Whilst everyone knows that all vegetables are good for them, the best types to eat during a detox are green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage. This is due to the ability of these vegetables to sweep up toxins, more so than other vegetables, due to the high amount of antioxidants found in them. The best way to eat them is raw or steamed as the more they are cooked, the less nutrients present. It is also good to know that frozen and canned vegetables are just as good for you as fresh vegetables. Just like everyone knows they should try to eat more vegetables, we all know we should try to eat more fruit as well. This is because fruit is a natural source of dietary fiber which helps the digestive system, lowers cholesterol and is a good source of antioxidants. The best way to get the most out of fruit is to eat a wide variety of fruit, trying to eat those of varying colors as this is often an indicator of a fruits properties. Again, this goes for canned, dried, frozen and fresh fruits, as well as pure fruit juices.

One particular fruit to use during a detox is a lemon. The advantage of a lemon is that it makes toxins in the body water soluble, which in turn makes it easier for them to leave the body. Whilst it is not viable to eat a lemon on its own to get this outcome, it can be used during cooking. Perhaps the best way to increase the intake of lemon during a detox is to add it to hot water as a drink. Garlic is also a good food to eat during a detox as it too clears the body of toxins. The best way to take garlic is by simply adding it to foods whilst cooking. Although not strictly a food, the fifth best food to detox your system is fluids. Whilst the most obvious and perhaps the healthiest option is water, there are alternatives, including green tea and hot water with lemon. These will help keep you hydrated during the detox whilst also flushing out toxins. It is recommended that you try to have at least two litres of fluid intake per day.

There are a lot of other foods that can help detox your system, such as fresh fish, yoghurt, beans and lentils, by sticking to the five things mentioned above you are sure to get the results you want.

So you don’t have to go on a diet of lettuce leaves and work out at the gym for 3 hours per day. You just need to make a few small changes to your diet, changes you will hardly notice but when put together will result in significant weight loss. Basically you just need to tweak you diet and exercise regime a little bit. For example, instead of two donuts and a coffee in the morning, why not have a wholegrain bagel with low fat cream cheese and then mid morning, instead iced latte with cream, have a fresh fruit smoothie with low fat yoghurt. Not only are these much healthier options but they will keep you from feeling hungry during the day. The last thing you want is to be starving and then eat anything in your path as soon as you get the chance.

So what is next? Lunch. This time you can ditch the cheeseburger and fries with soda to the curb. Instead, get a grilled chicken sandwich with a side salad, and some fresh fruit for dessert. This is a healthy balanced meal which still tastes great. For dinner, you might want to skip the pasta with a fatty meat sauce, and garlic bread and instead grill some lean fish with zucchini and asparagus. This is really a much healthier option and if you feel that isn’t enough to keep you feeling full, you can always have a small wholegrain dinner roll with your meal (though you might want to skip the butter with it).

Since you ate so well for the entire day, don’t go thinking you have to go and skip dessert in order to cap off the night healthy. There are plenty of healthy low calorie desserts available.

Perhaps one of the hardest things to give up is sugar and sugar based products. These can be hard to give up as almost everyone has their favorite treat, more than likely containing sugar. Whilst foods containing natural sweeteners are ok, artificial sweeteners are also worth avoiding. Other treats to avoid include potato chips, salted nuts and chocolate. It may also be hard to give up foods such as ready-made meals, processed foods, and take-away meals. A lot more people rely on these than in the past due to changing working patterns and family lives. Unfortunately, these foods are often the worst type of food for the body as they can be extremely hard to digest. These types of food are often found to have a high salt intake which is another reason to cut them out, with all salt intake reduced or stopped during the detox.

Another type of food to avoid when detoxing is red meat. Whilst some people choose to give up all meat during a detox; chicken and turkey are not as bad for the body as red meat. If you do decide to give them all up quorn and tofu can be a good alternative. Gluten should also be avoided, often found in foods that contain grains such as wheat and rye barley, for example bread and pasta. This is due to the fact that gluten can cause bloating and wind because of the way it is digested in the body. It is also a good idea to stop using sauces and dressings such as mayonnaise during a detox as these often contain ingredients such as salt and sugar, and replacing them with extra virgin olive oil. In terms of drinks, it is pretty obvious that alcohol and fizzy drinks should be cut out. However it could also be a good idea to cut out tea and coffee, although herbal teas could be used as an alternative.

