Detox & Cleanse Series: Superfoods

In most cases, people tend to assume that healthy living is all about treating your body well and keeping it away from harmful elements such as toxins that can cause diseases or compromise vital organs. A crucial aspect of healthy living is simply daily dieting. It is one aspect that is mostly overlooked by many due to lack of awareness as to how the food they eat or don’t eat can actually impact their life. Though there are a number of fancy diets and programs that you can splash a lot of cash for that promise to be the “cutting edge in detoxifying your body”, detoxing is actually not as hard as you may think. There are certain superfoods that are packed full of nutrients to support detoxification and help recharge & rejuvenate the body.

So what’s so amazing about superfoods over complicated cleansing diets? They are super easy to incorporate into our diet! Which is perhaps why more and more of us are learning how to periodically cleanse and detoxify our body. For those who are yet to become acquainted with this health concept, it is essential to understand what superfoods are in addition to what unique benefits they can provide.

What are Superfoods?

Though there is no legal or medical definition, superfoods are food items (such as vegetables, root crop, fruit, etc.) that contain tremendous properties that aid in providing a wide array of health benefits to anyone who consumes it. They are referred to as superfoods since they provide more than just the run of the mill nutrients i.e. protein and carbohydrates. Essentially they are packed with a higher than average concentration of nutrients – vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, etc. Also they are believed to bring many astonishing health advantages, from minimising the signs of ageing to improving digestive health to help fight off cancer!

So, put simply, they’re extra healthy – your body loves them and they love your body!

Our Favourite Superfoods

Different superfoods obviously bring different benefits, but here’s our list of favourites that aren’t only delicious but are also very good for you. And of course it’s important to include a expansive range of food types in your diet – they work better together, so it’s best to include a selection of fresh fruits, veggies and wholegrains for a balanced diet and optimal health.

Sweet Potato

Half a large baked sweet potato delivers more than 450% of your daily dose of vitamin A, which protects your vision and immune system. Vitamin A derivatives have been shown to help reduce oil production in the skin, and are used to treat acne

Tomatoes

They contain lycopene, an antioxidant rarely found in other foods. Studies suggest that it could protect the skin against harmful UV rays, prevent certain cancers, and lower cholesterol. Plus, tomatoes contain high amounts of potassium, fibre, and vitamin C.

Kale

This rough and tough green beats out all the rest in terms of nutrition, providing more antioxidants than most other fruits and veggies! It’s also a fantastic source of fibre, calcium, and iron.

Flaxseed

The high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids in flaxseeds increase the hair’s elasticity, making it less prone to breakage, endowing you with stronger hair. Omega 3 fatty acids are extremely important for the healthy growth and development of the skin cells. The lignans (Google it) present in flaxseeds improve the appearance of the skin by reducing the levels of DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) in the body.

Quinoa

This type of whole grain is extremely good for your hair. It’s loaded with protein and aids in strengthening hair strands. In fact, the protein extracted from this grain is used in high-quality hair products. Quinoa also has biotin, niacin, and vitamins B6 and B12 that are all vital for hair growth.

When doing your weekly grocery shopping and/or taking a trip to the farmers market, be sure to refer to this list of superfoods. It would do you a lot of good if you start learning to cook at home using one or all of the items mentioned above and nourish your body with superfoods (assuming you don’t already that is).

We all could do with making ourselves feel a little better every now and then, and a healthier diet full of nutrients won’t hurt. If you’d like to get more advice about keeping your hair healthy you can ask a stylist for free advice at your local Rush salon.