Finally, the extensive winter festivities are over. With all the weddings, parties, barbecues and the never ending winter social calendar, your body is exhausted, both internally and externally. Detoxification or detox, is the process of removing toxic substances from the body. It is very important to detox and with Ramadan still a few months away, The Express Tribune spoke to Nighat Bhatti, Director of the Institute of Home and Food Sciences and got some invaluable information on how to use ingredients already available in our pantry to detox.
With the environment we live in and the type of food we now consume, it is absolutely essential to detox our body on a regular basis and not have excessive pollution and toxins take a toll on us. While exercising and increasing intake of water are the most basic forms of detox, here are some other interesting ways to utilise your pantry and use it to your benefit.
“Your kitchen is your complete laboratory,” says Bhatti, “you should use it to your advantage and by using your ingredients in the right manner you can allow your body to detox.” The nutrition expert advises maximum use of natural sugars in your diet. “Fruit sugars and natural sugars have fiber in them that helps cleanse your body.” With the summer coming up, lemonade will become a staple in every household. Instead of using sugar, substitute it with honey and a pinch of salt, this will allow your body to absorb all the nutrients and also retain the flavor of the lemonade,” she explains.
Epsom bath salts are a great way to cleanse your system. Dissolve them in your bath tub and soak your body. Not only does it revitalise and cleanse your skin, the salts get absorbed in your blood stream and cleanse your body internally.
“There are multiple local drinks that are made in the house during the summertime that serve as antioxidants,” says Bhatti, “Satoo for example is very high on fiber and helps cleanse the intestines and the digestive system, while kanji which is made out of black carrots and beet roots has spices that help the heart.”
Adding a lemon wedge and a sprig of mint to your jug of water miraculously detoxes your body. “The citrus from the lemon helps remove harmful toxins and also helps in burning fat,” explains Bhatti.
Bhatti also advises that homemade smoothies are a great way to start your day and cool off in a healthy manner. “Take about four ounces of kale or collard greens, an apple, a banana and half a cup of fresh parsley and blend it with two and a half cups of water,” continues Bhatti, “all these ingredients are rich in antioxidants and also provide energy, so it is a great way to start your day and also cleanse your system.”
Watermelon blended with cucumber is another homemade remedy that is very effective in cleansing the body. “What people do not realise is that pulses have immense detox value and one should consume all sorts of lentils, from masoor, channa, mash to moong, it is always best to add as many pulses to your diet as possible.”
Kalonji, commonly known as black seed, is another effective antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory remedy available in every local kitchen. The benefits of Kalonji are widely known to help asthma, nose bleeds, burns, cough and congestion, constipation, diabetes and ear infections. “To reduce chest irritation and stomach problems, add half a teaspoon of Kalonji oil to hot milk and have it,” explains Bhatti, “it even helps revitalise your skin, so mix three tablespoons of honey, half a tablespoon of Kalonji oil and half a teaspoon of olive oil and apply to your skin twice a day.”
Local spices and their benefits:
1. Chilli peppers: These are best for pain relief, heart health, fighting prostate cancer and stopping ulcers. Try jalapeño’s, Spanish pimentos or cherry peppers.
2. Cinnamon: While it warms up the flavours in the foods you pair it with, it also helps keep your arteries healthy, manages blood sugar levels and lowers cholesterol.
3. Tumeric: This helps reduce inflammation in arthritis patients.
4. Parsley: This helps pass kidney stones, battles deafness and also clears out the arteries.
5. Oregano: This has two antibacterial elements, thymol and carvacol, that fight infection. It is also rich in antioxidants.
6. Garlic: This has antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial benefits and also helps clear out blocked arteries.
7. Thyme oil: This is antiseptic and antibacterial and can help combat against MRSA infections which are resistant to other antibiotics.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2014.
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