Healthy Habits

■ To detoxtify, one of the first things to do is drink a lot at least nine glasses of water a day at room temperature. Fruit juices, green tea and unsweetened herbal teas are also suitable. In the morning drink a glass of lukewarm water with a few drops of lemon.

■ Not more than a couple of cups of coffee or tea per day drinks which contain caffeine limit the absorption of vitamins and minerals.

■ Avoid cow’s milk and its by-products, milk hinders the process of detoxification because it promotes the production of mucus in the body. Replace it with almond, rice or soy milk. Good alternative choices are milk, yogurt and cottage cheese from sheep or goats.

■ Eat a lot of seasonal vegetables briefly cooked, steamed or sautèed, and vegetables soups. Do not use oil for sautèeing. Try instead to shortly stew garlic, onion and ginger in a few tablespoons of hot water and then add the vegetables. You can choose from broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, artichokes, spinach, Swiss chard and turnip greens.

■ Have fresh fruit in the morning for breakfast, pears are recommended in this season because they contain a lot of water and fiber which help the intestinal transit. Pineapple, rich in enzymes, and berries rich in oxidants, are also good choices. Also eat oranges, tangerines and grapefruit which are very rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.

■ Substitute salt with fresh or dried herbs that enhance the natural flavor of foods and do not cause water retention.

■ Say goodbye to precooked meals because they are full of sugars.

■ Replace pasta with soups containing cereals such as oats, buckwheat and brown rice which have a lot of water.