Just about every food in its unrefined form has some impressive health benefit. But a few foods, when paired with one another, work like magic, helping to detoxify, fight inflammation, improve skin tone and even combat cancer. These 3 detoxifying food combinations are easy to find in any grocery store, and will help your body is so many beneficial ways.

Why are detoxifying foods so important?

The foods we eat broadly fat into one of two categories: they help or hurt our health. There are no foods that have no effect at all our bodies.

Some foods contain more of one type of vitamin or mineral than another, but when we eat foods that are rich in nutrition, and provided we're eating a balanced diet, our body is healthier overall!

Sometimes the benefits of healthy foods are brought out or made more powerful by co-factors in other foods. These incredible detoxifying food combinations below are just what you need to stay healthier without making much of an effort!

Think of detoxifying foods as the police of all the garbage that infiltrates our body. Detoxifying foods essentially handcuff these criminal pieces of garbage and drag them out of our body.

When we have too much garbage food and not enough detoxifying "police", we get sick.

Eat more of these delicious an amazing food combos for a healthier body all the time.

3 Great Detoxifying Food Combinations

 

Turmeric + Black Pepper

We all know that turmeric, the "it" spice of our time, is a powerful anti-inflammatory food and cancer fighter. Curcumin, the ingredient in turmeric that squelches inflammation and tumor cells is significantly amplified – to the tune of 2000% – when paired with black pepper. An alkaloid in black pepper called piperine helps to make this happen.

Another reason to marry these two powerful ingredients is because they’re strong detoxifiers, too. Combine this duo with an already clean diet, and you’ll significantly boost your health.

Turmeric and black pepper work best together when they’re heated. It’s important to drink this mixture shortly after brewing as the potency of curcumin diminishes significantly within a couple hours.

Ways to combine turmeric and black pepper:

• As a tea: I combine 12 ounces of boiling water to ½ teaspoon of turmeric and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. After it cools enough to consume, I drink it up! You can always add a little raw honey (see below) to change the flavor a bit.
• Added to soup: Simply add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper to a hot cup of soup for added flavor and the incredible body benefits of curcumin.

Avocado + Carrots

Again, another amazing and very healthy food, but when avocado is paired with carrots (think guacamole with fresh veggies and plenty of orange sticks!), vitamin A absorption skyrockets. Increasing the use of this fat-soluble vitamin in the body improves the tone and elasticity of skin, boosts our immune system and gives our vision a helping hand. The next time you make a bowl of guacamole, pass on the chips and slice up a couple carrots instead. They’re the perfect pair.

The avocado/carrot combo help keep you fuller longer. Both are a good source of fiber, and avocado is an excellent source of healthy fat.

When I’m lazy and not in the mood to get too involved making guacamole, I simple add ¼ cup of salsa and ½ teaspoon of cumin, a little bit of lemon* to a mashed avocado..and there it is: The Lazy Girl’s Guacamole. Rick Bayless would be so proud. Now grab your carrots and dip away. Your eyes and skin will love you for it.

*I add lemon because I usually have that in my fridge. Lemon or lime will both help reduce oxidation (browning) of the avocado. On the days when I’m not lazy, I use lime.

Ways to combine avocado and carrots:

• Make a homemade guacamole: Do you body a big favor by swapping carrots for chips and dip away!
• Throw the two onto a salad: It really can't get much easier than adding carrots and avocado into a salad.

Lemon + Honey

A little bit of lemon juice goes a long way, but when it’s combined with raw honey…it goes even further. Lemon helps to alkalize our blood and flush toxins from the liver. Raw honey (much better than any refined version) is a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron and B6, to name a few. It’s also and amazing antioxidant (like lemons). Start your day tomorrow with a cup of warm lemon water and a tablespoon of raw honey. This aids with digestions and detoxification.

So how do you work all of this into your life? Everyone is different, but here is how I’d prioritize these three:

• Blend into water: Start your morning off with the lemon juice/raw honey mixture. It’s a great way to give your liver a flush and rid the body of toxins that have accumulated. Just mix a little lemon juice and a teaspoon of raw honey into a room temperature glass of water and sip away.
• Make into a salad dressing: Add 1 teaspoon of raw honey + 2 tablespoons of lemon juice + 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a little salt and pepper for a super powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying salad dressing.

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