
    • Sauté kale with fresh garlic and sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil.
    • Combine chopped kale, pine nuts and goat cheese with whole grain pasta drizzled with olive oil.
    • Add steamed kale as a topping on homemade pizza.
    • Drizzle cooked collard greens with olive oil and lemon juice.
    • Steam collard greens and serve with black-eyed peas and brown rice (another good detox food).
    Whole Grains
    • Have old fashioned oatmeal for breakfast.
    • Heat up brown rice with milk or soymilk. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins and honey for a quick rice pudding.
    • Look for brown rice sushi rolls.
    • Serve brown rice and beans (also a detox food) rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla with salsa.
    • Use sprouted wheat berries in vegetable and grain salads.
    • Toss chilled cooked hulled barley with chopped vegetables, olive oil and lemon juice to make a quick cold salad.
    • Combine cooked barley with sautéed mushrooms for an easy pilaf.
    Turmeric
    Turmeric is an ancient spice, native to Southeast Asia. It has a peppery, warm and bitter flavor and a mild fragrance slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger. It's best known as one of the ingredients used to make curry.
    • Add turmeric to egg white salad to give it a bold yellow color...no one will ever know the yolks are missing.
    • Mix brown rice (a good whole grain) with raisins or cranberries and cashews or pecans (nuts are also top detox foods), seasoned with turmeric and cumin. That's 3 detox foods in one meal!
    • Turmeric is also delicious sprinkled on sauteed apples, steamed cauliflower (good detox), steamed green beans, or sauteed onions (more good detox).
    • For a low-calorie dip, mix turmeric and dried onion with a little plain nonfat yogurt, salt and pepper. Serve with raw cauliflower or broccoli.
    • Turmeric is a great spice to complement recipes that feature lentils, which are a good detox food themselves.
    Berries
    Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Eat them straight up, add them to oatmeal, or blend them in fruit smoothies.
    Green Tea
    If you're like most people (including me) you don't love the taste of green tea straight. If that's the case...
    ...good news. You can still incorporate green tea in your diet. Replace water in cooking with green tea whenever you can....particularly in foods that absorb water, like rice, soup, Jello....you get the idea!
    Yogurt
    • Here's one of my favorite meals (but don't hold it against me!). Mix canned sardines (high omega-3) with plain yogurt and sauteed onion. Really, it's great!
    • Toss cubes of cooked eggplant with plain nonfat Greek yogurt (Fage or Trader Joe's are good brands), chopped mint leaves, garlic (detox food) and cayenne.
    • Add chopped cucumber and dill to plain yogurt and use as a dip for raw vegetables, or serve it atop grilled (organic) chicken.
    • Yogurt parfaits: Layer yogurt, berries and lowfat granola in a parfait glass.
    Legumes, nuts and seeds
    Beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, nuts and seeds.
    The nuts and seeds are pretty easy to work in...
    ...sprinkle walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds on salad or yogurt or snack on them straight up (in small portions).
    Combine cooked lentils and cooked chopped sweet peppers to make a delicious cold salad. Season with your favorite herbs and spices.
    Toss whole wheat pasta with cooked beans or lentils and broccoli florets (detox food). Top with olive oil and garlic.
    Make a bean burrito with canned (rinsed and drained) black beans, salsa, and (organic) cheese wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.
    Soy
    Looking for other ways
    to lighten your toxic load?
    Avoid mercury in fish
    Consider organics when possible
    Use this organic produce priority list
    Improve Omega 3/Omega 6 ratio
    Steer clear of food additives
    Limit processed foods
    Drink clean water
    Know where toxins hide
    Don't let label claims mislead you
    Top 10 detox foods

    • Snack on edamame. (without salt)
    • Add soybeans to vegetable stews and soups.
    • Use unsweetened soymilk in place of cow's milk as a beverage, on cereal, and in smoothies.
    • Scramble tofu together with your favorite vegetables and turmeric (remember: a good detox food) to give it a yellow "egg-like" coloring. Serve as is with toast on the side or wrap up in a whole wheat tortilla with beans and salsa.
    Red Grapes
    • Freeze them...they're extra yummy to snack on that way!
    • Slice grapes and add to chicken salad or (canned light) tuna salad.
    • Toss grapes in with salad greens and pecans (nuts are detox foods too).
    With so many good ways to eat the top detox foods, there's hardly room for anything else! Enjoy!

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