8 Herbs for A Natural Detox

Need a good natural detox to start off the year? These 8 herbs can help your body naturally cleanse and detoxify.

After the holidays, we often feel fat and sluggish, so the start of the new year is a great time to do a detox, and get all your systems running well again after the excess of the past few weeks! Luckily, nature provides all of the ingredients we need to cleanse and detoxify our systems – no weird pills or fasting required.

Exercise is possibly the best detoxifier of all (be sure to check out our Fun Ways to Exercise blog for some fast, fun workouts to get you moving this month), but there are also a number of healthy herbs that can help the process along.

These 8 herbs are a great way to give your body a boost and help it clean out all the accumulated toxins in your system, so you can start the new year off on a fresh and healthy note.

1. Dandelion

The great thing about dandelion is that the flowers, leaves and roots support the health of your entire body. The bright yellow flowers contain high amounts of antioxidants and flavonoids, which are all great for supporting the liver and renewing cells. You can add the flowers to a pot of water and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes to make a sweet tasting, detoxifying tea.

Dandelion leaves are an important part of a detox because of their diuretic action, and unique because they do not leach out potassium, an important electrolyte mineral. The nutritious leaves are a good source of vitamins A, B, C and zinc. Although dandelion can be bitter, it’s the bitterness that helps to stimulate the liver and gallbladder, thereby improving digestion.

2. Red Clover

By far one of my favorite herbs, red clover is incredible for cleansing the blood. The flowers have the ability to carry waste out of the bloodstream, making this herb a valuable part of a detoxification protocol.

Red clover is also a powerful tonic, helping to assist in toxin breakdown within the lymphatic system. Its expectorant properties are also great for individuals needing lung support. However, make sure to do your research, as red clover is only appropriate in certain forms and amounts.

3. Stinging Nettle

Nettles help to support the kidneys in eliminating waste and, along with your liver, your kidneys serve an important role in detoxification as well. Beware of picking this herb with your bare hands. It stings and can leave tiny little bumps on your hands and arms. But not to worry, it lasts only temporarily, but is very itchy!

You can enjoy the leaves of this herb by steaming them and adding them to a salad. You can also enjoy nettles in a soup by boiling them with vegetable broth, garlic and onions, then pureeing it. It’s a light and nourishing soup that is rich in iron and vitamin C. Vitamin C is an important nutrient needed to support the different phases of liver detoxification.

You can often find this herb available as a tea. Due to having mildly energizing benefits and supporting the liver and kidneys, it is a great morning tea that can help to kick-start detoxification in the a.m. and supply your body with vital nutrients.

4. Burdock Root

Although this may not be the tastiest of herbs, it is an incredible blood cleanser and loaded with detoxifying nutrients, such as folic acid, vitamins C, E and magnesium. Burdock is also a diuretic, helping to expel toxic buildup in your blood and eliminate it through your urine.
Burdock is a strong herb and it would be advised to include this once you have gone through months of detoxification protocols. It has a very strong affinity for the liver and works extremely well to eliminate toxins, therefore it can make you feel quite ill if other detoxification pathways are not optimized.

Burdock is also great for supporting the adrenals, helping to balance blood sugar. It also contains antimicrobial compounds.

………………………………………………………………

Check out this article for herbs 5-8….

Photo Credit: PaleoHacks