While you may be eating food every few hours, most likely, you will not be going to be the bathroom as often as you eat. Eating foods that clean the colon are the ones that will make food move faster down the intestinal tract helping you detox your digestive system. The longer the food stays in your body the greater it will become a breeding ground for bad bacteria to start colonizing your gut and fermenting undigested food.
In this OneHowTo article we explain what are the best foods for a colon cleanse.
Dark green leafy vegetables
You may have heard how dark green leafy vegetables are one of the most nutrient based foods, but there is another reason why all those green juices are made with spinach, kale or collard greens. Leafy vegetables are high in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a the pigment that gives vegetables a green color and is argued to help protect against toxicity caused by heavy metals found in many protein based foods.
Other vegetables with this pigment include asparagus and artichokes, which are argued to have strong diuretic effects helping to clean out the kidneys.
Fermented foods
Fermented foods contain probiotics or otherwise known as good bacteria. We need a balance of beneficial bacteria all across our digestive system to help us digest food properly, eliminate toxins, absorb nutrients and strengthen our immune system.
Some of the most common fermented foods include sauerkraut and other lacto-fermented vegetables, kombucha, kimchi, kefir and natto. If you have a histamine or yeast intolerance you may preferably take probiotics by getting hold of a good quality supplement.
Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables are high in vitamin C, folate, vitamin E, vitamin K and fiber, making them a highly nutrient food to add to your diet. Studies have associated the high level of phytonutrients in these vegetables with a lower risk of developing cancer by reducing oxidative stress.
It is recommended a daily intake of between 2.5 and 3 cups of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. This amount accounts for up to 40% of recommended daily fiber intake.
Apples
The substance that makes apples an excellent colon cleanse food is pectin. Aside from high fiber content, apples contain pectin, a polysaccharide that works as a thickening agent inside the digestive tract. The combination of these two elements helps the digestive system push food down the gut alongside building thick intestinal walls.
Flax seeds and psyllium husk
Flax seeds and psyllium husk work as bulking ingredients when combined with fluids. People suffering from constipation often take natural laxative teas made with grounded flax seeds or psyllium husk. Their high content in soluble and insoluble fiber causes it to expand when mixed with water helping push down food towards the colon.
It is recommended to work carefully with flax seeds and psyllium husk by taking them sparingly. A colon cleanse must be performed gently and should include a combination of liver detoxifying ingredients from different nutrient dense foods.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
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