Do you feel like your body needs a cleanse? Spring is just around the corner and there’s no better time than now to give your body a fresh start! Clear out all of the toxins and fill your body with fresh nutrients that will help you lose weight, gain energy and feel healthier everyday.
Not sure what beverages boast the most benefits? Don’t worry, we’ve taken the time to compile this list to help. Below, you will find 13 effective drinks that will detoxify your body and leave you feeling fresh and healthy.
Fresh Pineapple Juice
The natural enzymes found in pineapples provide you with many health benefits. Bromelain, a natural anti-inflammatory and digestive enzyme, reduces inflammation (i.e., digestive inflammation and sinusitis) and quickens the healing of abrasions and bruises, reports studies from the Langone Medical Center at New York University by breaking down proteins and flushing out toxins from the intestinal tract.
Pineapple juice also gives you a boost of Vitamins C (one serving contains 30-percent of your daily required intake) and works as an antioxidant to keep your immunity, connective tissues, skin, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and bones strong. Nutritionists recommend a fresh or canned pineapple juice with no added sugar or preservatives as the most healthful option.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea is known for its calming effect. Not only does it strengthen the nerves but it also tastes pretty darn great. In addition to providing a calming and lip-snaking brew, peppermint tea has also long been used as a digestive aid, helping combat indigestion, nausea, and gas. Oh, and did we mention it also restores balance of the colon and promotes healing? A cup of this tea once a day will help make your body a lean, mean, digestive machine.
But that’s not all, Peppermint tea offers more in the way of a health ally. The natural menthol within can work as a muscles relaxant and natural sleep aid. With cold and flu season on the rise, this brew won’t keep you up at night worrying about getting sick. In fact, peppermint tea can combat sinus congestion and soothe sore throat, while promoting clear, healthy, glowing skin free of acne and hormonal-induced blemishes as it’s naturally high in estrogen.
Raw Cabbage Juice
Sure, it doesn’t sound the most enticing but this beverage is an excellent source of Vitamin C and contains considerable amounts of amino acids (which boast anti-inflammatory benefits). In fact, juice containing cabbage was also found to help lessen cholesterol, according to a Japanese study, published by the National Institutes of Health, which monitored the cholesterol levels of 77 adults diagnosed with slight to moderately elevated cholesterol. Those participants who drank two cans of vegetable juices (containing cabbage) daily, over the 12-week duration, showed a significant decline in blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (or bad cholesterol) compared to those study participants who drank zero cabbage juice.
In addition, a glass of cabbage juice will also go a long way in preventing ulcers, cancer and colon problems. In fact, drinking juice containing cabbage has long been used as a traditional remedy for peptic ulcers. Certified Nutritional Specialist, Anne Louise Gittleman says, “[Cabbage juice heals the] mucosal linings of the gastrointestinal tract…[and since] the juice is also rich in sulforaphane, an antioxidant that targets Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium implicated as a causative factor of peptic ulcers… [studies suggest] a glass with your lunch can help protect your GI linings against ulcers…and relief from acid reflux.”
Raw Apple Juice
Fresh, raw apple juice is a delicious way to replenish your body with the nutrients it needs to feel healthy. This particular raw-style juice is rich in so many nutrients (basically you’re getting exactly what’s in a fresh apple), and provides you with an easy way of consuming the nutrients like quercetin, a natural antioxidant that helps flush out the liver and kidneys by eliminating waste and toxins. This is why if you’ve had a long weekend of too much alcohol or rich food intake, your body may be in dire need, and benefit greatly, from a raw glass of apple juice.
As you know, apples are also super high in vitamin C and ascorbic acid, which encourage collagen production to protect and prevent damage to your tendons, blood vessels, ligaments, and skin in attempts to slow the aging process. Ever the detoxifier, raw apple juice also works behind the scenes to guard cells against environmental toxins, like car emissions and cigarette smoke.
Lemon Water
This is the easiest (not to mention cost-effective) detox beverage available. Lemons are considered a super fruit because of their many health benefits. These benefits include (but are not limited to) cleansing the blood stream, neutralizing the system and detoxifying your body. Drinking a glass of lemon water when you wake up and before you go to bed will give your body the boost it needs to feel healthy again. Really, water with a squeeze of lemon juice can be used for all manner of cleansing (much like it can for cleaning) every bodily aspect–from boosting your immune system to cleaning up acne.
Really, the high vitamin C stores in lemons Mother Nature’s beautician’s secret. Squeezing a little bit of the citrus fruit into a morning or evening glass of water will encourage collagen production, zap zits, and prevent wrinkles and smile lines (including crow’s feet) from forming around your eyes and mouth.
Aloe Vera Juice
You’ve probably read about the health benefits of aloe vera, but did you know it comes in juice form as well? This pulpy, sweet juice may be a little hard to swallow at first (you’ll want the unsweetened variety because often store-bought bottles contain added sugars), but the health benefits you’ll receive from just one glass make it totally worth it. You’re likely aware that aloe vera is a powerful topical agent for the treatment of sunburn, abrasions, surface burns, and even psoriasis. However, it also does wonders on the inside of your body as well.
The aloe vera plant contains a collection of beneficial complex carbohydrates, antioxidants, and digestive enzymes with natural calming and pain relieving effects. This means when you drink aloe vera juice, you’re helping to will restore balance of the colon and promote healing by reducing inflammation.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea, much like peppermint tea, calms and soothes the body and mind. It also facilitates detoxing via perspiration while soothing stomach irritation. One cup of this comforting brew every night will help you de-stress from a long day and keep your body clean and healthy. The natural pain reliever has also been sipped to treat back, stomach, chest, and arthritic pain.
