Nutrient-Dense Foods:

Artichokes
Contains plant compounds known as caffeoylquinic acids, which increase the flow of bile and help to digest fats.

Beets
Beets contain betaine, which promotes the regeneration of liver cells and the flow of bile. It also has a beneficial effect on fat metabolism.

Broccoli
Broccoli and other members of the brassica family (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, kholrabi) support the liver's detoxification enzymes.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Food sources of vitamin C and glutathione, which are essential for detox.

Protein
Protein is required by the liver for detox. Beans, nuts, seeds, quinoa, protein powder. Some people may choose to eat fish in moderation.

Onions and Garlic
Rich in sulfur-containing compounds. Involved in sulfation, the main detox pathway for environmental chemicals and certain drugs and food additives. Helps with the elimination of harmful heavy metals from the body.

Dandelion Root
Increases the flow of bile. Can be taken as a tea.

Tips On How To Make Healthier Meals

Courtesy of the National Heart and Lung Institute

Begin by choosing foods low in saturated fat, low in sodium and low in calories:

• Try fat free (skim) milk or lowfat (1%) milk
  
• Only buy cheeses marked "lowfat" or "fat free" on the package
  
• Choose to eat fruits and vegetables without butter or sauce
  
• Serve rice, beans, cereals, pasta, whole grains (e.g., couscous, barley, bulgar, etc.)
  
• Choose lean cuts of meat, fish, and skinless turkey and chicken
  
• When available, buy low– or reduced–sodium or no–salt–added versions of foods
  
  

Use these recipe substitutions:

• Use two egg whites for each whole egg and margarine or oil instead of butter
  
• Use light mayonnaise instead of the regular variety
  
• Use nonfat yogurt instead of sour cream
  
• Use lowfat cheese instead of regular cheese
  
• Use 1 percent or skim milk instead of whole milk
  
• Use fresh poultry, fish and lean meat rather than canned or processed types
  
  

Try these meal tips:

• Make a meatloaf with lean ground turkey
  
• Make tacos with skinless chicken breast
  
• Cool soups and gravies and skim off fat before reheating them
  
• Try adding salsa on a baked potato instead of butter
  
• Make a spicy baked fish — season with green pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, lemon, or cilantro
  
• Eat fruit for dessert, instead of pie or cake
  
  

Supplements

If you feel you need to take vitamin or mineral supplements, it is best to consult a health care professional. Some supplements, especially those containing certain herbs, may pose safety problems or have the potential to interact with drugs. Also, begin taking one new product at a time. Then, if you have a negative reaction, you don't have to guess which one may have caused it. Some supplements can also irritate your digestive system and be detrimental to your health.

Once you’ve decided to take supplements, a word to the wise: Buyer beware! Just because they say “natural” on the label doesn’t mean that all is well. It will pay you to do your own research. For instance, a large amount of Vitamin C sold today is being derived from Genetically Engineered (GE) corn. Make sure the contents are certified organic if you want to avoid GE content. Also, many supplements are not in a form that our body recognises as food and can absorb properly. An extensive amount of scientific research in this area has been done by Intracell Nutrition Inc . They have found strong evidence that the vitamins and minerals in food are bound up in highly complex molecular structures which they call the “food matrix” that cannot be duplicated in the USP and FCC chemical processes used to produce most supplements.