Eat for Your Health

You may be almost done with the typical spring cleaning chores such as organizing your closets, but what about focusing on detoxing to spring clean your health?

It's not about expensive cleanses that may be harmful to your bodies with short-lived results. By making healthy changes to your diet, you can naturally detox, leading to a healthier spring and summer.

CalorieCount.com's Director of Nutrition Rachel Berman has put together a list of tips that can help to make healthy lifestyle changes. Here are a few of her tips:

Foods to add to your diet:

� Leafy greens such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale contain cancer fighting compounds called glucosinolates. They are also a great source of calcium which is important for muscle contraction and therefore, can improve the "spring in your step." Frozen veggies often can be even more nutritious than fresh since they are frozen at the peak of ripeness.

� Citrus fruits are loaded with soluble fiber. This type of fiber increases the amount of healthy bacteria in your colon to help flush out toxins from your system. They are also loaded with immune boosting nutrients and antioxidants such as vitamin C, which can improve the health of your skin. Choose the whole fruits, not juices, to get the maximum fiber benefit and improve satiation.

� Garlic not only tastes and smells good, but it also has powerful antibiotic, antiviral, and antiseptic properties. It can protect our bodies against cell damage that comes from air pollution, cigarette smoke, radiation, and UV light that contributes to aging, cancer, and heart disease.

� Green tea has high amounts of antioxidants called catechins that have been researched for their disease fighting capabilities including protecting the health of our liver. One of the liver's main functions is to process and remove toxins from our body so its health is important for any detox process.

Food strategy:

� Make time for a lighter breakfast including fresh fruits and low-fat yogurts.

� When dining out, start your meal with a salad or light veggie soup/gazpacho to help fill you up on fewer calories.

� Drink plenty of non-caloric fluids, such as water, throughout the day to stay hydrated and energized.

� No need to do away with the "bad" foods you love. You can still enjoy a small soft-serve ice cream cone as a snack, splitting a small bag of popcorn or potato chips with a friend (or saving the section portion for another day), or eating a small portion of candy or a muffin.

For more information, visit: CalorieCount.com