My Top 3 Cold Weather Detox Foods

It’s that time of year again. The time when my inbox is flooded with emails asking what the best detoxes or cleanses are and my top tips for detoxing. I totally get it. We’ve just been through the holiday happenings; grazing at cocktail parties and indulging in sugar and spice and everything nice, unfortunately, we’ve also just realized that we didn’t quite get back on track after the holidays like we had planned or hoped maybe you need more time!

It’s only natural that we mentally and physically crave a break; an opportunity to clear out all the junk and allow our bodies to reboot.

The funny thing is (and this is depending where you live), the colder months can be the most tricky when it comes to safe and gentle detoxing. Our bodies naturally crave warmer and cooked foods to help combat the cold and often cooling juices with a lot of fruit can feel disconnected from our environments.

In light of the colder climates AND our desire to naturally reboot our bodies I’m bringing you my top 3 foods that will warm you through the winter AND detoxify your body.

Miso Soup

Photo Credit: Sweet Potato Soul

Loaded with minerals like zinc, manganese, phosphorous, iron, copper and B vitamins, miso floods your body with nutrients and naturally slims your waistline. Eaten with almost every meal in Japan (even breakfast), miso is a fermented food with tons of live probiotics that help improve digestion. Miso is both gentle and strengthening and during times of detox it will help soothe your digestive tract and help you feel full.

Kale

Good ‘ol kale.  We all love it, can’t get enough of it.  A healthy eating hall of famer (kale has been featured as the food of the month here), kale really deserves it’s continued spot in the sunlight.  For detox purposes kale acts as a blood purifier, a liver cleanser and immune system strengthener.  In addition, kale is loaded with chlorophyll (that’s why it’s such a dark green!) and micronutrients.  Kale even has fiber, helping scrub out your colon and giving your body a nice natural flush; exactly what those organs need to get rid of the gunk.

Super Spices

Cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper are all warming for the body and act as natural detoxifiers.  Easy to add to homemade dishes and find when eating out and on-the-go, these super spices pack some heat and help shed pounds.  These spices are referred to as “thermogenic food”, meaning they raise the temperature of the body and help boost metabolism so you burn more fat.   They also act as natural digestive aids (especially ginger and turmeric), helping to break down your food, mucus (from too much dairy) and reboot your digestive system.  Cinnamon even has fiber and can help stabilize your blood sugar levels and reduce sugar cravings!

Add these warming winter detox foods to your daily routine or kick it into high gear with a more thorough cleanse by making the Green Miso Soup below and having it for 2 meals out of your day.

Now I want to hear from you, what detoxes have you tried? Do you prefer to save the juice for warmer months? Let me know in the comments below! You can also read my previous posts on detoxing here and watch additional videos here.

Happy warm detoxing!

Green Miso Soup

Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons organic miso paste
3 cups water
2 bunches of greens such as spinach, watercress, kale, mustards and collards, chopped
Ginger, grated
Garlic, minced
Green onion or chives, chopped (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Boil water in a medium to large pot with garlic and ginger.
2. Once boiling, add your greens and turn heat down to a simmer.
3. Add green onion or chives and cook a minute or two until greens are tender.
4. Remove soup from heat.  In a small bowl combine 2-3 tablespoons miso paste with a small amount of the soup liquid.  Combine thoroughly with a fork and then add the miso mixture to pot.
5. Season with a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper and blend soup with an immersion blender.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  A sprinkle of cayenne pepper or a squeeze of lemon are additional natural detoxifiers and add nice flavor.