Detox food to opt for this summer

Want a quick energy boost this summer? Try food-based detox. Include watermelon, cucumbers and lemon in your diet to counter the summer heat, says an expert.

Sonia Narang, nutrition expert of Oriflame India, shares some detox tips which will help clean out our bodies and make us feel healthy, light and refreshed.

* Watermelon is the number one food for a summer detox. It is extremely alkaline-forming in the body and contains high amounts of citrulline. This helps to create arginine which removes ammonia and other toxins from the body. Also, watermelon is a good source of potassium which balances the high amounts of sodium in our diets which supports the kidneys and is great when cleansing.

* Cucumbers help flush toxins from the body. The high water content in cucumbers gets your urinary system moving. A half-cup of sliced cucumber has only eight calories.

* Your liver loves lemons: Lemon is a wonderful stimulant to the liver and is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons.

* Mint leaves are great for summer cooling. It helps you digest your food more effectively.

* Steaming or stir-frying the vegetables are good option as they prevent nutrients from getting lost.

* Do some gentle exercise to encourage the elimination of toxins. While detoxing, it is important to stay away from alcohol and caffeine.

* Drink warm lime water with honey every morning as this stimulates the digestive system and helps to keep constipation away.

* Drink lots of green tea which is loaded with polyphenols, which function as powerful antioxidant.

* Drink milk in measured quantities but regularly. Milk contains a big package of nutrients that is especially important for bone health, which makes your body stronger while doing away with impurities.

* Increase foods with fibre in your diet. Dietary fibre plays a role in modulating the immune system and, therefore, results in a lesser risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity.