This post has been updated since it was originally published on April 8, 2022.
Many people subscribe to the idea that their body needs to be put through a series of detox diets in order to feel and look its best. This can come in the form of juice cleanses, fasting, and other fad diets, but the reality is that your body is actually perfectly equipped to detox itself without needing to subject yourself to the most obscure eating plan gleaned from an influencer claiming to have the key to weight loss.
However, while your body does largely do the job on its own, including certain foods into your balanced diet can make the task that much easier, and in particular, certain fruit may be beneficial in ridding your body of toxins and promoting a healthier gut biome. We spoke with registered dietitian Trista Best who broke down the best fruit to include within your regular eating habits in order to feel your best, so you don’t have to subscribe to a restrictive juice cleanse to reset your body.
Apples
Packed with a healthy serving of fiber and a slew of other great vitamins and minerals, Best explains that apples may be one of the best foods to consume regularly in order to help your body detox naturally. However, before we delve into how exactly apples can help you detox, it’s first important to understand what exactly that term means to begin with.
“Detoxing is simply the body's way of ridding itself of toxins. The liver and kidneys are the body's primary detoxifying organs which work by filtering and secreting substances to prevent toxin and free radical buildup,” explains Best. As your body filters out negative toxins, you will naturally begin to feel better, improving your health and even helping achieve weight loss, but there’s no reason to turn to juice cleanses to get this effect.
The reason apples are excellent for detoxing is simply due to the plant compounds found within this nutrient-rich fruit. “Catechins are one example of a plant compound that increases the body's natural detoxification,” notes Best. "This compound can also be found in many whole foods which can be easily integrated into the diet. The benefit of taking these in through food sources is the added nutrients you receive from them along with replacing potentially calorie dense foods with nutrient dense ones."
Tip: Avoid Eating Too Many Fried Foods
If you are going to cut anything out of your diet to help improve your skin, let this one be it: fried foods. “Frying releases free radicals which can contribute to the body having an excess amount off these cell-damaging compounds,” Burdeos says.
It’s true that with age often comes a drier complexion, but this one diet tip can help you maintain a beautiful and moisturized complexion.
