Summer Detox Foods That Will Give You an Energy Boost – India West

MUMBAI — A seasonal detox is supposed to do wonders to one’s body. Detoxes, if done properly, can help keep one’s body weight in check and resolve stomach-related issues. If you want a quick energy boost this summer, try a food-based detox. Include watermelon, cucumbers and lemon in your diet to counter the summer heat, says an expert.

Sonia Narang, a nutrition expert at Oriflame India, shares some detox tips that will help clean out our bodies and make us feel healthy, light and refreshed.

Here are the tips:

* Watermelon is the number one food for a summer detox. It is extremely alkaline-forming in the body and contains high amounts of citrulline. This helps to create arginine, which removes ammonia and other toxins from the body. Also, watermelon is a good source of potassium, which balances the high amounts of sodium in our diets, supports the kidneys and is great for cleansing.

* Cucumbers help flush toxins from the body. The high water content in cucumbers gets your urinary system moving. A half cup of sliced cucumber has only eight calories.

* Your liver loves lemons: Lemon is a wonderful stimulant to the liver and is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons. 

* Mint leaves are great for summer cooling. It helps you digest your food more effectively.

* Steaming or stir-frying vegetables are a good option, as they prevent nutrients from getting lost.

* Do some gentle exercises to encourage the elimination of toxins. While detoxing, it is important to stay away from alcohol and caffeine.

* Drink warm lime water with honey every morning, as this stimulates the digestive system and helps to keep constipation away. 

* Drink lots of green tea, which is loaded with polyphenols and function as a powerful antioxidant. 

* Drink milk in measured quantities but regularly. Milk contains a big package of nutrients that is especially important for bone health, which makes your body stronger while doing away with impurities. 

* Increase foods with fiber in your diet. Dietary fiber plays a role in modulating the immune system and, therefore, results in a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity.