Time for tea
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You can drink any herbal teas you fancy on a detox, but the ones featured here have special benefits to help cleanse the system. Many of the tea manufacturers now make their own 'Detox' or 'Cleansing' brands, which often contain a mixture of useful ingredients, but always buy organic teas if you can. |
There is no need to forego your normal tea breaks on a detox; choose healing, nourishing teas instead of caffeine-based ones. |
Decaff coffee and tea are not recommended on a detox diet because of the methods used to extract the caffeine. The methylene chloride used in some decaffeinating processes is related to the toxic perchlorethylene used in dry cleaning. An organic solvent called ethyl acetate is also sometimes used and the product might be labeled 'naturally decaffeinated' because this chemical occurs in some fruits and in the coffee itself, but studies have shown that it is still highly toxic. Try a few of the following teas to see which you prefer- they all taste different and have specific properties, and it is a matter of personal taste which you choose. |
Which Tea?
- Nettle tea is a diuretic, meaning it helps your body excrete water, so it will flush out your toxins more quickly.
- Milk thistle tea contains silymarin which makes the liver less susceptible to toxin damage and increases its production of glutathione.
- Red sorrel tea is a terrific liver and gall bladder cleanser, and a recent study has indicated that it decreases the blood triglyceride levels (high levels are associated with heart disease and diabetes).
- Dandelion leaf tea has a diuretic action, while dandelion root coffee is an effective detox aid, stimulating the flow of bile so that more toxins are eliminated through the bowels.
- Rooibosch (or Red Bush) tea helps you to shed toxins through sweat, can relieve bloating and aid the digestive process. It also claimed to reduce the effects of ageing, keep skin, teeth and bones healthy, and it can aid sleep.
- Chamomile tea is calming, soporific and can help to relieve mild headaches.
- Lemon balm helps with depression and anxiety.
- Spearmint and peppermint tea both aid digestion.
- Fennel tea stimulates the liver. |
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Dandelion root coffee
Buy dandelion roots from a health food shop and allow them to dry. Place the dried roots on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 200°C, and roast them until they are a deep brown colour. Store in a glass jar and when you are ready to use, grind them into a fine powder using a coffee mill. Add a teaspoon to a cup of boiling water, stir and then drink. |
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Leaf tea
The herbal teabags are absolutely fine, but once you have tried making your own brew from fresh leaves there will be no going back. A big handful of mint leaves steeped in boiling water for 5 minutes makes the most delicious mint tea. Some health food shops sell herbal preparations you can use to make your own teas, and will invariably provide more taste than the powdered preparations that are used in teabags. |
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