Grapes, prunes, apples, pears are the stars during fall. Of course, I left a couple aside, but these local fruits are a the perfect treat for your body during stressful times. A lowered exposure to sunlight and colder temperatures are stress factors, not to mention work and daily-routine.
While our bodies are under great stress, these seasonal products bring many benefits for our health. Rather than drawing up a list, I suggest that we focus on the draining and depurative properties, in other words the “detoxifying” properties of three seasonal fruits and three local vegetables.
What does detox mean?
First of all, I would like to clarify the meaning of “detox”, as it is an overused word nowadays. It is misleadingly used to describe the “miracle effect” of all kinds of pills and diets, each more far-fetched than the other.
There is no single food or drug that is detoxifying on its own! Detoxification is above all the process of taking care of your diet to support the good functioning of your body.
Detox is not a diet, it’s about healing. You’re not going to eat less, you’re going to eat better. By eating better, you create a virtuous circle that often leads to losing weight and naturally reducing your food intake. This helps to maintain a long-term weight loss.
How does it work?
It involves favouring, over a period of three to four weeks, certain aliments that have a beneficial effect on one or more of your five emunctory organs. The liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs and skin are the only organs that eliminate waste, i. e. toxins.
Beetroot
The beetroot and its beautiful red colour, is a real and precious source of nutriments. Rich in vitamins and minerals, beetroot also provides many antioxidants such as betanine, which is responsible for the red pigmentation of beetroot, and lutein, whose protective action on the eye is well known.
While doing a detox, we will for the following benefit: betanine. This important component helps the liver to metabolize the fatty acids in the body. But that’s not all! Beetroots contain several other very interesting active ingredients. For example, methionine, which is an essential amino acid involved in the regeneration of liver cells.
In conclusion, beet is one of the vegetables with the best antioxidant power. It should therefore be regularly present in your diet.
Cabbage
Cabbage is very common in our vegetable gardens, but it is not appreciated for its true value. The cabbage family, also called cruciferous, is so diverse that everyone should be able to find at least one cabbage that they enjoy!
Cruciferous plants are also an excellent source of antioxidants to fight free radicals. Among the different varieties of cabbage, red cabbage has the highest proportion of flavonoids, which is one of the main families of antioxidants.
Cabbage is therefore an excellent seasonal vegetable that does not need to travel halfway around the world to reach our plate. This ensures that we can enjoy all their health benefits.
Onion
More commonly used to enhance the taste of dishes, onions are a detoxifying vegetable. Rich in sulphuric compounds and antioxidants, it also has a prebiotic effect that helps the intestinal flora.
Just like garlic, do not hesitate to add onion to your salads and dishes.
Grape
Grape growing is very pesticide-intensive. In fact, it is even one of the most polluted fruit. To make matters worse, a bunch contains many grapes, which multiplies the surface exposed to chemicals. I therefore strongly recommend that you choose fruits from organic farming.
In grapes, it should be noted that antioxidants are mainly concentrated in the seeds and skin. It is therefore necessary to enjoy this fruit in its whole to enjoy all its benefits!
Apples
Apples are another seasonal detox food at a very affordable price. I recommend you to choose organic products in order to avoid pesticides and other chemicals. If not, remember to wash and wipe your fruit.
In the context of detoxification, we are interested in pectin. This soluble fibre facilitates the elimination of food additives and heavy metals by the body. Pectin is also an excellent natural appetite suppressant. Being soluble in water, it swells in the stomach thanks to the liquids found there and induces a satiety effect.
Walnuts
This nut is an excellent source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially alpha linolenic acids, an essential omega-3 acid. The nut contains the ideal proportion of omega-3 fatty acids compared to omega-6.
In addition, nuts are really rich in antioxidants and provide valuable plant-based proteins. Even if they are rich in calories, regular consumption of oilseeds has many health benefits.
These products illustrate the food choices recommended in the context of a detox challenge and, more broadly, a healthy and balanced diet.
These are seasonal products that are produced locally and available at an affordable price… three excellent reasons to include them in your daily diet!
What do you think?