Natural Detoxifying Foods for the 17 Day Diet (Infographic)

The 17 Day Diet is a perfect example of why this diet works – the cycle food lists are chock full of natural detoxifying foods!

Many of the detoxifying foods are found in Cycle 1, but there are a few that can be found in other cycles, too!

Here are a few of my favorite naturally occurring detoxifying foods that you can find on the 17 Day Diet.

Lemon

If you’re familiar with the 17 Day Diet, then you’ll know that a cup of hot lemon water every morning is key!

The hot lemon water helps get your digestive juices flowing!

In addition to helping with digestion, lemons support heart health, help prevent kidney stones, reduce cancer risk and help you lose weight.

Incorporating lemon into your diet can certainly extend beyond the hot lemon water. Adding lemon to your foods such as a vinaigrette dressing is a way to add in extra lemon.

I also use lemon in soup! Not only does the lemon brighten up the flavor, but it’s also adding a layer of detoxifying benefits to your meal.

My Lemony Chicken and Kale Detox Soup has the perfect amount of lemon and every bit of lemon helps!

Garlic

Garlic is one of my favorite natural detoxifying foods! I use it in cooking all the time!

Not only does garlic give your dish a great layer of flavor, but it’s very healthy for you!

Garlic is known for reducing blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, may help reduce the amount of heavy metals in your body and may improve bone health.

Garlic is an herb that is approved for all cycles of the 17 Day Diet, so make sure you incorporate it in your meal planning!

Olive Oil

I think by now we all know that Olive Oil is highly beneficial to good health! Plus, it’s an approved oil for the 17 Day Diet.

Olive oil is made from pressed olives and it contains high levels of monounsaturated fats. Because of this, olive oil is known for anti-inflammatory properties.

Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants which make it perfect for reducing the risk of heart disease.

I use olive oil in my cooking and also incorporate it in my Apple Cider Vinaigrette recipe to help me get enough of this healthy fat.

Flax Seed

Flax seed is one of my secret weapons when it comes to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.

Flax is filled with fiber, antioxidants and healthy fats.

I use ground golden flax seed in my smoothies, mixed in with my yogurt and in my homemade granola!

Flax seed may reduce the risk of cancer, helps improve cholesterol and overall heart health, and helps improve blood sugar.

One of my favorite benefits of flax seed is its ability to help with constipation. Many who try the 17 Day Diet complain of being constipated and adding a bit of ground flax seed into your diet will certainly help!

Flax seed oil is an approved healthy fat on the 17 Day Diet. Although you won’t necessarily find flax seeds on any of the cycle food lists, you can certainly incorporate it into your diet (look at the Cycle 3 food list where nuts and seeds are approved as healthy fats).   

Beets

Beets are a great superfood and you’ll find them starting on Cycle 3 of the 17 Day Diet.

These lovely root vegetables are chock full of vitamins and minerals. 

Beets may help keep your blood pressure in check, help with inflammation, are great for digestion, and may even help you lose weight.

There’s probably a reason why you always find beets at the salad bar!

Green Tea

If you’re familiar with the 17 Day Diet, you’ll know that green tea is a staple! It’s filled with anti-oxidants and is helpful with burning fat!

Studies have also shown that green tea may help prevent certain cancers. 

Green tea may also help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, help reduce risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s according to this study on green tea benefits.

Word of warning – some in the 17 Day Diet Community do have issues with constipation from drinking too much green tea. If this is an issue for you, make sure you drink plenty of water and add in a bit of flax seed into your daily routine!

Other Natural Detoxifying Foods

Of course, this list is not complete, but they are some of my favorites.

Detoxifying foods such as limes and ginger (filled with antioxidants), spinach (filled with vitamins and minerals supporting bone health) and Brussels sprouts (filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for many health benefits), also make my list.

Incorporating these detoxifying foods into your diet is going to help improve your health!