Yet another spring cleaning strategy is juicing. Juices are an easy way to shift your pH to the alkaline side of normal. I explain to patients that biochemical reactions work more efficiently in an alkaline environment. Now we know why. Intercellular channels called gap junctions are more open in an alkaline environment than an acid one, permitting the transfer of ions, metabolites and messenger molecules, such as hormones from one cell to another. You detoxify better in an alkaline state.
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What we thought was an early spring has quickly reverted back to winter in Kansas City. I hope you had a chance to see the Nichols Fountain adorned in icicles and sno-cone froth. Cold food, such as the watercress salad I posted last week, aren’t warming enough for most of us in chilly weather. But, winter’s return doesn’t mean you have to stop your internal spring cleaning. For thousands of years yogis have eaten a bean and rice dish called khichari (KICH-ar-ee) to cleanse and strengthen their bodies. They typically eat it in the spring and fall, while undergoing a cleansing program called panchakarma.
Khichari is made from basmati rice, mung or moong beans, spices and vegetables. Basmati rice and mung beans are restorative and cleansing for all types of constitutions. The spices and vegetables have known anti-inflammatory, detoxifying and reparative effects. Click on the links in the ingredient list to learn more.
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Watercress is another great detoxifying food. A cruciferous vegetable, like broccoli, it contains sulfur compounds that protect cells and their DNA against antioxidant damage. One of these compounds, Phenethyl isothiocyanate or PEITC, neutralizes a compound in tobacco smoke know to cause lung, mouth and throat cancers. Watercress is rich in vitamins C, E, A and folic acid. It increases bile flow from the liver, which improves fat digestion. Bile also carries toxins stored in the liver out of the body through the gastro-intestinal tract. Bile stimulates peristalsis, promoting healthy bowel movements. Watercress is an expectorant, clearing mucus from the respiratory tract.
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