5 day food and fitness challenge
This dessert packs a powerful punch whether you’re looking to detox, boost your immune system, or add a delicious, healthy new dessert to your repetoire!
It takes very little time to make, you can do everything in the food processor – and hey, if you can’t find white chia seeds this works great with black too.
Why might you want to think about including foods with detoxifying or internally cleansing properties?
Number one, the powerful nutrients in the ingredients I used to create this dessert are all incredibly cleansing to your digestive system, liver and cells. We’re exposed to so many environmental stressors daily, environmental pollutants, chemicals in our food and water, the side effects of stress – all of which cause a toxic build up in our bodies that needs to be flushed out.
Number two, toxins affect the body’s natural ability to burn fat, leading to weight gain. Diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure are all directly linked to weight control issues. Detoxing rids the body of toxins stored in fat cells and increases our metabolism – total win!
Number three, ridding your body of toxic crap will give you a MAJOR energy boost, AND clear up your skin – make your hair and nails stronger and generally give you a healthy glow!
I don’t personally believe in supplement style “cleanses” or hardcore detoxes. 99% of them took the kind of information I’m going to share with you about the following foods and tried to create a process that does the exact same thing, so you end up spending money on something you don’t need and can sometimes be a little harsh on your system.
Let me tell you WHY each of these ingredients is so amazing, and how they can help you boost your immune system, flush bacteria and parasites and toxins from your body, and make your skin glow.
Grapefruit: one of the most hydrating fruits in the world, half a grapefruit provides more than half of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C, plus calcium, magnesium, Vitamin A and E and many other minerals.
Want beautiful, glowing skin? Be sure to include natural food sources of vitamin C, like grapefruit. They’re a wonderful food source of beta carotene and lycopene, and the fiber and water content will promote a healthy digestive function
Chia Seeds: chia seeds are one of nature’s richest anti-oxidants – shown to stop up to 70% of free radical activity. Chia is high in fiber, and the seeds absorb water while they’re inside your intestinal tract – along with toxins that can build up in the gut walls, helping to filter and carry them from your body.
While they’re absorbing water, the soluble fiber in the seeds forms a gel-like substance in the stomach (you can observe this by dropping some seeds in a glass of water) that works as a prebiotic – supporting the growth of healthy probiotics in the gut.
Ginger: ginger is an amazing anti-inflammatory food that has a more powerful effect on the body than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It has been valued for centuries for it’s herbal medicinal properties, and can regulate the pathways of chronic inflammation.
These anti-inflammatory properties means that ginger can also reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness, making ginger an effective pain reliever. As you probably already know, ginger also has a great effect on nausea, and has been shown to reduce the nausea associated with chemotherapy.
Honey: honey has a long medicinal history – the ancient Egyptians offered honey to their Gods as well as used it for wound treatment. Honey is a powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory found that has several uses other than cooking.
The ancient Egyptians were on to something.. honey is amazing for healing wounds, especially the Manuka variety. Honey can also be used as a cough suppressant and also helps fight the infection. It also hampers the growth of food-borne pathogens. One warning: due to risk of botulism, never feed honey to an infant.
Fresh berries: berries have a high level of phytochemicals that help protect cells from damage. Due to their compounds called anthocyanidins, berries are known to increase cognitive function. Berries are lower in sugar than other fruits, so they are perfect for diabetics who want something sweet – the fiber in the berries also helps reduce insulin spikes.
They are also an anti-inflammatory food, so they fight systemic inflammation. The flavanoids in berries are also known for their cancer-fighting properties.
White Chia Ginger Grapefruit Cups:
1 large, organic grapefruit, peeled and de-seeded
1 inch fresh ginger, de-skinned and chopped
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw, unfiltered honey (add a little more or less to taste)
1/4 cup coconut milk (full fat)
1/3 cup white chia seeds (black are fine too!)
Fresh berries – I used raspberries, blackberries and blueberries
1. Prepare grapefruit. Puree in a food processor with ginger, vanilla, coconut milk and honey. I just added honey until I liked the taste and didn’t measure it exactly so 1/2 cup is an estimate. I’d add half that amount and taste it, then add more as you like.
2. Remove from food processor and place in a bowl. Stir in chia seeds and allow it to sit for 15-20 minutes.
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References:
1. AICR’s Foods that Fight Cancer, American Institute of Cancer Research 5-2014
2. Medical Knowledge Center: Grapefruit, Medical News Today, 2-2015
3. Phytochemical profile and nutraceutical potential of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) by ultra high performance liquid chromatography, National Center for Biotechnology Information, 6-2014
4. Ginger – an herbal medicinal product with broad anti-inflammatory actions: National Center for Biotechnology Information, Summer-2005
5. Ginger Reduces Muscle Pain Caused By Eccentric Exercise: The American Pain Society, 4-2010
6. Ginger Reduces Acute Chemotherapy-induced Nausea: Green Med Info, 7-2012
7. Medicinal Uses of Honey: Web MD, 12-2011
8. 9 Amazing Health Benefits of Berries: Everyday Health, 7-2012