Juice Your Way ... to Detoxification!

There’s a lot of talk floating around about “detoxing” these days. Detox facials. Detox foot baths. Detox diets. We hardly ever used to hear that word at all—so what happened? Did science suddenly discover that our bodies are just walking cesspools of filth?!

Not exactly. Sometimes, though, we do eat junk, and every day, we absorb environmental chemicals and toxins through our skin and lungs, making our bodies have to work overtime to process them. This makes us sometimes feel… meh. Extra tired or unable to concentrate. Maybe a little puffy, maybe just a little bit off. Detox drink to the rescue! This tasty juice helps to flush out the bad stuff and kicks the liver (the body’s major filtration system) into gear. 

Juice for Detox

Note: If you don’t have a juicer, this would work in the blender. The juice will come out a lot thicker, but the raw nutrients will still be there.

You will need

4 medium beets (about the size of a your fist or a little smaller)
Raw beets are true health miracle workers and superstars in the detox world, able to help detoxify the liver, skin, and help the body process fats. They're also an anti-inflammatory vegetable. And the make your pee red (cute).

3 large oranges, peeled
Oranges are a great source of vitamin C, a major detox vitamin that helps clear up digestive tract issues and clean out overworked livers. Plus they make this juice taste awesome.

8–10 large kale leaves
Now you know we can’t do this juice without kale. One of the healthiest foods on the planet, kale is a hard-core detoxifier, producing enzymes that detoxify the liver.

Thumb-sized piece of ginger
Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and helps improves digestion.

1 lemon, peeled
Lemon is a powerful antibacterial, and it helps—guess what?—detoxify the liver.

2 large carrots
Along with being a great antiseptic vegetable, carrots have lots of vitamin A, which helps flush toxins from the body. Plus, the high fiber content helps, um, clear out the colon (if you know what I mean).

Wash everything, then toss in your juicer or blender, and hit the “on” button. If you’re blending, add a cup of water to help liquefy your fruits and veggies.

The mixture will be a deep, almost-black red, a result of the kale and beets mixing together. It tastes fantastic, like an orangey-sweet, gingery fruit drink made for wellness. For reasons I don’t understand, this juice is a little bit pulpier and thicker than my other juices; it tastes especially good ice cold, so I recommend it on the rocks. You'll get about 40 ounces of fresh juice from this recipe—keep in the fridge in an airtight container (stir before drinking), and finish it within two days.

P.S. Please do not be alarmed in the bathroom the day after you drink this. You are not hemorrhaging.

Photo: Susie Adams