Rainbow Salad & Cleanse Controversy
Summer is a season when in general we let ourself to relax and indulge more than usual. Even if we have tried to stay faithful to our believes and healthy lifestyle, social life is full of tentations and not all your friends have the same motivations than you.
But now that Summer holidays are over and Autumn vibes are in the air, it’s a perfect time to cleanse and reset our bodies, recalibrate our palate and get back on track.
But first, let me talk about the big discussions out there about detox or not to detox. Some nutritionists are against them, assuring is all just a fad, they defend that our body is naturally made to eliminate all the toxins that we throw in it so there isn’t a need of detoxification. Other professionals are super pro of doing at least a couple of detox a year, they say that we are over exposed to too many toxins, in processed food, the pollution on the air, chemicals…
In my opinion, our liver, kidneys, skin and other organs are design to detoxify naturally, they actually do it every day. The problem is when our body is over-loaded by environmental toxins and unhealthy lifestyle. Even if you follow a healthy diet and eat organic, there are many other toxins we can not control that affect our body and mind. So why don’t submit our body to a cleanse and get advantage of certain foods to help our body breath better?
Ok, need another point of view? Well, the same way you need a break from work and go on holidays to disconnect, don’t you think your body also would profit from a break from time to time?
My favourite moments to do a reset is after Summer holiday, (just before Autumn begins), after Christmas holiday and between winter and spring. But if there is any other period when you feel bloated, congested, tired or low in energy go for it an give your body a break!
Today’s recipe is an example of a perfect reset salad. If you look at it well, you can see all the rainbow colours. This means it’s loaded with phytonutrients, the culprits of their different flavours and which defend us from the different free radicals we are exposed to.
Leafy greens are functional alkaline foods and prebiotics. They stimulate the favourable growth of good bacteria in your gut. They will boost your immune system and improve digestion. The bitter ones as rocket, endives or radicchio are super diuretic and especially help cleanse and purify your system. Beetroot provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support to the body. They are high in calcium and magnesium and help with muscle contraction. Plus they are super colourful and vibrant. Coriander support liver function and fight inflammation. The beta-carotene found in the carrots converts to vitamin A, which is an essential vitamin for tissue growth and repair, thyroid fuction and carrots are loaded with vitamin C and fibre. Tahini is a good source of essential nutrients for health and vitality as copper, manganese, calcim, magnesium, iron and zin.
What better way than this salad to put some colour to your day, specially on grey days like the ones we are having here in Barcelona before the arrival of Autumn.
- Green leaves spinach, rocket, escarole, endive...)
- Carrot grated
- Cherry tomatoes halved
- Red pepper diced
- Cucumber sliced
- Avocado sliced
- Beetroot boiled or roasted
- Sesame seeds
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 handful fresh coriander
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- Salt & Pepper
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Prepare the dressing by blending all ingredients in the food processor.
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Put the leafy greens into a big bowl. Add the rest of ingredients and serve with the dressing.