Five Recipes for Detox Salads to Cleanse Your Colon
More toxins and fewer nutrients are the consequences of a digestive system that’s not working well. These five recipes for detox salads to cleanse the colon will help this organ to properly carry out its functions.
In this article, you’ll find five recipes for delicious and really healthy detox salads.
Detoxing and the colon
The large intestine is a muscular tube located at the lower end of the digestive system. Its function is to absorb water and store solid waste that’s expelled as feces.
When the colon is in good health, it’s responsible for carrying out purifying tasks and eliminating toxins.
In recent years, advocates of detox programs have promoted the need to carry out cleansing and purifying diets to detox the body. The accumulation of toxins in the gastrointestinal tract is often related to the following problems:
- Being obese or overweight.
- Fatigue.
- Allergies
- Premature aging.
- Constipation.
- Chronic diseases.
However, these claims aren’t currently supported by any scientific research. Furthermore, it can’t be confirmed that carrying out detox diets considerably improves these conditions.
That said, there are many useful habits and tips for keeping your colon in good health and helping it perform its daily functions. One of them is having a healthy and balanced diet.
You might also be interested to read: Five Types of Food that Are Ideal to Cleanse the Colon
Detox salads to cleanse the colon
You should consider a detox diet to assist the cleansing processes that organs such as your liver or kidneys carry out. In the case of the large intestine, it means providing food and nutrients to support its function.
This will help the waste pass easily through the lower section of the digestive system and facilitate its expulsion. It’ll also provide beneficial compounds for the intestinal microbiota.
When an individual suffers from an eating disorder, the digestive system becomes unable to break down food, the absorption of nutrients decreases, and more toxins can accumulate.
One of the key nutrients in this regard is fiber. It helps to increase the movements of the colon and adds volume to the stool so that it’s expelled more quickly.
Probiotics, calcium, and vitamin D are also useful. Therefore, you should include foods such as apples, blueberries, nuts, coconut, chia seeds, cabbage, and broccoli in your diet. They’re also ideal ingredients to add to detox salads.
Let’s see how these ingredients can be incorporated into your daily diet and combined to form delicious salads to help cleanse your colon.
1. Cabbage and beet salad
Ingredients
- Olive oil.
- 1 beet.
- ½ cabbage.
- 1 carrot.
- 1 lemon.
- Aromatic herbs such as parsley, basil, or oregano (optional).
- Salt.
Method
- Cut the beet, carrot, and cabbage into small pieces.
- Add the herbs to season.
- Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.
- Add a little salt and serve.
2. Carrot and apple salad
Including fruit in salads is an ideal way to increase your consumption of them. Their fiber content is perfect for the intestine and intestinal flora.
Ingredients
- 4 large carrots.
- 1 stick of celery with leaves.
- 2 small red apples.
- 1 small onion.
- 1 sprig of coriander.
- ½ cup of raisins (60 grams).
- A handful of walnuts.
Ingredients for the dressing
3 tablespoons of juice from half a lemon (45 milliliters).
2 tablespoons of olive oil (30 milliliters).
1 teaspoon of honey (7.5 grams).
¼ teaspoon of hot curry powder (2 grams).
1 teaspoon of ground ginger (5 grams).
Method
- Wash and peel the carrots and grate them finely.
- Wash the apples, cut them into quarters, and remove the seeds. Grate with the coarse part of a grater.
- Finely chop the celery.
- Add the carrots, apples, and celery to the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Stir the dressing through the salad until well-mixed.
3. Spinach and orange salad
This is a lovely fresh combination for the summer, which combines the flavor of spinach with the acidity of orange.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of fresh spinach (120 grams).
- 4 oranges.
- Alfalfa sprouts.
Ingredients for the dressing
- 1 natural yogurt.
- 1 clove of garlic.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- A little lemon or orange juice.
Method
- Wash the spinach, oranges, and alfalfa sprouts well and cut them into small pieces. Set aside.
- Mix the ingredients for the dressing together.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.
You might also be interested to read: Eat These Five Fruits for a Healthy Colon
4. Rocket and watercress salad
Both of these ingredients are a good alternative to lettuce as a salad base. If you don’t like the strong taste of rocket, you can change it for any type of green leaf.
Ingredients
- A handful of blueberries.
- 1 or 2 sweet pears.
- 1 bunch of rocket (80 grams).
- Watercress.
- Flaked almonds.
Ingredients for the dressing
- The juice of ½ lemon.
- 1 tablespoon of honey (25 grams).
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil (45 milliliters).
Method
- Wash the rocket well, remove the thick stems, and drain. Clean the watercress and dry well.
- Toast the almonds a little in a dry frying pan over low heat until golden brown. Set aside.
- Wash, peel, and cut the blueberries and sweet pears into small pieces.
- Place the leaves in a bowl and add the fruit and toasted almonds.
- For the dressing, place the ingredients in a bowl and stir well until smooth.
- Pour over the salad and mix well.
5. Avocado and broccoli salad
Broccoli is an excellent food for digestive and intestinal health. In this recipe, it’s combined with avocado, a source of good fats that are necessary for any healthy diet.
Ingredients
- A few leaves of spinach and lettuce.
- 1 apple.
- ½ broccoli.
- A handful of almonds.
- 2 avocados.
- The juice of 1 lemon.
- Olive oil.
Method
- Steam the broccoli for a few minutes. Ideally, serve it al dente, but you can cook for longer if you like.
- Once cold, mix with the washed and drained leaves, the apple, and the avocado.
- Add the almonds.
- Dress with lemon juice and a little olive oil. Mix all the ingredients well and serve.
Other tips for taking care of your colon
Lifestyle habits are the pillar to keeping many of your organs and body in good condition. They’re also essential to take care of the health of your intestines and the digestive system in general.
Here are some recommendations:
- Eat a high-fiber diet, with a good amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes.
- Reduce your consumption of red meat and avoid processed meat-based foods.
- Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.
- Choose foods that provide probiotics, such as yogurts, kefir, sauerkraut, or miso.
- Do physical exercise on a regular basis.
- Massage your abdomen gently to facilitate the movements of your colon.
In addition to ensuring the proper functioning of the cleansing organs of your body, you should also reduce contact with substances that can be toxic to your body.
Eat more salads to help cleanse your colon
Make sure you give these delicious salads a try. They’re nutritious, easy to prepare, and will help your large intestine eliminate toxins and waste.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Allen J, Montalto M, et al. Detoxification in naturopatic medicine: a survey. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Diciembre 2011. 17 (12): 1175-80.
- Muzny, D. M., Bainbridge, M. N., Chang, K., Dinh, H. H., Drummond, J. A., Fowler, G., … Thomson., E. (2012). Comprehensive molecular characterization of human colon and rectal cancer. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11252.
- Picco M. F. ¿La limpieza de colon es una buena forma de eliminar toxinas del cuerpo? Mayo Clinic. Julio 2021.
- Seshagiri, S., Stawiski, E. W., Durinck, S., Modrusan, Z., Storm, E. E., Conboy, C. B., … De Sauvage, F. J. (2012). Recurrent R-spondin fusions in colon cancer. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11282.
- Terzić, J., Grivennikov, S., Karin, E., & Karin, M. (2010). Inflammation and Colon Cancer. Gastroenterology. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2010.01.058.