According the folks over at WebMD, ginger (or more particularly the rhizome or underground stem of the herb) is medicinally used to treat various stomach ailments–including colic in babies, motion sickness, indigestion, and morning sickness for expectant moms. The herb can be freshly grated and brewed in tea (as can the dried spice) to relieve all types of gastro-intestinal woes, such as menstrual pain, stomach cramps, gas, diarrhea, and nausea and vomiting.
Fresh Papaya Juice
Similar to pineapple juice, papaya juice aids in digestion. It also boosts your intake of essential vitamins and flushes out toxins from your body. If you’ve grown tired of pineapple juice (or are simply looking to mix things up) try sipping back a glass of this tropical juice a couple times a week. Those who live in the tropics (including South Asia and Brazil) have long used papaya juice for its rich vitamin and mineral content. Just be sure you’re buying papaya juice made from the whole fruit rather than papaya nectar, which often contains added sweeteners and lacks vitamins.
In particular, papaya juice is rich in carotenoid content, which also gives the juice its vibrant orange color. Carotenoids are a rich sources of vitamin A and lycopene, both powerful disease-fighting nutrients that protect tissues, eyes, kidneys (or renal function), and work to prevent prostate cancer.
Fresh Carrot Juice
A glass of fresh carrot juice might not sound like the most appetizing beverage but its countless health benefits have made this one of the most popular detox drinks. This drink is incredibly high in Vitamin A, antioxidants, and minerals (i.e., iron) and is known to treat intestinal parasites, constipation and digestive problems. Really, juicing fresh carrots is a great way to quickly sip all the nutrients in raw carrots. It doesn’t get any better than that!
According to researchers at Pardue University, carrot juice, like carrots, area a rich source of iron, which if you’re active, provides essential energy while supplying red blood cells with an energizing blast of oxygen. A small 1-cup serving daily of fresh carrot juice will deliver roughly 1.1 milligrams of iron (that’s 14-percent of the recommended daily intake for the average, healthy older male or female set.
Fresh Beet Juice
Similar to carrot juice and aloe vera juice, beet juice doesn’t exactly scream delicious. However, the vibrant red vegetable provides a super nutrient-rich option for fresh juice all year round! Beet juice is considered a health-boosting superfood, which means that drinking this detoxifying beverage a few times a week will help to heal your liver, balance cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
A 2010 study published in the journal, Hypertension, credited beet juice with the ability to quickly lower high blood pressure. Study researchers noted that beet juice was as effective as the often-prescribed nitrate medications used to decrease high blood pressure. This non-drug remedy is equally high in nitrate, a compound that boosts blood flow by relaxing and dilating blood vessels. Better blood flow equals lower and healthier blood pressure. Just be sure to make your juice with roots and greens to take advantage of the entire beet and all the health benefits this beverage has to offer.
Apple Cider Vinegar Detox
Most of us are no stranger to apple cider vinegar. It’s a kitchen staple that is commonly used for cooking and to make salad dressings…but a detox drink? Apple cider vinegar has been used outside the kitchen for quite some time now, particularly in a medicinal manner. Healthline explains, “The idea behind the detox is that raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar still has ‘the mother’ in it. The mother contains good bacteria for the gut, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.”
Apple cider vinegar has been used as a detox for thousands of years, according to Healthline, and it’s making a comeback. We all know that the body doesn’t necessarily need any help when it comes to detoxing because that’s what the liver is for. But it’s a great way for people to kind of flip the switch and kick start a new diet or just refresh themselves before introducing a new healthy diet. There are many great benefits to this diet including “giving the body a good dose of enzymes, increasing potassium intake, supporting healthy immune system, weight control, promote pH balance, aid healthy digestion, soothe skin,” and Healthline lists many more.
This detox contains 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 8-ounces of distilled or purified water and 1-2 tablespoons of sweetener (organic honey, maple syrup, or 4-drops of Stevia). Consume this three times a day, morning, noon and night.
Detox Dandelion Tea
Dandelion tea is a common remedy for bloating, constipation, upset stomach, and to encourage detox. Dandelions have been used for centuries as a remedy in traditional Chinese medicine and Native American medicine, and today dandelion tea has been touted as a great 48-hour detox cleanse. “Studies have shown that dandelion does contain diuretic and liver-detoxifying properties, and promising new research is looking into whether dandelion root has cancer-killing properties as well,” writes Shape.
The source lists a small study on mice found that hot water dandelion root extract was able to reduce alcohol-related liver damage in the animal, but not all the other health benefits have been proven. More research is definitely needed, but at the end of the day, dandelions are safe to consume and have other health benefits. Dandelion tea is known to be a good option for reducing bloat and help detox, so it’s worth a shot!
Fresh Cranberry Juice
Cranberries in general have tons of great health benefits, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that these little berries can be extremely beneficial when turned into a detox drink. According to the Mayo Clinic, cranberries can be useful when it comes to treating urinary tract infections and ulcers. LiveStrong also cites a study from Science Daily that found unsweetened cranberry juice can reduce the risk of kidney stones, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Cranberries are also contain vitamin C, manganese and antioxidants.
“The cranberry juice detox, recommended by many alternative doctors and naturopaths alike, combines unsweetened cranberry juice and water to flush the kidneys, lymphatic system and intestines from toxins accumulated from environmental, dietary and other toxic influences, and can cause results in as little as a week,” writes LiveStrong.