Although it may be hard to cut out a lot of the foods listed above, the body does get used to not having them. In some cases, after cutting certain foods out of the diet people can find it hard to start eating them again, either at all or just not as much as before. Plus, the fact that most detox’s only last a few days to a week means that it’s not as hard as first imagined, and it may only be 7 days until that next bar of chocolate!

Here are the Top 5 Superfoods that you need to be eating right now!

1. Acai Berry

The acai berry hasn’t been available in the US for long but now that it’s here, we should take the opportunity to enjoy its benefits. In addition to helping to speed up the metabolism, the acai berry has also been shown to help lower cholesterol, decrease the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer, and even increase the body’s natural energy levels. Research is still ongoing but the benefits of this little berry have been reported everywhere, including in respected medical journals. Out of all of the superfoods on this list, the acai berry is easily the most super of them all!

2. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Research has shown that American’s don’t eat anywhere near the recommend daily intake of vegetables. We need at least 5 servings of vegetables per day and at least 2 of them should be dark green leafy vegetables. Many dark greens such as collard, broccoli, kale, spinach, and chard are loaded with vitamins A & C as well as calcium, phyto-nutrients, and iron. If you are trying to lose weight, dark green veges are typically very filling and high in fiber which means they are an excellent choice to keep you feeling full and reduce your desire to snack between meals.

3. Salmon

Salmon is an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, plus it’s delicious. Fatty fish such as salmon should be eaten at least twice per week according to a 2002 study by the American Heart Association. It’s great for reducing your cholesterol and promotes healthy skin and hair.

4. Walnuts

Walnuts are arguably one of the best plant sources of protein that exists. They are incredibly rich in B vitamins, magnesium, fiber, and even antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Nuts in general are high in omega-3 fatty acids – and walnuts are no exception – which are essential in a healthy diet. In fact, walnuts have significantly higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids as opposed to many other types of nuts so choose walnuts ahead of other nuts where possible.

5. Flax Seed

Flax seeds are another excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and a top superfood. In addition to omega-3, many different studies have shown flax seeds to offer several healthy heart benefits. They are also high in fiber and lignin – which has shown promise in fighting many different types of diseases – including (most importantly) cancer. You can easily add flax seeds to your diet or take flax seed oil supplements on a regular basis.

Not surprisingly, fresh fruits and vegetables are a staple of any healthy diet and they are absolutely essentials should you go about a colon cleanse. Big leafy greens such as spinach, broccoli, lettuce and non-starchy vegetables such as carrots and beets are the best route. Stay as far away from potatoes as you can as they are about the only vegetable that is not recommended while you’re undergoing a colon cleanse.

The same goes for the fruits as pretty much everything is fair game except for starchy ones such as bananas. Blackberries, blueberries, grapes and strawberries are perfectly fine and are also a definitely delicious option!

All types of nuts and seeds such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts, and sunflower seeds are a great addition to salads if you so choose. Despite the myth that you should avoid fats of all kinds, healthy fats are perfectly fine when they’re in the form of healthy oils (think olive oil, fish oil, or even cod liver oil).

The most important thing of all during a colon cleanse is something that not a lot of people talk about. Not only is it a must during your colon cleanse but it should remain a must for the rest of your life as well: water. Drinking ample amounts of water will naturally flush all types of bacteria and toxins from your body and during a colon cleanse, it is essential that you drink it to remain hydrated. There is going to be a lot of fluids and waste exiting your body, so replenishing it with as much water as possible is the best route that you can take.

To give yourself an added boost when going on your colon cleansing diet, we recommend taking a quality colon cleanser supplement. This can help you to get quicker and more effective results.

Maintaining this healthy diet during a colon cleanse will give you the kick start you need towards a much healthier lifestyle. If you’re going to take the drastic step to rid yourself of all of the sludge and waste that has caked itself to your colon walls throughout the years, then you should absolutely continue on afterwards with a well-balanced diet that is free of junk food and processed garbage.